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Chapter 50MedVC.1.50

De tribus generibus contemplationis

The Three Kinds of Contemplation

The chapter opens by distinguishing three kinds of contemplation: two lofty forms for the perfect and the humble contemplation of Christ's humanity for beginners, which is the path the reader must take first.

But you should know that there are three kinds of contemplation: two principal ones intended for those who are perfect, and a third added for those who are imperfect. The two that belong to the perfect are the contemplation of the majesty of God and the contemplation of the heavenly court. The third, intended for those who are beginners and imperfect, is the contemplation of the humanity of Christ, which I am writing out for you in this little book. And so this is where you should begin, if you want to rise to greater things; otherwise you'd be doing less climbing than falling back. See, then, how necessary the teaching of this little book is for you. For you should never trust that you can lift your mind to the heights of God unless you have trained yourself carefully and at length in this. On this subject Bernard speaks as follows: "It is clear there are two kinds of contemplation: one concerned with the state and blessedness and glory of the heavenly city, where that vast company of heavenly citizens is fully occupied either in action or in rest; the other concerned with the majesty, eternity, and divinity of the King himself. The former is in the mortar; this one is in the rock: but the harder this one is to hollow out, the sweeter what you dig out from it tastes.

The Rock, the Wall, and the Wounds of Christ

Drawing on Bernard's imagery of rock and wall, the text explains how the perfect pierce the deep mysteries while the imperfect find refuge in the wounds of Christ, which they did not labor to open.

"Further on:" But because the Church cannot yet approach the rock to be pierced from every side at once — for it belongs to all who are in the Church to examine or grasp through their own efforts the deep things of God's will through the sacraments — it is shown to dwell not only in the openings of the rock but also in the cavities of a wall.✦ Therefore in the perfect indeed — those who dare to search out and penetrate the secrets of wisdom, and who have the purity of conscience and the sharpness of understanding to do so — the Seer dwells. and Ven. of a safe descent. — in the openings of rock? . For the rest, in the cavity of a wall — so that those who cannot or do not presume to dig through the rock by themselves may dig in the wall, content either to contemplate the glory of the Saints in their mind. If this too is not possible for someone, at least set before them Jesus, and him crucified: so that even without their own labor they may dwell in the openings of the rock in which they did not labor.✦

Hiding in the Wounded Christ

The weak soul is urged to hide in the ditch of Christ's wounded humanity, where meditation on his wounds heals the conscience and restores the mind's clarity until one is ready to behold God unveiled.

The Jews labored in these things, and he himself will enter into the labors of unbelievers, so that he may be faithful. Nor should it be feared that the one who is called to enter might suffer rejection. "Enter," he says, "into the rock; hide yourself in the ditch, in the ground, from the face of the fear of the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty."✦✦1 To the soul that is still weak and sluggish, the ditch is shown as the ground, where she may hide until she grows strong and advances, so that she herself may also be able, through her own effort, to dig out openings for herself in the rock, through which she may enter into the inner depths of the Word — assuredly by the vigor and purity of the mind. "And if we have understood that ditch to be the ground of which it is said: 'They have dug my hands and my feet,' there will be no room for doubt that the wounded soul will linger in it for the healing of her sanity."23 For what is so effective for healing the wounds of conscience, and also for cleansing the keenness of the mind, as the diligent meditation on the wounds of Christ? But until she has been perfectly cleansed and healed, I do not see how what is said can apply to her: 'Show me your face; let your voice sound in my ears.'✦45 How, then, does one dare to show his face or lift up his voice, when he is commanded even to hide?

From Hidden Wound to Unveiled Vision

Because the soul is not yet beautiful, she must hide in the wound of Christ until purified, after which she is transformed into the image of God's brightness and becomes pleasing to the Bridegroom.

Hide yourself, it says, in the ditch of the ground. Why? Because she's not beautiful in face, and not worthy to be seen. She won't be worthy to be seen as long as she isn't ready to see. But when, through dwelling in the ditch of the ground as the inner eye heals, she's grown so much that she can gaze upon the glory of God with her face unveiled — then at last she speaks confidently, with a voice and countenance that please, beholding what she sees.6 The face that can direct its gaze into the brightness of God must, of necessity, be pleasing. For that couldn't happen unless she were also bright and pure — transformed, surely, into the very image of the brightness she beholds. Otherwise she would shrink back from the sheer dissimilarity, beaten down by an unfamiliar flash of light. So when she is pure enough to gaze upon the pure truth, then the Bridegroom will desire to see her face, and consequently to hear her voice — thus far Bernard.

The Necessity of Meditating on Christ's Life

The text returns to the practical exhortation that meditation on Christ's life is indispensable for ascending to divine contemplation, briefly noting that contemplation of Christ himself also takes multiple forms.

You see how necessary meditation on the life of Christ is for you. As the Church… This is clear from experience: unless you purify yourself in it, you'll never be able to ascend to the lofty things of God. So exercise yourself in it watchfully and without ceasing. [You see also how there are kinds of contemplation of Christ…] . . […]. […] of the court and of the divine majesty.

Two Transports: Intellect and Affection

Finally, the text teaches that each kind of contemplation involves two transports of the mind—one intellectual and one affective—and Bernard is cited to show that holy fervor and devotion flow from the wine cellar of contemplation.

You should know, moreover, that in any one of these two kinds there are two transports of the mind. One is intellectual, and the other is affective. On these Bernard speaks as follows: "Since there are two blessed transports of contemplation — one in understanding and the other in affection; one in light and the other in fervor; one in recognition and the other in devotion — truly a devout disposition, a heart burning with love, an infusion of holy devotion, and even a fierce spirit filled with zeal are brought back not from any other source than from the wine cellar."✦78 So far Bernard, both in other works and in this one.

Read the original Latin

Scire autem debes contemplationis tria esse genera: duo principalia propter pcrfectos; tertium additur pro imperfectis. Du 0 perf ectorum sunt contemplatio majestatis Dei, et contemplatio coelestis curiee. Tertium pro incipientibus et imperfectis est contemplatio humanitatis Christi, quam in hoc libello tibi describo. Et ideo ab hac tibi incipiendum est, si vis ascendere ad majora; alias non tam ascendere, quam reverti posses. Vide igitur quam necessaria sit tibi hujuslibelli doctrina. Nunquam enim ad sublimia Dei, mente elevare te posse confidas, nisi in hac te diligenter et longo tempore exerceas. Super hac autem materia dicit sic Bernardus *: " Duo liquet contemplationis genera esse: unum de statu et felicitate, et gloria civitatis supernae, quo vel actu, vel otio ingens illa ccelestium civium occupata fit multitudo; alterum de regis ipsius majestate, seternitate et divinitate. llla in maceria; ista in petra: sed haec quanto difficilius cavatur, tanto suavius, quod inde eruis, sapit.

" Etinfra^: " Sed quia non ex omni se interim parte adhuc ad petram perforandam accedere Ecclesia potest enim omnium est, qui in Ecclesia sunt, sacramenta divinae voluntatis inspicere, aut apprehendere per semetipsos profunda Dei); ideo non solum in foraminibus petrae, sed etiam in cavernis maceriae habitare ostenditur. Ergo in perfectis quidem, qui rimari et penetrare arcana sapientiae, et puritale conscientiae audent, et intelligentiae acumine possunt, habitat Vat. et Ven. securae devolionis. — foraminibus petra? . De reliquo in caverna maceriae, ut qui in petra fodere per semetipsos, aut non sufficiunt, aut non praesumunt, in maceria fodiant, contenti vel gloriam Sanctorum mente intueri. Si cui nec hoc quidem possibile sit, huic sane propone Jesum, et hunc crucifixum: ut et ipse absque suo labore habitet in foraminibus petrae, in quibus non laboravit.

Judaei in his laboraverunt, et ipse in labores infidelium introibit, ut sit fidelis. Nec verendum quod patiatur repulsam, qui vocatur ut intret. Ingredere, inquit ^, in petram, absconde te in fossa humo a facie timoris Bomini, et a gloria majestatis ejus. Infirmae adhuc et inerti animae fossa ostenditur humus, ubi lateat, donec convalescat et proficiat: ut possit et ipsa per se cavare sibi foramina in petra, per quae intret ad interiora Verbi, animi utique vigore et puritate. "^ Et si intelleximus fossam humum illam, quae ait ^: Foderunt manus meas, et pedes meos, non erit ambigendum desanitate animae vulneratae, quae in ea demorabitur. Quid enim est tam efficax ad curanda conscientiae vulnera, necnon ad purgandam mentis aciem, quam Christi vulnerum sedula meditatio? Verum donec purgata el sanata perfecte fuerit, non videbo aptari possit quod dicitur ^: Ostende mihi faciem tuam, sonet vox tua in auribus meis. Quomodo denique faciem suam ostendere audet, vel levare vocem, cui et latere indicitur?

Abscondere, inquit, in fossa humo. Quare? Quia non est pulchra facie, nec digna ut videatur. Non erit digna videri, quamdiu non erit idonea videre. Cum autem per inhabitationem fossae humi in sanando oculo interiori tantum profecerit, ut revelata facie speculari gloriam Dei et ipsa possit; tunc demum quae videbit, fiducialiter jam loquitur, voce etfacie piaceus. Placeat necesse est facies, quae in Dei claritatem intendere potest. Neque illud enim posset, nisi clara quoque esset et pura: utique transformata in eamdem, quam conspicit, claritatis imaginem; alioquin ipsa dissimilitudine resiliret, insolito reverberata fulgore. Ergo cum pura puram intueri poterit veritatem, tunc faciem ipsius Sponsus videre cupiet, consequenter et vocem audire, " Hucusque Bernardus.

Vides quam necessaria sit tibi vitae Christi meditatio: nam ut Scilicel Ecclesia. Ila ex auctoritate patet, nisi in ea depureris_, nimquam ad sublimia Dei asoendere poteris. Unde vigilanter et indesinenter exercearis in ea. rriacon- Vidisli etiam quomodo sunt genera conempia- templaflonis, scilicethuraanilatis Christi, coelesionis ge-. . . lera. tis curiae, ac majestatis divmfe.

Scire autem debes, quod in qualibet barum duo sunt mentis excessus. intelloctuabs, et affectualis. De quibus sic dicit Bernardus ': " Cum duo sint beatffi contemplationis excessus, in intellectu unus, et alter in aflectu; unus in lumine, et alter in fervore; unus in agnitione, alter in devotione: pius sane affectus, et pectus amorecalens, et sanctae devotionis infusio, etiam et vehemens spiritus repletus zelo, non plane aliunde, quam ex cella vinaria reportantur. " Hucusque Bernardus, et in aliis, et in isto

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩1Cor.2.10 — But to us God has revealed it through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
  2. ↩John.19.34;Exod.17.6;1Cor.10.4 — But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. Exod.17.6 — I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink." And Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 1Cor.10.4 — and they all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
  3. ↩Isa.2.10 — Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of his majesty.
  4. ↩Exod.33.22 — And when my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
  5. ↩Song.2.14 — O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding place of the steep path, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
  6. ↩Song.2.4 — He brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The quoted imperative echoes Isaiah 2:10 (Vulg.): 'Absconde te in pulverem a facie timoris Domini et a gloria maiestatis eius.' The surrounding context of entering the rock and hiding in the ditch/fossa also resonates with Exodus 33:22 and Isaiah 2:10 combined. Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
  2. 2 ↩The embedded quotation 'Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos' is Psalm 21:17 (Vulgate 22:17). Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
  3. 3 ↩Desanitate (de + sanitate) is rendered 'healing of her sanity' — i.e., restoration of the soul's soundness. The prefix de- here intensifies or completes the sense of sanitas.
  4. 4 ↩The embedded quotation 'Ostende mihi faciem tuam, sonet vox tua in auribus meis' echoes Song of Songs 2:14 (Vulg.). Final resolution deferred to Moses stage.
  5. 5 ↩The manuscript reads 'el' for 'et' (purgata el sanata); normalized to purgata et sanata.
  6. 6 ↩The uncertain form 'etfacie piaceus' is rendered from context as 'with a voice and countenance that please'; the Latin surface is likely corrupt or compressed.
  7. 7 ↩Cella vinaria (wine cellar) is Bernard's metaphor for the interior source of spiritual fervor and devotion; the image evokes Song of Songs and the intoxicating love of God.
  8. 8 ↩beatffi is a corruption, likely of beatorum; aflectu is a misspelling of affectu. Both corrected in translation.

Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion

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