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Priorin Walburga Grawerock im Kloster Walsrode an Subpriorin Wichburg Pravest und den Konvent im Kloster Lüne
25. Februar 1504
Kondolenzbrief zum Tod der Priorin Sophia von Bodenteich — Letter of condolence after the death of Prioress Sophia von BodenteichKloster Lüne, Hs. 15, Lage 12, fol. 3r
Lateinisch.
Die Absenderin drückt ihre Trauer über den Tod der Lüner Priorin Sophia von Bodenteich († 2. Februar 1504) aus und erinnert an die Predigt Christi, in der er seine Jünger auffordert, sich mit ihm über den Heimgang zum Vater zu freuen. Johannes der Evangelist, Paulus und Bernhard von Clairvaux, mit seiner Klage über den Tod seines Bruders Gerhard, werden als Zeugen zitiert, dass die Liebe umso größer ist, je näher die Priorin bei Gott ist. Der Tod ist eine Erlösung der Priorin, die seit drei Jahren krank gewesen war. Grüße an die neu zu wählende Priorin und Versicherung der Fürbitte.
The Prioress of Walsrode responds to the news that the Prioress of Lüne has died with a wish for comfort from the Holy Spirit and expresses her sympathies. She writes that this news, which she had received by letter, unleashed a stream of tears, because it cut through her like a sword that her fellow nun and friend, whom she loved as much as a mother would love her only son, has passed away. She writes that it is therefore difficult to write words of comfort to those orphaned because of her own grief, but that (as stated in Proverbs 12) it is ultimately the task of friends to provide each other with mutual support and that it is more fitting to rejoice with their deceased mother than to mourn their own loneliness. She prays that they may remember the sermon of Jesus, the greatest shepherd (in allusion to the Parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10), who exhorted his saddened apostles in John 14 to rejoice with him because he was going to his Father. She quotes from St John the Evangelist (in John 4), St Paul (in 1 Corinthians 16) and St Bernard of Clairvaux (in his lament for the death of his brother Gerard in the twenty-sixth of his Sermons on the Song of Songs), who, according to her, bear witness to the fact that God’s love for the Prioress grows greater, the closer she comes to God. The sender praises the prioress for increasing the talents entrusted to her as a faithful steward and for bearing the heat of the day in the vineyard of the Lord with patience, bringing together three parables found in the Gospels according to Matthew (Chapters 24, 25 and 20) and Luke (Chapter 12). After this sweat-inducing work, she can now rest from her labours with the other blessed souls, as promised in Revelation 14, and sing the song reserved for virgins proclaimed in the hymn Ad cenam Agni providi sung at Vespers on the Sundays in Eastertide. She encourages them to rejoice that their late Prioress, who had, after all, been ill for three years, had been liberated, and that they may be comforted by the fact that a new mother and leader, Mechtild Wilde, has been elected. She prays that the Lord may grant the newly-elected Prioress Mechtild gifts in the spirit of Prioress Sophia, so that they may serve God in peace and unity under the new prioress’ rule. She asks the recipients, Prioress Walburga Grawerock and Sub-Prioress Wichburg Pravest, to greet the new prioress with all her love and friendship, and states that they can be assured of her intercessions.
Secundum multitudinem dolorum cordium vestrorum consolationes optimi paracliti Spiritus scilicet sancti assidue in omnibus angustiis dulciter sentire, venerabilis et precordialissima domina necnon condilecte matres et sorores omnes atque singule in Christo Jesu venerande!
Vestras litteras presentatas prochdolor querulosas et lamentabiles recepi perlegendoque eas optime intellexi maxima vos tristitia ex tam pie matris fidelissimeque ac reverende pastricis subtraxione, cuius memoria in perpetua sit benedixione, esse depressas. Et vere hoc nuntium iam michi litteraliter per vos intimatum nedum ymbrem inundantium lacrimarum ab oculis meis produxit. Verum et cuncta precordia mea hasta veluti vibrata similis gladio ancipiti acerrime vulnerando pertransivit, cum meam fidelissimam, amicissimam atque familiarissimam dominam, consororem atque amicam Sophiam von Bodenteichken felicissimam ex hac luce innotuerit subcoactam, quam verissime, sicut mater unicum amat [Lage 12, fol. 3v] filium, ita ipsam cordintime peroptime promerentem semper diligebam. Quid igitur consolationis vobis scribam, cum eandem vobiscum habeam meroris atque cordialis doloris causam. Attamen filias tamquam pupillas relictas et tam pie matris privatas maioris doloris urgere stimulum concedam necesse est. Sed, preamantissime, quamquam triste atque lamentabile sit fidelissimis filiabus matrem dulcissimam amisisse, dicere rectiusa premisisseb, ipsis in incolatu dimissis, tamen secundum prophetam: „Amicorum est in alterutrum successibus sive vicissitudinibus conformari“, scilicet congaudende in prosperos et in adversis condolende. Et secundum sapientis dictum: „Qui negligit dampnum propter amicum, iustus est.“1
Itaque, precordialissime, potius congaudere tam dulci debetis matri quam mereri de propria vestra desolatione et ipsius amabili subtraxione atque privatione. Re- [Lage 12, fol. 4r] cordamini sermonis summi pastoris, sponsi nostri, discipulos de suo recessu turbatos hiis verbis consolantis: „Si diligeretis me, gauderetis utique, quia vado ad patrem.“2 Et ipsa utique precessit vos ab ipso vocata eundo ad Patrem celestem, ut recipiat mercedem laboris sui inmercessibilis glorie coronam, constituta super omnia bona sua,3 quam fidelis dispensatrix commissorum probata est talentorum ideoque pro apportatis lucris mercede semper mansura meruit donari. Non enim in vano accepit animam suam, sed patienter in vinea Domini laborans pondus diei et estus pertulit4 utilissime atque fructuose tempus expendende et adiumentum plantationi dextera patris celestis plantate et non eradicande verbis et exemplis quibusque potuit conantibus studiosissime adhibendo. Decens ergo erat, divineque consonum iustitie ac pietati, [Lage 12, fol. 4v] ut que tamen tamque longe tempore laboribus insudaverat ferventissime, optata tandem requie potiretur cum animabus illis beatis, quibus „iam dicit spiritus, ut admodo iam requiescant a laboribus suis.“5 Ingressam itaque in domum Domini, de cuius ubertate iam impletur potata torrente voluptatis divine sociataque ympnidicis agnic sequatium choris,6 ut concinat cum illis iugiter canticum solis virginibus decantandum. Ne ideo putetis ipsam illi gaudio illisque deliciis in tantum delectatam et intentam, ut proinde vestri oblivionem admittat et immemor omnium angustiarum vestrarum existat, ne obsecro, karissime, metiremini talia.
Quomodo enim mater pia, iam, ut pie speramus et indubitanter confidimus, summe pietati proxime coniuncta, filiarum suarum, pro quibus etiam, si opus fuisset, in exilio constituta animam ponere non formidasset, iam oblivisci poterit, ipsis in periculis huius lamentabilis miserie relictis non miserendo? Ne putetis eam veteris maternitatis amicitieque ac fidelitatis nunc oblitam. Licet [Lage 12, fol. 5r] speretur iam impassibilis, non tamen credenda est incompassibilis secundum enim apostolum et evangelistam Johannem „Deus caritas est“,7 et teste doctore gentium: „Qui adheret Deo, unus spiritus est cum eo.“8 Quorum verba exemplo sanctissimi patris Bernhardi conferre poteritis elicereque ex ipsis, quod quanto sepius notata domina veneranda beate memorie Deo iam coiunctior atque vicinior, tanto caritate plenior est. Et ut prelibatus inquit doctor mellifluus in de planctu obitus dilecti fratris sui Gerardi, ait: „Porro impassibilis est Deus, sed non incompassibilis tui proprium est misereri semper et parcere etc.“9
Ergo et dilectissimam dominam et matrem nostram Sophiam von Bodenteichken felicis recordationis necesse est esse misericordem, que iam summo adheret misericordi, quamvis misera non sit, et que non patitur, compatitur tamen miseris suis filiabus, quas Deo vocante deseruit. Affectus proinde ipsius non est imminutus, sed immutatus nec, quoniam Deum induit, vestri curam [Lage 12, fol. 5v] exuit; etenim ipsid secundum beatum Petrum cura est de nobis;10 caritas enim numquam excidit,11 si quod infirmum est dilecta nostra abiecit, non tamen quod pium. Non itaque dico vestri oblivisci poterit in finem, videamini igitur adhuc eandem matrem piisimam quasi audire dicentem: „Numquid mater poterit oblivisci filii uteri sui?“12 Et si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar vestri.13 In hiis consolamini, karissime, et cohibete lacrimas gemitusque meroris respirando paulisper in hiis hortamentis consolatoriis scripturarum, postulante ratione ne committatis excessum que etiam in rebus licitis vitandus est, ut non magis videamini vestrume dolere exilium quam pie matris obitum obliviscimini, iam parumper in felicitatem vestram congratulando matri; nam caritas non querit, que sua sunt;14 et confidite absque ulla hesitatione: vestri memor manebit in suis deliciis facta speciosa in decore magnifico a sponso celesti dotata; et sic secundum pretactum beatum Bernhardum, qui inquit, quod boni pastores post [Lage 12, fol. 6r] mortem adhuc protegunt illos die ac nocte, quorum fuerunt in vita superiores et adhuc sic gregem commissum custodiunt et ipsa utique nostra dilecta precibus suis aridis nostris adiunctis loco sui gregi suo dignam pastricem atque rectricem indubitanter tam cito impetravit, ne amplius desolatus plangeret sed potius de sua liberatione congratulando, quoniam satis graviter, ut scitis, iam ferme tribus annis egrotando laboravit, et iam insuper de nove matris atque rectricis electione consolataf per Dei gratiam respiraret.15
Adauge atque Dominus in premissa electa domina ac matre vestra veneranda summus pastor, qui animam suam propriam pro redimendis ovibus dedit,16 gratiarum suarum munera, per que duplicato in eo spiritu felicis domine Soffie esse mereatur homo secundum cor Dei in omnibus beneplacitum divini cordis sui perficiendo et vobis omnibus materne fidelitatis curam tam in spiritualibus quam in temporalibus sedule impendendo, [Lage 12, fol. 6v] quatenus sub eius regimen unanimes et pacifice Deo servire valeatis absque obstaculo et tandem per perseverantie gloriosum meritum cum ipsa consequi coronam regni celestis, quam sola perseverantia accipit; sicque hec ipsa domina reverenda noviter electa a me misella in visceribus caritatis dulciter salutata, vosque omnes et singule simul feliciter valete et mei in orationibus semper mementote.
Raptim ex Walsrode anno Domini XVc IIIIo dominica Invocavit.17
Soror Walburgis famulatrix18 sororum suarum in Walsrode.
Reverende ac religiose domine, domine priorisse N venerandeque matri subpriorisse N19 totique conventui monasterrii sancti Bartholomei in Lune in Christo Jesu sibi colendissimis.
a in der Hs. rexicius recticius
b folgt gestrichen eis
c in der Hs. angni
d in der Hs. ipm, ausgeführt mit Kürzungszeichen als Abkürzung für ipsum oder ipsam
e folgt gestrichen dolore
f in der Hs. consolatus
3 Die bona sua sind nicht die eigenen Güter der verstorbenen Priorin, sondern die des Hausvaters, der sie dem treuen Verwalter anvertraut: Beatus ille servus, quem cum venerit dominus eius, invenerit sic facientem. Amen dico vobis, quoniam super omnia bona sua constituet eum. (Mt 24,46-47).
4 Hier werden drei Gleichnisse miteinander verknüpft: Das vom treuen Verwalter (Mt 24,42-51; Lc 12,41-48), das von den Talenten (Mt 25,14-30) und das von den Arbeitern im Weinberg (Mt 20,1-16).
6 Vgl. Ad cenam Agni providi / et stolis albis candidi / post transitum maris rubri / Christo canamus principi etc., Hymnus zur Vesper an den Sonntagen der Osterzeit.
9 Bernardus Claraevallensis, Sermones in Cantica canticorum, sermo XXVI, in quo beatus Bernardus obitum fratris sui Girardi luget, in: Migne PL 183, Sp. 906. Bernhard zitiert dort seinerseits die Oration: Deus, cui proprium est misereri semper et parcere, suscipe deprecationem nostram, ut, quos catena delictorum constringit, miseratio tuae pietatis absolvat. Per dominum nostrum […]. Gebete mit diesem Initum finden sich, mit etwas variablem Wortlaut der mit ut angeschlossenen Bitte ([…] ut hunc famulum tuum, quem excommunicationis catena/sententia constrigit, miseratio tuae pietatis clementer absolvat etc.), im Ritus der Rekonziliation der Büßer, dazu Andrieu, Les ordines (1931–1961), Bd. 1, S. 62; 134; 209-210; 383 (entspr. Texte in Bd. 2); Andrieau, Le pontifical (1938–1941), Bd. 2, S. 481; Bd. 3, S. 611, so bis heute im Rituale, tit. 3, cap. 3.
12 Bernardus Claraevallensis, Sermones in Cantica canticorum, Sermo XXVI, III.6.
13 Is 49 15: Numquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non misereatur filio uteri sui? Etsi illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obliviscar tui.
15 Die alte Priorin, Sophia von Bodenteich († 2. Februar 1504) war also schon seit 1501 krank, die Wahl einer Nachfolgerin, vielleicht als bevorstehend gedacht, vielleicht aber auch schon zu ihren Lebzeiten abgesprochen, war ihr ein Trost.
16 Gleichnis vom Guten Hirten, Io 10 11.
17 25. Februar 1504.
18 Priorin Walburga Grawerock (belegt 1483-1500, aber offenbar 1504 noch im Amt), vgl. Brosius, Art. Walsrode (2012), S. 1493.
19 Subpriorin Wichburg Pravest.