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| Ave Maria. [JJ Tissot, Brooklyn Museum] |
*SERMONS OF ST. BERNARD ON ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
Compiled and translated at St. Mary s Convent, from the Edition (1508), in black-letter of St. Bernard s Sermons and Letters. R. & T. WASHBOURNE, LTD., 2 & 4 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON MANCHESTER : 74 BRIDGE ST. GLASGOW : 248 BUCHANAN ST. BENZIGER BROS. \ NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO 1909
Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Tecum tutus semper sum.
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
For he shall save his people from their sins
Who is this that forgiveth sins also? Would that the Lord Jesus would deign to number me, a sinner, among His people, and save me from my sins. Truly, blessed are the people that have our Lord Jesus for their God, for He will save His people from their sins. But I fear there are many who profess to be of His people, but whom He does not recognize as such. I fear that to many who are counted among the more religious-minded of His people He will say: “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”[1] For the Lord Jesus knoweth who are His, and whom He hath chosen from the beginning. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I command you?”[2]
[1] [8] This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.
Populus hic labiis me honorat : cor autem eorum longe est a me.
[9] And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.
Sine causa autem colunt me, docentes doctrinas et mandata hominum. [Matt 15]
[2] [46] And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?
Quid autem vocatis me Domine, Domine : et non facitis quae dico?
[47] Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.
Omnis qui venit ad me, et audit sermones meos, et facit eos, ostendam vobis cui similis sit :
[48] He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.
similis est homini aedificanti domum, qui fodit in altum, et posuit fundamentum super petram : inundatione autem facta, illisum est flumen domui illi, et non potuit eam movere : fundata enim erat super petram. [Luke 6]
Do what Jesus commands
Would you know if you belong to His people, or, rather, do you wish to be one of His disciples? Do what Jesus commands, and He will number you among His followers. Fulfil what He enjoins in the Gospel, what He prescribes in the Law and the Prophets, what He ordains through His ministers in the Church. Obey His representatives; obey your superiors, not only the good and gentle, but even the froward; and learn of Jesus Himself to be meek and humble of heart. You will then belong to the blessed people whom He has chosen for His inheritance, and of whom He bears witness, saying: “A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.”[1]
[1] [44] Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.
Eripies me de contradictionibus populi; constitues me in caput gentium.
[45] A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.
Populus, quem non cognovi, servivit mihi; in auditu auris obedivit mihi. [Ps 17]
The Son of the Most High
But let us consider what the angel thinks of Him, Whom he would willingly himself have called by the name of Jesus. He says: “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.” [Luke 1, 32] Great indeed is He Who deserves to be called the Son of the Most High. Is not He great whose immensity knows no limitation? Who is great as the Lord our God? It is He Who is as great as He is high—yea, Who is Most High. As “Son of the Most High,” He thought it not robbery to equal Himself to the Most High. Satan, indeed, meditated robbery. Though made out of nothing in angelic form, he compared himself with his Maker, and arrogated to himself what belonged of right to the Son of the Most High, the Son not made by God, but begotten of Him.
For the Most High God the Father, though Omnipotent, could not make a creature equal to Himself, nor beget a Son who was not His equal. He made the angel great, but not as Himself, therefore not Most High. In one alone did He think it no robbery that He should equal Himself with Him in all things; the only-begotten Son, Who was not made, but begotten, by the Omnipotent, Omnipotent; by the Most High, Most High; by the Eternal, Co-eternal. Rightly, then, shall He be great Who shall be called the Son of the Most High.
But why is it said “He shall be,” and not, rather, “He is,” great, since He is always equally great, and can have no increase? He will not be more exalted after His conception than He was before. Perhaps the angel would have us understand that He Who was great as God will be great as man.
A great Prophet hath risen up amongst us
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| Raising the widow's son. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum |
[1] [15] And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
Et resedit qui erat mortuus, et coepit loqui. Et dedit illum matri suae.
[16] And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people.
Accepit autem omnes timor : et magnificabant Deum, dicentes : Quia propheta magnus surrexit in nobis : et quia Deus visitavit plebem suam. [Luke 7]
He became a Little One
This great Lord shall be magnified also by us little ones; for He became a Little One that He might make us great. “A Child is born to us, a Son is given to us.”[1] “To us,” not to Himself; for He Who before all ages was much more nobly born of His Father needed not in time to be born of a Mother. Nor was He born and given to the angels. They Who possessed Him in His greatness did not require Him in His lowliness. To us, then, He is born, to us He is given, because by us He is so greatly needed. And since He is born of our race and given to us, let us accomplish that for which He was born and given.[1] [6] For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace.
Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis, et factus est principatus super humerum ejus : et vocabitur nomen ejus, Admirabilis, Consiliarius, Deus, Fortis, Pater futuri saeculi, Princeps pacis. [Isaiah 9]
Let us study to become as this Little One
Let us make use of Our Own for our profit; let us work out our salvation by means of our Saviour. Behold, “a Child is set in the midst.”[1] O Little One, desired by little ones! O true Child, but a guileless Child full of wisdom! Let us study to become as this Little One. Let us learn to be meek and humble of heart, lest the great God should without fruit have become Man and a Child; lest He should have died in vain and been crucified in vain. Let us learn His humility; let us imitate His meekness; let us embrace His love; let us share His sufferings; let us be washed in His blood; let us offer Him as a propitiation for our sins. To this end He was born and given to us.Let us offer Him to His Father, for the Father spared not His own Son, but delivered Him for us all; and the Son emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and delivered “His soul to death,”[2] and was reputed with the wicked; He bore the sins of many, and prayed for the transgressors, that they might not perish.[2] But they cannot perish for whom the Son prays, and for whom the Father delivers His own Son to procure them life. From both, therefore, equally may we hope for pardon, because in both are equal mercy and compassion, equal power, one will, one substance in Godhead, wherein with them the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God for ever and ever. Amen.
[1] [35] And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them:
Et accipiens puerum, statuit eum in medio eorum : quem cum complexus esset, ait illis :
[36] Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Quisquis unum ex hujusmodi pueris receperit in nomine meo, me recipit : et quicumque me susceperit, non me suscipit, sed eum qui misit me. [Mark 9]
[2] [12] Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.
Ideo dispertiam ei plurimos, et fortium dividet spolia, pro eo quod tradidit in mortem animam suam, et cum sceleratis reputatus est, et ipse peccata multorum tulit, et pro transgressoribus rogavit. [Isaiah 53]
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