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| Please pray for the soul of Esther Clark. R.I.P. She gave a framed copy of this painting to the author in the 1980's. |
The work is offered on behalf of my family to Our Blessed Lady, Regina Martyrum et Consolatrix Afflictorum. For EEKPTEE&EA.
👈The Tears of St Peter (1587-1596)
El Greco (Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos) 1541-1614
Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico.
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Once, and but once, too deare a once to twice it! [625]
A heaven, in earth, Saints, nere my self I saw:
Sweet was the sight, but sweeter loves did spice it,
But sightes and loves did my misdeed with-draw.
From heaven and Saints, to hell and devils enstrang’d,
Those sights to frights, those loves to hates are chang’d. [630]
There was one time, — and only one, because it was a unique experience and too glorious to be repeated,— when I caught a glimpse of Heaven down here on earth; and I saw Saints in this scene, but not myself. The sight was a sweet one to behold, but even sweeter was the love which bathed the scene in its fragrance.
But my sin caused all this to be taken away; no longer was I, as if in Heaven, with the saints, but rather I was exiled to Hell with its demons. The celestial vision was replaced by anguish and instead of love there was hatred.
Note. This verse appears to refer to the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Here is the account in the Gospel of St Mark, whom Peter was later to refer to as his “son” [ Peter v. 13]
“And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear. And there was a cloud overshadowing them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved son; hear ye him. And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead.” [Mark ix. 1-8]
625. deare. dear. Glorious, noble, honourable, worthy. 1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. iii. 27 Life euery man holds deere but the deere man, Holds honor farre more precious deere then life.
to twice it. The Complete OED has no reference to the use of the word twice as a verb,meaning to repeat or experience twicce.
628. with-draw. Withdraw. To draw away, deflect, divert (a person, his mind, etc.) from an object, pursuit, line of conduct, etc.; †also, to draw, attract; to distract.
629. enstrang’d. enstrange. To remove far from. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 253/2 She was as fer enstraunged fro the payne of the flesshe as she was fro corrupcion of her body.
1614 A. Day Eng. Secretorie (new ed.) ii. sig. L7v So pennilesse, and therewithall instranged from all good account.
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Christ, as my God, was templed in my thought,
As man, He lent mine eyes their dearest light;
But sinne His temple hath to ruine brought,
And now He lighteneth terrour from His sight.
Now of my lay unconsecrate desires, [635]
Profaned wretch I taste the earnest hires.
As my God, Christ dwelt within my body as in a temple, where He was present in my soul’s thoughts and feelings. As a man, Christ provided a most glorious illumination for my vision.
But my sin has ruined this temple where He dwelt and He has removed this terrible thing from His sight. Now, defiled and pitiful wretch that I am, I am getting a taste of the price I paid for following my ill-judged and unholy desires.
631. & 632. Christ as my God . . . As man. Christ asked his disciples, “whom do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said: “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.” [John xvi. 16] Peter had received supernatural insight that Jesus of Nazareth was the Incarnate Son of God.
631. templed. This reading is preferred in RS-DS to “tempted” in other editions since a) it pairs neatly with the sense of temple in line 633. and b) it is difficult to make any theological sense of the word “tempted” in this context.
temple. v. transitive. To enclose in or as in a temple, to enshrine; to honour with a temple or temples, to build a temple to or for. Also figurative. 1593 R. Southwell St. Peter's Complaint 27 Christ, as my God, was templed in my thought.
1628 O. Felltham Resolves: 2nd Cent. lxxxiv. sig. Zv The Heathen (in many places) Templed and adored this drunken god.
Cf. the traditional Catholic teaching as set out by St Paul:
“Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” [1 Corinthians iii.16]
Christ Himself refers to His body as a “temple”:
“The Jews, therefore, answered, and said to him: What sign dost thou shew unto us, seeing thou dost these things? [19] Jesus answered, and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body.” [John ii. 18-21]
632. dearest. dear. 1. Glorious, noble, honourable, worthy. 1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. iii. 27 Life euery man holds deere but the deere man, Holds honor farre more precious deere then life.
634. lighteneth. Lighten. transitive. To relieve (a person or thing) of or †from a burden, or something regarded as a burden; to reduce or remove a burden from (something). To reduce the weight or severity of (something abstract or immaterial); to alleviate, lessen, mitigate. 1570 J. Foxe Actes & Monumentes (rev. ed.) II. 2196/2 I thank ye all, that ye haue deliuered and lightened me of all this paltry.
terrour. Terror. The state or quality of being terrible. 1601 T. Campion in P. Rosseter Bk. of Ayres i. xviii. sig. F The horrours of the deepe, And terrours of the Skies.
This may refer either to Peter’s terrible sin which disfigured and polluted his temple; or to Peter himself, being so disfigured and polluted.
635. lay. Uninstructed, unlearned. Obsolete. Rare. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Acts iv. B They sawe the boldnesse of Peter & Ihon and marueyled, for they were sure yt they were vnlerned and laye people.
unconsecrate. = unconsecrated adj. 1529 T. More Dialogue Heresyes i. xiv, in Wks. 134/2 Diuers times she was houseled..with an host vnconsecrate.
1529 T. More Dialogue Heresyes ii. xiv, in Wks. 193/1 If we worshippe an host in the masse which percase the neglygence or malice of some lewde priest hath left vnconsecrat.
1607 G. Wilkins Miseries Inforst Mariage K iij b Here wil I seale the children that are born, From wombes vnconsecrate.
636. profaned. That has been desecrated, defiled. 1565 A. Golding tr. Ovid Fyrst Fower Bks. Metamorphosis iii. f. 11v Here looking on these holy rites with lewd prophaned eyes [L. oculis..profanis] king Pentheys moother first of al her foresaid sonne espies.
earnest. Of an affair, activity, etc.: demanding serious consideration; weighty, important. 1533 tr. Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani xiii. sig. K.viij An ernest mater & worthy to be rebuked sharply.
1545 R. Ascham Toxophilus i. f. 2 We scholers haue more ernest & weightie matters in hand.
hires. hire. Payment contracted to be made for personal service; wages. figurative. Reward, recompense, payment (for work or service of any kind). c1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) xxxii. 10 Schort plesour, lang displesour; Repentence is the hyre.
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Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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