Sermon 70 on the Song of Songs — Bernard of Clairvaux
Whence the Bridegroom Is Called Beloved; and on Truth, Meekness, and Justice, and the Other Virtues Which Are the Lilies Among Which He Feeds.
1. "My beloved is mine, and I am his, who feeds among the lilies" (Song 2:16). Who would now charge her with presumption or insolence, if she says she has entered into fellowship with him who feeds among the lilies? Even if he fed among the stars, by the sole fact that he fed, I know not what greatness could appear in having friendships or familiarity with one of this sort. Something altogether ignoble and lowly sounds in the word "to feed." But now, since he is declared to feed among the lilies, this addition of lowliness further removes and drives away the charge of recklessness. For what are lilies? According to the word of the Lord, grass, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven (Mt 6:28-30). How great is this one who feeds on grass, as though one of the lambs or calves? And indeed a lamb, and a fatted calf. But perhaps you have more watchfully noticed that it is not pasture that is designated in this place, but a place: for it was not said that he feeds on lilies, but among lilies. So be it. He does not eat grass like an ox; yet to dwell in the grass and to recline upon the grass as one of the crowd, what eminence can this have? And what glory to her, to have as beloved one who does this? And according to the letter indeed, the modesty and prudent caution of the bride in speaking sufficiently appears, she who disposes her words in judgment, and tempers the glory of things by the modesty of her words.
2. But otherwise she is not ignorant that the one who is fed and the one who shepherds are one and the same; he who dwells among the lilies and he who reigns above the stars. Yet she more gladly recalls the lowly things of her beloved, on account of humility indeed, as I said; but more so because he began to be beloved from the time he also began to feed. And not only from that time, but on account of that. For he who is Lord in the highest is beloved in the lowest; reigning above the stars, and loving among the lilies. He loved also above the stars, because nowhere and never could he not love, because he is love; but until he descended to the lilies and was found to feed among the lilies, he was neither loved nor made beloved. What? Was he not loved by the patriarchs and prophets? He was: but not before he was seen by them also to feed among the lilies. For indeed they did see him whom they foresaw; unless someone is so devoid of the Spirit as to think that one who sees in the Spirit sees nothing. Whence then are they called Seers, for so the prophets were named (1 Sam 9:9), if they saw nothing? Hence it is that they wished to see him whom they did not see. For they could not have wished to see in the body him whom they had not seen in the Spirit. But I say: Were all of them prophets? As if all wished to see, or the faith belonged to all. But indeed those who saw were either prophets or those who gave assent to the prophets. For to have believed is to have seen. For not only he who sees through the spirit of prophecy, but also he who sees through faith, if someone should say that he too sees in the Spirit, does not seem to me to err.
3. And so that he who feeds all deigned to descend to the lilies and to feed among the lilies, this made him beloved, because he could not be loved before he was known. And on this account, when mention was made of the beloved, beautifully that too was recalled which was the cause of love and recognition. This refreshment among the lilies is to be sought in the Spirit: for to think of a bodily one is ridiculous. Indeed the lilies themselves, being spiritual, must be demonstrated by us, if we are able. I think we must also say this: whence the beloved feeds among the lilies -- whether on the lilies themselves, or on other herbs or flowers hidden among the lilies? And in these matters that seems more difficult to me, that he is said to feed, not to shepherd. For that he shepherds, there is no doubt, nor indeed is it unworthy of him: but to feed implies need, and not even spiritually does it seem possible to assign this to him easily without injury to his majesty. Nor do I indeed recall having noticed until now in this canticle that he is anywhere said to feed, though I think you recall with me that he shepherds. Finally, she once asked that it be shown to her where he shepherded and rested at midday (Song 1:6). And now indeed she declares what she had not yet said, that he feeds, but she does not similarly ask that the place be shown to her; rather she herself points it out, assigning it as among the lilies. She knows this, but that she did not know; because what is sublime and in the heights cannot be equally at hand as what is lowly and upon the earth. The work is sublime, and the place is sublime: nor is there access to it even for the bride herself as yet.
4. And therefore he emptied himself even to this, that the very shepherd of all should himself feed; and he was found among the lilies, and seen by the Church, he was loved by the needy as a poor man, made beloved on account of his likeness. And not only so, but also on account of truth, and meekness, and justice: because through him, that is, the promises were fulfilled, because iniquities were forgiven, because the proud demons together with their prince were judged. Such therefore did he appear who was rightly to be loved: truthful on his own behalf, gentle toward men, just on behalf of men. O truly to be loved and to be embraced with all the marrow of the heart, this Bridegroom! Why should the Church now hesitate to commit herself entirely with all devotion to so faithful a restorer, so gracious a pardoner, so just a champion? Moreover the Prophet had said before: "In your splendor and beauty stretch forth prosperously." Whence this splendor and beauty? I think, from the lilies. What is more beautiful than a lily? So nothing is more beautiful than the Bridegroom. What then are those lilies from which the splendor of his beauty comes? "Proceed," he says, "and reign, on account of truth, and meekness, and justice" (Ps 44:5). They are lilies, lilies, I say, sprung from the earth, shining upon the earth, preeminent among the flowers of the earth, fragrant beyond the scent of spices. Therefore the Bridegroom is among these lilies, and altogether from them is he beautiful and fair. For otherwise (as regards the weakness of the flesh) he had no splendor nor beauty (Isa 53:2).
5. Now truth is a good lily, conspicuous in whiteness, preeminent in fragrance; indeed it is the brightness of eternal light, the splendor and figure of the substance of God (Wis 7:26). Plainly a lily, which our earth brought forth to a new blessing, and prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for the revelation of the nations (Lk 2:31-32). While the earth was under a curse, it brought forth thorns and thistles. But now Truth has sprung from the earth, the Lord blessing it (Ps 84:12-13, 2), a certain altogether beautiful flower of the field and lily of the valleys. Recognize the lily by its whiteness, which immediately at the very rising of the flower shone upon the shepherds by night, as the Gospel says, because the angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them (Lk 2:9). Rightly of God, because it was not the brightness of the angel, but of the lily. The angel was present, but the lily was gleaming all the way from Bethlehem. Recognize the lily also by its fragrance, by which it became known even to those far off. And indeed a star appeared; but grave men would by no means have followed it, unless they were drawn by a certain inmost sweet scent of the lily that had sprung forth. And truly truth is a lily, whose fragrance animates faith, whose splendor illumines the understanding. Lift up your eyes now also to the very person of the Lord, who speaks in the Gospel: "I am the truth" (Jn 14:6). And see how fittingly truth is compared to a lily. If you have not noticed, notice from the center of this flower something like golden rods coming forth, and encircled by the whitest petals, beautifully and fittingly arranged in a crown: and recognize the golden divinity in Christ, crowned with the purity of human nature, that is, Christ in the diadem with which his mother crowned him. For in that with which his Father crowned him, he dwells in unapproachable light, nor could you see him in it for the present. But of this another time.
6. Now truth is a lily; and meekness is one also. And well is meekness a lily, having the whiteness of innocence and the fragrance of hope, since "there are remnants," he says, "for the man of peace" (Ps 36:37). A man of good hope is the meek man, and no less also in the present he is a certain shining example of social life. Is it not a lily, which shines in its service and is fragrant in hope? Add that just as truth has sprung from the earth, so also has meekness. Unless someone doubts that the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, has sprung from the earth (Isa 16:1), that Lamb who was led to the slaughter and did not open his mouth (Isa 53:7). Nor has meekness or truth alone sprung from the earth, but justice also, as the prophet says: "Drop down, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the just one; let the earth be opened, and let it bud forth the Savior, and let justice arise together" (Isa 45:8). That justice is a lily, remember from Scripture, that "the just one shall bud forth like a lily and shall flourish forever before the Lord" (Hos 14:6). By no means does this lily today exist and tomorrow is cast into the oven, because it shall flourish forever. And it shall flourish before the Lord, in whose memory the just one shall be forever, and he shall not fear an evil report (Ps 111:7), namely that report by which sinners are commanded to go into the furnace of fire. Moreover, the whiteness of this lily, for whom does it not shine, except for him whom it does not please? Indeed it is a sun, but not the one that rises upon the good and the evil. For indeed those who shall say: "The sun of justice has not risen upon us" (Wis 5:6), never saw its light. But as many as heard saw: "For you who fear God, the sun of justice shall arise" (Mal 4:2). Therefore the whiteness of this lily is among the just; its fragrance is diffused even to the wicked, though not for their good. For we have heard the just saying that "we are the good odor of Christ in every place; but to some indeed the odor of life unto life, and to others the odor of death unto death" (2 Cor 2:15-16). Who, even the most wicked, does not approve the reputation of a just man, even though he does not love the work? And blessed is he, if he does not judge himself in that which he approves. But he does judge himself, approving the good and not loving it: and therefore he is plainly not blessed but wretched, condemned by his own judgment. What is more wretched than one to whom the odor of life is not the herald of life, but of death? Indeed not even a herald, but a bearer.
7. There are many other lilies besides these with the Bridegroom, which have occurred to us from the Prophet; I speak of truth, and meekness, and justice; nor will it be difficult now for any of you to find similar ones by yourself in the garden of so delightful a Bridegroom. He abounds and superabounds with such: who could enumerate them? Indeed as many virtues, so many lilies. What end of virtues is there with the Lord of virtues? But if there is a fullness of virtues in Christ, then also of lilies. And perhaps for this reason he called himself a lily, because he is wholly engaged among lilies, and all things that are his are lilies: his conception, his birth, his manner of life, his words, his miracles, his sacraments, his passion, his death, his resurrection, his ascension. Which of these is not white and not most sweetly fragrant? So great indeed was the brightness of heavenly light that shone forth in his conception from the abundance of the Spirit coming upon her, that not even the holy Virgin herself would have endured it, had she not been overshadowed by the power of the Most High. Moreover, his birth was made white by the uncorrupted virginity of his mother; his manner of life by the innocence of his life; his words by truth; his miracles by purity of heart; his sacraments by the mystery of godliness; his passion by the willingness to suffer; his death by the freedom of not dying; his resurrection by the fortitude of the martyrs; his ascension by the fulfillment of promises. How good is the odor of faith in each of these, filling the seasons and the inmost depths of us, we who did not see the whiteness! And blessed are they who have not seen and have believed (Jn 20:29). My portion in these is the odor of life which proceeds from them. This, infused into my nostrils by a certain fitting instrument of faith, and indeed more copiously on account of the multitude of lilies, both lightens my exile and continually renews the longing for my homeland in my inmost depths.
8. Certain companions of the Bridegroom also have lilies, but not in abundance. For all have received the Spirit in measure, virtues and gifts in measure; he alone has no measure (Jn 3:34), who has the whole. It is one thing to have lilies, another to have nothing but lilies. Whom will you give me from among the children of captivity so innocent and holy that he could have occupied his entire land with flowers, and flowers of this kind? Not even an infant of one day is without stain upon the earth (Job 14:4-5, according to the LXX). Great is the one who has been able to build up three or four lilies in his land, amid so great a density of thorns and thistles, which are the long-established sprouts of the ancient curse. But with me, who am poor, it goes well if ever from this most wretched crop, namely of iniquities and vices, I can reclaim by rooting out and cultivating so small a piece of my land, from which I might produce at least one lily, if perhaps he who feeds among the lilies might deign to feed sometimes even with me.
9. But I have said too little, one: from the poverty of my heart my mouth has spoken. One is utterly not sufficient; two at least are necessary. I mean continence and innocence: of which the one without the other will not save. In vain therefore shall I invite the Bridegroom to any one of these alone, since he is declared to feed not at a lily, but among lilies. I shall therefore give my effort to having lilies, lest he find fault with the singleness of a lily, he who wills to feed only among lilies, and so turn away in anger from his servant. I set innocence first of all: and if I shall have been able to join continence to it, I shall think myself rich in the possession of lilies. But I am a king if I can add to these a third, patience. And indeed those two can suffice; but because they can also fail in temptations, since the life of man upon earth is a trial (Job 7:1): there is need indeed of patience, which may be a certain guardian [or, nurse] and keeper of both. I think, if that lover of lilies shall come and shall find it thus, he will not disdain to feed with us and to make his Passover with us: where there will be for him both much sweetness in the two, and great security on account of the third. But how he who feeds all things is said to feed, will be seen afterward. Now, however, it is clear that the Bridegroom not only appears among the lilies, but can by no means ever be found outside of lilies, since everything that is of him, and he himself, is a lily, the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is over all things God blessed forever. Amen.
Translated from the Latin by AI. Source: Migne, Patrologia Latina 183.