In Praise of the Virgin Mother: Homily I, Part 4 of 9

From 13th c MS. Public Domain.

'To this warm love of Jesus Christ was joined a most sweet and tender devotion towards His glorious Mother, whose motherly love he repaid with the affection of a child, and whom he jealously honoured. (from Pope Pius XII's Encyclical 'Dr Mellifluus', on St Bernard, the 'last of the Fathers' - 1953)

This is the fourth instalment of our series on St Bernard's homilies in praise of the Virgin Mother. The Latin text is followed by references, notesand an English translation.

Homilia I

4. Bonus itaque fructus Christus, qui manet in aeternum. Sed ubi est fenum quod aruit? ubi est flos qui decidit? Propheta respondeat. Omnis caro fenum; et omnis gloria ejus, tanquam flos feni [1]. Si omnis caro fenum; ergo carnalis ille populus Judaeorum ut fenum aruit [alias, fuit]. Annon fenum aruit, dum idem populus ab omni spiritus pinguedine vacuus, siccae litterae adhaesit? [1] Annon etiam flos decidit, quando gloriatio, quam habebant in lege, non remansit? Si flos non decidit, ubi ergo regnum, ubi sacerdotium, ubi prophetae, ubi templum, ubi denique magnalia illa, de quibus gloriari solebant, et dicere: Quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea, et patres nostri narraverunt nobis? [2] et iterum: Quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis?[3]  Et haec dicta sunt pro eo quod positum est: In Nazareth civitatem Galilaeae.

References

[1] [6] Vox dicentis : Clama. Et dixi : Quid clamabo? Omnis caro foenum, et omnis gloria ejus quasi flos agri. [7] Exsiccatum est foenum, et cecidit flos, quia spiritus Domini sufflavit in eo. Vere foenum est populus; [8] exsiccatum est foenum, et cecidit flos; verbum autem Domini nostri manet in aeternum.[Is. 40]
[6] The voice of one, saying: Cry. And I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field. [7] The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen, because the spirit of the Lord hath blown upon it. Indeed the people is grass: [8] The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen: but the word of our Lord endureth for ever.

[2] [3] quanta audivimus et cognovimus ea, et patres nostri narraverunt nobis.[Is. 77]
[3] How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us
.
[3] [5] Et suscitavit testimonium in Jacob, et legem posuit in Israel, quanta mandavit patribus nostris nota facere ea filiis suis: [Is. 77]
[5] And he set up a testimony in Jacob: and made a law in Israel. How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make the same known to their children:




Latin notes

annon: can it be that? Expecting a positive answer.
dēnique: (adv.), at last, at length, finally
magnalium -i n: greatness, wonder
pinguēdo, ĭnis, f. id., Ifatness, fat; Transf., richness, abundance
siccus , a, um: (adj.), dry; thirsty, dry, hungry, fasting

Homily 1

Christ is the good fruit that remaineth for ever. But where is the grass that withered ? where the flower that fell off ? Let the Prophet answer : All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field.  If all flesh is grass, the carnal Jews were grass ; and did not the grass wither when that people, devoid of spiritual unction, adhered to the dry letter ? And did not the flower fall off when the glory they had in the law remained with them no more? If the flower did not fall, where is their kingdom, their priesthood, their prophets, their temple ? Finally, where are those wonders in which they were wont to glory and to say : How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us? And again : How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make known to their children. 4 And these words are what are said about: To Nazareth, a city of Galilee.