Even Years: Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon 27 on Canticle of Canticles, 7-9: (Opera omnia. Edit. Cister. 1957, 1, 186-188)
Dum enim sanctus ille
Emmanuel terris intulit magisterium disciplinae caelestis, dum supernae illius
Ierusalem, quae est mater nostra, visibilis quaedam imago et species decoris
eius, per ipsum nobis et in Christo expressa, innotuit, quid, nisi in sponso
sponsam, perspeximus, unum eumdem que Dominum gloriae admirantes, et sponsum
decoratum corona, et sponsam ornatam monilibus suis? Ipse igitur qui descendit,
ipse est et qui ascendit: ut nemo ascendat in caelum, nisi qui de caelo
descendit, unus idem que Dominus, et sponsus in capite, et sponsa in corpore. Nec
frustra in terris visus est homo caelestis, cum de terrenis caelestes
quamplurimos fecerit sibi similes, ut sit quod legitur: Qualis caelestis,
tales et caelestes.
Ex tunc ergo in terra
vivitur more caelestium, dum instar supernae illius beatae que creaturae, haec
quoque quae a finibus terrae venit audire sapientiam Salomonis, caelesti viro
nihilominus casto inhaeret amore, etsi necdum quomodo illa iuncta per speciem,
tamen sponsata per fidem, iuxta promissum Dei per Prophetam dicentis: Sponsabo
te mihi in misericordia et miserationibus, et sponsabo te mihi in fide. Unde
magis magis que conformari satagit formae, quae de caelo venit, discens ab ea
verecunda esse et sobria, discens pudica et sancta, discens patiens atque
compatiens, postremo discens mitis et humilis corde Et ideo moribus huiuscemodi
contendit et absens placere ei, in quem angeli prospicere concupiscunt, ut dum
desiderio fervet angelico, probet se perinde civem sanctorum et domesticam Dei,
probet dilectam, probet sponsam...
Veni electa mea, et ponam in te thronum
meum. Quid tu tristis es nunc, o anima mea, et quare conturbas me? Putas ne et
tu penes te invenias locum Domino? Et quis nobis in nobis locus huic idoneus
gloriae, sufficiens maiestati? Utinam vel merear adorare in loco ubi steterunt
pedes eius! Quis dabit mihi saltem vestigiis adhaerere sanctae cuiuspiam
animae, quam elegit in hereditatem sibi? Tamen si dignetur et meam infundere
animam unctione misericordiae suae, atque ita extendere sicut pellem, quae
utique cum ungitur dilatatur, quatenus et ego dicere valeam: Viam mandatorum
tuorum cucurri, cum dilatasti cor meum, potero etiam fortassis ipse ostendere
in meipso, etsi non cenaculum grande stratum, ubi possit recumbere cum
discipulis suis, attamen ubi saltem reclinet caput A longe suspicio illos certe
beatos, de quibus dicitur: Et inhabitabo in eis, et deambulabo in illis.
Odd Years: Augustine, Tract on John, 17
| Venit ipse Dominus, caritatis doctor, caritate plenus, brevians, sicut de illo praedictum est, verbum super terram, et ostendit in duobus praeceptis caritatis pendere legem et prophetas.
| The Lord himself comes, the teacher of love, full of love, 'shortening the word upon the earth', as was foretold of him. He shows that the law and the prophets depend on the two precepts of love.
| | Quae sunt illa duo praecepta, fratres, recolite mecum. Notissima enim esse debent, nec modo tantum venire in mentem, cum commemorantur a nobis, sed deleri numquam debent de cordibus vestris. Semper omnino cogitate diligendum esse Deum et proximum: Deum ex toto corde, ex tota anima, et ex tota mente; et proximum tamquam seipsum.
| What those two commandments are, brethren, recall with me. They ought to be most familiar, and not come to mind just when they are mentioned by us; rather, they should never be blotted out from your hearts. Always, at all times, reflect that you must love God and your neighbour: God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; your neighbour as yourself.
| | Haec semper cogitanda, haec implenda sunt. Dei dilectio prior est ordine praecipiendi, proximi autem dilectio prior est ordine faciendi. Neque enim qui tibi praeciperet dilectionem istam in duobus praeceptis, prius tibi commendaret proximum, et postea Deum, sed prius Deum, postea proximum.
| At all times these must be pondered, they must be meditated and retained, they must be practised and fulfilled. The love of God comes first in the order of command, but the love of neighbour first in the order of action. The man who would teach you this love in two commandments should not commend to you first your neighbour and then God, but first God and then your neighbour.
| | Tu autem, quia Deum nondum vides, diligendo proximum promereris quem videas; diligendo proximum purgas oculum ad videndum Deum, evidenter Ioanne dicente: Si fratrem quem vides non diligis, Deum quem non vides quomodo diligere poteris?
| You do not yet see God, but by loving your neighbour you gain the sight of God; by loving your neighbour you purify your eye for seeing God, as John says clearly: If you do not love the brother whom you see, how will you be able to love God whom you do not see?
| | Ecce dicitur tibi: Dilige Deum. Si dicas mihi: Ostende mihi quem diligam, quid respondebo, nisi quod ait ipse Ioannes: Deum nemo vidit umquam? Et ne te alienum omnino a Deo videndo esse arbiteris: Deus, inquit, caritas est; et qui manet in caritate, in Deo manet. Dilige ergo proximum, et intuere in te unde diligis proximum; ibi videbis, ut poteris, Deum.
| You are told: love God. If you say to me: 'Show me the one I am to love', what shall I answer, except what John himself says: No one has ever seen God? Do not think that you are altogether unsuited to seeing God - no, for John states: God is love, and he who dwells in love is dwelling in God. Love your neighbour therefore, and observe the source of that love in you; there, as best you can, you will see God.
| | Incipe ergo diligere proximum. Frange esurienti panem tuum, et egenum sine tecto induc in domum tuam; si videris nudum, vesti, et domesticos seminis tui ne despexeris.
| So then, begin to love your neighbour. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; if you see the naked, cover him, and do not despise the servants of your kinsfolk.
| | Faciens autem ista, quid consequeris? Tunc erumpet velut matutina lux tua. Lux tua Deus tuus est, tibi matutina, quia post noctem saeculi tibi veniet; nam ille nec oritur, nec occidit, quia semper manet.
| If you do this, what will you obtain? Then shall your light break forth like the morning. Your light is your God to you he is 'morning light', because he will come to you after the night of the world; he neither rises nor sets, because he abides always.
| | Diligendo proximum, et curam habendo de proximo tuo, iter agis. Quo iter agis, nisi ad Dominum Deum, ad eum, quem diligere debemus ex toto corde, ex tota anima, ex tota mente? Ad Dominum enim nondum pervenimus, sed proximum nobiscum habemus. Porta ergo eum, cum quo ambulas, ut ad eum pervenias, cum quo manere desideras.
| By loving your neighbour and being concerned about your neighbour, you make progress on your journey. Where is your journey, if not to the Lord God, to him whom we must love with all our heart, and with all soul, and with all our mind? We have not yet reached the Lord, but we have our neighbour with us. So then, support him with whom you are travelling so that you may come to him with whom you long to dwell.
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