Joseph Ratzinger's Chastity and Saint Augustine's Beast!

Insight from the Ratzinger Coat of Arms Cf. Milestones, 154-156.

The Freising bear of the coat of arms is first about the founding-bishop Saint Corbinian on the way to Rome and a bear having to take the burden of the horse he had mauled, and relieved of his reparatory burden upon arriving at Rome. That diocesan bear reminded Ratzinger of a passage of Saint Augustine on Psalm 73, on chastity remedying the wild concupiscence of the flesh, necessary for the beast of the Lord: "the Lord's donkey."

"The laden bear that took the place of Saint Corbinian's horse, or rather donkey--the bear that became his donkey against its will: Is this not an image of what I should do and or what I am? 'A beast of burden have I become for you, and this is just the way for me to remain wholly yours and always abide with you.'" Milestones, 156.

Cf. also the testimony he gives in Salt of the Earth, 56 regarding his personal issue regarding the call to celibacy, a problem certainly aggravated by co-ed habitation.

"Bound up with [my vocation] was naturally the question of whether I would be able to remain celibate, unmarried, my whole life long. Since the university had been destroyed and there was as yet no place for theology students, we lived for two years (1947-1949) in the Fürstenried Castle with its buildings on the edge of the city. There not only professors and students but also male and female students lived at such close quarters that the daily encounter definitely made the question of renunciation and its inner meaning a practical one. I often pondered these questions as I walked in the beautiful park of Fürstenried and naturally in the chapel, until finally at my diaconal ordination in the fall of 1950 I was able to pronounce a convinced Yes."

Cf. regarding the beast of burden of the Lord the loyal donkey of perseverance.


Here is a readily available English version of that passage of the Commentary on Psalm 73 of Saint Augustine from New Advent. See especially  verses 21-25.

19. How have they become a desolation suddenly? Psalm 72:19. He is wondering at them, understanding unto the last things. They have vanished. Truly like smoke, which while it mounts upward, does vanish, so they have vanished. How does he say, They have vanished? In the manner of one who understands the last things: they have perished because of their iniquity. Like as the dream of one rising up Psalm 72:20. How have they vanished? As vanishes the dream of one rising up. Fancy a man in sleep to have seen himself find treasures; he is a rich man, but only until he awakes. Like as the dream of one rising up: so they have vanished, like the dream of one awaking. It is sought then and it is not: there is nothing in the hands, nothing in the bed. A poor man he went to sleep, a rich man in sleep he became: had he not awoke, he were a rich man: he woke up, he found the care which he had lost while sleeping. And these men shall find the misery which they had prepared for themselves. When they shall have awoke from this life, that thing does pass away which was grasped as if in sleep. Like as the dream of one rising up. And that there might not be said, What then? A small thing does their glory seem to you, a small thing does their state seem to you, small things seem to you inscriptions, images, statues, distinctions, troops of clients? O Lord, he says, in Your city their image You shall bring to nothing....He has taken away the pride of rich men, he gives counsel. As if they were saying, We are rich men, thou dost forbid us to be proud, dost prohibit us from boasting of the parade of our riches: what then are we to do with these riches? Is it come to this, that there is nothing which they may do therewith? Be they rich, he says, in good works; let them readily distribute, communicate. 1 Timothy 6:18 And what does this profit? Let them treasure unto themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of true life.1 Timothy 6:19 Where ought they to lay up treasure for themselves? In that place where unto he set his eye, when entering into the Sanctuary of God. Let there shudder all our rich brethren, abounding in money, gold, silver, household, honours, let them shudder at that which but now has been said, You shall bring to nothing their image. Are they not worthy to suffer these things, to wit that God bring to nothing their image in His city, because also they have themselves brought to nothing the image of God in their earthly city?

20. Because my heart was delighted Psalm 72:21. He is saying with what things he is tempted: because my heart was delighted, he says, my reins also were changed. When those temporal things delighted me, my reins were changed. It may also be understood thus: because my heart was delighted in God, my reins also were changed, that is, my lusts were changed, and I became wholly chaste. My reins were changed. And hear how.And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not Psalm 72:22. I, the very man, who now say these things of rich men, once longed for such things: therefore even I was brought to nothing when my steps were almost overthrown. And I was brought unto nothing, and I knew not. We must not therefore despair even of them, against whom I was saying such things.

21. What is, I knew not? As it were a beast I became to You, and I am always with You Psalm 72:23. There is a great difference between this man and others. He became as it were a beast in longing for earthly things, when being brought to nothing he knew not things eternal: but he departed not from his God, because he did not desire these things of demons, of the devil. For this I have already brought to your notice. The voice is from the Synagogue, that is, from that people which served not idols. A beast indeed I became, when desiring from my God things earthly: but I never departed from That my God.

22. Because then, though having become a beast, I departed not from my God, there follows, You have held the hand of my right hand. He has not said my right hand, but the hand of my right hand. If the hand of the right hand it is, a hand has a hand. The hand You have held of my right hand, in order that You might conduct me. For what has he put hand? For power. For we say that a man has that in his hand which he has in his power: jus tas the devil said to God concerning Job, Lay to Your hand, and take away the things which he has. Job 1:11 What is, lay to Your hand? Put forth power. The hand of God he has called the power of God: as has been written in another place, death and life are in the hands of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 Hath the tongue hands? But what is, in the hands of the tongue? In the power of the tongue. What is, in the power of the tongue? Out of your mouth you shall be justified, and out of your mouth you shall be condemned. Matthew 12:37 You have held,therefore, the hand of my right hand, the power of my right hand. What was my right hand? That I was always with You. Unto the left I was holding, because I became a beast, that is, because there was an earthly concupiscence in me: but the right was mine, because I was always with you. Of this my right hand You have held the hand, that is, hast directed the power. What power? He gave them power to become sons of God.John 1:12 He is beginning now to be among the sons of God, belonging to the New Testament. See in what manner the hand of his right hand was held. In Your will You have conducted me. What is, in your will? Not in my merits. What is, in Your will? Hear the apostle, who was at first a beast longing for things earthly, and living after the Old Testament. He says what? I that at first was a blasphemer, and persecutor, and injurious: but mercy I obtained. 1 Timothy 1:13 What is, in Your will? By the grace of God I am what I am. 1 Corinthians 15:10 And in glory You have taken me up. Now to what glory he was taken up, and in what glory, who can explain, who can say? Let us await it, because in the Resurrection it will be, in the last things it will be.

23. And he is beginning to think of that same Heavenly felicity, and to reprove himself, because he has been a beast, and has longed for things earthly. For what have I in Heaven, and from You what have I willed upon earth? Psalm 72:25. By your voice I see that you have understood. He compared with his earthly will the heavenly reward which he is to receive; he saw what was there being reserved for him; and while thinking and burning at the thought of some ineffable thing, which neither eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor into the heart of man has ascended, 1 Corinthians 2:9 he has not said, this or that I have in Heaven, but, what have I in Heaven? What is that thing which I have in Heaven? What is it? How great is it? Of what sort is it? And, since that which I have in heaven does not pass away, from You what have I willed upon earth?. . You reserve, he says, for me in Heaven riches immortal, even Yourself, and I have willed from You on earth that which even ungodly men have, which even evil men have, which even abandoned men have, money, gold, silver, jewels, households, which even many wicked men have: which even many profligate women have, many profligate men: these things as a greatmatter I have desired of my God upon earth: though my God reserves Himself for me in Heaven!

24. My heart and my flesh has failed, O God of my heart Psalm 72:26. This then for me in Heaven has been reserved, God of my heart, and my portion is my God. What is it, brethren? Let us find out our riches, let mankind choose their parts. Let us see men torn with diversity of desires: let some choose war-service, some advocacy, some various and sundry offices of teaching, some merchandise, some farming, let them take their portions in human affairs: let the people of God cry, my portion is my God. Not for a time my portion; but my portion is my God for everlasting. Even if I always have gold, what have I? Even if I did not always have God, how great a good should I have? To this is added, that He promises Himself to me, and He promises that I shall have this for everlasting. So great a thing I have, and never have it not. Great felicity: my portion is God!How long? For everlasting. For behold and see after what sort He has loved him; He has made his heart chaste:God of my heart, and my portion is God for everlasting. His heart has become chaste, for nought now God is loved, from Him is not sought any other reward. He that does seek any other reward from God, and therefore is willing to serve God, more precious does make that which he wills to receive, than Him from whom he wills to receive. What then, is there no reward belonging to God? None except Himself. The reward belonging to God, is God Himself. This he loves, this he esteems; if any other thing he shall have loved, the love will not be chaste. You are receding from the Fire immortal, you will grow cold, will be corrupted. Do not recede. Recede not, it will be your corruption, it will be your fornication. Now he is returning, now he is repenting, now he is choosing repentance, now he is saying, my portion is God. And after what sort is he delighted with that Same, whom he has chosen for his portion.

25. Behold, they that put themselves afar from You shall perish Psalm 72:27. He therefore departed from God, but not far: for I have become as it were a beast, he says, and I am always with You. But they have departed afar, because not only things earthly they have desired, but have sought them from demons and the Devil. They that put themselves afar from You shall perish. And what is it, to become afar from God? You have destroyed every man that commits fornication away from You. To this fornication is opposed chaste love. What is chaste love? Now the soul does love her Bridegroom: what does she require of Him, from Her Bridegroom whom she loves? Perchance in like manner as women choose for themselves men either as sons-in-law or as bridegrooms: she perchance chooses riches, and loves his gold, and estates, and silver and cattle and horses, and household, and the like. Far be it. He does love Him alone, for nought he does love Him: because in Him he has all things, for by Him were made all things. John 1:3

26. But you do what? But for me to cleave to God is a good thing Psalm 72:28. This is whole good. Will you have more? I grieve at your willing. Brethren, what will you have more? Than to cleave to God nothing is better, when we shall see Him face to face. 1 Corinthians 13:12 But now what? For yet as a stranger I am speaking: to cleave,he says, to God is a good thing: but now in my sojourning (for not yet has come the substance), I have to put in God my hope. So long therefore as you have not yet cloven, therein put your hope. You are wavering, cast forward an anchor to the land. Not yet do you cleave by presence, cleave fast by hope. To put in God my hope.And by doing what here will you put in God your hope? What will be your business, but to praise Him whom you love, and to make others to be fellow-lovers of Him with you? Lo, if you should love a charioteer, would you not carry along other men to love him with you? A lover of a charioteer wherever he goes does speak of him, in order that as well as he others also may love him. For nought are loved abandoned men, and from God is reward required in order that He may be loved? Love thou God for nought, grudge God to no one....For what follows? In order that I may tell forth all Your praises in the courts of the daughter of Sion. In the courts: for the preaching of God beside the Church is vain. A small thing it is to praise God and to tell forth all His praise. In the courts of the daughter of Sion tell thou forth. Make for unity, do not divide the people; but draw them unto one, and make them one. I have forgotten how long I have been speaking. Now the Psalm being ended, even judging by this closeness, I suppose I have held a long discourse: but it does not suffice for your zeal; you are too impetuous. O that with this impetuosity ye would seize upon the kingdom of Heaven.