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Chapter 48MedVC.1.48

De exercitio activae vitae

Sowing Toward Righteousness

Bernard's teaching on sowing righteousness through good works, tears, and self-discipline as the foundation for hope and knowledge, culminating in the bride's longing for the kiss of contemplation.

So, regarding the active life itself, you've already made progress in part — especially in Bernard's Sermon Forty-Six on the Song of Songs. Even so, I'll bring forward other passages from Bernard as well, so that you can more carefully avoid what is base and more fully attain the virtues. In that same book, Bernard says: 'Sow for yourselves toward righteousness; reap the hope of life, and then at last give yourselves the light of knowledge.'✦ He placed knowledge last, as a picture that cannot hold its place over a void. That's why he sent those two things before it and placed them under it, as if laying something solid beneath a picture. I'll now confidently turn to knowledge — if I first receive the security of life through the blessing of hope. You have sown for yourself toward righteousness: if, from true self-knowledge, you have awakened to fear God, humbled yourself, shed tears, poured out alms, and devoted yourself to other acts of piety; if by fasts and vigils you have afflicted your body; if by beatings of your breast you have wearied heaven with your cries. This, truly, is what it means to sow toward righteousness. Good works are seeds, good studies are seeds, and tears are seeds. He went ahead, it says, and they wept as they sowed their seeds.✦ In the person of the bride, speaking to the bridegroom's companions and seeking the kiss — that is, the ecstasy of contemplation — Bernard says this: 'If he has any concern for me, let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth.'

The Habit of Obedience Without Delight

Bernard confesses a life of outward monastic discipline—chastity, sobriety, prayer, obedience, and labor—yet admits it is sustained by habit rather than spiritual delight.

I am not ungrateful — I do love. "And further on: 'In his grace, for many years now, I have taken care to live chastely and soberly; I apply myself to reading, I resist vice, I devote myself to prayer often, I keep watch against temptation, I count my years in the bitterness of my soul — I consider myself, as far as it depends on me, to live among [the brethren] without complaint.'✦12 [The text at this point is severely garbled and cannot be reliably translated.]3 que.4 MEDITATIONS ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST.5 Brethren, I am subject to authorities above me — whether going out or coming back, at the command of my superior. What belongs to others I do not covet; my own rather — and I have given myself equally. In the sweat of my face I eat my bread.6 But in all of this, the whole comes from habit — nothing from delight.7

The Dry Soul's Cry for the Kiss

Bernard describes the soul as dry earth longing for God's kiss, then teaches that sharing spiritual gifts through fraternal charity spreads the fragrance of Christ among the brethren.

"And after a few words: "Perhaps I fulfill the commandments in some way, but my soul is like dry earth without water in those things.✦ So then, that my whole burnt offering may be made rich and fat, let him kiss me, I beg, with the kiss of his mouth.✦ "The same also says: "You too, if you would willingly share with us, your companions, the gift you have received from above — if you show yourself among us everywhere as dutiful, as affectionate, as pleasing, as gentle, as humble — you will have testimony from all that you are fragrant, and he himself with the finest ointments.✦✦ Everyone among us who not only patiently bears the fraternal infirmities both of bodies and of souls, but moreover — if it's allowed him and if he's able — helps with acts of service, comforts with words, instructs with counsel; and if he can't do this because of limited learning, at least cares through prayers for the strengthening of the infirm — everyone, I say, who does such things among us spreads an altogether good fragrance among the brothers, the fragrance of the finest ointment.✦✦ Balsam in the mouth — such a brother in the congregation: he's pointed out with a finger. Everyone says of him: This is a lover of the brothers and of the people of Israel.✦ This is the one who prays much for the people, and for the whole holy city. "The same says: "These are the teachers who learned the ways of life more fully from the Teacher of all, and who teach us right up to the present day.✦ What therefore did they teach, or do they teach us — the holy apostles?

The Apostles Taught Us How to Live

Bernard dismisses secular learning and insists that the apostles' true teaching was how to live rightly—enduring wrongs, doing good, and persevering to death.

It's not the art of fishing, nor of stage-acting, nor anything of that sort — not reading Plato, not twisting Aristotle's verses inside out, not always learning and never arriving at a knowledge of the truth. They taught me how to live. Do you think it's a small thing, knowing how to live? Something great — nay, the greatest thing of all. The person puffed up by pride doesn't truly live, nor the one defiled by luxury, nor the one infected by other plagues — because this isn't living, it's ruining your life and drawing close to the gates of death. A good life, as I see it, means enduring wrongs, doing good, and persevering in that way all the way to death. There's a saying: 'The one who feeds himself well, lives well.' But iniquity has lied to itself — because no one lives well unless they do good.

Living Well in Order, Society, and Humility

Bernard exhorts the congregation to live well through orderly conduct toward oneself, sociable charity toward others, and humble resistance to vanity before God.

I think, however, that you who are in the congregation are doing well. 3. You live well if you live in an orderly way, sociably, and humbly: in an orderly way for yourself; sociably toward others; humbly before God. In an orderly way — so that in your conduct you may be careful to watch over your ways in the sight of the Lord and in the sight of your neighbor: guarding both yourself from sin and that person from scandal.✦ Sociably — so that you may strive to be loved and to love, and to show yourself gentle and affable, bearing the weaknesses of your brothers not only patiently but also willingly. both of conduct and of bodies. Humbly — so that when you have done all these things, you may strive to blow away the spirit of vanity, which is accustomed to be born from such things; and however much you have felt from those impulses, refuse consent entirely.✦

Enduring Threefold Suffering

Bernard teaches that suffering comes from three sources—oneself, one's neighbor, and God—and requires three corresponding responses: willing sacrifice, patient endurance, and grateful acceptance.

So too in enduring evil, since it is threefold, you must apply a threefold foresight. For there is what you suffer from yourself, what you suffer from your neighbor, and what you suffer from God — the last is the severity of a discipline that is given. The first is of penitence; the second, of another's vexation; the third, of the scourge of divine correction. In what you suffer from yourself, you ought to offer it willingly as a sacrifice; what comes from your neighbor, bear patiently; and what comes from God, endure without murmuring and with thanksgiving. So far, Bernard. And let these remarks about the exercise of the first part of the active life suffice for now.

Read the original Latin

De ipsa ergo activa, quamvis in parte jam habueris, et maxime in Sermone xlvi Bernardi super Cantica; tamen adhuc alias ejusdem Bernardi auctoritates adducam, ut cautius vilia fugere, ac plenius virtutes valeas adipisci. Dicit itaque idem in eisdem Canticis ^: " Seminate vobis adjustitiam; metite spem vitce, et tunc demura illuminate vobis, ait ^, lumen scientice. Ultimam posuit scientiam tanquam picturam, quae statum habere nequeat super inane: et ideo illa duo praemisit, et subjecit illi, tanquam si solidum aliquid picturae substerneret. Securus jamintendam scientiae, si vitae prius per beneficiurn spei securitatem accepero. Tu igitur seminasti tibi ad justitiam, si ex vera notitia tui evigilasti timere Deum, teipsum humihasti, fudisti lacrymas, eleemosynas profudisti, caeterisque pietatis actionibus mancipasti, si jejuniis et vigiliis afilixisti corpus, si pectus tunsionibus, coelos clamoribus fatigasti. Hoc siquidem seminare est ad justitiam. Semina sunt bona opera, bona studia, semina lacrymae sunt: Iba^it enim, inquit "^, et flebant, mittentes semina sua. " Idem in persona sponsae loquenfis ad sodales sponsi, et petentis osculum, id est, contemplationis excessum, sic dicit *: " Si cura est ei ulla de me, ' oscuktur me osculo oris sui.

Non sum ingrata, sed amo. " Et infra: " In gratia ipsius raullis jam annis caste sobrieque vivere curo, lectioni insisto, resisto vitiis, orationi incumbo frequenter, vigilo contra tentationes, recogito annos meos in amaritudine animae meae; sine querela me arbitror, quantum in me est, conversari inter ^wrj? , ipwTiaaTe fauToT; ipwc '{^(iiatttii. que. MEniTATIONES VIT^ CHHISTI. fratres; superioribus potestatibus subdita sum, sive egrediens et regrediens ad imperium senioris. Aliena non cupio, mea potius et me pariler dedi j in sudore vultus mei comedo panem. Caeterum quod in his omnibus est, totum constat de consuetudine, de dulcedine nihil.

" Et post pauca: " Mandata forsan utcumque adimpleo, sed anima mea sicut terra sine aqua in illis. Ut igitur holocaustum meum pingue fiat, osculetur me, quaeso, osculo oris sui. " Idem ^: " Tu quoque, si donum, quod desuper accepisti, nobis contubernahbus tuis libenter impartiarjs^ si te exhibeas ubique inter nos ofEciosum, si affecluosum, si gratum, si tractabilem, si humilem, testimonium habebis ab omnibus, quod fragres et ipse unguentis optimis. Omnis innobis qui fraternas infirraitates tam corporum, quam animarum, non solum patienter supportat, sed insuper, si hcet ei, et si valet, juvat obsequiis, confortat alloquiis, consiUis informat: si hoc non potest propter discipUnam, soUicitis saltem orationibus solaUari non infirmo: omnis, inquam, qui taUa operatur in nobis, bonum omnino spargit odorem inter fratres, odorem de unguenUs opUmis. Balsamum in ore, hujusmodi frater in congregatione: monstratur digito; dicunt de eo omnes ^: Hic est fratrum amator et pojpuli Israel. Hic est qui multum orat pro populo, et universa sancta civitate. " Idem ^; " Hi sunt magistri, qui a Magistro omnium vias vitse plenius didicerunt, et docent nos usque in hodiernum diem. Quid igitur docuerunt, vel docent nos sancti apostoU?

Non piscatoriam artem, nec scenofactoriam, vel quidquid hujusmodi est, non Platonem legere, non AristoteUs versuUas inversare, non semper discere, et nunquam ad veritaUs scienUam pervenire. Docuerunt me vivere. Putas, parva res sit scire vivere? Magnum aUquid, imo maximum. Non vivit, qui superbia inflatur, qui luxuria sordidatur, qui caeteris inficitur pestibus: quoniam non est hoc vivere, sed vitam confundere, et appropinquare usque ad portas morUs. Bonam autem vitam ego puto, et mala pati, et bona facere, et sic perseverare usque ad mortem. Dicitur Qui Lane se pascit, bene vivit. Sed * mentita est iniquitas sibi, quoniam non bene vivit, nisi qui bonum facit.

^ Arbitror autem quod tu, qui in congregatione es, bene H. 3. vivis, si vivis ordinabiUter, sociabiUter et humiliter: ordinabiliter tibi;. sociabiliter aUis; humiUter Deo. OrdinabiUter, ut in conversatione tua soUicitus sis observare vias tuas in conspectu Domini et in conspectu proximi: cavens et tibi a peccato, et illi a scandalo. SociabiUter, ut studeas amari et amare, et blandum te et affabilem exhibere, supportare non solum paUenter, sed et libenter infirmitates fratrum tuorum. tam morum^ quam corporum. Humiliter, ut cum heec omnia feceris, spiritum vanitatis studeas exsufflare, qui ex hujusmodi nasci solet; et quantumcumque illura senseris, nega omnino consensum.

Sic et in patiendo malum, Triii quoniam triplex est, triplicem oportet adhibere ",* ° providentiam. Est enim quod a te pateris, quod ■''dec a proximo, quod a Deo: priraura est austeritas da.' poenitentiae; secundura, vexaUo alienae raalitiee; tertium, flagellum correptionis divinee. In eo, quod a te pateris, debes voluntarie sacrificare; quod a proximo, patienter ferre; quod a Deo, sine murmuratione et cum gratiarum actione susUnere. " Hucusque Bernardus. Et haec de exerciUo primae parUs activae sufiiciant ad praesens

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Hos.10.12 — Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap according to steadfast love; break up your fallow ground for yourselves, for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and rains righteousness upon you.
  2. ↩Ps.126.5 — Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
  3. ↩Ps.89.10;Job.10.1 — You rule over the surging sea; when its waves rise, you still them. Job.10.1 — My soul is weary of my life; I will let my complaint go free upon myself. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
  4. ↩Ps.143.6 — I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a weary land. Selah.
  5. ↩Song.1.2 — Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine.
  6. ↩2Cor.2.15 — For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
  7. ↩Song.1.3 — The fragrance of your oils is good; your name is poured oil; therefore young women love you.
  8. ↩Gal.6.2 — Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
  9. ↩Song.1.3 — The fragrance of your oils is good; your name is poured oil; therefore young women love you.
  10. ↩Acts.28.7 — Now near that place were estates belonging to the chief official of the island, a man named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
  11. ↩Ps.16.11 — You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
  12. ↩Ps.16.2 — I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
  13. ↩Eccl.1.2 — Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The Latin text contains apparent corruption or garbled characters (e.g., 'raullis' for 'multis', 'wrj' for a word meaning 'brethren' or 'men'). The translation follows the most plausible intended sense based on context and parallel Bernardine passages.
  2. 2 ↩"Count my years in the bitterness of my soul" echoes Psalm 89:10 (Vulgate) / Psalm 90:10 — "annos nostros sicut araneam meditaberimur" — and the language of Job 10:1.
  3. 3 ↩The string 'ipwTiaaTe fauToT; ipwc '{^(iiatttii' appears to be corrupted or misrendered text with no recoverable Latin sense. Translation is not possible without a corrected source.
  4. 4 ↩The isolated word 'que' appears to be a fragment or corruption — possibly the enclitic '-que' detached from a preceding word. No meaningful translation is possible in isolation.
  5. 5 ↩This appears to be a section or chapter heading ('MEDITATIONES VITAE CHRISTI') rendered with garbled characters in the source. Normalized as a title.
  6. 6 ↩"In the sweat of my face I eat bread" is a direct echo of Genesis 3:19 — "In sudore vultus tui vesceris panem."
  7. 7 ↩The speaker's admission that her disciplined life flows from consuetudo (habit/custom) rather than dulcedine (sweetness/delight) is a striking spiritual self-assessment — it could signal either honest humility about dryness, or a subtle confession that grace-led joy is absent. The tone is matter-of-fact, not despairing.

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