Even Years: Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon 31 on Canticle of Canticles, 8-10 (Opera omnia, Edit Cisterc. 1957, I, 224-226)
| Per omnem huius carminis textum reperies Verbum istiusmodi similitudinibus adumbrari Unde ego puto id
significatum apud Prophetam, ubi ait: Spiritus ante faciem nostram christus
dominus; in umbra eius vivemus inter gentes: quod scilicet videamus nunc per
speculum in aenigmate, et necdum facie ad faciem. At istud sane donec vivimus
inter gentes; nam inter angelos aliter: quando iam indifferenti omnino
felicitate cum ipsis videbimus eum et nos sicuti est, hoc est in forma Dei, et
non in umbra.
| Throughout the whole of the Song of Songs you will find God the Word foreshadowed. This leads me to think there is a reference to the Word in the prophetic text: Christ the Lord is the breath of life to us; under his shadow we shall live among the peoples. We do not yet see him face to face, but only obscurely as in a mirror. However, this is true only as long as we are living among the peoples of this world. When we are with the angels, it will be different; we shall enjoy exactly the same happiness as they have now. We too shall see him as he is in his divine nature, and not in shadow.
| | Quomodo namque apud veteres
quidem umbram figuram que dicimus exstitisse, nobis autem per gratiam Christi
in carne praesentis ipsam per se illucescere veritatem, ita nos quoque respectu
futuri saeculi in quadam interim veritatis umbra vivere non negabit, nisi qui
non acquiescit Apostolo dicenti: Ex parte cognoscimus et ex parte
prophetamus; et illud: Non arbitror me comprehendisse. Quomodo enim non est
distinctio eius, qui per fidem ambulat, et illius qui per speciem? Ergo iustus
ex fide vivit, beatus exsultat in specie; et ideo sanctus homo interim vivit in
umbra Christi, sanctus angelus in splendore vultus gloriae gloriatur.
| We know that in ancient times the truth was veiled in shadows and figures, but that now the reality itself shines upon us through the grace of Christ, present in the flesh. In the same way we ourselves live at present in the shadow of the truth concerning the world to come. No one will deny this unless he refuses to accept what the Apostle says: Our knowledge is only partial and so is our prophesying; or again: I do not consider that I have fully grasped what I aspire to. There is surely a distinction between those who walk by faith and those who enjoy clear sight; whereas the upright live by faith, the blessed rejoice in the beatific vision. We can say, then, that during this earthly life holy men live in Christ's shadow, but the holy angels in heaven are bathed in the splendour of the glory of his face.
| | Et bona fidei umbra, quae
lucem temperat oculo caliganti, et oculum praeparat luci; scriptum est enim:
Fide mundans corda eorum. Fides itaque lucem non exstinguit, sed custodit
Quidquid sane est illud quod videt angelus, hoc mihi umbra fidei servat, fideli
sinu repositum, in tempore revelandum. Annon expedit tenere vel involutum quod
nudum non capis? Denique et Mater Domini vivebat in umbra fidei, cui dictum
est: Et beata quae credidisti. Habuit et de Christi corpore umbram quae
audivit: Et virtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Nec vilis umbra, quae de
virtute Altissimi formatur. Et vere virtus in carne Christi, quae Virgini
obumbravit, ut, quod impossibile erat mortali feminae, obiectu tamen involucri
vivifici corporis ferret praesentiam maiestatis, et lucem sustineret
inaccessibilem. Virtus plane, in qua omnis contraria fortitudo debellata est.
Et virtus et umbra fugans daemones, tutans homines; aut certe virtus vegetans,
umbra refrigerans.
| Happy the shadow of faith that tempers the light to the sighted eye and prepares the eye to bear it! Scripture speaks of God cleansing our hearts by faith, which shows that faith does not extinguish the light, but preserves it. All that the angels see is preserved for me by the obscurity of faith; it is stored up in the believer's heart, ready to be revealed when the time is ripe. Even the Lord's mother lived in the obscurity of faith; was she not told: Blessed are you because you have believed? It was the shadow of Christ's body that fell upon her when she heard the angel say: The power of the Most High will overshadow you. Now this could be no ordinary shadow, coming as it did from the power of the Most High. There was indeed power in Christ's flesh as it cast its shadow over the Virgin. Under the protecting shadow of his life-giving body she was able to endure the presence of the divine glory and to bear light unapproachable, a thing impossible for mortal man. Clearly this was the power that defeated all the forces of the enemy; it was both strength and shade, invigorating and refreshing, scattering demons and protecting men.
| | Vivimus proinde in umbra Christi qui per
fidem ambulamus, et carne ipsius pascimur ut vivamus. Caro enim Christi vere
est cibus. Et vide ne propterea etiam nunc describatur hoc loco apparens tamquam
in schemate pastorali, ubi illum sponsa, quasi quempiam de pastoribus, videtur
alloqui, dicens: Indica mihi ubi pascas, ubi cubes in meridie. Bonus Pastor,
qui animam suam dat pro ovibus suis! Animam pro illis, carnem illis; illam in
pretium, istam in cibum. Res mira!
| [So, when we walk in faith, we live in the shadow of Christ and we feed on and live by his flesh. For the flesh of Christ is truly food. See if that is not why in this place he is described as appearing in a shepherd's form, where the bride speaks to him as a shepherd, saying: "Tell me where you eat, where you rest ad midday." See the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for his sheep! He gives his life and his flesh for them, his life as a price, his flesh as food. Wonderful!]
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Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 194
| Quis hominum omnes thesauros sapientiae et scientiae noverit in Christo occultos atque in paupertate carnis eius absconditos? Quia propter nos pauper factus est, cum dives esset, ut illius paupertate ditaremur. Cum enim mortalitatem assumeret mortemque consumeret, in paupertate se ostendit: sed divitias dilatas promisit, non ablatas amisit.
| What man knows all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ and concealed in the poverty of his flesh? Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, so that by his poverty we might become rich. When he made mortality his own and made away with death, he appeared in poverty; but he promised riches, riches that were only deferred—he did not lose riches that were taken way from him.
| | Quam multa multitudo dulcedinis eius, quam abscondit timentibus se, perficit autem sperantibus in se!
| How great is the abundance of his goodness which he hides for those who fear him, which he perfects for those who hope in him!
| | Ex parte enim scimus, donec veniat quod perfectum est. Cui capiendo ut idonei praestaremur, ille aequalis Patri in forma Dei, in forma servi factus similis nobis, reformat nos ad similitudinem Dei: et factus filius hominis unicus Filius Dei, multos filios hominum facit filios Dei; et nutritos servos per visibilem formam servi, perficit liberos ad videndam formam Dei.
| Our knowledge is partial until what is perfect comes. To make us fit to receive this perfection, he who is equal to the Father in the form of God and made like to us in the form of a slave, transforms us to the likeness of God. The only Son of God, made son of man, makes many sons of men sons of God. The slaves, sustained by the visible form of the slave, he frees and makes children so that they may see the form of God.
| | Filii enim Dei sumus, et nondum apparuit quid erimus. Et scimus quoniam, cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est. Nam qui sunt illi sapientiae scientiaeque thesauri, quae illae divitiae divinae, nisi quia sufficiunt nobis? Et quae illa multitudo dulcedinis, nisi quia satiat nos? Ostende ergo nobis Patrem, et sufficit nobis.
| We are God's children; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. What are those measures of wisdom and knowledge, what are those divine riches, except what is sufficient for us? What is that abundance of goodness, except what fills us? Show us the Father, then, and it is sufficient for us.
| | Et in quodam psalmo quidam ex nobis, vel in nobis, vel pro nobis, ait illi: Satiabor, dum manifestabitur gloria tua. Ipse autem et Pater unum sunt: et qui ipsum videt, videt et Patrem. Ergo Dominus virtutum, ipse est rex gloriae. Convertens nos, ostendet nobis faciem sam; et salvi erimus, et satiabimur, et sufficiet nobis.
| In one of the psalms someone says to him from among us or within us or for us: I shall be filled when your glory is manifested. He and the Father are one: whoever sees him sees the Father also. So then, he, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. He will bring us back, he will show us his face; and we shall be saved, we shall be filled, he will be sufficient for us.
| | Quod donec fiat, donec ostendat nobis quod sufficiat nobis, donec eum fontem vitae potemus et satiemur, interim dum ambulantes per fidem peregrinamur ab eo, dum esurimus et sitimus iustitiam, et formae Dei pulchritudinem ineffabili ardore desideramus, formae servi natalem devoto obsequio celebremus.
| Until this happens, until he shows us what is sufficient for us, until we drink him as the fountain of life and are filled, —until then we are exiles from him and walk by faith, until then we hunger and thirst for justice, and long with a passion beyond words for the beauty of the form of God; —until then, let us celebrate his birth in the form of a slave with humble devotion.
| | Nondum contuemur Unicum permanentem in Patre suo, recordemur Sponsum procedentem de thalamo suo. Nondum idonei sumus convivio Patris nostri, agnoscamus praesepe Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
| Though we still do not behold the only Son abiding in his Father, let us remember the Bridegroom coming out from his bridal room. Though we are still unready for our Father's banquet, let us acknowledge the manger of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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