Lux Mundi
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Latin
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]Literally, “light of the world”. From John 8:12 in the Vulgate: “Iterum ergo locutus est eis Jesus, dicens: Ego sum lux mundi: qui sequitur me, non ambulat in tenebris, sed habebit lumen vitae. (“Then Jesus spoke again to the people, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”)
Phrase
[edit]- (Ecclesiastical Latin, poetic) Jesus Christ
- 9th century, Book of Cerne (Cambridge University Library MS LI.1.10), folio 78r:
- Sancta Maria gloriosa Dei genetrix et semper virgo quae mundo meruisti generare salutem et lucem mundi caelorumque gloriam obtulisti sedentibus in tenebris et umbra mortis […]
- Glorious and ever-virgin holy Mary, mother of God, who merited to give birth to salvation for the world, and bestowed the light of the world [Jesus Christ] and the glory of the heavens to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death […]
- c. 990, Gradual of the Abbey of Prüm (BNF MS lat. 9448), folios 9v–10r:
- O quam speciosa gemma et margarita quam lucis mundi illustrat gratia!
- O how splendid a jewel and pearl that the grace of the light of the world [Jesus Christ] illumines!
- 12th century, Glossa Ordinaria, Luke 22:61:
- Intuitu provocavit ad lacrymas, quasi in mentem ei reducens quoties negaverat, quod ei praedixerat, nec potuit in tenebris remanere quem lux mundi respexit.
- Having looked upon [Peter], [Jesus] provoked him to tears, as if recalling to his mind that as much as he had denied what he had foretold to him, what the light of the world looked upon could not remain in darkness.