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| St Bernard. 13th century MS |
'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 sixth instalment of our series on St Bernard's homilies in praise of the Virgin Mother. The Latin text is followed by notes, references and an English translation.
Homilia I
6. Quid dicis, virgo superbe? Maria virginem se oblita gloriatur de humilitate: et tu negligendo humilitatem, blandiris tibi de virginitate? Respexit, ait illa, humilitatem ancillae suae [1]. Quae illa? Virgo utique sancta, virgo sobria, virgo devota.
Nunquid tu castior illa? nunquid devotior? Aut nunquid tua forte pudicitia gratior castitate Mariae; ut tu scilicet sine humilitate placere sufficias ex tua, quod illa non potuit ex sua?
Denique quanto honorabilior es ex singulari munere castimoniae, tanto tibi tu majorem injuriam facis, quod ejus in te decorem foedas permistione superbiae. Alioquin expedit tibi virginem non esse, quam de virginitate insolescere.
Non omnium quidem est virginitas: multo tamen pauciorum est cum virginitate humilitas, Si igitur virginitatem in Maria non potes nisi mirari, stude humilitatem imitari, et sufficit tibi. Quod si et virgo, et humilis es, quisquis es, magnus es.
References
[1] [48] Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae : ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes [Luke 1]
[48] Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Latin notes
alioquin, otherwise (if something is not done)
foedo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. id., to make foul, filthy, hideous; to defile, pollute, disfigure, mar, deform
glōrĭor, ātus, 1,v. dep. a. and n. id., to glory, boast, vaunt, to brag of any thing, pride one's self on any thing (class.); constr. with acc.
gratior: comp adj from grātus, a, um: (adj.), acceptable, pleasing, agreeable, welcome
insŏlesco, ĕre, v. inch. n. [insolens], to become unusual or strange. trop., to grow haughty or insolent, to become elated
numquid: (interr particle in dir. qu. expecting neg. answer) surely ‥ not?
oblita: from, oblīvīscor, oblītus sum, 3, dep. n. and a.: to forget, w. acc. or gen. of object; to be heedless, unmindful, forgetful of; p., oblītus, a, um, having forgotten; forgetful
pŭdīcĭtĭa, ae, f. pudicus, shamefacedness, modesty, chastity, virtue
scīlicet: (adv.), one may know or understand; be assured; certainly, in sooth, doubtless; for this purpose
sōbrĭus (sōbrĕus), a, um: sober, moderate, temperate, continent, prudent.
sufficiō, fēcī, fectus, 3, a. and n.:To put in the place of, to substitute; to be adequate to, sufficient for; strong enough, able,
ŭtĭ-quĕ, adv. ut, I., and therefore, prop., in whatever way, be it as it may
Homily I
What are you saying, a proud virgin? Mary, having forgotten herself, glorifies her virginity in her humility. and you, neglecting humility, presume to pride yourself on your virginity. Because he hath regarded, she says, the humility of his handmaid. And who is she? A holy virgin, a prudent virgin, a devout virgin.
Are you more chaste than she? Are you more devout? Is your purity more pleasing than the chastity of Mary? So that, forsooth, you deem it sufficient for you to be pleasing without humility, when without humility her virginity could not find favour?
Finally, the more honourable you may be because of your singular gift of chastity, the greater the injury you do in defiling its beauty within you by any admixture of pride. It would have been better for you not to be a virgin than to be puffed up and grow insolent by virginity.
Virginity is not for all; and fewer still are they who unite humility with virginity. Wherefore, if you can only admire the virginity of Mary without being able to imitate it, study how to copy her humility, and it will be sufficient. But whoever is a virgin and is also humble, is great indeed.
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