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

Seeking a Capable Pilot

Ὅταν μὲν πρὸς τὰ πράγματα ἀποβλέψωμεν καὶ τὰς δυσκολίας κατίδωμεν, ὑφ̓ ὧν πᾶσα ἀγαθὴ ἐνέργεια οἷον ὑπό τινος δεσμοῦ ἐμποδιζομένη κατέχεται, εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἑαυτῶν ἐρχόμεθα παντελῆ: ὅταν δὲ πάλιν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἀπίδωμεν σεμνοπρέπειαν, καὶ λογισώμεθα, ὅτι σὲ ἰατρὸν τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἀρρωστημάτων ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐταμιεύσατο, ἀναλαμβάνομεν ἑαυτῶν τοὺς λογισμούς, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν πτώματος πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν χρηστοτέρων διανιστάμεθα. Λέλυται πᾶσα Ἐκκλησία, ὡς οὐδὲ ἡ σὴ φρόνησις ἀγνοεῖ, καὶ ὁρᾷς πάντως τὰ ἑκασταχοῦ, οἷον ἀφ̓ ὑψηλῆς τινὸς σκοπιᾶς τῆς τοῦ νοῦ θεωρίας: ὅπως, καθάπερ ἐν πελάγει, πολλῶν ὁμοῦ συμπλεόντων, ὑπὸ τῆς βίας τοῦ κλύδωνος πάντες ὁμοῦ ἀλλήλοις προσρήγνυνται: καὶ γίνεται τὸ ναυάγιον, πῆ μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἔξωθεν αἰτίας βιαίως κινούσης τὴν θάλατταν, πῆ δὲ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐμπλεόντων ταραχῆς ἀντιβαινόντων ἀλλήλοις καὶ διωθουμένων. ἀρκεῖ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐᾶσαι τὸν λόγον, οὔτε τῆς σῆς σοφίας ἐπιτρεπούσης τι πλέον, οὔτε τῆς καταστάσεως ἐπιτρεπούσης ἡμῖν τὴν παρρησίαν. καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανὸς κυβερνήτης; τίς ἀξιόπιστος διαναστῆσαι τὸν Κύριον ἐπιτιμῆσαι τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ τῇ θαλάσσῃ; Ἅγιος Βασίλειος Καισαρείας, Ἐπιστολή Ἀθανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας

When I look upon the affairs of the world and the difficulties by which, as if bound in feet fettering chains, every good work is hindered, I come to a state of utter despair. But when I turn toward your reverence, I consider that our Lord has appointed you to be physician of the diseases in the Churches, and recovering my thoughts, I rise from the pit of despair to hope of better things. The whole Church is undone, as will not have escaped your attention, you who see everything in all directions like some watchman looking from a high point, and it is as when at sea many ships sailing together are all smashed against one another by the violence of the waves, and there are shipwrecks, caused on hand from the sea being furiously agitated from without, and on the other from the excessive disorder of sailors hindering and crowding one another. The meaning of this image is sufficient, nor does your wisdom require more, nor does the present state of affairs allow me frank speech. What capable pilot can be found in such a situation? Who is so trustworthy that he might rouse the Lord to rebuke the wind and the sea? Saint Basil of Caesarea, Letter to Saint Athanasius

Thoughts On Separation

Teadet animus meus multum pro absentia tui. O quam dulcis vita fuit, dum sedebamus quieti inter sapientis scrinias, inter librorum copias, inter venerandos Patrum sensus; quibus nihil defuit quod religiosae vitae et studio scientiae deposcebat. Utamur tamen sorte praesenti secundum virtutem animae, in gratia confidentes divina, quae nos nunquam derelinquit, si totam spem ponamus in illam. Ego vero taediosus et tristis desiderabilem vestrae faciei praestolabor aspectum, ignorans si te venientem videre merear; vel si tu me veniens invenire merearis; occulta sunt enim judicia Dei: praeparet sibi unusquisque lampades ardentes, ut quacunque hora sponso occurrere jubeatur, cum luce bonorum operum thalamum aeterni regis intrare mereatur. Alcuinus, Epistola XXII, Ad Quemdam Discipulum Source: Migne PL 100.175c-d

My soul is very weary on account of your absence. O how sweet life was when we sat in quiet among the writings of the wise, among an abundance of books, among the venerable thoughts of the fathers; when nothing distracted from the religious life and the study of knowledge. We should employ, however, the present time according to the strength of our soul, confident in the Divine strength, which will never forsake us, if we place all our hope in it. Truly I am weary and sad with the desire to see your face, ignorant if I may even merit it; or indeed if you may be worthy to find me coming to you; the judgements of God are hidden. Everyone should prepare a blazing torch for himself that when the hour for the bridegroom comes he may rejoice and with the light of good works he may deserve entry into the chambers of the eternal king. Alcuin of York, from Letter 22, To a Pupil

Pondering the Consequences

Ἄλλοτε ὁ αὐτὸς ἀββᾶς Ζήνων περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιστίνη, καὶ κοπιάσας, ἐγγὺς σικυηλάτου ἐκάθισε φαγεῖν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ λογισμός· Ἀρον ἑαυτῷ ἐν σικύδιν, καὶ φάγε. Τί γάρ ἐστιν; Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεις εἶπε τῷ λογισμῷ· Οἱ κλέπται εἰς κόλασιν ὑπάγουσι. Δοκίμασον οὖν ἑαυτὸν ἐντεῦθεν, εἰ δύνασαι τὴν κύλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἔστη εἰς τὸ καῦμα πέντε ἡμέρας, καὶ τηγανιας ἑαυτὸν, εἶπεν· Οὐ δύνασαι την κόλασιν ὑπενεγκεῖν. Καὶ λέγει τῷ λογισμῷ· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι, μὴ κλέπτε καὶ τρῶγε.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

One time father Zeno was passing through Palestine and he became weary and he sat down next to a cumber field to eat, for a thought came to him, saying, 'Take and eat. What does it matter?' But he said in reply to this thought, 'Thieves receive punishment. Do you then try yourself, if you can endure chastisement.' And he rose and stood in the hot sun for five days, and exhausted by it, he said, ' You will not endure chastisement.' And so he said to his soul, 'You are unable, do not steal and eat.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia