Jean Gerson: "How the Child Jesus Is Born and Cared For in the Devoted Mind"
Introduction I translated a few other writings by Jean Gerson (1363-1429), including a section of a sermon on St. Nicholas and a series of texts relating to the Feast of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph . The below text is an odd allegorical one, considering various virtues as handmaidens ministering to the Child Jesus in the mind. The original title reads "How, in the Devoted Mind, the Child Jesus Is Conceived, Bathed, Born, Nourished, etc."; I slightly renamed it for catchiness. The text, as found in Gerson's collected writings, ends with a bit at first discussing the "wise man" asking what he must do to be saved (Mt 19:16-24), before seguing into a discussion of Lk 17:9-10. The text, however, cuts off mid-sentence, and this passage seems to have little connection, if any, with the allegorical text. Therefore, I have not included this final paragraph. The original text also only had a single paragraph break; I have included many more for eas...