Fr. Thomas speaks to us on being drawn into Christ: “St. Bernard of Clairvaux gives a practical advice for addressing our daily sufferings, trials and difficulties when commenting on the verse “Draw me after you,” a verse from the Song of Songs in the Old Testament, Chapter 1, verse 3
St. Bernard sees this verse as applying to each one of us as individuals asking to be drawn to Christ. The verse implies that without Christ we can do nothing on our own. We ask to be drawn to Christ. We realize that we need His grace, since being drawn to Christ implies intimacy with Christ in following Him. This following requires strength to suffer and to die with Christ. For whoever suffers and dies with Christ is the one who stands faithfully beside Christ. The purpose of this grace fortifies our hearts to experience its various sufferings, inherent in human life, as one with Christ’s sufferings and so ascend with Christ to the Father.
Here St. Bernard introduces this theme as an alternate way to view our daily sufferings, adversities, and trials. He sees in verse 6 of Psalm 83 a reference to one’s own future ascension. Depending on a Latin translation from St. Jerome’s Vulgate which actually refers to the heart’s desire to ascend the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem, God’s House, St. Bernard uses this verse to encourage a person to carry willingly the sufferings inherent in human life in order to suffer with and ascend with Christ to the Father. (The English translation of this verse in Jerome’s Vulgate is “Blessed is the person whose help is from you. He has decided in his heart to ascend by steps”. The verse continues, saying that this decision was made amid suffering.) St. Bernard understands this verse to reveal that by suffering, dying, rising with Christ, we will also ascend with Christ to the right hand of the Father. ‘Draw me after you’ is an ascension theme lived in daily life. Here is a new refreshing way of viewing our daily trials and sufferings.”
Blessings to all
Your brothers of New Clairvaux
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