Sermo 83
The Soul Made for the Word
Bernard recalls three days spent showing the affinity between the Word and the soul, and argues that even the most burdened and exiled soul can dare to aspire to spiritual marriage with God because it bears His image and likeness.
As much as the regular hour allowed us — the time we set aside for speaking — these three days have been spent demonstrating the affinity between the Word and the soul. What good is all this labor? Surely this. We have taught that every soul — though burdened with sins, entangled in vices, captured by enticements, held captive in exile, imprisoned by the body, stuck in the mud, fixed fast in the mire, pinned to its members, pierced through with stakes, stretched thin by affairs, contracted by fears, afflicted by pains, wandering through errors, anxious with worries, restless with suspicions, and finally a stranger in the land of enemies — defiled, as the prophet's voice says, with the dead, and reckoned with those who are in hell; though, I say, thus condemned and thus given up for lost, we have taught that this soul can still turn inward, not only so as to breathe in hope of pardon and in hope of mercy, but even so as to dare to aspire to the wedding of the Word, to enter into a covenant of fellowship with God without trembling, and to bear the sweet yoke of love with the King of angels without fear. For what would it not safely dare before the one whose distinguished image it perceives in itself, whose illustrious likeness it recognizes? What, I say, should it fear from that majesty to which it is given confidence by its very origin? It is so great that it should strive to preserve the nobility of its nature through the honor of a worthy life — or rather, the heavenly glory that inheres in it from the beginning — and should seek to adorn and beautify that glory with certain worthy dispositions and affections, as with colors.
Reformed by Return to the Word
The soul's nature is a permanent divine gift that can be deformed by vice but not destroyed, and its conversion to the Word is a reformation and conformity expressed supremely in love.
Why, then, should our diligence fall asleep? The gift of nature itself is indeed great in us: if it falls short of fulfilling its own parts, won't everything else that nature has in us be thrown into turmoil, the whole covered over, as it were, with the rust of age? That is indeed an injustice to its Author. And surely God himself, the Author of this gift, willed that the mark of his divine generosity be preserved forever in the soul, so that it may always have within itself, from the Word, something by which it is continually admonished — either to stand with the Word, or to return if it has been moved away. It is not moved by migrating from place to place or stepping with its feet, but it is moved — for a spiritual substance is indeed moved through its affections, or rather its defects — and in a certain way it declines toward worse when, by the depravity of its life and morals, it makes itself unlike itself and renders itself degenerate. Yet this unlikeness is not the abolition of nature, but a vice: as much as it exalts the very good of nature by comparison with itself, so much it defiles it by union. Now the soul's return, its conversion to the Word, is a matter of being reformed through him and conformed to him. In what? In love.
Perfect Love as Spiritual Marriage
To imitate God is to walk in love, and such loving conformity marries the soul to the Word in a spiritual covenant that is really an embrace making two into one spirit.
For he says: Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you.✦ Such conformity weds the soul to the Word—since it is like the Word by nature, it also shows itself like the Word by its own will, loving as the beloved is loved. Therefore, if it loves perfectly, it is wed. What could be more delightful than this conformity? What is more desirable than the love by which it comes about that, not satisfied with human teaching, you—O soul—approach the Word with confidence, hold fast to the Word steadfastly, inquire of the Word familiarly, and having sought counsel, into every matter, as far as your understanding is capable, as far as your bold desire reaches? This is truly a spiritual and holy marriage covenant. I said 'covenant'—but it's an embrace. An embrace, clearly, where the same will to want and to refuse makes one spirit from two. And there's no need to fear that a difference of persons might mar the harmony of wills in any way, because love knows no reverence.
The Nature of Bridal Love
True love is defined not by honor or awe but by loving, and bridal love so absorbs all other affections that it surpasses even the natural bond between parents and children.
Love takes its name from loving, you see — not from honoring. Let the one who shudders, who is stunned, who fears, who marvels — let that person honor. None of these responses have any place in the lover. Love is rich in itself; and wherever it comes, it draws all other affections into itself and takes them captive. And so the lover loves what he loves, and knows nothing else. The one who rightly deserves honor, who rightly inspires awe and wonder, is loved even more than he loves. They are bridegroom and bride. What other bond or connection between bride and groom do you look for, besides being loved and loving? This bond even conquers what nature tied more tightly — the bond between parents and children.
The Bridegroom Who Is Love
The spousal bond is so strong that it overcomes self-love, and the Bridegroom is not merely loving but is Love Himself, demanding to be loved rather than honored.
And so, for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and hold fast to his bride.✦ You see how powerful this affection is between bride and groom — it overpowers not only every other attachment but even the affection they have for themselves.1 Add to this that this bridegroom isn't only loving, but is love itself. Honor? Let someone claim to be something — I've never read that. But I have read that God is love, and I haven't read that he is honor or dignity.✦2 It's not that God doesn't want honor — he who says, 'If I am a father, where is my honor?'✦3 But that one is Father. But if he should show himself as bridegroom, I think he'll change his voice and say, 'If I am a bridegroom, where is my love?' For he also spoke in this way before: 'If I am Lord, where is my fear?'✦4
Love Alone Suffices
Among fear, honor, and love, love excels because it is its own merit and reward, seeking no cause or fruit beyond itself, and alone enables the creature to respond to the Maker.
So God is to be feared as Lord, honored as Father, and loved as Bridegroom. What excels in these things? What stands out? Without doubt, love. Without this, fear has punishment and honor has no favor. Fear is slavish as long as it isn't set free by love. And honor that doesn't flow from love isn't honor at all — it's flattery. To God alone belong honor and glory — but God will accept neither of them if they aren't seasoned with the honey of love. Love is sufficient in itself, pleasing in itself, and for its own sake. He himself is the merit, he himself is the reward for himself. Love seeks no cause beyond itself, and no fruit. Its fruit is its use; its use is its fruit. I love because I love; I love in order to love. Love is a great thing, if only it returns to its own source — if, restored to its origin, if poured back into its own fountain, it always draws from that same source from which it may flow unceasingly. Love alone, among all the soul's movements, senses, and affections, is the one by which a creature can respond to its Maker — even if not as an equal — or repay like for like from a place of mutual exchange. For example, if God is angry with me, am I really going to be angry with him in return? Not at all. Instead I will fear, I will tremble, and I will beg for pardon.
Love Poured Out, Not Repaid
God's love desires only to be loved in return, and the creature's proper posture is not to repay like for love but to serve, obey, and worship, since God's love seeks no reciprocity.
So if God accuses me, I won't accuse him back, but he'll be shown right by my own actions. And if he judges me, I won't judge him, but I'll worship him. And in saving me, he doesn't seek to be saved by me, nor does the one who frees everyone need to be freed by anyone in return. If he rules me, I must serve; if he commands, I must obey, and not demand service or obedience from the Lord in return. Now you can see how different love is. For when God loves, he wants nothing other than to be loved. He doesn't love for any other reason than to be loved, knowing that those who love him are blessed by that very love.
Degrees of Love and the Bride's Purity
There are degrees of love, and the bride stands at the highest because her love is pure and not mercenary, not dependent on hope or driven to despair.
Love is a great thing, but there are degrees in it. The bride stands at the highest degree. Sons love too, but they're thinking about the inheritance: because they're afraid of losing it in any way, they respect the one from whom they expect the inheritance more, but love him less. I'm suspicious of a love that seems backed by the hope of gaining something else. That love is weak which, if the hope were taken away, would either be extinguished or diminished. That love is impure which also desires something else. Pure love is not mercenary. Pure love doesn't draw its strength from hope, yet it doesn't suffer the losses that come from despair.
The Bride's Exclusive Devotion
The bride's one good is love, and the Bridegroom seeks nothing else from her, so their mutual belonging is exclusive, surpassing even the honor due to sons.
She is the bride right here, because whatever woman is, is the bride. The bride's one thing and one hope is love. In this the bride abounds; in this the bridegroom is content. He seeks nothing else, and she has nothing else. That is why he is the bridegroom and she is the bride. He belongs to the spouses, whom no one else may touch — not even a son. Finally, he cries out to his sons: Where is my honor? And there is none.
Honor and Love in the Household of God
The Bridegroom, who is Love itself, demands only love and faithfulness, and the bride is permitted to love in return, since love is the proper response to Love.
"Where is my love?" he says — safeguarding the bride's prerogative. Yet a person is also commanded to honor his father and his mother, and the matter of love is passed over — not because parents shouldn't be loved by their children, but because many children honor their parents more than they actually love them. Granted, the honor a judge shows a king is something he esteems — but the bridegroom's love, no, the Bridegroom who is Love itself demands only a return of love and faithfulness.5 Let the bride then be permitted to love in return for that love her beloved. Why shouldn't the bride love, and the bride love in return? Why shouldn't Love itself be loved?
Poured Out into the Fountain of Love
The bride pours her whole self into love, yet the creature's love is unequal to the Creator's, and perfect marriage is complete only when the soul loves with its whole self.
It makes perfect sense that she renounces every other attachment and, with her whole self, gives her entire love to the one love alone — since she has to return love for love by loving in return. For when she has poured herself out completely into love, how does that amount compare to the ever-flowing fountain of that love? The one who loves and Love itself, the soul and the Word, the bride and the bridegroom, the Creator and the creature — these do not flow with equal abundance, any more than a thirsting person equals a fountain. What then? It will perish because of this, and the vow of the one destined for marriage will be emptied out entirely — the longing of the one sighing, the ardor of the one loving, the confidence of the one who presumes — because it is not possible on equal footing to race with a giant, to contend with sweetness against honey, to match gentleness against a lamb, brightness against a lily, brilliance against the sun, or love against the one who is love itself. No. For even though the creature loves less, since it is lesser, still if it loves with its whole self, nothing is lacking where the whole is present. Therefore, as I said, to be united in love is this: it is not possible to love in this way and be only slightly beloved, so that the perfect marriage stands complete in the mutual consent of two.
Anticipated by the Word's Embrace
The soul is loved first and more by the Word, and blessed is the one overtaken by this sweet, chaste, mutual love that joins two in one spirit, to which Bernard now looks with longing for tomorrow's teaching.
In case there's any doubt, the soul is loved by the Word first, and loved more. It's completely overtaken in loving, and overcome. Blessed is the soul that has deserved to be anticipated in the sweetness of so great a blessing! Blessed is the one who's been granted the chance to experience the embrace of such great sweetness! This is nothing other than a holy and chaste love, a love sweet and tender to it; a love of as great serenity as sincerity; a mutual, intimate, and powerful love that joins two not in one flesh but plainly in one spirit, and makes two no longer two but one — as Paul says, "Whoever clings to God is one spirit with him."✦ And now instead let us listen to her on these matters — how easily the teacher of all things has made her both teacher, the anointing her instructor, and frequent experience her guide.✦ Or perhaps we should save this for the beginning of another sermon, so we don't crowd a good subject into the narrow space of one that's almost finished. And if you approve, I'll wrap up even before the end, so that we who are hungry may gather again tomorrow, at the right time, for the delights of the holy soul — delights which the blessed soul deserves to enjoy with the Word and from the Word, her bridegroom indeed, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is God blessed above all things forever. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Quantum quidem regularis hora permisit, quam nobis constituimus ad loquendum, triduum hoc in demonstranda Verbi animaeque affinitate expensum est. Quae utilitas in omni labore isto? Nempe haec. Docuimus omnem animam, licet oneratam peccatis, vitiis irretitam, captam illecebris, exsilio captivam, corpore carceratam, luto haerentem, infixam limo, affixam membris, confixam suris, distentam negotiis, contractam timoribus, afflictam doloribus, erroribus vagam, sollicitudinibus anxiam, suspicionibus inquietam, et postremo advenam in terra inimicorum, iuxta prophetae vocem, coinquinatam cum mortuis, deputatam cum his qui in inferno sunt; licet, inquam, sic damnatam, et sic desperatam, docuimus tamen hanc in sese posse advertere, non modo unde respirare in spem veniae, in spem misericordiae queat; sed etiam unde audeat aspirare ad nuptias Verbi, cum Deo inire foedus societatis non trepidet, suave amoris iugum cum Rege ducere angelorum non vereatur. Quid enim non tute audeat apud eum, cuius se insignem cernit imagine, illustrem similitudine novit? quid, inquam, vereatur de maiestate, cui de origine fiducia datur? Tantum est ut curet naturae ingenuitatem vitae honestate servare, imo caeleste decus, quod sibi originaliter inest, dignis quibusdam studeat morum affectuumque venustare et decorare coloribus.
Utquid enim dormitet industria? Grande profecto in nobis donum naturae ipsa est: quae si minus suas exsequatur partes, nonne quod reliquum habet natura in nobis, totum turbabitur, totum quasi quadam vetustatis operietur rubigine? Id quidem iniuria auctori. Et utique ad hoc auctor ipse Deus divinae insigne generositatis perpetuo voluit in anima conservari, ut semper haec in sese ex Verbo habeat, quo admoneatur semper, aut stare cum Verbo, aut redire, si mota fuerit. Non mota quasi locis migrans, aut pedibus gradiens, sed mota (sicut substantiae utique spirituali moveri est cum suis affectibus, imo defectibus) a se quodam modo in peius vadit, cum se sibi vitae et morum pravitate dissimilem facit, reddit degenerem: quae tamen dissimilitudo non naturae abolitio, sed vitium est, bonum ipsum naturae quantum sui comparatione attollens, tantum foedans coniunctione. Iam vero animae reditus, conversio eius ad Verbum, reformandae per ipsum, conformandae ipsi. In quo? In charitate.
Ait enim: Estote imitatores Dei, sicut filii charissimi; et ambulate in dilectione, sicut et Christus dilexit vos.
Talis conformitas maritat animam Verbo, cum cui videlicet similis est per naturam, similem nihilominus ipsi se exhibet per voluntatem, diligens sicut dilecta est. Ergo, si perfecte diligit, nupsit. Quid hac conformitate iucundius? quid optabilius charitate, qua fit ut humano magisterio non contenta, per temet, o anima, fiducialiter accedas ad Verbum, Verbo constanter inhaereas, Verbum familiariter percuncteris, consultesque de omni re, quantum intellectu capax, tantum audax desiderio? Vere spiritualis, sanctique connubii contractus est iste. Parum dixi, contractus: complexus est. Complexus plane, ubi idem velle, et nolle idem, unum facit spiritum de duobus. Nec verendum ne disparitas personarum claudicare in aliquo faciat convenientiam voluntatum, quia amor reverentiam nescit.
Ab amando quippe amor, non ab honorando denominatur. Honoret sane qui horret, qui stupet, qui metuit, qui miratur: vacant haec omnia penes amantem. Amor sibi abundat, amor ubi venerit, caeteros in se omnes traducit et captivat affectus. Propterea quae amat, amat, et aliud novit nihil. Ipse qui honori merito, merito stupori et miraculo est: amari tamen plus amat. Sponsus et sponsa sunt. Quam quaeris aliam inter sponsos necessitudinem vel connexionem, praeter amari, et amare? Hic nexus vincit etiam quod natura arctius vinxit, vinculum parentum ad filios.
Denique, propter hoc, ait, relinquet homo patrem suum et matrem suam, et adhaerebit sponsae. Vides iste affectus quam sit in sponsis, non caeteris tantum affectibus, sed etiam se ipso potentior.
Adde quod iste sponsus non modo amans, sed amor est. Nunquid honor? Contendat quis esse: ego non legi. Legi autem quia Deus charitas est; et non quia honor est, vel dignitas, legi. Non quia honorem non vult Deus, qui ait: Si ego pater, ubi est honor meus? Verum id Pater. Sed, si sponsum exhibeat, puto quia mutabit vocem, et dicet: Si ego sponsus, ubi est amor meus? Nam et ante ita locutus est: Si ego Dominus, ubi est timor meus?
Exigit ergo Deus timeri ut Dominus, honorari ut pater, et ut sponsus amari. Quid in his praestat, quid eminet? Nempe amor. Absque hoc et timor poenam habet, et honor non habet gratiam. Servilis est timor, quandiu ab amore non manumittitur. Et qui de amore non venit honor, non honor, sed adulatio est. Et quidem soli Deo honor et gloria: sed horum neutrum acceptabit Deus, si melle amoris condita non fuerint. Is per se sufficit, is per se placet, et propter se.
Ipse meritum, ipse praemium est sibi. Amor praeter se non requirit causam, non fructum. Fructus eius, usus eius. Amo, quia amo; amo, ut amem. Magna res amor, si tamen ad suum recurrat principium, si suae origini redditus, si refusus suo fonti semper ex eo sumat, unde iugiter fluat. Solus est amor ex omnibus animae motibus, sensibus atque affectibus, in quo potest creatura, etsi non ex aequo, respondere auctori, vel de simili mutuam rependere vicem. Verbi gratia, si mihi irascatur Deus, num illi ego similiter reirascar? Non utique, sed pavebo, sed contremiscam, sed veniam deprecabor.
Ita si me arguat, non redarguetur a me, sed ex me potius iustificabitur. Nec, si me iudicabit, iudicabo ego eum, sed adorabo: et salvans me non quaerit a me ipse salvari, nec vicissim eget ab aliquo liberari, qui liberat omnes. Si dominatur, me oportet servire; si imperat, me oportet parere, et non vicissim a Domino vel servitium exigere, vel obsequium. Nunc iam videas de amore quam aliter sit. Nam, cum amat Deus, non aliud vult quam amari: quippe non ad aliud amat nisi ut ametur, sciens ipso amore beatos qui se amaverint.
Magna res amor; sed sunt in eo gradus. Sponsa in summo stat. Amant enim et filii, sed de haereditate cogitant: quam dum verentur quoquo modo amittere, ipsum a quo exspectatur haereditas, plus reverentur, minus amant. Suspectus est mihi amor cui aliud quid adipiscendi spes suffragari videtur. Infirmus est, qui forte spe subtracta, aut exstinguitur, aut minuitur. Impurus est, qui et aliud cupit. Purus amor mercenarius non est. Purus amor de spe vires non sumit, nec tamen diffidentiae damna sentit.
Sponsae hic est, quia hoc sponsa est quaecunque est. Sponsae res et spes unus est amor. Hoc sponsa abundat, hoc contentus et sponsus. Nec is aliud quaerit, nec illa aliud habet. Hinc ille sponsus, et sponsa illa est. Is sponsis proprius est, quem alter nemo attingat, nec filius quidem. Denique ad filios clamat: Ubi est honor meus? et non.
Ubi est amor meus, dicit; servans sponsae praerogativam. Sed et iubetur homo honorare patrem suum et matrem suam, et de amore tacetur: non quia non amandi sint parentes a filiis, sed quia multi filiorum honorare parentes magis quam amare affecti sunt. Esto quod honor regis iudicium diligat: sed sponsi amor, imo sponsus Amor solam amoris vicem requirit et fidem. Liceat pro inde redamare dilectam. Quidni amet sponsa, et sponsa Amoris? Quidni ametur Amor?
Merito cunctis renuntians affectionibus aliis, soli et tota incumbit amori, quae ipsi respondere amori habet in redhibendo amore. Nam et cum se totam effuderit in amorem, quantum est hoc ad illius fontis perenne profluvium? Non plane pari ubertate fluunt amans et Amor, anima et Verbum, sponsa et sponsus, Creator et creatura, non magis quam sitiens et fons. Quid ergo? peribit propter hoc, et ex toto evacuabitur nupturae votum, desiderium suspirantis, amantis ardor, praesumentis fiducia, quia non valet ex aequo currere cum gigante, dulcedine cum melle contendere; lenitate cum agno, candore cum lilio, claritate cum sole, charitate cum eo qui charitas est? Non. Nam, etsi minus diligit creatura, quoniam minor est; tamen si ex tota se diligit, nihil deest ubi totum est. Propterea, ut dixi, sic amore, nupsisse est: quoniam non potest sic diligere, et parum dilecta esse, ut in consensu duorum integrum stet perfectumque connubium.
Nisi quis dubitet, animam a Verbo et prius amari, et plus. Prorsus et praevenitur amando, et vincitur. Felix, quae meruit praeveniri in tantae benedictione dulcedinis! Felix, cui tantae suavitatis complexum experiri donatum est! Quod non est aliud, quam amor sanctus et castus, amor suavis ei dulcis; amor tantae serenitatis, quantae et sinceritatis; amor mutuus, intimus, validusque, qui non in carne una, sed uno plane in spiritu duos iungat, duos faciat iam non duos, sed unum, Paulo ita dicente: Qui adhaeret Deo, unus spiritus est. Et nunc potius eam super his audiamus, quam facile magistram de omnibus fecit et magistra unctio, et frequens experientia. Nisi forte id melius servamus in aliud sermonis principium, ne rem bonam coarctemus inter angustias huius iam propemodum finiendi. Et si probatis, facio finem etiam ante finem, ut famelici tempestive conveniamus cras ad delicias sanctae animae, quibus beata meretur frui cum Verbo, et de Verbo, sponso utique suo, Iesu Christo Domino nostro, qui est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula.
Amen.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.5.1-Eph.5.2 — Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. Eph.5.2 — and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma
- ↩Gen.2.24;Matt.19.5;Eph.5.31 — Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Matt.19.5 — and he said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' Eph.5.31 — For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
- ↩1John.4.8 — The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
- ↩Mal.1.6 — A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. If, then, I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who despise my name. And you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
- ↩Mal.1.6 — A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. If, then, I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who despise my name. And you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
- ↩1Cor.6.17 — But the one who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
- ↩1John.2.27 — And as for the anointing you received from him, it remains in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and it is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in him.
Notes
- 1 ↩affectus rendered as 'affection' in line with lexeme policy; here the term carries the force of an all-consuming attachment, not mere sentiment.
- 2 ↩Alludes to 1 John 4:8, 'God is love' (Deus charitas est).
- 3 ↩Quotes Malachi 1:6, 'If I am a father, where is my honor?' (Si ego pater, ubi est honor meus?).
- 4 ↩Alludes to Malachi 1:6, 'If I am Lord, where is my fear?' (Si ego Dominus, ubi est timor meus?).
- 5 ↩The Latin plays on honor regis / iudicium (the honor/judgment of a king) contrasted with sponsi amor. The sense is that even the highest human honor falls short of what the Bridegroom requires, which is simply love given back and faithful trust.
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