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| St Bernard. Musée de Cluny [Public domain] |
Our series on St Bernard's homilies in praise of the Virgin Mother continues with the second homily. The Latin text and an English translation are followed by references and notes on vocabulary.
Wisdom reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly.
Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Tecum tutus semper sum.
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
13. Sed non poterat, inquis, Deus apertum aliquod ostendere signum, quo videlicet fieret ut ejus nec ortus infamaretur, nec mater criminaretur? Poterat utique; sed non poterat latere daemones, quod scirent homines. Oportebat autem a principe mundi aliquandiu celari divini consilii sacramentum
But, you ask, could not God have given some visible sign by which he would have meant His own birth would not be disgraced, and His Mother would not be defamed? Undoubtedly He could, but he could not conceal from the demons what men knew; and it was necessary for this secret of the divine counsel to be concealed for a time from the prince of this world.
non quod Deus, si palam opus suum facere vellet, impediri posse ab illo metueret: sed quia ipse, qui non solum potenter, sed etiam sapienter quaecunque voluit fecit, sicut in omnibus operibus suis quasdam rerum vel temporum congruentias propter ordinis pulchritudinem servare consuevit, ita in hoc quoque tam magnifico opere suo, nostrae videlicet reparationis, non tantum potentiam suam, sed et prudentiam ostendere voluit.
Not that God feared he could be impeded by him, if he He had wanted to make His operation manifest; but because He acts not only powerfully, but also wisely, in whatever He wants to do, and thus is accustomed to observing the fitting times and circumstances of things, on account of the exquisiteness of order in all His works. Therefore, in in His magnificent work, namely of our redemption, He likewise wants to show forth His wisdom as well as His power.
Et quanquam illud aliter, quomodo vellet, perficere potuisset; placuit ei tamen eo potius et modo, et ordine hominem sibi reconciliare, quo noverat cecidisse: ut, sicut diabolus prius seduxit feminam, et postmodum virum per feminam vicit, ita prius a femina virgine seduceretur, et post a viro Christo aperte debellaretur:
Although he could have accomplished it by other means, according as He willed; but it pleased him rather to reconcile man unto Himself by the same order in which He knew him to have fallen. Just as the devil first deceived the woman and afterwards overcame the man through the woman; so the devil was to be deceived by a woman, a virgin, the devil had first deceived the woman, then overcome the man by the woman, so he was to be deceived by a woman, a virgin, and afterwards be openly conquered by the Man, Christ.
quatenus malitiae fraudi dum ars pietatis illuderet, ac maligni fortitudinem Christi virtus contereret, diabolo Deus et prudentior appareret et fortior. Ita quippe decuit incarnatam Sapientiam spiritualem vincere malitiam, quo non solum attingeret a fine usque ad finem fortiter, sed et disponeret omnia suaviter [1].
So that while, through the art of compassion, He set at naught the fraud of malice, Christ's virtue might crush the power of the Evil One, and God might appear wiser and mightier to the devil. Because it was fitting for Incarnate Wisdom in the spirit to vanquish malice; for this end, she not only reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, but ordereth all things sweetly.[1]
Attingit autem a fine usque ad finem, id est a coelo usque ad infernum. Si ascendero, inquit, in coelum,tu illic es: descendero in infernum, ades [2] Utrobique vero fortiter, quando et de supernis expulit superbum, et apud inferos spoliavit avarum.
Wisdom reaches from end to end, that is from Heaven to Hell. If I ascend, he says, into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.[2] On both sides acting in truth powerfully, you expel the proud from on high and strip the riches from the miser in Hell.
Conveniens ergo erat ut suaviter quoque omnia, coelestia scilicet et terrena, disponeret: quatenus et illinc dejiciens inquietum, reliquos in pace firmaret, et hic debellaturus invidum, nobis prius suae humilitatis et mansuetudinis valde necessarium exemplum relinqueret: sicque mirabili fieret moderamine sapientiae, ut et suis suavis, et hostibus fortis appareret. Quid enim prodesset diabolum a Deo vinci, nobis manentibus superbis?
It was fitting therefore that He should so sweetly arrange all things, which is to say Heavenly and earthly. In so far as casting thence the worried, He might reassure the rest in peace; and so that the envious would be conquered, He might first leave us a necessary example of His humility and tenderness.
Necessario igitur desponsata est Maria Joseph, quando per hoc et a canibus sanctum absconditur, et a sponso virginitas comprobatur, et Virginis tam verecundiae parcitur, quam famae providetur. Quid sapientius, quid dignius divina providentia?
It was necessary, then, that Mary should be espoused to Joseph, in order that what was holy might be concealed from the dogs of unholiness, that the virginity of Mary might be proved by her spouse, and that the Virgin might be preserved from suspicion and her reputation protected. What more wise ? What more worthy of Divine Providence ?
Uno tali consilio secretis coelestibus et admittitur testis, et excluditur hostis, et integra servatur fama Virginis matris. Alioquin quando pepercisset justus adulterae?
By one such secret counsel, a witness is admitted and an enemy is excluded; and the reputation of the Virgin mother is preserved intact. How otherwise might a just one be spared from an adulterous woman?
scriptum est autem: Joseph autem vir ejus, cum esset justus et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam [3]. Bene, cum esset justus, noluit eam traducere: quia sicut nequaquam justus esset, si cognitam ream consensisset; sic nihilominus justus non esset, si probatam innoxiam condemnasset. Cum ergo justus esset et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam.
But it is written : Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, had a mind to put her away privately. [3] Truly, because he was just, he would not expose her publicly ; for as he would not have been just had he given his consent to one that was guilty, neither would he have been just if he had condemned one proved innocent. Since, then, he was just and unwilling to expose her, he wanted to put her away privately. 1 St. Matt. i. 19.
References
[1] [1] Attingit ergo a fine usque ad finem fortiter, et disponit omnia suaviter.
She reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly. [Wisdom 8]
[2] [8] Si ascendero in caelum, tu illic es; si descendero in infernum, ades.
If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present. [Psalm 138]
[3] [19] Joseph autem vir ejus cum esset justus, et nollet eam traducere, voluit occulte dimittere eam
Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately.[Matt 1]
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Latin vocab
alioquin, otherwise (if something is not done).
dēbellō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: to war to the end; to put down by war; subdue, conquer
i(n)(l)lūdō, lūsī, lūsus, 3, n. and a.: to play upon; w. dat.; (fig.), insult, mock; set at naught
illinc : (adv.), from that side, thence; on that side,
metuō, uī, ūtus, 3, a. and n.: to fear, dread, be in terror of, be afraid of; to experience fear; fear,
palam : (adv.), openly; plainly
pepercisset: third-person singular pluperfect active subjunctive of parcō: parcō, pepercī, parcitus, 3, n.: to spare, w. dat.; refrain from using, save,
quatenus: adv. So that, in order that, that
quippe : (conj. and adv.), because indeed, for indeed, for;
spoliō, āvī, ātus, 1, a.: to take the spoils; to strip; despoil, 12.297; plunder, rob
utrobique: on both parts or sides, on the one side and the othe
vĕrēcundĭa, ae, f. verecundus, the natural feeling of shame
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