The Steps of Humility and Pride VII: 20 47
The Steps of Humility and Pride VII: 20
ness and ignorance, but weakness can be consumed in a burning desire for justice and ignorance can be dispelled by generosity.
If they now ignore Truth, needy, naked and unimpressive, all too late they will blush to see Truth come in might and power with terror and reproach.139 It will then be in vain for them to say trembling: "When did we see you in need and did not help you?"140 Then indeed they will know the Lord when he comes to do judgment,141 though now they choose to ignore him when he pleads for mercy. Then they will look on him whom they have pierced142 and whom they have spurned in their greed. Now is the time to clear the eyes of the heart of every speck of weakness, ignorance and jealousy by weeping, zeal for justice143 and perseverance in works of mercy and then to those purified eyes the promise of Truth will be fulfilled:
"Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God."144
These are the three steps of truth. We climb to the first by the toil of humility, to the second by a deep feeling of compassion, and to the third by the ecstacy of contemplation. On the first step we experience the severity of truth, on the second its tenderness, on the third its purity. Reason brings us to the first as we judge ourselves; compassion brings us to the second when we have mercy on others; on the third the purity of truth sweeps us up to the sight of things invisible.
VII. 20. It occurs to me here that it is possible to allot each of these three works to one of the Persons of the Undivided
Trinity, that is, in so far as a man still sitting in darkness145 can make distinction in the work of the Three Persons who always work as One. There would seem to be something characteristic of the Son in the first stage, of the Holy Spirit in the second, of the Father in the third. What is the work of the Son? "If I, your Lord and Master have washed your
139. Lk 21:27; Mt 24:30.
14ft Mt 25:44, 141. Ps 9:17.
142. Jn 19:37.
143. Mt 5:6.
144. Mt 5: a 145. Lk 1:79.
The Steps of Humility and Pride VII: 21 feet, how much more ought you also to wash another's feet."146
The Master of truth gave his disciples an example147 of humility and opened to them the first stage of truth. Then the work of the Holy Spirit: "Charity is spread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us."148 Charity is a gift of the Holy Spirit.149 By it those who, under the instruction of the Son were led to the first step of truth through humility, now under the guidance of the Holy Spirit reach the second stage through compassion for their neighbor.
Finally, listen to what is said of the Father: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jona, for flesh and blQod have not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven."150 Again: "The Father will make known the truth to the sons;"151 and, "I confess to you Father, for you have hidden these things from the wise and made them known to little ones."152 You see: by word and example the Son first teaches men humility; then the Spirit pours out his charity upon those whom the Father receives finally into glory. The Son makes them his disciples; the Spirit consoles them as friends; the Father bestows on them the glory of sons. However, Truth is the proper title, not of the Son alone but of the Spirit and the Father too, so that it must be made quite clear, while giving full acknowledgment to the properties153 of Persons that it is the one Truth who works at all these stages: in the first teaching as a Master, in the second consoling as a Friend and Brother, in the third embracing as a Father.
21. The Son of God, the Word and Wisdom of the Father, 146. J n 13:14. Bernard adds "how much more" (quanta magis), perhaps in this following Ambrose, The Mysteries 6:33; PL 16:417, tr. R. Deferrari, in St Ambrose,
Theological and Dogmatic Works, Fathers of the Church 44 (Washington: Catholic University, 1963), p. 17; On Virginity,
10:57; PL 16:294.
147. Jn 13:15.
148. Rom 5:5.
149. Acts 2:3& 15ft Mt 16:17.
151. Is 38:19.
152. Mt 11:25.
153. Proprietas-. the usual word employed by the Fathers to note those characteristics which are proper to each of the three Divine Persons; cf. Csi 5:18; OB
3:482; CF 19.
The Steps of Humility and Pride VII: 21
mercifully assumed to himself human reason, the first of our powers. He found it oppressed by the flesh,154 held captive by sin, blinded by ignorance, distracted by outward things.155
He raised it by his might, taught it by his wisdom, drew it to things interior. More wonderfully still, he delegated to it his own power of Judge. To judge is the proper act of Truth and in this it shared when out of reverence for the Word to which it is joined it became accuser, witness and judge against itself. Humility had been born from the union of the Word with human reason. Then the Holy Spirit lovingly visited the second power, the will; he found it rotten with the infection of the flesh, but already judged by reason. Gently he cleansed it, made it burn with affection, made it merciful until, like a skin made pliable with oil it would spread abroad the heavenly oil of love even to its enemies. The union of the Holy Spirit with the human will give birth to charity. See now this perfect soul, its two powers, the reason and the will, without spot or wrinkle, the reason instructed by the Word of Truth,156 the will inflamed by Truth's Spirit;157 sprinkled with the hyssop of humility,158 fired with the flame of charity; cleansed from spot by humility, smoothed of wrinkle by charity;159 the reason never shrinking from the truth, the will never striving against reason;160 and this blessed soul the Father binds161 to himself as his own glorious bride. Now the reason is no longer preoccupied with itself and the will is no longer concerned with other men; for this blessed soul all is lost in one delight:
"The King has led me into his chamber."162 She had become 154. Wis 9:15. See Pre 59; OB 3:292; CF 1:148; Asc 3:1; OB 5:131; CF 25.
155. Cf. Div 45:2; OB 6-1:263; CF 46.
156. 2 Cor 6:7.
157. 1 Jn 4:6.
15a Ps 50:9.
159. Eph 5:27.
160. Reason and will are meant to work freely together: Gra 4; OB 3:148: CF 19.
161. Conglutinar. a biblical word expressing the bond of love, both divine (Deut
10:15) and human, pure (David and Jonathan, 1 Sam 18:1) and impure (Shechem and Dinah, Gen 34:3).
162. Song 1:3, 3:4. The Vulgate has "cellars." Bernard may be following the Old Italic version, which has "chambers," but perhaps it is just a slip for in Div
92:1 he contrasts the "cellar" of Song 1:3 with the "chamber" of Sons 3:4 fOB
6-1:346; CF 49).
The Steps of Humility and Pride VIII: 22 worthy of this when she learned humility in the school of the Son, listening to his warning: "If you do not know yourself, go forth and pasture your herds.'" 6 3 She is twice worthy since she was led by the Holy Spirit from the school of humility to the storehouse of charity,164 for this is what is meant by guarding the flocks of the neighbors. She was brought there by love, once there she is cushioned by flowers, stayed up with apples,165 that is by good morals and holy virtues, and finally led into the chamber of the King for whose love she languishes. There for a short time, just one half-hour, while there is silence in heaven,166 she sleeps in that desired embrace. She sleeps b\it her heart watches167 and is fed with the secrets of truth on which later, when she comes to herself, her memory can dwell. There she sees things invisible and hears things unspeakable which it is not given man to utter. 1 6 8 They are beyond the knowledge which night can pass on to night for this is the word that day utters to day.169 Wise men speak wisdom to the wise and spiritual things are made known to the spiritual.170
VIII.
22. Paul must have passed through these three degrees when, as he tells us, he was rapt up to the third heaven.171
Why does he use the word rapt, not led? It is a lesson for me.
If the great Apostle had to be transported to that place which he could not know by his own learning or climb to by his own strength even with z. guide, then I, so tiny compared to Paul, must never presume that I can climb to the third heaven by my own strength and effort. I must not presume, but on the other hand I need not be daunted by the difficulty of the journey. He whose way is pointed out to him or who is as163. Song 1:7.
164. Song 1:3.
165. Song 2:5. For an alternate and fuller interpretation of this text see Dil 7;
OB 3:124f; below, p. 98.
166. Rev 8:1. Concerning the brevity and rarity of this experience see Dil 27; OB 3:142; below, p. 119.
167. Song 5:2.
168. 2 Cor 12:4.
169. Ps 18:3.
170. 1 Cor 2:13.
171. 2 Cor 12:2.