St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Part 27

[914] 1 Cor. xii. 9 (vg.).

[915] 2 Kings xiii. 21.

[916] Mark viii. 3.

[917] Matt. iii. 17.

[918] Malachy was buried on the north side of the Oratory, vested in St. Bernard's habit. Five years later St. Bernard was buried before the Altar of Saint Mary, clad in the habit in which Malachy died, and which he had worn ever since his death when he celebrated Ma.s.s (_V.P._ v. 15, 23, 24). For further particulars of St. Malachy's burial and the disposal of his relics see _R.Q.H._ lii. 43 f.

[919] November 2. From this statement (see p. 128, n. 1) we may infer that Malachy was born in 1095, before November.

[920] 2 Tim. i. 12.

[921] The biographers of St. Bernard give no detailed account of any of Malachy's visits to Clairvaux. But one of them--Geoffrey, St.

Bernard's secretary--wrote a prayer for the Bright Valley, in which he placed Malachy on a par with the great Cistercian, thereby revealing to us the extraordinary impression which he made on the community (_V.P._ v. 25). I owe the following translation of it to a friend: "Grant, O Lord, thy never-failing bounty to the spiritual harvest of the Valley, which thou didst deem worthy to illumine with two stars of such surpa.s.sing brightness, so making it brighter in very truth even than in name. Do thou guard the house wherein this twofold treasure is laid up and guarded for thee. Be it also unto us according to thy word, that as thy treasure is there so may thy heart be also; there too thy grace and mercy: and may the favour of thy compa.s.sion for ever rest on all who are gathered together in the self-same place in thy Name, which is above every name, even as thou art over all, G.o.d blessed for ever.--Amen."

[922] 2 Tim. i. 12.

[923] Rev. xxii. 5.

LETTERS OF ST. BERNARD

I

To Malachy. 1141.[924]

(Epistle 341.)

To the venerable lord and most blessed father, Malachy, by the grace of G.o.d archbishop of the Irish, legate of the Apostolic See, Brother Bernard called to be abbot of Clairvaux, [desiring] to find grace with the Lord.

1. Amid the manifold _anxieties_ and _cares_ of my _heart_,[925] by the mult.i.tude of which _my soul is sore vexed_,[926] the brothers _coming from a far country_[927] that they may serve the Lord,[928] _thy_ letter, _and thy staff, they comfort me_:[929] the letter, as a proof of good will; the staff, to support my weak body; the brothers, because they serve the Lord _in a humble spirit_.[930] We have received them all, we are pleased with all, _all_ alike _work together for good_.[931]

But as to the wish that you have expressed that two of the brothers[932] should be sent to look out a place for you beforehand, having taken counsel with the brothers, we have not thought it meet that they should be _separated one from another[933] until Christ be more fully formed in them_,[934] until they are wholly instructed in _the battles of the Lord_.[935] When therefore they have been taught in the school of the Holy Spirit, when they have been _endued with power from on high_,[936] then at length the sons shall return to their father that they may _sing the Lord's song_, not now _in a strange land_,[937] but in their own.

2. But do you yourselves in the mean time, according to _the wisdom given you_[938] by the Lord, look out beforehand and _prepare_ beforehand _a place for them_,[939] like the places which you have seen here, apart from the commotions of the world. _For the time is at hand_[940] when, by the operation of the grace of G.o.d, we shall bring forth for you _new men_ out of the _old_.[941] _Blessed be the Name of the Lord for ever,[942] of whose only gift it cometh that_[943] I have sons in common with you, whom your preaching _planted_ and our exhortation _watered_, but _G.o.d gave the increase_.[944] We beseech your holiness to _preach the word of the Lord_[945] so that you may _give knowledge of salvation unto His people_.[946] _For_ a double _necessity is laid upon you_,[947] both from your office as legate and your duty as bishop. Finally, since _in many things we offend all_,[948] and, being often thrown among the men of this age, we are much besmirched with the dust of the world, I commend myself to your prayers and to those of your companions, that in His fountain of mercy Jesus Christ, himself the fountain of pity, may deign to wash and cleanse us, who said to Peter, _If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me._[949] And, indeed, I not only earnestly entreat this of you, but also require it as in some sense the payment of a debt, since I cry to the Lord for you, if the prayer of a sinner can do anything. Farewell in the Lord.

II

To Malachy. 1141 _or_ 1142.[950]

(Epistle 356.)

To Malachy, by the grace of G.o.d bishop, legate of the Apostolic See, Brother Bernard, called to be abbot of Clairvaux, if the prayer of a sinner can do anything, and if the devotion of a poor man is of any advantage.

We have done what your holiness commanded, not perhaps as it was worthy to be done, yet as well as was possible considering the time in which we live. So great evil everywhere struts about among us that it was scarcely possible to do the little that has been done. We have sent only a few grains of seed,[951] as you see, to sow at least a small part of that _field_ into which the true _Isaac_ once went out _to meditate_, when _Rebekah_ was first brought to him by Abraham's _servant_, to be happily joined to him in everlasting marriage.[952] And the seed is not to be despised concerning which we find that word fulfilled at this time in your regions,[953] _Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha._[954] _I_, therefore, have sown, do you _water_, and _G.o.d shall give the increase_.[955] All the saints who are with you we salute through you, humbly commending ourselves to their holy prayers and yours. Farewell.

III

To Malachy. 1143 _or_ 1144.[956]

(Epistle 357.)

To our most loving father and most revered lord, Malachy, by the grace of G.o.d bishop, legate of the Holy and Apostolic See, the servant of his holiness, Brother Bernard, called to be abbot of Clairvaux, health and our prayers, of whatever value they may be.

1. _How sweet are thy words unto my taste_,[957] my lord and father. How pleasant is _the remembrance of thy holiness_.[958] If there is any love, any devotedness, any good will in us, without doubt the charity of your belovedness claims it all as its due. There is no need for a mult.i.tude of words where affection blossoms abundantly. For I am confident that _the Spirit which_ you have _from G.o.d_[959] bears _witness with your spirit that[960] what we are_,[961] however small it be, _is yours_.[962] You also, most loving and most longed-for father, _deliver not_ to forgetfulness _the soul of the poor man_, which cleaves _to thee_ with the bonds of charity, _and forget not the soul of thy poor man for ever_.[963] For neither, as it were anew, _do we commend ourselves unto you_[964] when now for a long time we _glory in the Lord_[965] that our littleness has been worthy _to find grace in the sight of_ your holiness;[966] but we pray that our affection, no longer new, may advance with new accessions day by day. We commend to you our sons, yea also yours, and the more earnestly because they are so far removed from us. You know that, after G.o.d, all our trust was in you, in sending them, because it seemed to us wrong not to fulfil the prayers of your holiness. See, as becomes you, that with your whole heart of love you embrace them and cherish them. In no wise for any cause let your earnest care for them grow cold, nor let that perish _which thy right hand hath planted_.[967]

2. We have now indeed learned both from your letter and from the report of our brothers[968] that the house is making good progress, [and] is being enriched both in temporal and spiritual possessions.[969]

Wherefore we rejoice greatly with you and give thanks with our whole heart to G.o.d and to your fatherly care. And because there is still need of great watchfulness, because the place is new, and the land unaccustomed to the monastic life, yea, without any experience of it, _we beseech you in the Lord,[970] that you slack not your hand_,[971]

but perfectly accomplish that which you have well begun. Concerning our brothers who have returned from that place,[972] it had pleased us well if they had remained. But perhaps the brothers[973] of your country, whose characters are less disciplined and who have lent a less ready ear to advice in those observances, which were new to them, have been in some measure the reason for their return.

3. We have sent back to you Christian, our very dear son, and yours. We have instructed him more fully, as far as we could, in the things which belong to the [Cistercian] Order, and henceforth, as we hope, he will be more careful concerning its obligations.[974] Do not be surprised that we have not sent any other brothers with him; for we did not find competent brothers who were ready to a.s.sent to our wishes, and it was not our plan to compel the unwilling. Our much-loved brother, Robert,[975] a.s.sented on this occasion also to our prayers, _as an obedient son_.[976] It will be your part to a.s.sist him that your house may now be set forward, both in buildings and in other necessaries. This also we suggest to your fatherhood, that you persuade religious men and those who, you hope, will be useful to the monastery, to come into their Order, for this will be of the greatest advantage to the house, and to you they will pay the greater heed. May your holiness have good health, being always mindful of us in Christ.

IV

To the Brothers in Ireland. November 1148.[977]

(Epistle 374.)

To the religious brothers who are in Ireland, and especially to those communities which Malachy the bishop, of blessed memory, founded, Brother Bernard, called to be abbot of Clairvaux, [wis.h.i.+ng them] _the consolation of the Comforter_.[978]

1. If _here we had a continuing city_ we should rightly mourn with most abundant tears that we had lost such a fellow-citizen. But if _we_ rather _seek one to come_,[979] as befits us, it is nevertheless no small cause of grief that we are bereaved of a guide so indispensable.

We ought, however, to regulate pa.s.sion with knowledge and to mitigate grief with the _confidence of hope_.[980] Nor does it become any one to wonder if love compels groaning, if desolation draws forth tears: yet we must set a limit to these things, nay in no small measure be consoled while we gaze _not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal_.[981] First, indeed, we ought to rejoice with the holy soul, lest he accuse us of want of charity, saying also himself what the Lord said to the apostles, "_If ye loved me ye would rejoice because I go unto the Father._"[982] The spirit of our father has gone before us to _the Father of spirits_,[983] and we are convicted, not only as wanting in charity, but even as guilty of ingrat.i.tude for all the benefits which came to us through him, if we do not rejoice with him who has _departed_ from labour to rest, from danger to safety, from _the world unto the Father_.[984] Therefore, if it is an act of filial piety to weep for Malachy who is dead, yet more is it an act of piety to rejoice with Malachy who is alive. Is he not alive?

a.s.suredly he is, and in bliss. _In the eyes of the foolish he seemed to have died; but he is in peace._[985]

2. Hence even the thought of our own advantage provides us with another motive for great joy and gladness, because so powerful a patron, so faithful an advocate has gone before us to the heavenly court.[986] For his most fervent charity cannot forget his sons, and his approved holiness must secure _favour with G.o.d_.[987] For who would dare to suppose that this holy Malachy can now be less profitable [than before]

or less loving to his own? a.s.suredly, if he was loved aforetime, now he receives from G.o.d surer proofs of His love, and _having loved his own, he loved them unto the end_.[988] Far be it from us, holy soul, to esteem thy prayer now less effectual, for now thou canst make supplication with more vigour in the presence of _the Majesty_[989] and thou no longer _walkest in faith_, but reignest _in the sight_ of Him.[990] Far be it from us to count that laborious charity of thine as diminished, not to say made void, now that thou prostratest thyself at the very fountain of eternal charity, quaffing full draughts of that for the very drops of which thou didst thirst before. Charity, _strong as death_,[991] yea even stronger than death itself, could not yield to death. For even at the moment of his departure he was not unmindful of you, with exceptional affection commending you to G.o.d, and with his accustomed _meekness and lowliness_[992] praying our insignificance also that we should not _forget you for ever_.[993] Wherefore also we thought good to write to you that you may know that we are ready to bestow upon you all consolation with entire devotion, whether in spiritual things, if in them our insignificance can ever do anything by the merits of this our blessed father, or in temporal, if ever perchance opportunity should be given us.

3. And now also, dearly beloved, we are filled with heartfelt pity for this grievous bereavement of the Irish Church.[994] And we unite ourselves the more with you in suffering because we know that by this very thing we have become the more your debtors. For the _Lord did great things for us_[995] when He deigned to honour this place of ours by making it the scene of his blessed death, and to enrich it with the most costly treasure of his body.[996] But do not take it ill that he is buried among us; for G.o.d so ordered, _according to the mult.i.tude of His mercies_,[997] that you should possess him in life, and that it might be allowed to us to possess him, if only in death. And to us, indeed, in common with you, he was, and still is, father. _For_ even _in_ his _death_ this _testament was confirmed_ to us.[998] Wherefore as, for the sake of so great a father, we embrace you all as our true brothers, with the unstinted yearning of charity, so also concerning yourselves, spiritual kins.h.i.+p persuades us that you are like-minded.

4. But we exhort you, brothers, that you be always careful to _walk in the steps of_ this _our_ blessed _father_,[999] by so much the more zealously as by daily proofs his _holy conversation_[1000] was more certainly known to you. For in this you shall prove yourselves to be his true sons, if you manfully maintain the father's ordinances, and if, as you have seen in him, and heard _from him how you ought to walk, you so walk that you may abound more and more_:[1001] for the glory of a father is the wisdom of his sons.[1002] For even for us the example of so great perfection in our midst has begun in no slight degree both to expel our sloth and impel us to reverence. And would that he may in such wise _draw us after him_ that he may draw us to the goal, _running_ more eagerly and more quickly in _the fragrance_ which his virtues have left so fresh behind them.[1003] May Christ guard all of you _while you pray for us_.[1004]

FOOTNOTES:

[924] When this letter was written certain brothers, sent by Malachy after his return from Rome (October 1140), had arrived at Clairvaux, and had spent some time there (see notes 5, 7); and the brothers left there on his return journey had had a considerable amount of instruction (n. 7). The date is therefore not earlier than 1141. But it is evidently earlier than that of Letter ii.

[925] Cp. Hor., _Sat._ i. 2. 110.

[926] Ps. vi. 3.

[927] Josh. ix. 6.

[928] These were some of the brothers sent from Ireland (_Life_, - 39).