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Chapter 52MedVC.1.52

De contemplatione coelestis curiae

The Contemplation of the Heavenly Court

The reader is invited to contemplate the heavenly court, moving in spirit among the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and angelic orders, where the Spirit opens what is sought with devotion.

He speaks, therefore, about contemplating the heavenly court in this way: "In this time of our mortality, it will be granted to each one of us now to revisit the patriarchs, now to greet the prophets, now to mingle with the senate of the apostles, now to join the choirs of martyrs — but also, with a cleansed mind's eagerness, to run through and survey the blessed Virtues' dwelling-places and mansions, from the lowest angel all the way to the Cherubim and Seraphim, as each person's own devotion carries them. Among whichever of these they are most deeply moved — the Spirit sending into them as He wills — if they stand and knock, it will be opened to them at once.✦ "The same author: 'Blessed is the one whose meditation is always in the sight of the Lord, who, with diligent thought, turns over in his own heart the delights of the Lord's right hand, even to the end.' What burden could ever seem heavy to the one who always holds in mind that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come?✦ What could such a person desire in this wicked age, whose eye always sees the good things of the Lord in the land of the living, and always beholds the eternal rewards? "And a little later: 'Who would grant me that all rising — stars on high — and that you might see the exultation that is coming to us from the Lord?' "And further below: 'For what is so good — nay, what else seems good at all — as to linger with the soul among good things, since the body is not yet able to?' "And he soon adds: 'For who among you, thinking with himself about that future life — namely its joy, its pleasantness, its blessedness, and the glory of the sons of God's Ascension —✦ Lord.

Delight in God and the Vision of Eternal Goods

Drawing on Bernard, the text affirms the blessedness of meditating on God's presence and the delights of His right hand, and the soul's longing to escape bodily weariness and rest in contemplation.

Of God — who, I say, turning over such things with a calm conscience within themselves, would not pour forth from the fullness of deepest sweetness: Lord, it is good to be here?✦ Surely not in this hard pilgrimage, where the body is worn down, but in that sweet and wholesome contemplation on which the heart is set: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly, and I will rest?✦

Fashioning the Heavenly Dwelling-Places

The reader is urged to lay aside earthly cares, to fashion in the heart the tents and courts of the heavenly homeland, to venerate each order of the blessed, and to join the new song of the heavenly liturgy.

"And after a few things": "I beg you, my brothers, don't let your hearts be weighed down by worldly cares. Unburden, I beg you, your hearts from the heavy weight of earthly thoughts.✦ "And below": "Fashion in your hearts now not only the tents of the patriarchs and prophets, but all the houses of that heavenly court, and the many dwelling places, according to the one who went about sacrificing in the Lord's tabernacle the sacrifice of loud crying, and saying that psalm to the Lord: How lovely are your tents, O Lord of hosts!✦ My soul longs for and faints for the courts of the Lord.✦ Go around, you also, brothers, with the sacrifice of piety and devotion, visiting in your hearts the heavenly seats and the many dwelling places that are in the Father's house; humbly prostrating your hearts before the throne of God and of the Lamb; reverently beseeching each order of angels, greeting the company of patriarchs, the ranks of prophets, the senate of apostles; beholding the crowns of martyrs glowing red with purple flowers, and the choirs of virgins fragrant with lilies, admiring them, and lifting up your hearing toward the honey-flowing sound of a new song, as much as your weakness allows.✦✦ Having remembered these things, the Prophet speaks, and I poured out my soul within myself: because I will pass to the place of the wonderful tabernacle, all the way to the house of God.✦

Conclusion on the Heavenly Homeland

The chapter closes by marking the end of Bernard's words and offering a brief concluding statement that the contemplation of the heavenly homeland has been sufficiently treated.

"Thus far Bernard." And let these reflections on the contemplation of the heavenly homeland be enough.

Read the original Latin

Dicit ergo de coelesti curia contemplanda hoc modo 1: " Licebit unicuique nostrum in hoc tempore mortalitatis, nunc quidem patriarchas revisere, nunc salutare prophetas, nunc senatui immisceri apostolorum, nunc martyrum inseri choris: sed et beatarum Virtutum slatus et mansiones a minimo angelo, usque ad Cherubim et Seraphim, lota mentis alacritate percurreodo lustrare, prout quemque sua devotio feret: apud quos magis afFicietur, immittente sibi spiritu, prout vult; si steterit et pulsaverit, confestim aperietur ei. " Idem ^: " FeUx, cujus meditatio in conspectu Domini est semper, qui in corde suo delectationes dexterse Domini usque in finem sedula cogitatione revolvit. Quid ilU grave poterit videri, qui semper tractat mente, quod^ non sunt condignce passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam? Quid concupiscere poterit in hoc saeculo nequam, cujus oculus semper videt bona Domini in terra vivenUum, et semper videt aeterna praemia? " Et post pauca: <(Quis mihi tribuat, ut omnes surgentes steUs in excelso, et videatis exultationem, quae ventura est nobisa Domino? " Et infra *: " Quid enim tam bonum est, imo quid aliud bonum videtur, quam in bonis animam demorari, quandoquidem adhuc corpus non potest? " Et mox subdit: "Quis enim ex vobis secum cogitans futuram illam vitam, scilicet laeUtiam, jucunditatem, beaUtudiuem, et gloriam Uliorum Ascens. Dom.

, Dei; quis, inquam, talia tranquilla secum conscientia volvens, non conUnuo de plenitudine intimae suavitatis eructat ^: Domine,bonum est 710S hic esse? Non sane in hac aerumnosa peregrinalione, ubi corpore deUnelur; sed in suavi ac salubri illa cogitatione, in qua corde versatur^: Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbce, et volabo, et requiescam? " Etpost pauca'; " Obsecro vos, fratres mei, non graventur corda vestra in curis saecularibus: exonerate, obsecro, corda vestra gravi mole terrenarum cogitationum. " Et infra; " Formate in cordibus vestris jam non modo patriarcharum et prophetarum tabernacula, sed omnes domos illius curia3 coelesUs, et multiplices mansiones, secundum eum qui circuibat immolans in tabernaculo Domini hostiam vociferaUonis, et psalmum illum dicens Domino ^: Quam dilecta tabernacula tua, Domine virtutum! concupiscit et deficit anima mea in atria Domini. Circuite et vos, fratres, cum pietatis et devotionis hostia, visitantes animo sedes supernas, et multas, quee in domo Patris sunt, mansiones; humiliter prosternentes corda vestra ante thronum Dei et agni; cum reverentia supplicantes singulis ordinibus angelorum, patriarcharum numerum, cuneos prophetarum, senatum apostolorum salutantes; conspicientes coronas martyrum purpureis ruUIantes floribus, et redolentes liliis choros virginum admirantes, atque ad melUfluum novi cantici sonum, quantum praevalet infirmitas, cordis erigentes auditum. Hcec recordatus sum, Propheta loquitur ^ et effudi in me animam meam: quoniam transibo in locum tabernaculi admirabilis usque ad domum Dei. " Hucusque Bernardus.

Et haec de ccelestis patriae contemplatione sufEiciant

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Luke.11.9;Matt.7.7 — And I tell you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. Matt.7.7 — Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
  2. ↩Rom.8.18 — For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.
  3. ↩Rom.8.19-Rom.8.23 — For the eager longing of creation waits for the revelation of the sons of God. Rom.8.20 — end with a comma, not a full stop: "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it, in hope," so v.21 completes the thought. Rom.8.21 — that the creation itself also will be set free from its bondage of decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Rom.8.22 — For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together and suffering birth pangs until now. Rom.8.23 — Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
  4. ↩Matt.17.4;Mark.9.5;Luke.9.33 — But Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three shelters here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Mark.9.5 — And Peter answered Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Luke.9.33 — And as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah' — not knowing what he was saying.
  5. ↩Ps.55.6 — Fear and trembling came upon me, and horror overwhelmed me.
  6. ↩Luke.21.34 — But be on your guard, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
  7. ↩Ps.84.1 — For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of the sons of Korah.
  8. ↩Ps.84.2 — How lovely are your dwelling places, LORD of hosts!
  9. ↩Rev.5.9;Ps.96.1 — And they sing a new song, saying: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed for God people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.' Ps.96.1 — Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
  10. ↩John.14.2 — In my Father's house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you? I go to prepare a place for you.
  11. ↩Ps.26.4-Ps.26.5;Ps.43.2-Ps.43.4 — I have not sat with worthless men, and with hypocrites I will not enter in. Ps.26.5 — I hate the assembly of evildoers, and with the wicked I will not sit. Ps.43.2 — For you are God, my stronghold— why have you rejected me? Why must I walk in gloom under the oppression of the enemy? Ps.43.3 — Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling places. Ps.43.4 — Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

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