Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily I : §8-9/9

St Bernard, by Juan Correa de Vivar,
c. 1540-45. Museo del Prado.
(Public domain)

The following posts present the text of four homilies by St Bernard (1090-1153) frequently given the title of Missus est but which he himself called Praises of the Virgin Mother.

 

He was the first Cistercian monk to be placed on the calendar of saints and was canonized by Alexander III on the 18th January 1174. Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title of Doctor of the Church, “Doctor mellifluus,” on the 20th of August 1830. 

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bernard’s Homilies as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her multitudinous graces and favours, requesting her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

The Latin text and references are based upon De laudibus Virginis Matris (Patrologia latina, vol. 183. J. P. Migne). The English text is based upon the version compiled and translated at St. Mary's Convent, York, and published by Washbourne in 1909.

Homily I : §8-9/9

 §8.   Learn, O man, to obey ; learn, O earth, to be subject ; and learn, O dust, to be submissive. 

Get behind me, Satan. Matt. xvi. 23.
James Tissot (1836-1902); Brooklyn Museum, NY.

The Evangelist, speaking of your Creator, says[1]: “And he . . . was subject to them” – meaning, of course, to Mary and Joseph. Blush and be humble, O dust and ashes! God humbles Himself, and do you exalt yourself? The Lord God subjects Himself to men and do you, eager to lord it over men, set yourself above your Creator? Would that God might deign to answer me at some time, as I ponder such things, with the same reply He gave when rebuking His own Apostle[2]: 

“Get behind me, Satan . . . for thou savourest not the things that are of God.” 

As often as I seek to be pre-eminent among men, so often do I dispute pre-eminence with my God, and then assuredly I savour not the things that are of God, since of Him it is said : “He was . . . subject to them.” 

If, O man, you disdain to imitate the example of your fellow-man, it cannot be unworthy for you to follow that of your Maker. If you cannot follow Him “whithersoever he goeth,”[3] deign at least to follow Him whither He condescends to show you. That is to say: if you cannot walk the lofty path of virginity, then follow God at least along the safest way of humility; for if any – even among virgins – stray from the straightness of this path, then, to tell the truth, they do not follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. The lowly person who is defiled may follow the Lamb, and the person who is a virgin yet proud may follow Him too – yet neither follows Him whithersoever he goeth: for the former cannot ascend to the purity of the Lamb without blemish; nor does the latter deign to descend to His meekness, seeing that He remained silent not only before His shearer, but also before His slaughterer[4]. The sinner, however, chooses the safer path by following in humility rather than by being proud in virginity: because his humble atonement purges away his impurity whereas, the purity of the other is polluted by pride. 

 

Footnotes

[1] Luke ii. 51.

[2] Matt. xvi. 23.

[3] Apoc. xix. 4.

[4] Isaias liii. 7.

 §9.   Happy was Mary in whom neither humility nor virginity was wanting. 

The Virgin with Angels (1900);
William-Adolphe Bouguereau; Petit Palais (Paris).

O glorious virginity, which fecundity honoured, but did not defile! O singular humility, which fruitful virginity elevated but did not destroy! O truly incomparable fecundity, accompanied by both virginity and humility! Which of these is not wonderful, incomparable and unique? In pondering them, it is indeed no wonder if you hesitate in judging which is more worthy of your admiration: fecundity in a virgin or virginity in a mother; sublimity in the offspring or the humility accompanying such great sublimity. In truth, all of these taken together are undoubtedly to be preferred to each of them individually, and it is incomparably more excellent and more blessed to have grasped all of them rather than one of them in particular.

If it is written and understood that God is wonderful in His saints[1], can we be surprised that He should show Himself more wonderful in His Mother? Let all who are married show reverence for this integrity preserved in corruptible flesh! Let all ye sacred virgins behold with wonderment this fruitful virgin! Let all Christians imitate the humility of the Mother of God!  All ye holy angels, honour the Mother of your King, ye who adore with us the Son of the Virgin; He is at once our King and yours, the Redeemer of our race and the one who is restoring your city. To Him Who is so exalted among you yet so humble among us, let there be rendered by you and by us alike the reverence due to his dignity, and the honour and glory due to his gracious condescension, for ever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Psalm. lxvii. 36.

[End of Homily I]

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.