Vision First.
Against Filthy and Proud Thoughts, and the Carelessness of Hermas in Chastising His Sons.
The beginning varies. In the translation [1] I use we read, "He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome." Elsewhere we read "He who had brought me up, sold a certain young woman at Rome. Many years after this I saw her and recognized her.” She had presumably died.
It seems that while walking and admiring God's creation he fell asleep and saw a vision on this "certain young woman." She had come to accuse him of sin on account of an impure thought the Hermas had once had concerning her. He was to pray for forgiveness for himself and all his house.
He is consoled by a vision of the Church in the form of an aged woman, weak and helpless from the sins of the faithful, who tells him to do penance and to correct the sins of his children.
"While I was thinking over these things, and discussing them in my mind, I saw opposite to me a chair, white, made of white wool,35 of great size. And there came up an old woman, arrayed in a splendid robe, and with a book in her hand; and she sat down alone, and saluted me . . .." [2]
Who was this woman and what did she want? Her message to Hermas was that God was not angry at him because of this sin, but because of the state of his household. "For, on account of their sins and iniquities, you have been destroyed by the affairs of this world." [3] Hermas was to admonish his sons for their sin and if they repent they will be restored. The Lady then recounts this doxology:
“Lo, the God of powers, who by His invisible strong power and great wisdom has created the world, and by His glorious counsel has surrounded His creation with beauty, and by His strong word has fixed the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth upon the waters, and by His own wisdom and providence has created His holy Church, which He has blessed, lo! He removes the heavens and the mountains, the hills and the seas, and all things become plain to His elect, that He may bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they shall keep the commandments of God which they have received in great faith.” [4]
The Lady left with this thought, "Be a man!"
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1. Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 2 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 238-239). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.
2. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 267-270).
3. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 281-282).
4. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 293-300).
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