Weariness And Support

Sunt qui in studiis spiritualibus fatigati, et versi in teporem, atque in defectu quodam spiritus positi, ambulant tristes vias Domini, corde arente et taedente accedunt ad quaeque injuncta, frequenter murmurant; longos dies, longas conqueruntur et noctes, loquentes cum sancto Job: Si dormiero, dicam: Quando consurgam? et rursum exspectabo vesperam. Ergo ubi contingit tale aliquid pati, si misertus Dominus appropiet nobis in via qua ambulamus, et incipiat loqui de coelo qui de coelo est, nec non favorabile quidpiam cantare nobis de canticis Sion, narrare etiam de civitate Dei, de pace civitatis, de aeternitate pacis, de statu aeternitatis: dico vobis, erit pro vehiculo animae dormitanti et pigritanti laeta narratio, ita ut pellat omne fastidium ab animo audientis, et a corpore fatigationem. An tibi aliud vel pati, vel petere ille videtur, qui ait: Dormitavit anima mea prae taedio, confirma me in verbis tuis? Et nonne cum obtinuerit, clamabit: Quomodo dilexi legem tuam, Domine! tota die meditatio mea est? Sunt enim quaedam verba Verbi sponsi ad nos, nostrae meditationes de ipso et ejus gloria, elegantia, potentia, majestate. Non solum autem, sed et cum avida mente versamus testimonia ejus et judicia oris ejus, et in lege ejus meditamur die ac nocte; sciamus pro certo adesse sponsum, atque alloqui nos, ut non fatigemur laboribus, sermonibus delectati. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, In Cantica Canticorum, Sermo XXXII, Qualiter Christus suscipitur ab anima sancta tanquam sponsus, et ab anima infirma tanquam medicus. Item de differentia cogitationum, unde oriantur. Source: Migne PL 183.947b-c

There are those who are wearied amid the study of spiritual things and become lukewarm, and the spirit is in eclipse, so that they walk sadly on the ways of the Lord, turning with hearts that are arid and tired to whatever is required of them, and often grumbling, complaining of long days and long nights, and saying with Job: 'If I lie down I say: 'When shall I rise?' And again I long for the evening.' 1 When such a thing comes about, if the merciful Lord draws near to us on the way we walk, and He who is from heaven begins to talk to us about heaven, singing to us not our least favourite song from among the songs of Zion, and telling of the city of God, of the peace of that city, of the eternity of that peace and of the state of eternity, I say to you that this joyful discourse will be as a carriage to the soul which is drowsy and listless, for it drives off all aversion from the soul of the one who hears, and all weariness from the body. Does it not seem that this is what was felt and requested by the one who said: 'My soul has slept because of weariness, fortify me with your words'? And when he obtains his request will he not cry out: 'How I love your law, O Lord! All day long it is my study!'? 2 For in a certain way the words of the Bridegroom to us are our meditations on His glory, and elegance, and power, and majesty. And not only that, but when our eager minds study His testimonies and the judgements from His mouth, when we meditate on his law day and night, 3 let us know that the Bridegroom has certainly come near, and that He speaks words of joy to us, so that we are not exhausted in our labours. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Commentary On The Song of Songs, from Sermon 32, How Christ is taken up by the holy soul as the Bridegroom and by the infirm soul as a physician, and concerning different thoughts, whence they arise. 1 Job 7.4 2 Ps 118.97,28 3 Ps 1.2