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 ease of reading; in addition, I have capitalized all of Gerson's hypostasized Virtues. 

 

 How the Child Jesus Is Born and Cared For in the Devoted Mind

Jean Gerson

Jesus, You Who want to be conceived in profound humility! Wise is the heart which is founded on this. Truth ought to conceive You, and minister to this pact. Then You are in the heart, when truth comes from outside, as if from that font, whose origin is clear and clean, and whose stream is full clear. So, too—and due to You, Lamb—is the heart which joins itself to You and touches You. Truth is found in her mouth. Then You are born in the world, and You stay in being born. Do not refuse to enter my heart, since You are true truth.

Therefore, sweet Jesus, You are born: You ought to be wrapped. Truly, swaddles are required, which are white, beautiful, clean. The swaddles are the virtues themselves, which ought to be pure. You do not rest in swaddles if they become unclean or mixed. This is the work of two handmaids, one of which is Weeping, the other is called Contrition: this is because they wash the swaddles. The water by which they are washed is a soul’s pure tears. Contrition rubs the swaddles, when tears enter into the heart. Weeping washes the swaddles, when the eyes show forth tears.

But it behooves that they be spread out, stretched, and dried. This is the work of two handmaids, not disturbed nor proud ones. One is called Confession, the other Satisfaction. Confession enters the way, seizes and unfolds the swaddles. Confession, without secrecy, wants to unfold the swaddles directly. She places them before the sun, and Satisfaction takes them. And she says that she will not draw back until all the swaddles are dry. “Let me complete my penitence,” this virtue makes her declare.

When the swaddles are dry, it behooves us to put You in the cradle. The cradle is Conscience; Purity is, properly, the tie. As the tie ties the child, so Purity keeps You in the heart. Justice and Peace ought to put You in the cradle; these two have this office for the Lord. So it is with Justice that she ought to be first at the cradle. Justice spreads the swaddles, when she has reverence for God. And when she does right for her neighbor, then, she says, she arranges the cradle well. Then Justice is added to Peace, and she speaks to her properly , “Come, lady, when you will: the cradle is made.” Then Peace says to Justice, “Therefore, kiss me; I rejoice that you have made the cradle. It is a good act, I truly rejoice: without you, I could not sleep. For the heart in which you are not, Justice, I, who am Peace, must leave.”

Then Peace takes You, Jesus, and puts you to sleep, and sees two others. To serve You is their office. One is Trembling; the other, Shame. Shame pacifies the child. Then Trembling says, “I want to keep myself, next to, near the cradle. I ought to observe lest a quarrel arise; I will not draw back until it is ended. I, Trembling, dedicate myself, I who, without delay, destroy what injures You, Jesus, in any hour. Therefore, Your head is to be covered, and a mantle is to be placed upon me.” Charity says, “that is my work: to dress the poor and to restore them. I go to cover His sweet head, when I go to dress the poor. Therefore, sweet Jesus, lay down now; You are enwrapped in mercies.” Thought, the handmaid, comes to love, and calls her. And she says, “Let us uncover the Child, you and I; we ought to reveal Him.” Love responds, “I know nothing, if you do not show me the way, and, noble virtue, highest thought, who leads to the love of Christ Jesus, the King, God’s Son, place thought within me.” She is only ready when she approaches and opens her eye. And the thing reveals its surroundings—such is Thought on that day. The thing reveals what is covered, it makes the secrets of the heart open. Then you will uncover the child, and Love leads the dance.

Then Love takes and reveals You, it kisses and kisses You on the mouth. Then Love hands You to Piety, and Love says, “I give you God. Piety, perform your service and nurse Him, for this is your office.” Then Piety takes You, sweet infant, and nurses You at her breast. Of her two breasts, the one is the Old Testament. The other is the New Law, and it is the rightward of the two breasts. You want to nourish Jesus, for there sweet milk is contained. Mercy is sweet milk, when the heart concords with Piety. When it be against her, it is sparing, then Piety gives You from her sweet milk. But when the heart gives water for milk, then she shows You sweet milk. Discretion comes to Piety, and says, “The Child takes milk; prepare a zeal for food in yourself, for one can fast too much.” Then she prepares, as you wish, when she incites the heart to prayer. Thence Discretion asks for Prayer, and says, “Here, take food. Friend, care for this Child, for, when there is weariness, it is evil to fast.” Then Prayer responds, “Freely, O Discretion.” Then Prayer feeds You, when the heart prays and works. And she says, “Eat, most faithful Child; this food is good and beautiful; Discretion, Your friend, prepared it: do not refuse.” Then Prayer feeds You, when pleading is born from the heart.

Therefore, Jesus, You have eaten; the task is to wash You. Devotion ought to seek this bath, but Desire holds You in the bath. Devotion prepares the bath, when she weeps over Your passion. And she says, “The bath is made; now do what You desire. I wish to bathe this Child and to joke with Him, lest weariness approach.” Then Desire takes and bathes You; she thinks of the great shame You had when You dissolved the bonds of Adam, of which You never tasted. Then she desires to hold You in heart, and You Yourself desire to come. Behold, she shows her desire, to hold You at the breast in this bath. Bathing You, she begins to sing, and says, “God, glorious infant, creator of the Angels, Who formed man, Who loves the human heart, King of divine nobility, sin slays and offends me. Wipe it from my heart, lest more stains appear in it. Withdraw the sentence from me through Your benign vigilance, and be bathed by me. O Jesus, You composed the heavens with worthy power. Beasts, birds You created, the light of the sun You gave. In this mortal prison, in which You show us such things, certainly You lead us well. In the palace of Your glory, to those who have victory, You, noble one, serve a noble thing. O Jesus, true wisdom, love led You. You inebriate our heart in this sweet tavern that divinity governs: such a cup as is given, which we take. Make my thought inclined to that divine sweetness, so that I may drink of it.”

This is the song of Desire; two ladies want to come. In Honest Conversation, this song ought to respond. When the heart desires so well, it ought to answer outwardly. When one bestows one’s own on another, then she sings the song she owes. For the more singers there are, the more harmonious the song is. Her companion, Sweet Thought, accepts the Child and withdraws. Then the door of His house appears, when she rises in devotion. And she says, “We are here, then, for we cannot always bathe.” But Thought proceeds so slowly, since she loses the Child. Then she says to her own Will, “Through you, I dismiss the Child.” Thought quarrels with Will, Hope is placed between them, and she says, “Lord, suffer it, for the Son will be returned. If I can, we will find the Child again, and I and Tolerance will seek Him.”

When the heart feels adversity, then she seeks You, when she receives this not unwillingly. By that way You walked, and, therefore, You went astray. Tolerance ought to go on the way, and, not speaking, seek You; Tolerance is silent and taciturn; here is Jesus, sweet infant. After this, she goes and follows You, when Hope leads her. Jesus Christ, give me Tolerance, and, in suffering, true Hope. Tolerance, or Patience, would not have You if Hope herself did not also go.

Then the two ladies seek You, King divine, who found You on the way. One is famed Faith, the other is promulgated Grace. Faith serves for leading the way, and Grace serves for finding You. Then Faith comes, and Hope, and says: “Go, you and Tolerance. I do not beg you two handsome ladies to go along that way which has twelve paths.” What the twelve points are, Faith says. “In the end, you will find the King. Follow charity; your own Child will never be lost from you. Charity is with the Child, playing with you in His beautiful meadow.” Jesus, when You know Patience in the heart, You come quickly. Patience bears You playfully, Patience loves You. Patience absolves the soul. Behold, Patience’s office.

Then her companion, Obedience, in order to play with You, approaches. When the heart is obedient, and gathers flowers in the meadow, when she compels her own Will: when the heart is obedient, then the flowers are fragrant for You. Before such flowers You spread Your lap, in the meadow of tribulation. Allow me, in this way, to gather flowers for Your sweet, uncreated heart: these two virtues have great worth; You owe a reward to their mistresses. No one will have money, if Perseverance deserts. Then Diligence befriends You. She shows and demonstrates the way to her. The handmaid Patience, receiving in power, receives a reward on behalf of all, alongside her mistresses, as is shown to me. Give it to me in these virtues, I beg You, sweetest Jesus. Behold how the virtues minister to the Child Jesus.

 

 Source: Ioannis Gersonii, Doctoris et Cancellarii Parisiensis, Quarta pars Operum… (Paris, 1606), 947E-950B.

Translation ©2025 Brandon P. Otto.  Licensed via CC BY-NC.  Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the translator.