A letter from Elisabeth of Schoenau ()

Translated letter:

Behold I admonish you, O beloved daughters. Walk in the way of contemplation of the Lord with all the attention of your mind, with all humility and obedience and love and patience. God chose you as His heirs so that you would remain in contemplation without murmuring, detraction, and envy, so that the celestial Father would not be blasphemed and vexed by you, lest you vanish from the path on which you began to walk. And behold, He admonishes you with every gentleness; receive His fatherly admonitions with joyful blessing. While you still have the light, walk in it and you will be daughters of the light. And behold I admonish you, O virgin whoever you are, place me like a seal over your heart (Song 8:6)(1) so that no hostile deceptions can enter in there. Do not push me away from your heart for I have prepared inestimable treasures for you and I will lead you into the tent of my palace where the angels and archangels sing, where the harmonies of the saints ring out without cease. A crown of glory will be prepared for you which will be handed over to you by Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who lives and reigns in perfect Trinity for ever and ever. Amen. (2)

Original letter:

Ecce admoneo vos o filie karissime. Ambulate in via contemplationis domini cum omni sollicitudine mentis, cum omni humilitate, et obedientia, et caritate, et patientia, quoniam elegit vos deus in heriditatem sibi, ut eatis in contemplatione eius sine murmuratione, sin detractione, sine invidia, ut non blasphemetur pater celestis in vobis, et irritetur et pereatis de via, in qua ambulare cepistis. Et ecce admonet vos cum omni mansuetudine, percipite paternas admonitiones eius grata benedictione. Dum lucem habetis, ambulate in ea, ut filie lucis sitis. Et ecce admoneo te o virgo, quecunque es sicut signaculum super cor tuum, ut non introeant in illud deceptiones inimici, et noli me repellere de corde tuo, quoniam paravi tibi thesauros inestimabiles, et introducam te in tentorium palacii mei, ibi cantant angeli et archangeli, ibi iugitur consonant organa sanctorum et preparabitur tibi corona glorie, quam redditurus est tibi Jesus Christus, filius dei vivi, qui in trinitate perfecta vivita et regnat in secula seculorum. Amen.

Historical context:

A letter of spiritual advice. In chapter 56 of the first book of her visions, Elisabeth relates a vision of an angel appearing while the nuns of Schönau were reciting a divine service for a recently deceased sister of Dirstein (see Clark, Elisabeth of Schönau, 115).

Scholarly notes:

(1) Clark emends the Roth text adding "pone me," reading “o virgo quecunque es pone me sicut signaculum super cor tuum,” from Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek Vindob. Pal MS 488. (2) This translation is copyrighted by Anne Clark. For permission to reproduce, contact Paulist Press.

Manuscript source:

Vienna, Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek Vindob. Pal MS 488.

Printed source:

Die Visionen der hl. Elisabeth und die Schriften der Aebte Ekbert und Emecho von Schönau, ed. F.W.E. Roth (Brünn: Verlag der Studien aus dem Benedictiner- und Cistercienser-Orden, 1884), Bk.6, ch.12, p.145-46; trans. Anne L. Clark, The Complete Works of Elisabeth of Schönau (New York: Paulist Press, 2000), 12.