On Advocacy
XCV. On Advocacy
1. God is our advocate,
Who acts in our defence against sin
by means of <His> mercy and compassion.
2. The good and great God became incarnate
so that He might act as our advocate,
for the reason that He partakes in us.
3. Since man is in <a state of> great wretchedness,
God <acts> as our advocate
by means of <His> power and charity.
4. In terms of advocacy,
goodness, truth, wisdom and virtue constitute <our> spear and shield,
whereby all onerous lawsuits must be won.
5. Had Christ had worthy (lit. “good”) advocates,
He would have been praised throughout the world
and His truth would be known.
6. That person who feels contrition
and prays God that He may forgive him,
<has> mercy as his advocate.
7. A lawyer who, for a small sum of money,
dishonestly secures <his own> overwhelming defeat
calls upon God <to be his> judge.
8. <The practice of the law> exists so that judgement
rather than injustice may prevail,
for which reason a lawyer must be faithful.
9. A lawyer who proceeds via the path of reason
is worth more
than all the gold that has ever existed.
10. O God, with mercy and compassion,
be our advocate
at the <moment of our> death, when we shall be judged!