St Bernard's Praises of the Virgin Mother: Homily 2, Part 7

St Bernard. Musée de Cluny [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)

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.

He fell softly into the virginal womb.



 Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Tecum tutus semper sum. 

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

7. Proferamus et alia Virgini Matri, Deoque Filio congrua de Scripturis testimonia. Quid illud Gedeonis vellus significat, quod utique de carne tonsum, sed sine vulnere carnis in area ponitur, et nunc quidem lana, nunc vero area rore perfunditur [1], nisi carnem assumptam de carne Virginis, et absque detrimento virginitatis?

Let us offer other testimonies from the Scriptures suitable to the Virgin Mother and to the Son of God. What does Gideon's fleece, for instance, signify? Cut from the flesh but without any wound in the flesh, and placed on the dry floor; where first the dry fleece and next the dry floor are moistened by the dew.[1] This similitude represents the flesh assumed from the flesh of Mary, without detriment to her virginity.

Cui utique distillantibus coelis tota se infudit plenitudo divinitatis: adeo ut ex hac plenitudine omnes acceperimus [alias, acciperemus], qui vere sine ipsa non aliud quam terra arida sumus. Huic quoque Gedeonico facto propheticum dictum pulchre satis convenire videtur, ubi legitur: Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus.[2]

Upon which, the whole plenitude of the Divinity pours down with Heavenly dew; and from that fullness we have all received we who, but for it, are nothing but parched soil. And prophetic words seem to refer beautifully to this deed of Gideon, where it is written: He shall come down like rain upon the fleece.[2]

Nam per hoc quod sequitur, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram [2], idem datur intelligi, quod per inventam rore madidam aream. Pluvia nempe voluntaria, quam segregavit Deus haereditati suae, placide prius et absque strepitu operationis humanae, suo se quietissimo illapsu [alias, elapsu] virgineum demisit in uterum:

For through the words that follow,  and as showers falling gently upon the earth [2], the same is given to be understood as through the words the floor found wet with dew. Indeed, with a willed shower, God separated her from His inheritance, gently at first, and without noise of human operation, He fell softly into the virginal womb.

postmodum vero ubique terrarum diffusa est per ora praedicatorum, non jam sicut pluvia in vellus, sed sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram, cum quodam utique strepitu verborum, ac sonitu miraculorum.

Wherever in truth the message was spread by the mouths of preachers, it was not like rain falling on as fleece but like showers falling gently upon the earth. when the Apostles announced Him, it was with the noise of words and the thunder of miracles.

Siquidem recordatae sunt nubes illae, quae portabant pluviam, praeceptum sibi fuisse cum mitterentur: Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine; et quod in aure auditis, praedicate super tecta [3]. Quod et fecerunt: etenim in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum, et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum [4]

For they were mindful of those clouds bearing rain, the command spoken to them when they were sent : That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.[3] And this they did: , for Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world. [4]

References

[1] [37] ponam hoc vellus lanae in area : si ros in solo vellere fuerit, et in omni terra siccitas, sciam quod per manum meam, sicut locutus es, liberabis Israel.
I will put this fleece of wool on the floor: if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry on all the ground beside, I, shall know that by my hand, as thou hast said, thou wilt deliver Israel.[38] Factumque est ita. Et de nocte consurgens expresso vellere, concham rore implevit.
And it was so. And rising before day wringing the fleece, he filled a vessel with the dew.[39] Dixitque rursus ad Deum : Ne irascatur furor tuus contra me si adhuc semel tentavero, signum quaerens in vellere. Oro ut solum vellus siccum sit, et omnis terra rore madens.
And he said again to God: let not thy wrath be kindled against me if I try once more, seeking a sign in the fleece. I pray that the fleece only may be dry, and all the ground wet with dew.[40] Fecitque Deus nocte illa ut postulaverat : et fuit siccitas in solo vellere, et ros in omni terra.
And God did that night as he had requested: and it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. [Judges, 6]
 
[2] [6] Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram.
He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth. [Ps 71]

[3] [27] Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine : et quod in aure auditis, praedicate super tecta. That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.[Matt 10]

[4] [5] In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum, et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum.
Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.
 [Ps 18]

Latin vocab

īnfundō, fūdī, fūsus, 3, a.: to pour into or upon; pour down
madidus , a, um: adj. (madeō), wet, dripping, drenched
sonitus, ūs, m.: a sounding; noise
stillo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a [stilla].  to drop, drip, trickle, distil
stillĭcĭdĭum, ii, n. stilla-cado, a liquid which falls drop by drop, a dripping moisture, stillicide
strepitus, ūs, m.: a noise; an uproar; din,