Glory And Judgement

De gloria quoque dicit Apostolus: Gloria nostra haec est, testimonium conscientiae nostrae. Haec est utique vera gloria, quae est a spiritu veritatis. Ipse enim Spiritus testimonium perhibet spiritui nostro, quod filii Dei sumus. Gloria vero, quam ab invicem accipiunt, qui gloriam quae est a solo Deo non requirunt, vana est, quoniam vani filii hominum. Insipiens tu, qui merces congregas in saccum pertusum, qui thesaurum tuum alieno in ore constituis! ignoras quod arca ista non clauditur, nec seras habet? Quanto melius sapiunt, qui thesaurum suum ipsi servant, aliis non committunt? Verum nunquid semper servabunt? Nunquid semper abscondent? Veniet cum manifesta erunt abscondita cordis; quae vero fuerint ostentata, non comparebunt. Hinc est quod veniente Domino fatuarum virginum lampades exstinguuntur: et qui receperunt mercedem suam, a Domino nesciuntur. Propterea dico vobis, charissimi, utile est abscondere magis quam ostentare, si quid habemus boni; sicut et mendici cum eleemosynam petunt, non pretiosas vestes ostendunt, sed seminuda membra, aut ulcera, si habuerint, ut citius ad misericordiam videntis animus inclinetur. Quam regulam Publicanus ille servavit multo melius Pharisaeo, et ideo descendit justificatus ab illo, id est prae illo.Tempus est, fratres, ut judicium incipiat a domo Dei. Quis finis eorum qui non obediunt Evangelio? quod judicium his in hoc judicio non resurgunt? Quicunque enim judicari dissimulant eo judicio quod nunc est, in quo princeps hujus mundi ejicitur foras, judicem exspectent, vel magis timeant, a quo cum ipso principe suo foras ejicientur et ipsi. Nos autem si perfecte judicamur nunc, securi Salvatorem exspectemus Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, qui reformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae, configuratum corpori claritatis suae. Tunc fulgebunt justi, ita ut videri possint docti pariter et indocti: fulgebunt enim sicut sol in regno Patris eorum. Erit autem claritas solis septempliciter, id est, sicut lux septem dierum. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, Sermones De Tempore, De Adventu Domini, Sermo IV, De Duplici Adventu, et Studio Verarum Virtutum Source: Migne PL 183.48a-48c

The Apostle also says about glory: 'This is our glory, the witness of our conscience.' 1 Thus this is true glory, that which is from the spirit of truth. That Spirit which gives witness to our spirit, that we are sons of God. 2 But the glory which men receive from one another and which is not sought from God alone is vain, because vain are the sons of men. 3 You who are foolish, you who gather coin into sacks full of holes, who establish your treasure in the mouths of others, do you not know that the narrow way is not closed nor does it have bars? How much better they understand who take care of their own wealth and do not entrust it to others. Truly shall they always guard it? Shall they always hide it? There shall come a time when all the hidden things of the heart shall be made manifest and what has been shown will not appear. Hence with the coming of the Lord the lamps of the foolish virgins are extinguished and they who have taken up their own reward are not known by the Lord. 4 Therefore I say to you, dear brothers, it is more useful to hide than to show, if we do have something good, as even beggars when they seek alms do not show up in expensive clothing, but in rags exposing their limbs, or wounds, if they have them, so that a soul may more quickly incline to mercy on seeing them. See how the way of the tax collector was a better protection for him than that of the Pharisee, and therefore he went down justified by Him, that is, before Him. 5 In time, brothers, judgement begins from the house of God. 6 What is the end of those who do not obey the Gospel? What judgement in this judgement for those who do not rise? For whoever cares not for their judgement in the judgement that shall come, in which the prince of this world is cast out, let them look to the judge, or better let them fear that they shall be cast out with that prince. But we, if we are judged flawlessly now, we may hope for the sanctuary of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who shall refashion this body of humility into the likeness of His own body of splendour. 7 Then the righteous shall shine, so the learned and the unlearned will appear, blazing like the sun in the kingdom of their father. And the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, like the light of seven days. 8 Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons for the Season, On The Lord's Advent, from Sermon 4, On the Twofold Advent and Eagerness for the True Virtues 1 2 Cor 1.12 2 Rom 8.16 3 Jn 5.44, Ps 61.10 4 Mt 25.1-12, 6.16 5 Lk 18.14 6 1 Pet 4.17 7 Philip 3.21 8 Mt 13.43, Isaiah 30.26