1.1 Gāius Gaius vir a man dīves wealthy et and honestus honourable per through forum the forum cotīdiē daily ambulābat would walk —et and cotīdiē daily pauperēs the poor vidēbat he saw quī who ad at marginem the edge viae of the road iacēbant lay
1.2 Vidēbat he saw eōs them —hoc this certum certain est is —nam for oculī his eyes eius his aperti open erant were et and lūx the light sōlis of the sun vultūs the faces eōrum their illūstrābat illuminated
1.3 Sed but quaerō I ask —vidēbatne did he see an or nōn not vidēbat? did he see
2.1 Est there is enim indeed vidēre a seeing oculōrum of the eyes et and est there is vidēre a seeing cordis of the heart
2.2 Oculī the eyes carnīs of the flesh colōrēs colours et and fōrmās shapes capiunt grasp —vident they see vultum the face hominis of a man ēsurientis who is starving et and ossa the bones quae which sub under pelle the skin ēminent protrude et and oculōs the eyes quī which iam already spem hope āmīsērunt have lost
2.3 Sed but oculī the eyes cordis of the heart —sī if apertī open sint they are —hūmānitātem the humanity ipsam itself vident see —id that est is hominem a person in in homine the person agnōscunt they recognise —frātrem a brother in in peregrīnō the stranger —sē themselves ipsum themselves in in aliēnō one who is different
2.4 Gāius Gaius oculīs with the eyes carnīs of the flesh vidēbat saw —oculīs with the eyes cordis of the heart caecus blind erat he was
3.1 Unde from where autem then venit comes haec this vīsiō vision interior inner quā by which hominem a person in in homine a person agnōscimus? we recognise
3.2 Nōn not ā from sēnsibus the senses —nam for sēnsūs the senses rēs things mūtābilēs changeable tantum only attingunt touch —colōrem colour quī which crās tomorrow pallēscet will pale fōrmam a shape quae which mox soon perībit will perish
3.3 Sed but cum when dīcō I say “hic this homo person est is et and dīgnus worthy est is quī who amētur” should be loved —vēritātem a truth dīcō I speak quae which nōn does not pallēscit pale nōn does not perit perish nōn does not mūtātur change
3.4 Unde from where then haec this vēritās truth immūtābilis unchanging in in mente a mind mūtābilī? that is changeable
3.5 Est there is lūx a light quaedam a certain intellegibilis intelligible quā by which mens the mind illūstrātur is illuminated —sīcut just as sōl the sun oculōs the eyes carnīs of the flesh illūstrat illuminates ut so that corpora bodies videant they see ita so Deus God mentem the mind illūstrat illuminates ut so that vēritātem truth videat it sees
3.6 Et and haec this lūx light nōn not procul far away est is —nōn not in in caelō the sky tantum only —sed but interior more inward intimō than my inmost meō self —Magister a Teacher interior an inner one quī who docet teaches sine without strepitū noise verbōrum of words
4.1 Cūr why ergō then Gāius Gaius nōn did not vidēbat see quod what lūx the light interior inner eī to him ostendēbat? was showing
4.2 Quia because vidēre to see nōlēbat he did not wish
4.3 Hoc this est is mysterium the mystery caecitātis of blindness nostrae our —nōn not quod that lūx the light dēest is absent sed but quod that oculōs our eyes claudimus we close —nōn not quod that vēritās truth abscondita hidden est is sed but quod that nōs we ab from eā it āvertimur turn away
4.4 Lūx the light lūcet shines et and tenebrae the darkness eam it nōn did not comprehendērunt comprehend —nōn not quia because lūx the light dēbilis was weak erat was sed but quia because tenebrae the darkness eam it nōluērunt refused
4.5 Nam for vidēre to see dolōrem the suffering alterius of another vērē truly est is aliquid something pati to suffer —et and Gāius Gaius patī to suffer nōlēbat did not wish —et and ideō therefore lūcem the light quae which dolōrem the suffering illum that ostendēbat was showing refūgit he fled from
5.1 Sed but cōgitā consider nunc now rēs a matter maiōrēs greater
5.2 Sunt there are terrае lands ubi where famēs famine rēgnat reigns —ubi where mātrēs mothers līberōs their children suōs their own morientēs dying tenent hold et and nihil nothing dare to give them possunt they can —ubi where agrī the fields vastātī devastated sunt are et and putei the wells exsiccātī dried up et and viae the roads bellō by war clausae closed
5.3 Et and nōs we haec these things scīmus know —nūntiī messengers nōbīs to us dīcunt tell et and numerōs the numbers recitant recite —tot so many mīlia thousands ēsuriunt are starving tot so many mīlia thousands moriuntur are dying
5.4 Et and tamen yet nōs we audīmus hear et and cēnāmus we dine —scīmus we know et and dormīmus we sleep —numerōs the numbers legimus we read et and oblivīscimur we forget
5.5 Quōmodo how hoc this fierī to happen potest is it able —nisi unless quia because oculōs our eyes cordis of the heart clausimus we have closed dum while oculī the eyes carnīs of the flesh aperti open manent? remain
6.1 Cōnfiteor I confess tibi to you Domine Lord —nam for ego I quoque also Gāius Gaius sum I am
6.2 Ego I quoque also vīdī saw et and nōn did not vīdī see —audīvī heard et and nōn did not audīvī hear —scīvī knew et and nōn did not scīvī know
6.3 Quotiēns how often lūx the light tua your mihi to me vēritātem the truth ostendēbat was showing —et and ego I āvertēbar was turning away —nōn not quia because vēritātem truth nōn not amābam I loved sed but quia because dolōrem the pain quem which vēritās truth exigēbat was demanding timēbam I feared
6.4 Nam for vēritās truth dē about dolōre the suffering aliēnō of another dōnum a gift nōn not grātuitum free est is —pretium the price eius of it est is compassiō compassion —et and compassiō compassion pretium a price est is quod which solvere to pay nōlumus we do not wish
7.1 Dā give mihi me Domine Lord oculōs eyes quī which vidēre to see possunt are able et and cor a heart quod which vidēre to see audet dares
7.2 Nōlī do not sinere allow mē me in in lūmine the light tuō your ambulāre to walk et and tamen yet in in tenebrīs darkness manēre to remain
7.3 Nam for in in lūmine the light tuō your vidēbimus we shall see lūmen light —sed but prīmum first oculōs our eyes aperīre to open dēbēmus we ought —et and hoc this ipsum very thing aperīre to open dōnum a gift tuum your est is
7.4 Nēmō no one enim for sibi for himself oculōs eyes cordis of the heart aperit opens —tū you aperīs open —et and cum when aperueris you have opened them nōn not possumus are we able nōn not vidēre to see —et and cum when vīderimus we have seen nōn not possumus are we able nōn not agere to act
7.5 Aperī open —aperī open oculōs our eyes nostrōs our
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1.1 Gāius, vir dīves et honestus, per forum cotīdiē ambulābat — et cotīdiē pauperēs vidēbat quī ad marginem viae iacēbant.
1.2 Vidēbat eōs — hoc certum est — nam oculī eius apertī erant et lūx sōlis vultūs eōrum illūstrābat.
1.3 Sed quaerō — vidēbatne an nōn vidēbat?
2.1 Est enim vidēre oculōrum et est vidēre cordis.
2.2 Oculī carnīs colōrēs et fōrmās capiunt — vident vultum hominis ēsurientis et ossa quae sub pelle ēminent et oculōs quī iam spem āmīsērunt.
2.3 Sed oculī cordis — sī apertī sint — hūmānitātem ipsam vident — id est hominem in homine agnōscunt — frātrem in peregrīnō — sē ipsum in aliēnō.
2.4 Gāius oculīs carnīs vidēbat — oculīs cordis caecus erat.
3.1 Unde autem venit haec vīsiō interior quā hominem in homine agnōscimus?
3.2 Nōn ā sēnsibus — nam sēnsūs rēs mūtābilēs tantum attingunt — colōrem quī crās pallēscet, fōrmam quae mox perībit.
3.3 Sed cum dīcō “hic homo est et dīgnus est quī amētur” — vēritātem dīcō quae nōn pallēscit, nōn perit, nōn mūtātur.
3.4 Unde haec vēritās immūtābilis in mente mūtābilī?
3.5 Est lūx quaedam intellegibilis quā mens illūstrātur — sīcut sōl oculōs carnīs illūstrat ut corpora videant, ita Deus mentem illūstrat ut vēritātem videat.
3.6 Et haec lūx nōn procul est — nōn in caelō tantum — sed interior intimō meō — Magister interior quī docet sine strepitū verbōrum.
4.1 Cūr ergō Gāius nōn vidēbat quod lūx interior eī ostendēbat?
4.2 Quia vidēre nōlēbat.
4.3 Hoc est mysterium caecitātis nostrae — nōn quod lūx dēest sed quod oculōs claudimus — nōn quod vēritās abscondita est sed quod nōs ab eā āvertimur.
4.4 Lūx lūcet et tenebrae eam nōn comprehendērunt — nōn quia lūx dēbilis erat sed quia tenebrae eam nōluērunt.
4.5 Nam vidēre dolōrem alterius vērē est aliquid patī — et Gāius patī nōlēbat — et ideō lūcem quae dolōrem illum ostendēbat refūgit.
5.1 Sed cōgitā nunc rēs maiōrēs.
5.2 Sunt terrae ubi famēs rēgnat — ubi mātrēs līberōs suōs morientēs tenent et nihil dare possunt — ubi agrī vastātī sunt et puteī exsiccātī et viae bellō clausae.
5.3 Et nōs haec scīmus — nūntiī nōbīs dīcunt et numerōs recitant — tot mīlia ēsuriunt, tot mīlia moriuntur.
5.4 Et tamen nōs audīmus et cēnāmus — scīmus et dormīmus — numerōs legimus et oblivīscimur.
5.5 Quōmodo hoc fierī potest — nisi quia oculōs cordis clausimus dum oculī carnīs apertī manent?
6.1 Cōnfiteor tibi, Domine — nam ego quoque Gāius sum.
6.2 Ego quoque vīdī et nōn vīdī — audīvī et nōn audīvī — scīvī et nōn scīvī.
6.3 Quotiēns lūx tua mihi vēritātem ostendēbat — et ego āvertēbar — nōn quia vēritātem nōn amābam sed quia dolōrem quem vēritās exigēbat timēbam.
6.4 Nam vēritās dē dolōre aliēnō dōnum nōn grātuitum est — pretium eius est compassiō — et compassiō pretium est quod solvere nōlumus.
7.1 Dā mihi, Domine, oculōs quī vidēre possunt et cor quod vidēre audet.
7.2 Nōlī sinere mē in lūmine tuō ambulāre et tamen in tenebrīs manēre.
7.3 Nam in lūmine tuō vidēbimus lūmen — sed prīmum oculōs aperīre dēbēmus — et hoc ipsum aperīre dōnum tuum est.
7.4 Nēmō enim sibi oculōs cordis aperit — tū aperīs — et cum aperueris, nōn possumus nōn vidēre — et cum vīderimus, nōn possumus nōn agere.
7.5 Aperī — aperī oculōs nostrōs.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ab Augustīnō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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