Humility And The Virgin

In illam ergo civitatem missus est angelus Gabriel a Deo. Ad quem? Ad Virginem desponsatam viro, cui nomen erat Joseph. Quae est haec Virgo tam venerabilis, ut salutetur ab angelo; tam humilis, ut desponsata sit fabro? Pulchra permistio virginitatis et humilitatis: nec mediocriter placet Deo illa anima, in qua et humilitas commendat virginitatem, et virginitas exornat humilitatem. Sed quanta putas veneratione digna est, in qua humilitatem exaltat fecunditas, et partus consecrat virginitatem? Audis virginem, audis humilem: si non potes virginitatem humilis, imitare humilitatem virginis. Laudabilis virtus virginitas, sed magis necessaria humilitas. Illa consulitur, ista praecipitur. Ad illam invitaris, ad istam cogeris. De illa dicitur: Qui potest capere, capiat; de ista dicitur: Nisi quis efficiatur sicut parvulus iste, non intrabit in regnum coelorum. Illa ergo remuneratur, ista exigitur. Potes denique sine virginitate salvari; sine humilitate non potes. Potest, inquam, placere humilitas, quae virginitatem deplorat amissam; sine humilitate autem, audeo dicere, nec virginitas Mariae placuisset. Super quem, inquit, requiescet spiritus meus, nisi super humilem et quietum? Super humilem, dixit, non, super virginem. Si igitur Maria humilis non esset, super eam Spiritus sanctus non requievisset; si super eam non requievisset, nec impraegnasset. Quomodo enim de ipso sine ipso conciperet? Patet itaque, quia ut de Spiritu sancto conciperet, sicut ipsa perhibet, respexit humilitatem ancillae suae Deus, potius quam virginitatem. Et si placuit ex virginitate, tamen ex humilitate concepit. Unde constat, quia etiam ut placeret virginitas, humilitas procul dubio fecit. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, De Laudibus Virginis Matris, Super verba Evangelii: Missus est angelus Gabriel etc. Homilia I, Sermones de Tempore Source: Migne PL 183.58d-59b

Therefore into that city the angel Gabriel was sent by God. To whom? To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. 1 Who is this virgin who is so venerable that she should be greeted by an angel, and so humble that she is espoused to a carpenter? She is a beautiful blend of virginity and humility. That soul is not merely moderately pleasing to God in which humility commends virginity and virginity adorns humility. But of how much veneration do you think she is worthy in which fecundity exalts humility and birth consecrates virginity? You hear 'virgin', you hear 'humble', if you cannot imitate the virginity, imitate the humility of the virgin. Virginity is a praiseworthy virtue, but humility is more necessary. The former is counselled, the latter is commanded. To the former you are invited, to the latter you are driven. Concerning the former it is said: 'He who is able to receive it, let him receive it.' 2 Concerning the latter: 'Unless you become as this child, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' 3 Therefore the former enriches, the latter is demanded. Without virginity you can be saved, but without humility you cannot. It is possible, I say, for humility to please where the lack of virginity is deplored, but I dare say that without humility the virginity of Mary would not have pleased. 'Over whom,' He says, 'shall my spirit rest, unless the humble and quiet?' 4 Over the humble, it is said, not over the virgin. If, then, Mary had not been humble, the Holy Spirit would not have rested over her. If it had not rested over her, she would not have conceived. How without Him would she have conceived by Him? It is manifest, therefore, that she conceived by the Holy Spirit as she announces, 'God looked on the humility of His handmaid,' 5 rather than because of virginity. And if she had pleased by virginity, yet it was by humility she conceived. Whence it befits that even though virginity pleased, without doubt it was humility that enacted. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, In Praise of the Virgin Mother, On The Words of the Gospel, 'The angel Gabriel was sent...' from the First Homily 1 Lk 1.26-27 2 Mt 19.12 3 Mt 18.3 4 Isaiah 56.2 5 Lk 1.48