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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.
Joseph beheld with awe a most certain sign of the Divine Presence in the one bearing a child
Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt. Tecum tutus semper sum.
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
14. Quare voluit dimittere eam? Accipe et in hoc non meam, sed Patrum sententiam. Propter hoc Joseph voluit dimittere eam, propter quod et Petrus Dominum a se repellebat, dicens: Exi a me, Domine, quia homo peccator sum [1]: propter quod et Centurio a domo sua eum prohibebat, cum diceret: Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum [2].
Why did he want to put her away ? Accept on this point not my own opinion, but that of the Fathers. Joseph wanted to put her away for the same reason that Peter wanted the Lord to leave him, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord [1]; and that the centurion forbade him to come to his home, when he said, "I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. [2]
Ita ergo et Joseph indignum et peccatorem se reputans, dicebat intra se, a tali et a tanta non debere sibi ultra familiare praestari contubernium, cujus supra se mirabilem expavescebat dignitatem.
Thus Joseph, considering himself unworthy and a sinner, said to himself that he ought not to live together familiarly with such a one and so great, whose high, marvellous dignity caused in him such awe.
Videbat et horrebat divinae praesentiae certissimum gestantem insigne: et quia mysterium penetrare non poterat, volebat dimittere eam. Expavit Petrus potentiae magnitudinem, expavit Centurio praesentiae majestatem. Exhorruit nimirum et Joseph, sicut homo, hujus tanti novitatem, mysterii profunditatem: et ideo occulte voluit dimittere eam.
He beheld with awe a most certain sign of the Divine Presence in the one bearing a child; and as he could not penetrate the mystery, he wished to put her away. Peter was struck with awe at the greatness of the power (Christ showed) ; the centurion by the majesty of His presence ; and Joseph, as a man. was naturally afraid at the novelty of the miracle and the depth of the mystery. He therefore wanted to put her away privately.
Miraris quod Joseph praegnantis sese consortio Virginis judicabat indignum, cum audias et sanctam Elisabeth ejus non posse ferre praesentiam, nisi cum tremore quidem et reverentia? Ait namque: Unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me? [3]
Do you wonder that Joseph judged himself to be unworthy as a consort of the child-bearing Virgin, when you hear Elizabeth unable to bear the holy presence, except with fear and reverence? For she said: And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [3]
Ideo itaque Joseph voluit dimittere eam. Sed quare occulte, et non palam? Ne videlicet divortii causam inquireretur, exigeretur rationem. Quid enim vir justus responderet populo durae cervicis, populo non credenti et contradicenti?[4] Si diceret quod sentiebat, quod de illics puritate comprobaverat, nonne mox increduli et crudeles Judaei subsannarent illum, lapidarent illam?
Joseph therefore wanted to put her away privately. But why privately and not openly? Lest a cause for the separation be sought and an explanation demanded. For what could a just man reply to a stiff-necked people, an unbelieving and contrary people? [4] If he were to say what he thought, that he was attesting to her purity, would not the incredulous and cruel Jews mock him and stone her to death?
Quando namque Veritati crederent tacenti in utero, quam postea contempserunt clamantem in templo? Quid facerent necdum apparenti, qui postmodum impias manus injecerunt etiam miraculis coruscanti? Merito ergo vir justus, ne aut mentiri, aut diffamare cogeretur innoxiam, voluit occulte dimittere eam.
For would they believe in that Truth silent in the womb whom later they would scorn, shouting in the temple? What might they do to the one being born, on whom later they would lay their impious hands, despite His awe-inspiring miracles? With good reason, therefore, the just man sidhed to put her away privately, lest he be obliged to lie or to dishnour the innocent woman.
References
[1] [8] Quod cum vidisset Simon Petrus, procidit ad genua Jesu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine.
Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.[Luke 5]
[2] [8] Et respondens centurio, ait : Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum : sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur puer meus.
And the centurion making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. [Matt 8]
[3] [43] Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me?
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[4] [51] Dura cervice, et incircumcisis cordibus, et auribus, vos semper Spiritui Sancto resistitis; sicut patres vestri, ita et vos.
You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you also.[Acts 7]
Latin vocab
contubernium ī, n com-+taberna, companionship in a tent, intimate companionship, concubinage.Of slaves, marriage
coruscō, 1, a. and n.: to push with the horns; move quickly hither and thither; shake, brandish, wave, swing
ex-păvesco, pāvi, 3, inch. n. and a., to be or become greatly terrified, to be very much afraid; to be greatly frightened at or afraid of, to fear greatly
horreō, 2, n. and a.: to bristle up or be bristling; to bristle; (fig.), to shudder, tremble; shudder at, fear, dread
nīmīrum: (adv.), without wonder or doubt; certainly, undoubtedly, doubtless
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