Bonaventure

In his own words on Lamentations

• Lamentations 1:1

  Third, there is the production of prophets similar to the multiplication of flowers. The song of the dove was heard when it was said: "How lonely she is now, the once crowded city! Widowed is she who was mistress over nations." For the turtle moans instead of singing.

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14

• Lamentations 1:1

  Josiah also represents Christ: he is the king whose death inspired the "Lamentations": "How lonely she is now, the once crowded city! Widowed is she who was mistress over nations; the princess among the provinces has been made a toiling slave."

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 14

• Lamentations 1:6

  Everyone who receives the care of souls becomes a prince of the army; and when the prince is not good, then the army is in great danger. Whence Jeremiah laments: "All beauty," he says, "has departed from the daughter of Zion; her princes have become like rams not finding pasture, and they went away without strength before the face of the pursuer."

  Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 5

• Lamentations 1:8

  As the body loses its strength, beauty and health in the absence of food, so the soul without the understanding of truth becomes dark and weak, distorted and unstable in all things; and so it needs to be fed. Hence, the unsettled mind, lacking food, wanders about and is unstable. And so, Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore is she become unstable, and for that reason, having been expelled from paradise, she wanders about, and her people have given all their precious things for food to relieve the soul. And deep suffering follows upon this. Hence there is nothing healthier than that thoughts be stabilized, lest they wander into evil.

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17

• Lamentations 1:11

  As the body loses its strength, beauty and health in the absence of food, so the soul without the understanding of truth becomes dark and weak, distorted and unstable in all things; and so it needs to be fed. Hence, the unsettled mind, lacking food, wanders about and is unstable. And so, Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, therefore is she become unstable, and for that reason, having been expelled from paradise, she wanders about, and her people have given all their precious things for food to relieve the soul. And deep suffering follows upon this. Hence there is nothing healthier than that thoughts be stabilized, lest they wander into evil.

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 17

• Lamentations 1:12

  In other women there is pain of the body, in her there is pain of the heart; in others there is pain of corruption, in her there is pain of compassion and charity. Whence she invites us to consider her sorrow, in Jeremiah: "All you," she says, "who pass by the way, attend and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." This sorrow ought to pierce through the minds of all. Christ died for you; ought you not to suffer with him? The blessed Virgin suffered with him to the utmost; but on the other hand, it pleased her that he was handed over for us. No one knows how much compassion for Christ avails. There is nothing that so extinguishes temptations and pride as that the mind be kept in compassion for the suffering of Christ.

  Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6

• Lamentations 2:19

  When the soul does what it can, grace lifts it up easily and God works in it, so that there be a worthy admission, a worthy inspection, and a worthy induction. A worthy admission of divine matters corresponds to the Thrones. And it is in this sense that the passage from Lamentations is understood: "Rise up at the beginning of every watch; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord," that is, pray in the presence of the Lord.

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 22

• Lamentations 4:10

  See to it that each one of you has that ointment, so that he may be devoutly disposed toward God and may repent and guard himself from sin. Some have compassion on their flesh, not on their soul. Whence in Lamentations: "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children." Such a one is not like the Virgin nor like Christ. "He boils his children" who has no compassion on his own soul, but exposes it to the fire of concupiscence and of infernal torments.

  Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 6

• Lamentations 5:18

  This refers much more directly to the time of the New Testament, when Scripture was made evident, and mostly toward the end, when those Scriptures were understood which had not been understood before. For then there shall be a "mountain," that is, the contemplative Church; then, "there shall be no harm" when the monsters of heresy shall flee on account of the proper use of wisdom. But today Mount Sion is desolate because of jackals, that is, because of cunning and fetid interpreters.

  Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 13