Trials And Prayer

Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus. Vigilate et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem. Et quis hoc dixerit, scitis, et tempus scitis: Domini enim est verbum istud instante jam passione sua. Et attendite quoniam ipse quidem erat passurus, et non discipuli: nec tamen pro se dicebat orandum, sed pro illis. Unde ad Petrum ait: Ecce Satanas expetivit vos ut cribraret sicut triticum: ego autem rogavi pro te, ut non deficiat fides tua; et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos. Si tantum illos oportebat timere in passione Domini, quantum nobis timendum est, fratres, in passione nostra? Vigilate proinde et orate, ut non intretis in tentationem, quoniam undique circumdati estis tentationibus. Unde et legistis quia tentatio est vita hominis super terram. Itaque si tot tentationibus plena est vita nostra, ut non immerito tota ipsa tentatio debeat appellari; pervigili circumspectione opus est et oratione, ne inducamur in eam: unde est et illud in oratione Dominica, Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Quia ergo undique sic circumdatus es tentationibus, scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus, ut, quemadmodum undique bella, ita undique sint et praesidia. In quo et omnino illud manifestum est, spirituale scutum esse oportere quod circumdare potest. Sanctus Bernardus Clarae Vallensis, Sermones De Tempore, In Psalmo Qui Habitat..., Sermo V. De versu quinto, «Scuto circumdabit te veritas ejus. Source: Migne PL 183.195d-196b

He shall surround you with the shield of His truth. 1 'Watch and pray so that you do not enter into temptation.' 2 You know who says this and the time at which it was said, for it is the speech of the Lord when His passion was imminent. And see that He was about to suffer and not the disciples yet he told them that they must pray and for themselves. Hence He says to Peter, 'Behold, Satan has desired to have you that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith might not fail and you might turn and strengthen your brothers.' 3 If it was necessary for them to fear during the passion of the Lord, how much more should we fear, brothers, in our own passion. Thus watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation, because we are surrounded by temptation on all sides. Hence you read that the life of man on the earth is a trial. 4 Thus our lives are full of all trials, so that it is not underserving of being named a complete trial, for which reason prudent vigilance and prayer is required, that we do not enter into temptation, and hence it says in the Lord's prayer, 'Do not lead is into temptation.' 5 Because, then, you are surrounded on all sides by temptation, He shall surround you with the shield of His truth, so that as there is war everywhere so His protection is everywhere. In which it is plainly made manifest, it is necessary to have this spiritual shield which is able to surround us. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons For The Year, On The Psalm 'He who dwells...' from Sermon 5, On the fifth verse, 'He shall surround you with the shield of his truth.' 1 Ps 90.5 2 Mk 14.38 3 Lk 22.31-32 4 Job 7.1 5 Mt 6.13