Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily IV : §3/11

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 IV : §3/11

 §3.   “And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?”[1] 

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee.” The Annunciation by Rubens
1609-10. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

At first she had kept a prudent silence, since she was still in doubt as to what manner of salutation this might be, preferring in humility to give no answer rather than risk speaking about what she did not understand. Now, however, she was strengthened and well prepared, for while the Angel spoke externally God disposed her heart internally, since the Lord was with her from the moment the Angel said, “The Lord is with thee.” This gave her reassurance and – her faith dispelling her fear and her joy overcoming her shyness – she said to the Angel: “How shall this be done, for I know not man?” She doubts not the fact, but only inquires about the manner of its accomplishment. She asks not whether this shall be done but “How shall this be done?” As if she would say: “Since my Lord knows and my conscience bears witness that His handmaid has made a vow that she shall know not man, by what law and in what manner shall it please Him to work this wonder? If I must break my vow in order that I may bring forth such a Son, then I rejoice on account of the Son but I grieve because of my broken vow. Nevertheless, may His will be done. But if I conceive as a virgin and give birth as a virgin – which  will certainly not be impossible if He so wills it – then I shall know truly that He has regarded the humility of His handmaid.”[2]

“How, then, shall this be done, for I know not man? And the angel, answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee.”[3] 

It was said before that she was full of grace; how then can it now be said: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee”? Could she be filled with grace and not possess the Holy Spirit, when He is the giver of all grace? And if the Holy Spirit was already in her, why is it promised that He shall come upon her in some new way? Was it not to explain this to us that the Angel did not say simply that the Holy Ghost shall come “into thee,” but that he shall come “upon thee”? For the Holy Spirit was already in her by abundant grace, and now it is announced that He will come upon her with the fullness of more abundant grace which He will pour out upon her. But if she is already full of grace, how will she be able to receive more? Was it that the earlier grace had only filled her mind and soul, whereas the subsequent grace was to perfuse her womb, so that the plenitude of the Divinity which had hitherto dwelt in her spiritually – as in the case of many of the saints – might begin to dwell in her corporeally as He has never dwelt in any other saint?

Footnotes

[1] Luke i. 34.

[2] Luke i. 48.

[3] Luke i. 34-35.

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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.

Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily IV : §2/11

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 IV : §2/11

 §2.   “And he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom shall be no end.”[1] 

“We have no king but Caesar.” By James Tissot
(1886–1894). Brooklyn Museum. Public domain.

Here also, if we understand this as referring to the temporal house of Jacob, how can we say that Christ will reign for ever, since that house is not eternal? We have therefore yet to find the eternal house of Jacob in which He shall reign eternally, whose kingdom shall have no end. Did not that very house of Jacob, with wicked harshness, finally disown Him and foolishly reject Him before Pilate when, in answer to his question “Shall I crucify your King?” they shouted back with one voice: “We have no king but Caesar.”[2] Study what the Apostle has to say on this and you will find he points out the difference between him who is a Jew inwardly and him who is only outwardly a Jew; between circumcision of the heart and in the spirit in contrast to circumcision which is only of the flesh; between the spiritual and the carnal Jew, the children of the faith of Abraham and the children according to the flesh[3]. “For all are not Israelites that are of Israel. Neither are all they that are of the seed of Abraham, children.”[4] 

In like manner, we may say that not all who are of Jacob are to be reckoned as belonging to the house of Jacob. For Jacob himself is the same as Israel. Therefore, count only those who are found perfect in the faith of Jacob as belonging to the house of Jacob; or rather, you will come to know that they themselves are to be the spiritual and eternal house of Jacob, in which the Lord Jesus will reign forever. Who among us is there who, in accordance with the meaning of the name “Jacob”[5], supplants the devil from his heart and wrestles with his vices and desires, so that sin may not reign in his mortal body, but Jesus may reign in him – now indeed through grace, and afterwards eternally by glory?

 

 “Remember me when thou shalt come into thy
 kingdom.” James Tissot (1886–1894).
Brooklyn Museum.Public domain.

Blessed are they in whom Jesus shall reign eternally, for they also shall reign with Him, and of His kingdom there shall be no end. O how glorious is that kingdom in which kings have gathered and come together as one, to praise and glorify Him who is above all the King of kings and Lord of lords;  in the glorious contemplation of whom the just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father[6]. Oh, if only Jesus would also remember me, a sinner, with the favour He shows His people when He comes into His kingdom[7]. When finally He hands over His kingdom to God the Father, if only He would deign to visit me with His salvation, to gaze upon me amidst the prosperity of His chosen ones, rejoicing in the gladness of His people, and accepting even my praises along with all His inheritance! 

Come, Lord Jesus, take away scandals from your kingdom, which is my soul, and reign therein as you alone have the right. For avarice comes to claim a throne within me; boastfulness would rule over me; pride would be my king; wantonness says, “I shall reign”; ambition, detraction, envy, and anger struggle within me for mastery. I resist as far as I am able; I struggle according as help is given me; I call on my Lord Jesus; for His sake I defend myself, since I acknowledge myself as wholly His possession. He is my God; to Him alone I cling as my Lord and my God, saying: I have no King but Lord Jesus. Come, then, O Lord, and in your power disperse these enemies and you will reign in me, for you are my King and my God, who grants salvation to the house of Jacob.

Footnotes

[1] Luke i. 32-33.

[2] John xix. 15. 

[3] Rom. ii. 28-9.

[4] Rom. ix. 6-7.

[5] See St Augustine: Sermons on the New Testament 72. 3. “You that are well instructed in the school of Christ, know that this Jacob is Israel too. They are two names; for they are one man. His first name Jacob, which is by interpretation supplanter, he received when he was born. For when those twins were born, his brother Esau was born first; and the hand of the younger was found on the elder’s foot. He held his brother’s foot who preceded him in his birth, and himself came after. And because of this occurrence, because he held his brother’s heel, he was called Jacob, that is, Supplanter.”

[6] Matt. xiii. 43.

[7] Luke xxiii. 43.

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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.

Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily IV : §1/11

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 IV : §1/11

 §1.   There is no doubt that whatever we offer in praise of the Mother redounds to the Son; and conversely, when we honour the Son, we take nothing away from the glory of the Mother. For if, according to Solomon, “A wise son is the glory of his father,”[1] how much more glorious is it to become the Mother of Wisdom Himself! But how can I begin to commend her whose praises are proclaimed by Prophets, announced by an Angel and recorded by the Evangelist? I will therefore not praise, because I do not dare, but rather I will devoutly repeat what the Holy Spirit Himself has spoken by the Evangelist, who goes on to say[2]: 

“And the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father.” 

These are the words of the Angel to the Virgin declaring that her promised Son should possess the kingdom of David. No one doubts that our Lord Jesus sprang from David’s stock; but how, I ask, did God give Him the throne of His father David since He never reigned in Jerusalem? On the contrary, when the people would make Him King, He would not consent[3]; and when He was before Pilate, He protested “My kingdom is not of this world.”[4] Besides, what great gain would it be for Him who sits upon the Cherubim[5], and whom the Prophet saw “sitting upon a throne high and elevated,”[6] to be promised the throne of David, His ancestor? 

King David, by Guercino (1651). National Gallery, London.
Public domain. The tablet bears words from Ps. lxxxvi.[11].

We know in fact that another Jerusalem is represented by the one that now is, a city far nobler and richer than that in which David reigned. I believe this is how it should be understood here, because we often find in Scripture a figure or type is used to represent something else. Evidently God gave our Lord the throne of His father David when He was “appointed by him King over Sion, his holy mountain;”[7] and here the Prophet seems to show more plainly of which kingdom he was speaking when he said not in Sion, but over Sion. For perhaps the word “over” was used because, while David indeed reigned “in” Sion, being King “over” Sion belongs to Him of whom it was said to David[8]: “Of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne;” and of whom another Prophet says[9]: “He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom.” You see that the words “upon” or “over”[10] are found everywhere: over Sion, upon thy throne, upon his kingdom. “The Lord God,” therefore, “will give him the throne of David his father” – not a type or symbol but a true throne, not temporal but eternal and not earthly but celestial. As we have said, it is referred to as the throne of David (upon which he sat for a time) because it bore the image of that eternal throne.

Footnotes

[1] Prov. x. 1. The Vulgate has: Filius sapiens laetificat patrem, which the Douai-Rheims translates as “A wise son maketh the father glad.”

[2] Luc. i. 32.

[3] John vi. 15.

[4] John xviii. 6.

[5] Psalm. lxxix 2.

[6] Isaias i. 1.

[7] Psalm. ii. 6.

[8] Psalm. cxxxi. 11.

[9] Isaias ix. 7.

[10] The reference here is to one word in the Latin, super, which is variously translated in the Douay-Rheims text as “upon” or “over”.

[11] Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, civitas Dei / Glorious things are said of thee, O city of God. Ps. lxxxvi. 3.

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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.

Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily III : §12-14/14

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 III : §12-14/14

 §12.   But let us consider what the Angel thinks of Him upon whom He bestowed such a name before He was even conceived. He says[1]: 

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.” 

Great indeed is He who deserves to be called the Son of the Most High. 

 Saint Michael striking down Satan and the rebellious angels.
Rubens (1635). Thyssen Museum, Madrid. Public domain.

Is not He great of whom the Psalmist declares[2]: “of his greatness there is no end,”and asks[3]: “who is the great God like our God?” He is truly great who is so great and who is Most High, being Himself the Most High. As “Son of the Most High,” He thought it not robbery to be equal with God[4]. Satan, indeed, is rightly judged to have contemplated this robbery for, although made from nothing into an Angelic form, he compared himself with his Maker, and arrogated to himself what belonged of right to the Son of the Most High, the Son not made by God, but begotten of Him. For the Most High God the Father, though Omnipotent, could not make a creature equal to Himself, nor beget a Son who was not His equal. He made the Angel great, but not like Himself and therefore not Most High. The Almighty Father did not create but begat His only-begotten and Almighty Son; thus the Most High begat the Most High and the Eternal Father begat the co-eternal Son. The Almighty did not think it robbery nor an insult for His Son to compare Himself to Him in all things. Rightly, then, shall He be great who shall be called the Son of the Most High.

Footnotes

[1] Luke i. 32. 

[2] Psalm. cxliv. 3. 

[3] Psalm. lxxvi. 14.

[4] Phil. ii. 6. 

 §13.   But why is it here said “He shall be” rather than “He is” great, since He is always equally great, and can have no increase? He will not be more exalted after His conception than He was before. Perhaps the Angel would have us understand that He who was great as God will be great as man. It is therefore rightly said that “He shall be great:” a great man, a great teacher and a great prophet. Thus it is written in the Gospel[1]: 

“A great Prophet hath risen up amongst us.” 

And by a certain lesser Prophet, a great Prophet is likewise promised who is to come: “Behold,” he says, “a great prophet will come, and He Himself will renew Jerusalem.”[2]. 

The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child, by Guido Reni (1628-30).
North Carolina Museum of Art. Public domain.

And you, O Virgin, you will indeed give birth to a little one, you will nurse this little one in your arms and you will feed this little one at your breast; but while you look on Him as little, think upon Him as the Great One He is. He will be great, because God will magnify Him in the sight of kings; let all kings, therefore, adore Him and all nations serve Him. Let your soul magnify the Lord, for “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High.” He shall be great; and He that is mighty shall do great things for thee, and Holy is his name[3]. What name could be holier than “Son of the Most High”? 

This great Lord shall be magnified also by us, His little ones; for He became a Little One so that He might make us great. “A Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us.”[4] “To us,” and not to Himself, for He who before time began was much more nobly born of His Father did not need to be born in time of a Mother. Nor was He born and given to the Angels, for they who possessed Him in His greatness did not require Him in His lowliness. To us, then, He is born and to us He is given, because we have such great need of Him. 

Footnotes

[1] Luke vii. 16.

[2] Antiphon from Divinum Officium, first Sunday in Advent. See: Zacharias i 16 & ii. 10-12.

[3] Luke i. 49.

[4] Isai. ix. 6.

 §14.   Since He is born of our race and given to us, let us accomplish that for which He was born and given. Let us make use of Him who became one of us for our profit; let us work out our salvation by means of our Saviour. 

“And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them.”
By james Tissot (1886–1896). Brooklyn Museum. Public domain.

Behold, “a child is set in the midst.”[1] O Little Child, desired by little children! O true Child, ignorant of malice not of wisdom[2]! Let us study to become as this Little Child. Let us learn from Him for He is meek and humble of heart[3], lest the great God should fruitlessly have become a little Child for us; lest He should have died in vain and have been crucified for nothing. Let us learn His humility; let us imitate His meekness; let us embrace His love; let us share His sufferings; let us be washed in His blood. Let us offer Him as a propitiation for our sins, since for this end He was born and given to us. 

Let us offer Him in the sight of His Father, and let us offer for the sake of His own; for the Father “spared not even His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all;”[4] and the Son “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.”[5] He “delivered His soul unto death and was reputed with the wicked.” “He hath borne the sins of many, and prayed for the transgressors,”[6] that they might not perish. But they cannot perish for whom the Son prays that they will not perish[7] and for whose sake the Father delivers His own Son to procure for them eternal life. Therefore, pardon is to be hoped for equally from both, with whom there is equal mercy and compassion, equal power in will, and who are substantially one in divinity; and in which the Holy Spirit lives and reigns as God with them, for ever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes

[1] Matt. xviii. 2. & Mark ix. 35.

[2] in malice be children, and in sense be perfect: 1 Cor. xiv. 20. Consider the commentary of Cornelius A Lapide on this verse: “Howbeit in malice be ye children. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Ephrem render this: ‘Let malice be as unknown to you as to infants.’ So, too, S. Augustine (qu. lxi. lib. 73) says: ‘Be, like infants, free from malice.’ As ‘infant’ is derived from in, ‘not,’ and fans, ‘speaking,’ and as a child who cannot speak knows still less of malice or anything else, so too the Christian is to be an infant in evil, not to know it nor to be able to speak of it, e.g., not to know what emulation, defilement, fornication are. So Theophylact, following S. Chrysostom. Tertullian (contra Valent. lib. ii.) beautifully says: ‘The Apostle bids us after God be children again, that we may be infants in malice through our simplicity, and at last wise in understanding.’”

[3] Matt. xi. 29.

[4] Rom. viii. 32.

[5] Phil. ii. 7.

[6] Isai. liii. 12.

[7] John iii. 16.

[End of Homily III]

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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.

Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily III : §10-11/14

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 III : §10-11/14

 §10.   Then the Angel, looking upon the Virgin and easily reading the various thoughts turning over in her mind, comforts her in her fear and reassures her in her doubt; addressing her familiarly by her name, he gently persuades her not to be afraid, saying[1]:

“Fear not, Mary...” The Annunciation, by Philippe de Champaigne (c. 1644).
The Met Fifth Avenue, N.Y. Public domain.

“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.” 

There is here no deception here, no falsehood; no fraud, no snare. I am not a man, but a spirit; I am an Angel of God, not a minion of Satan. “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.” 

Oh, if you knew how pleasing your humility is to the Most High and what a sublime exaltation awaits you in His presence, you would not judge yourself unworthy of conversation with an Angel, nor even of his service! Why would you consider yourself unworthy of Angels’ grace when you have found grace with God? You have found what you were seeking; you have found what no one before you could find; you have found grace with God. What grace? The grace of peace and reconciliation between God and man, the destruction of death and the restoration of life. This is the grace you have found with God, and let this be a sign for you[2]:

“Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus.” 

Understand from the name of the promised Son, O prudent Virgin, how great and what a special grace you have found with God. “And thou shalt call his name Jesus.” Another Evangelist gives the reason for this name”[3]:

“For he shall save his people from their sins.”

Footnotes

[1] Luke i. 30.

[2] Ibid. 31.

[3] Matt. i. 21.

 §11.   I have read of two men who bore the name of Jesus; they both prefigured Him and both were of service to their people. 

Joshua passing the River Jordan, by Benjamin West (1800).
Art Gallery of New South Wales. Public domain.

One conducted his brethren into the Land of Promise[1]; the other led forth his people from the captivity of Babylon[2]. Both did, indeed, defend those they governed from their enemies, but they did not save them from their sins. Our Jesus, on the other hand, saves His people from their sins and likewise introduces them into the land of the living. 

“For he shall save his people from their sins.” Who is this that also forgives sins? Would that the Lord Jesus would deign to number me, a sinner, among His people, and save me from my sins! Truly, blessed are the people that have our Lord Jesus for their God, for He will save His people from their sins. But I fear there are many who profess to be of His people, but whom He does not recognize as such. I fear that to many who seem to be among the more religious-minded of His people He will say[3]: 

“This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” 

For “the Lord knoweth who are His”[4], and whom He hath chosen from the beginning. “And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?”[5]  

Do you want to know whether you belong to His people, or rather do you want to be one of His people? Do what Jesus tells you, and He will number you among His followers. Fulfil what the Lord Jesus commands in the Gospel, what He prescribes in the Law and the Prophets, what He ordains through His ministers in the Church. Obey His representatives set over you – not only the good and considerate ones, but also the difficult ones; and learn of Jesus Himself for He is meek and humble of heart[6]. You will then belong to the blessed people whom He has chosen for His inheritance; you shall be of His praiseworthy people, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying[7]: “You are the work of my hands, Israel, my inheritance;” and of whom He bears witness, saying[8]: 

“A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.”

Footnotes

[1] Jos. i. 11.

[2] Aggeus i. ; Ezra ii. 2.

[3] Matt. xv. 8.

[4] 2 Tim. 2. 19.

[5] Luke vi. 46. 

[6] Matt. xi. 29.

[7] Isai. xix, 25.

[8] Psalm. xvii. 45.

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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.

Praises of the Virgin Mother by St Bernard : Homily III : §8-9/14

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 III : §8-9/14

 §8.   Dear Virgin; make ready your womb, your bosom and your lap; for behold, He that is mighty is about to do great things for you – so much so that, in place of the curse upon Israel, all generations shall call you blessed. You need not view fruitfulness with suspicion, O Virgin most prudent, for your integrity will remain intact. You will conceive, yet without sin; you will be with child, yet not burdened; you will give birth, yet without sorrow: you will know no man, and you will bear a son. What kind of son? You will be the Mother of Him whose Father is God and this Son of the Father’s glory will be the crown of your chastity. The Wisdom[1] of the Father’s heart shall be the fruit of a virginal womb. In the end you shall give birth to God, and conceive of God. Take courage, then, O fruitful Virgin, child-bearing Maiden and Mother whose purity shall remain intact. You will no longer be accursed in Israel, nor reckoned among the barren, except that they begrudge you your fruitfulness. Remember that Christ – who blessed you, His mother in the heavens – also endured the curse of the Cross; yet you were blessed on earth by the Angel, and are deservedly called blessed by all generations of the earth. “Blessed art thou amongst women,” therefore, and “blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”

Footnotes

[1] 1 Cor. i. 24 & 30.

 §9.  “Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.” 

“She was troubled at his saying”:  The Cestello Annunciation, by Botticelli
(1489-90). Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Public domain.

Virgins who deserve the name are ever timorous and never think themselves secure, so that they are wary and fearful where there is no danger. They know that they bear a precious treasure in earthen vessels[1] and that it is difficult to live an angelic life among men; that it is hard to conduct themselves on earth like the celestial spirits and to lead a celibate life in mortal flesh. Consequently, whenever something new arises suddenly, they regard it as a possible trap, suspecting it all might be a plot to ensnare them. For this reason,  Mary was troubled at the words of the Angel. 

She was troubled, but not disturbed. “I was troubled,” says the Psalmist[2], “and I spoke not. I thought upon the days of old, and I had in my mind the eternal years.” Mary was troubled, and spoke not; she thought with herself what manner of salutation this might be. That she was troubled proves her virginal modesty; that she was not disturbed, her fortitude; that she was silent and thoughtful shows her prudence. 

“She thought what manner of salutation this might be.” This prudent Virgin knew how often Satan transforms himself into an Angel of light[3], and because she was truly simple and humble, deep down she did not expect to hear such words addressed to her by an Angel, so she thought with herself what manner of salutation this might be. 

Footnotes

[1] 2 Cor. iv. 7.

[2] Psalm. lxxvi. 5-6.

[3] 2 Cor, xi. 14.

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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.