St Bernard's Praises of the Virgin Mother: Homily 2, Part 4

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.

She is no recent and chance discovery, but chosen from eternity; foreknown by the Most High and prepared for Himself, guarded by angels, pointed out by the Patriarchs, promised by the Prophets.

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

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

4. Missus est, inquit, angelus ad Virginem. Virginem carne, virginem mente, virginem professione, virginem denique, qualem describit Apostolus, mente et corpore sanctam;[1]

4. The Angel was sent to a virgin. A virgin in body, a virgin in mind, a virgin by profession, a virgin such as the Apostle describes " holy in body and in mind."

nec noviter, nec fortuitu inventam, sed a saeculo electam, ab Altissimo praecognitam et sibi praeparatam, ab angelis servatam, a patribus praesignatam, a prophetis promissam. Scrutare Scripturas, et proba quae dico.

She is no recent and chance discovery, but chosen from eternity; foreknown by the Most High and prepared for Himself, guarded by angels, pointed out by the Patriarchs, promised by the Prophets. Search carefully the Scriptures, and prove the truth of my words.

Visne ut et ego aliqua ex his testimonia hic inseram? Ut pauca loquar de pluribus, quam tibi aliam praedixisse Deus videtur, quando ad serpentem ait: Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem? Et si adhuc dubitas quod de Maria non dixerit, audi quod sequitur: Ipsa conteret caput tuum [2].

Do you want me to provide here some testimonies? To give a few out of many: which other woman seems to you to have been foretold by God when he said to the serpent: I will place enmities between thee and the woman ? [2] And if you still doubt whether he is speaking of Mary, listen to what follows : She shall crush thy head.

Cui haec servata victoria est, nisi Mariae? Ipsa procul dubio caput contrivit venenatum, quae omnimodam maligni suggestionem tam de carnis illecebra, quam de mentis superbia deduxit ad nihilum.

To whom but to Mary was such a victory reserved ? Undoubtedly she crushed the poisonous head of the serpent; she brought to naught every suggestion of the Evil One, both of carnal allurements and pride of mind.

References

[1] [34] Et mulier innupta, et virgo, cogitat quae Domini sunt, ut sit sancta corpore, et spiritu. Quae autem nupta est, cogitat quae sunt mundi, quomodo placeat viro.[1 Cor 7]
[34] And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
[2] Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et semen illius : ipsa conteret caput tuum, et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus.[Gen 3]
[15] I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.
 

Latin vocab

conterō ( conterere, contrīvī, contrītum); third conjugation: I grind or crush to pieces; I bruise or crumble.
illĕcĕbra (inl-), ae, f. illicio, an enticement, in a good or bad sense, an inducement, attraction, charm, allurement, bait, lure