Even Years: St. Cyprian, Treatise on the value of patience, 13 & 15
| Domini et Magistri nostri salutare praeceptum est. Qui toleraverit usque ad finem, hic salvus erit. Et iterum: Si permanseritis in verbo meo, vere discipuli mei eritis, et cognoscetis veritatem, et veritas liberabit vos.
| The command of our Lord and Master which will save us is: He who endures to the end will be saved. And, If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
| | ze=+2>Tolerandum et perseverandum est, fratres dilectissimi, ut, ad spem veritatis et libertatis admissi, ad veritatem et libertatem ipsam pervenire possimus; quia hoc ipsum quod christiani sumus, fidei et spei res est; ut autem spes et fides ad fructum sui possint pervenire, patientia opus est.
| The hope of truth and of freedom is already ours, dearly beloved, but if we are to attain truth and freedom in reality we must endure and persevere. The very fact that we are Christians is the substance of faith and hope. But in order that faith and hope may attain their full fruit, there is need of patience.
| | ze=+2>Non enim praesentem gloriam sequimur, sed futuram, secundum quod et Paulus apostolus monet dicens: Spe salvati sumus. Spes autem, quae videtur, non est spes: quod enim videt quis, quid sperat? Si autem quod non videmus speramus, per expectationem sustinemus. Espectatio et patientia necessaria est, ut id quod esse coepimus impleamus, et quod speramus et credimus, Deo repraesentante, capiamus.
| We are pursuing a future, not a present glory, in accordance with the admonition of Paul the Apostle: It is in hope that we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Waiting and patience are necessary if we are to fulfil what we have begun to be, and to receive, through God's unfailing help, what we hope for and believe.
| | ze=+2>Denique alio in loco idem Apostolus iustos et operantes et divini fenoris incremento caelestes thesauros sibi recondentes, ut patientes quoque sint, instruit et docet, dicens: Ergo, dum tempus habemus, operemur quod bonum est ad omnes, maxime vero ad domesticos fidei. Bonum autem facientes non deficiamus; tempore enim suo metemus.
| In another passage from the same Apostle, those who are holy, who work at laying up a treasure for themselves in heaven by increasing the capital that God has given them, are instructed to be patient as well: So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap.
| | ze=+2>Admonet ne quis impatiens in operatione deficiat, ne quis tentationibus aut avocatus aut victus in medio laudis et gloriae itinere desistat, et pereant praeterita, dum quae coeperant desinunt esse perfecta.
| He urges us that no one give up his work through impatience, that no one stop halfway on the road to praise and glory, being turned aside or overcome by temptations so that past achievement perishes, while what is begun is not brought to completion.
| | ze=+2>Apostolus denique, cum de caritate loqueretur, tolerantiam illi et patientiam iunxit. Caritas, inquit, magnanima est, caritas benigna est, caritas non aemulatur, non inflatur, non irritatur, non cogitat malum, omnia diligit, omnia credit, omnia sperat, omnia sustinet. Ostendit inde illam peseverare tenaciter posse, quod noverit omnia sustinere.
| The Apostle, finally, when he would speak of charity, joined to it endurance and patience. Love, he says, is large-souled, love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it thinks no evil; loves all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. He shows that it can tenaciously persevere, for the very reason that it knows how to endure all things.
| | ze=+2>Et alio loco: Sustinentes, inquit, invicem in dilectione, satis agentes servare unitatem spiritus in coniunctione pacis. Probavit nec unitatem servari posse nec pacem, nisi se invicem fratres muta toleratia foveant, et concordiae vinculum patientia intercedente custodiant.
| And in another passage: Forbearing one another, he says, in love, using every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He proved that neither unity nor peace could be kept unless the brethren treat one another with mutual forbearance, and preserve the bond of concord through patience.
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Odd Years: Maximus of Turin, Sermon 88 (1-3. CCL 23, 359-360)
Semper enim scriptura diuina
loquitur et clamat, sicut scriptum est de iohanne: ego sum uox clamantis in
deserto. Non enim tantum illo in tempore clamauit iohannes quo pharisaeis
adnuntians dominum saluatorem dixit: parate uiam domini, rectas facite semitas
dei nostri; sed hodieque clamat in nobis, et uocis suae tonitruo deserta
nostrorum concutit peccatorum; ac licet sancta martyrii morte dormierit, uox
tamen eius uiuit. Dicit enim et nobis hodie: parate uiam domini, rectas facite
semitas eius. Semper ergo scriptura diuina clamat et loquitur...
Hodieque ergo iohannes clamat et dicit: parate
uiam domini, rectas facite et reliqua. Parare ergo iubemur uiam domini,
scilicet non aggerem itineris sed fidei puritatem. Dominus enim non terrenam
semitam carpit, sed secreta mentis incedit...
Sed uideamus ipse iohannes, qui parari
uiam domino iubet, quam ipse uiam parauerit saluatori! per omnia plane
aduenienti christo tramitem uiae suae conposuit et direxit. Nam fuit utique ieiunus humilis parcus et uirgo; omnes enim has uirtutes eius euangelista describens
ait: ipse autem iohannes habebat uestitum de pilis camelorum et zona pellicia
circa lumbos eius; esca autem eius erat locusta et mel siluestre.
Quae igitur maior humilitas in propheta
quam contemptis mollibus indumentis pilorum asperitate uestiri? quae deuotior
fides quam praecinctum zona paratum semper esse ad omne seruitutis obsequium?
quae praeclarior abstinentia quam spretis uitae huius deliciis stridulis uesci
locustis ac melle siluestri?
quae omnia haec quoniam prophetae usui
erant, arbitror in his ipsis prophetiam fuisse. Nam utique cum praenuntius
christi uestimentum habebat camelorum asperitate contextum, quid aliud
significat nisi quod ipse christum adueniens usurus esset indumento humani
corporis, quod erat peccatorum asperitate densetum; et quod uelut inmundissimae
bestiae, hoc est gentilis populi, circumdatus exuuiis deformitatem eius ipse
gestaret? zona uero pellicia quid aliud demonstrat nisi hanc fragilem carnem
nostram, quae ante aduentum christi dominabatur ad uitia, post aduentum eius
restricta sit ad uirtutem?
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