Why should our praise and
glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the
saints? What do they care about earthly honors when their heavenly Father
honors them by fulfilling the faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation
mean to them? The saints have no need of honor from us; neither does our
devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate
their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I
feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.
Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us,
above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We
long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the
blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the
council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors
and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all
the saints. But our dispositions change...The saints want us to be with
them, and we are indifferent...
Come...let us at length spur ourselves on. We must rise
again with Christ, we must seek the world which is above and set our mind on
the things of heaven. Let us long for those who are longing for us, hasten to
those who are waiting for us, and ask those who look for our coming to
intercede for us. We should not only want to be with the saints, we should also
hope to possess their happiness. While we desire to be in their company, we
must also earnestly seek to share in their glory.
When we commemorate the saints we are
inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as
he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory...That we may
rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the
prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be
granted through their intercession.
Hearing these words of Saint Bernard in the dark of Vigils this morning, we were reminded that we are relationship, continued connectedness, with all the holy ones who have gone before us, relatives and dear friends whom we remember and who remember us with love.
Photograph
by Brother Brian. Excerpt from a sermon by our Cistercian Father, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
