The Eloquence of St. Bernard

 

Like many of the emotions and stirrings of the heart that we feel when we hear another's story of conversion and personal epiphanies, there is no difference from what others before may have experienced and expressed. What stirs us in the hearing is the glimpse into the heart of some one who in the telling verifies and reinforces what we have experienced in our own spiritual life. At work also is the mode of expression that presents facets of spiritual conversion that inspire the listener to ever greater conversion.

Now, add to that formula the eloquence of St. Bernard and his command of scripture and you have what is quoted below from Sermon 74 on the Song of Songs.

My lover belongs to me and I to him; he feeds among the lilies. Until the day grows cool and the shadows flee, roam, my lover, Like a gazelle or a young stag upon the rugged mountains. Sg 16-17 NRSV

"Return, she says. Clearly he whom she calls back is not there, yet he has been, not long before…. So importunate a recall shows great love on the part of the one and great loveliness on the part of the other. Who are these who are so taken up with charity, these unwearying lovers, whose passion drives them on and gives them no rest?

… Who will disclose to me the mystery of this change? Who will adequately explained to me the going and returning of the Word? Surely the Bridegroom will not stoop to inconstancy?… How can any movement of any kind be attributed to him who is God? For he is immutable.

2.… Let us then follow this discourse of pure love,[1] and say that the word of God, God himself, the Bridegroom of the soul, comes to the soul and leaves it again as he wishes,[2] but we must realize that this happens as a result of soul's sensitivity, and is not due to any movement of the Word. Indeed, when the soul is aware of the influence of grace she acknowledges the presence of the Word; but when she is not, she mourns his absence and again seeks his presence, saying with the prophet, 'My face has sought you; your face, Lord, I will seek.'[3]

3.… Now show me a soul which the bridegroom, the Word, is accustomed to visit often, whose friendship has made bold, for who hungers for what it has once tasted, whom contempt of all things has given leisure, and without hesitation I will assign it the voice and name of the Bride….

4. Now it is clear that his comings and goings are the fluctuations in the soul of which he speaks when he says 'I go away, and come again to you',[4] and, 'a little while and you shall not see me, and again a little while and you shall see me.’[5]… How long a little while! … The word of my Lord may not be doubted, but it is a long while, far too long.… For the loving soul is carried away by her prayers and drawn on by her longing; she forgets her deserts, closes her eyes to the majesty of the Bridegroom but opens them to the pleasure he brings, looking only at his saving grace,[6] and in that putting her confidence.… Calling him, with accustomed familiarity, not 'Lord' but 'beloved': 'Return, my beloved'.

 5. Now bear with my foolishness for a little.[7] I want to tell you of my own experience, as I promised. I admit that the Word has also come to me… And has come many times. But although he has come to me, I have never been conscious of the moment of his coming. I perceive his presence, I remember afterwards that he had been with me; sometimes I had a presentiment that he would come, but I was never conscious of his coming or his going.[8] … How then did he enter? Perhaps he did not enter because he does not come from outside? He's not one of the things which exist outside us.[9] Yet he does not come from within me, for he is good,[10] & I know that there is no good in me. …

6. You ask then how I knew he was present, when his ways can in no way be traced?[11] He is life and power,[12]and as soon as he enters in, he awakens my slumbering soul; he stirs and sooths and pierces my heart,[13] for before it was hard as stone,[14] and diseased. So he has begun to pluck out and destroy, to build up into plant, to water dry places and illuminate dark ones;[15] to open what was closed and to warm what was cold; to make the crooked straight and the rough places smooth,[16] so that my soul may bless the Lord, and all that is within me may praise his holy name.[17]… It was not by any movement of his that I recognized his coming; it was not by any of my senses that I perceived he had penetrated to the depths of my being. Only by the movement of my heart, as I have told you, that I perceive his presence; and I knew the power of his might[18] because my faults were put to flight and my human yearnings brought into subjection. I have marveled at the depth of his wisdom[19] when my secret faults[20] have been revealed and made visible; and the very slightest amendment of my way of life I have experienced his goodness and mercy; in the renewal and remaking of the spirit of my mind,[21] that is of my inmost being, I have perceived the excellence of his glorious beauty,[22] and when I contemplate all these things I am filled with awe and wonder at his manifold greatness.[23]"

CISTERCIAN FATHERS SERIES: NUMBER FORTY - BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX – ON THE SONG OF SONGS IV

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[1] Ps 12:7  [2] 1 Cor 12:11  [3] Ps 27:8  [4] Jn 14:28  [5] Jn 16:17  [6] Ps 12:6  [7] 2 Cor 1:11  [8] Ps 121:8  [9] 1 Cor 5:12 

[10] Ps 52:11  [11] Rom 11:33  [12] Heb 4:12  [13] Sg 4:9  [14] Si 3:27, Ez 11:19, 36:26  [15] Jer 1:10  [16] Is 40:4

[17] Ps 103:1  [18] Eph 1:13  [19] Qo 7:25  [20] Ps 19:13  [21] Eph 4:23  [22] Ps 50:2  [23] Ps 151:2 

Repost of my first post

I thought this reminiscence was worth repeating. It was the first post I sent on this blog back in 2009. only 13, but seemingly 50, years ago.

Easter Hope

I went to the Confirmation Mass tonight. I went to see some of my kids confirmed; kids in the flock that I've had the good fortune to be able to share my faith with for the past two years. The following reading was given by one of the confirmandi, Katherine Janoski. I know Katherine, not very well, but, well enough to be assured that the passing on of our faith is in good hands.

The first reading, though, is one that has always imbued me with a profound sense of family. Of being part of a family lead by someone who loves me and wants me, someone who is willing to look past my transgressions and in spite of them hugs me and pulls me to his bosom.

From Ezekiel Chapter 36,

"24 For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

He has made us his own. Does not that invoke in you that feeling of safety and comfort you felt as a child when pulled into your mother's bosom, all insecurities vanished, the pain went away, and all fears receded to nothingness. What an awesome God we have. How greatly he elevates us despite our unworthiness.

What a great message for our confirmandi! Perhaps, as those who have been born into a loving family, as those who have always been approached as having an innate sense of self-worth, the message of Ezekiel does not hold much impact. But, for those of us who have accumulated experiences that show how alone we can be and how much our own destructive inclinations can pull us away from God, we can see and feel in these words a deeper meaning and a great comfort.

What an awesome God we have! I see it in his mercy and I see it in our children.

The Shepherd left the rest and came to earth to find her ... he found her, he did not lead her, but carried her back!

 

From the previous post:

“ …we cannot deny his providence towards the rest of his creatures; but the Bride claims his attention for herself.”

St. Bernard continues:

3. It is obvious that what the Apostle says about oxen[1] has no reference to the Bride; he who loves her and gave himself for her[2] must needs care for her.[3] Is she not that lost sheep[4] whose care came before even that of the heavenly flock?[5] The Shepherd left the rest and came to earth to find her. He sought her diligently, and when he found her[6]he did not lead her, but carried her back! Then on her account he called the angels together and celebrated a new and joyful festival with her. How then can it be said that he will not care for her,[7]when he deigned to carry her on his shoulders? She is not mistaken,[8]then, when she says, 'The Lord takes thought for me',[9]nor is she deceived when she says, 'The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me'[10] or when she says anything else which shows God's love for her. Thus it is she speaks of the Lord of Hosts as her beloved, and glories[11] that he who judges all things in tranquility[12]cares for her. Why should she not glory? She has heard him sing to her, ’Can a woman forget her child, and not have compassion on him? And even if she does forget him, yet I will not forget you.'[13] Again, 'The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.'[14] Now what is the bride but the congregation of the righteous? What is she but the generation of those who seek the face of the Bridegroom?[15] It cannot be that he should incline to her, and she not inclined to him. Therefore she says, 'He inclines to me and I to him. He inclines to me because he is good and gracious;[16] I incline to him because I am not ungrateful. He gives me grace from his graciousness;[17] I give him gratitude for grace. He has a care for my deliverance and my salvation; I for his honor and the fulfillment of his will. He has a care for me, and for no other, for I am his only dove;[18] I have a care for him and for no other;[19] do not hear the voice of others, nor do I listen to those who say "Look, here is Christ" or "look, here he is!"[20] It is the Church who speaks.

CISTERCIAN FATHERS SERIES: NUMBER FORTY - BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX – ON THE SONG OF SONGS IV - Sermon 68.3

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[1] 1 Cor 9:9  [2] Gal 1:4  [3] Lk 10:35  [4] Mt 18:12  [5] 1 Pet2:23  [6] Lk 15:5  [7] Lk 10:35  

[8] Heb 2:11  [9] Ps 40:18  [10] Ps 138:8  [11] Wis 12:18  [12] 1 Cor 2:15  [13] Is 49:15  

[14]  Ps 34:16  [15] Ps 24:6  [16] Jl 2:13  [17] Jn 1:16  [18] Sg 6:8  [19] Jn 10:15     [20] Mk13:21

 

“My lover belongs to me and I to him; he feeds among the lilies.”

 

“My lover belongs to me and I to him; he feeds among the lilies.” Sg 2:16 NRSV

“I belong to my lover; his yearning is for me.” Sg 7:11 NRSV

 With these verses in mind St. Benedict expounds on who is the Bridegroom and who the Bride.

“1. …. The Bride has spoken, and has said that the Bridegroom inclines himself to her; ^{Sg 2:17, Sg 7:11} who then is the Bride, and who is the Bridegroom? The Bridegroom is our God, ^{Ps 48:15} and we, I say in all humility, are the Bride – we, and the whole multitude of captives whom he acknowledges. Let us rejoice that this glory is ours; ^{2 Cor 1:12}we are they to whom God inclines. But how unequal a partnership! What are the earth-born, the children of men, ^{Ps 49:3} in his presence? In the words of the Prophet Isaiah, 'they are as if they were not, they're considered by him as nothing but emptiness.' ^{Is 40:17} What meaning can there be in a comparison between such different persons? Either the Bride glorifies herself beyond measure, or the Bridegroom loves beyond measure. How wonderful that she should claim as her own the attention of the Bridegroom when she says, 'my beloved is mine', ^{Sg 2:16} nor is she yet content, but goes on to glorify herself even more, by replying to him in her turn as to an equal; for she continues, 'and I am his'. A wonderful saying – 'and I am his'; and no less wonderful, 'My Beloved is mine'. ^{Sg 2:16}  But that both should be said together – that is more wonderful than either.

2. There is nothing that a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith will not venture. ^{1 Tim 1:5} 'He inclines to me', says the Bride. Does this great Majesty incline to her thus – this Majesty on whom rests the government and administration of the universe? Does the care of the world give way to the business – or rather the repose – of the love and desire of the Bride? Yes indeed, for she is the church the elect, of whom the Apostle Paul says, 'I endure everything for the sake of the elect'. ^{2 Tim 2:10} And who can doubt that God shows grace and mercy to his saints, ^{Wis 4:15} and is mindful of his elect. Therefore we cannot deny his providence towards the rest of his creatures; but the Bride claims his attention for herself. Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ^{1 Cor 9:9} No doubt we can say the same about horses, camels, elephants, and all the beasts on Earth and fishes of the sea and the birds of the air;    ^{Gen 1:26} indeed of everything on the earth accept only those to whom it is said, 'Casting all your care upon him for he cares for you.' ^{1 Pet 5:7} Do you not see that this is the same as saying, 'Incline to him, for he inclines to you'? And notice that the Apostle Peter, whose words these are, preserves the same order of words as does the Bride, for he says, 'casting all your care upon him' – not 'in order that he may care for you' but 'because he cares for you,' ^{Ps 89:6} thereby revealing not only the depth of his love for the Church of the Saints, but also its eternal quality."

CISTERCIAN FATHERS SERIES: NUMBER FORTY - BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX – ON THE SONG OF SONGS IV, Sermon 68.1-3

Word Craft

 I am a long time subscriber and for the past decade, at least, the recipient of an annual gift subscription to First Things, published by the Institute on Religion and Public Life. In the March issue I noticed the writing of Patricia Snow.

It is especially gratifying to find an author whose wordcraft concisely expresses what the author intends to convey. So, when I encounter an author who displays that talent I take notice. An example is the following quote from an article by Richard Neuhaus, First Things founding editor. The article speaks to the writings of Hans Urs von Balthasar.

“He went in for heavy-duty intellection that is sometimes ponderous and exhaustingly discursive, but always adorned with dazzling erudition and rewarding one's effort with scintillating insights of a frequently counterintuitive nature.” April 2006 issue of First Things

Patricia Snow’s essay relates an experience she had at her church, St. Mary’s in New Haven Connecticut. It is the church where she attended RCIA sessions. In her essay she describes St. Mary’s Church during one of the daily Masses she attended.

“… in St. Mary’s a soft natural light was continually in play, washing sequentially through the saturated membranes of the windows. Furthermore, everything was painted in St. Mary’s, saving the pews and the floor. The walls in those days were a drab yellow and the high pentagonal apse behind the altar was an English red, which in turn was figured over, like wallpaper, with a shimmering, gold-leaf pattern of fleur-de-lis. The tall pillars in the nave were the color of algae and the vaulted roof overhead was an azure canopy, fastened up with powder-blue filaments and gold medallions. Add to this the polychrome statues of saints – statues that, like the windows, were brought down within reach – and intricately painted and gilded bas-relief Stations of the Cross, and the colorful exuberance of the whole sounds almost too much on paper, yet it worked in the church, in the dim recesses around the altar especially, where the reds that were almost orange and the greens that were almost blue were at once resplendent and fugitive, overstating and vanishing, like the iridescent plumage of a tropical bird.” First Things, On The Threshhold, March 2022

" dazzling erudition" and “scintillating insights of a frequently counterintuitive nature”

“where the reds that were almost orange and the greens that were almost blue were at once resplendent and fugitive”

Neuhaus made me want to seek out in Balthasar those “scintillating insights”. Snow’s description of St. Mary’s Church makes me want to visit St. Mary’s to see those colors that “were at once resplendent and fugitive, overstating and vanishing”; fugitive colors, what inspiration!