Mary, His Mother, Our Advocate.38
An Incamational Spirituality Mary, His Mother, Our Advocate There is no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the mother touches the son and when we honor the son we detract nothing from the mother's glory. For if, as Solomon says, "A wise son is the glory of his father," how much more glorious is it to become the mother of Wisdom himself? But how can I attempt to praise her whom the prophets have proclaimed, the angel has acknowledged, and the evangelist has described as praiseworthy?
(In Praise of the Virgin Mother 4:1) We may truly call Mary a garden of delights, which the divine South Wind not merely comes and blows upon, but comes down into and blows through, causing the fragrance of its spices, that is, the precious gifts of heavenly grace to flow out and be spread around on every side. Take away from the sky the sun which enlightens the world and what becomes of the day? Take away Mary, this star of life's vast and spacious sea, and what is left to us but a cloud of swirling gloom and a thick and dense darkness? Therefore, my brothers and sisters, with every fiber of our being, eveiy feeling of our hearts, with all the affections of our minds and with all the ardor of our souls, let us honor Mary,
An Incamational Spirituality
because such is the will of God who would have us obtain everything through her hands. Such I say is the will of God who intends it for our benefit.
(.Sermon for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin 6-7) You have already realized, I suppose, that the Virgin herself is the royal road by which the Savior came to us.
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us endeavor to ascend by it to Jesus, who by the same way has come down to us. Let us strive, I say, to go by Mary to share his grace who by Mary came to share our misery. Through you, O most Blessed One, finder of grace, mother of life, mother of salvation, through you let us have access to your Son, so that through you he may receive us, he who was given to us through you.
(Second Sermon for Advent) Now what is the fountain of life if not Christ the Lord?
This stream from the heavenly source descends to us through an aqueduct. The aqueduct does not show all the fullness of the fountain, but it moistens our dry and with ered hearts with some few drops of grace, giving more to one, less to another. The aqueduct is always full, so that all may receive of its fullness.
You must have already guessed, dear brothers and sisters, to whom I allude under the image of an aqueduct which, receiving the fullness of the fountain from the Father's heart, has passed it on to us, at least insofar as we can contain it. You know it was she to whom it was said, "Hail, full of grace."
But how did this aqueduct of ours attain to the loftiness of the fountain? How indeed, except by the ardor of her
An Incamational Spirituality desires, by the fervor of her devotion, by the purity of her prayer? How did she reach up even to the inaccessible
Majesty but by knocking, by asking, by seeking? And she found what she was seeking, since it was said to her: "You have found favor with God."
(Sermon for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 6) Let us now say a few words about this name, which means
"star of the sea" and is so becoming the Virgin Mother.
Surely she is very fittingly likened to a star. . . . O you, whoever you are, who feel that in the tidal wave of this world you are nearer to being tossed about among the squalls and gales than treading on dry land, if you do not want to founder in the tempest, do not avert your eyes from the brightness of the star. When the wind of temptation blows up within you, when you strike upon the rock of tribulation, gaze up at the star, call out to Mary. Whether you are being tossed about by the waves of pride or ambition or slander or jealousy, gaze up at this star, call out to Mary.
When rage or greed or fleshly desires are battering the skiff of your soul, gaze up at Mary. When the immensity of your sins weighs you down and you are bewildered by the loathesomeness of your conscience, when the terrifying thought of judgment appalls you and you begin to founder in the gulf of sadness and despair, think of Mary. In dangers, in hardships, in every doubt, think of Mary, call out to Maiy. Keep her in your mouth, keep her in your heart.
Follow the example of her life and you obtain the favor of her prayer. Following her, you will never go astray. Asking her help, you will never despair. Keeping her in your thoughts, you will never wander away. With your hand in hers, you will never stumble. With her protecting you, you will not be afraid. With her leading you, you will never tire.
An Incamational Spirituality
Her kindness will see you through to the end. Then you will know from your own experience how true it is that "the Virgin's name was Maty."
(In Praise of the Virgin Maty 2:17)
Ladders The spiritual fathers and mothers, the saints of old, and the spiritual writers of today have used many images to depict the spiritual journey. Perhaps best known in our time are the interior castle of Teresa of Jesus, with its many mansions, and John of the Cross'
Mount Carmel with its various ascents. A favorite of the Cistercian Fathers was the eight beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Bernard of Clairvaux used the eight beatitudes along with many others images: the three steps of truth and the four degrees of love, as we shall see here; the seven infusions of the Holy Spirit; the three ages of the spiritual life; the four stages of organic growth, etc. But a favorite by far from the earliest times, inspired by the scriptures, has been the image of the ladder.
However, it was perhaps duty more than choice that brought Bernard to the twelve steps in this very early treatise. As a Cistercian abbot he was expected each morning to speak to his monks, commenting on Benedict's Rule for Monasteries. This brought him quickly enough to the twelve-rung ladder used by Benedict to describe the way of humility in the seventh chapter of his Rule. Bernard's verbal com mentary, found here only in briefest form, must have brought great smiles to his monks' faces as well as much insight to their lives. When he sent off his prior, Godfrey of Langres, as head of Clairvaux's second foundation, Fontenay, the one request Godfrey made of his friend and abbot was a transcript of these talks. Friendship has its
Ladders demands. Bernard wrote the treatise in his own inimitable way, humbly choosing the negative image of the steps of pride. For this reason it perhaps speaks more immediately to all of us.
As Bernard makes clear, the first step on the spiritual journey is in fact wherever we are. We can locate ourselves on the ladder of pride and begin from there. No matter how far down on the ladder of pride we are, we can, on that very rung, turn around and begin the ascent toward the fullness of humility, which is none other than the truth about ourselves.
Once we get to this platform we are already on the first step of truth.
As Bernard makes clear, this is precisely why we need the ladder of humility and climb it: to get to the truth. The truth about ourselves inevitably leads to compassion for others: We are all a bunch of struggling sinners, each on his or her own step of pride, each called to the ascent. Compassion expresses itself in mercy. And the merciful see God. That's the way it works. We do not so much need to understand it as to live it. Seeing God, we are ready for contempla tion, the enjoyment of God, the refreshing rest of communion.
There is a growth in this seeing of God. This Bernard draws out for us in the steps of love. But first we get in touch with the rich humanism of this spiritual father. The first step of love is love of ourselves. There is a good self love and it is foundational. It corre sponds to the first degree of truth: knowing ourselves, poor, weak, stupid sinners but still the very image of God, the beloved of God's creating. We begin to realize God's goodness to us and love him for that. Then we begin to perceive how good he is in hinrelf and love him just because he is so good. Love brings about union. We begin to see things his way, to love things as he loves them, to love even ourselves because he loves us. We have come to be one with God in mind and heart. And all the fullness of the divine joy is ours.
These are Bernard's ladders with their steps. They can guide us, give us some help in discerning our way, encourage us on the ascent.