Meditations with a Monastic Commentary

William of Saint-Thierry (ca. 1080–1148) was a Benedictine abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Thierry and a close friend of Bernard of Clairvaux. Because of this friendship, toward the end of his life he became a Cistercian monk at Signy l’Abbaye in the Ardenne forest. Twenty-one of his writings extant today establish his enduring legacy as a distinguished theologian of Trinitarian doctrine, Christology, and contemplative prayer.Thomas X. Davis, OCSO, has translated two works of William—The Mirror of Faith (1979) and The Nature and Dignity of Love (1981)—and published several articles on William and monastic subjects. He is the abbot emeritus of the Trappist-Cistercian Abbey of New Clairvaux.

• ContentsAcknowledgments  xiAbbreviations  xiiiForeword, by David N. Bell xviiThe Meditations  1Preface  3The Meditations  5The Beginning of William’s Contemplative Ascent into Intimacywith the Triune Divinity as Presented in His Meditations:A Monastic Commentary   89Two Protagonists: Meditation 1.1–6   91Foreknowledge and Predestination: Meditation 1.2–6   94Divine Foreknowledge as Eternal Wisdom: Meditation 1.7–10   96Bonding between Eternity and Time: Meditation 1.8   97Ascending vs Circling: Meditation 1.9   99Divine Predestination/Intimate Relationship: Meditation 1.11   100Pride: Meditation 1.12–13   102Go to Him and be Enlightened: Meditation 2.1–3   104A Remarkable Scriptural Image and Metaphor: Meditation 2.2–8   107  Divine and Human Darkness: Meditation 2.5–8   108Imagination in Respect to a Vision of God that Enlightens: Meditation 2.9–12   110Two Categories of Understanding: Meditation 2.13–15   113Enlightened Understanding Coming from Above: Meditation 2.14   113Face and Countenance: Meditation 3.1–5   116Meaning of the Face   117Meaning of the Countenance   117A Succinct Unfolding of the Meditations   118The Paradigm of Your Countenance   118Your Love: Meditation 3.6–7   120Divine Revelation: Meditation 3.7–8   123Understanding from Reason: Meditation 3.9–11   125Understanding God: Meditation 3.12–13   127Understanding the Trinity: Meditation 3.14   128Embracing the Trinity: Meditation 3.15–16   130Personal Change via the Lord’s Prayer: Meditation 4.1–5   132Nine Factors Bringing Personal Change: Meditation 4.6–19   1331. Opening Personal Inner Depths: Meditation 4.6   1342. Good Conscience: Meditation 4.10   1353. Reason in Its Proper Responsibility: Meditation 4.11   1364. Knowledge of One’s Personal God as the Fruit of Solitude: Meditation 4.12   1365. A Desire to Taste, See, and Delight in This Personal God: Meditation 4.13–14   1376. Pursuing the Place Where God Is: Meditation 4.15   138 7. Removing All Types of Idols Formerly Used to Comprehend God: Meditation 4.16   1398. Becoming Intelligent and Devoutly Knowledgeable: Meditation 4.17   1409. Authentic Listening to God: Meditation 4.18–19   141The Prayer of Jesus: Meditation 5.1–3   143Prayer as Being Crucified, Concrucifixus, with the Lord Jesus: Meditation 5.4   144Concrucifixus and Its Consequences: Meditation 5.5   145A Treacherous Problem: Meditation 5.6   147Christ’s Prayer on the Cross: Meditation 5.7–10   147Love and Truth: Meditation 5.10–12   149William’s Bonding to the Human and Divine Natures of Christ: Meditation 5.14–15   151Mutual Anointing and the Amplexus: Meditation 5.15–19   152Heaven’s Open Door: Meditation 6.1   155Earthly Heaviness and Human Pride: Meditation 6.2–5   155Jesus, Incarnate Merciful Love, Is the Open Door into Heaven: Meditation 6.6–7   157The Proper Way to Think Regarding Heaven and Earth: Meditation 6.8–9   158Further Thoughts on Heaven: Meditation 6.10–14   159Heaven Is Likeness to the Creating God: Meditation 6.15   161The Comprehensiveness of the Incarnation: Meditation 6.16–19   161The Obedience of Charity and the Charity of Obedience: Meditation 6.18   162The Pierced Heart of Jesus: Meditation 6.20–22   164  A Yearning to Rejoice with the Saints: Meditation 6.23–27   164Boldness in Seeking God’s Face: Meditation 7.1   167Two Aspects of Humility: Meditation 7.2–4   167Signs of the Divine Face: Meditation 7.6–8  169To Know by Not Knowing: Meditation 7.9–11   170The Implication of Being Illumined: Meditation 7.11   173Good Will, Good Zeal: Meditation 8.1–2   175The Kiss of Truth and Mercy: Meditation 8.3   176The Passion of Christ as a Contemplative Spousal Kiss: Meditation 8.4–5   177The Sacred Heart as Hiding Place: Meditation 8.6   179Ruminating on the Passion: Meditation 8.7   180Delightful Love: Meditation 8.8–9   184The Effects of Christ’s Face upon a Human Face: Meditation 8.10   184Torment of Hell: Meditation 8.11–14   185William Descends into His Inner Self: Meditation 9.1–2   187Rowdy Thoughts Hinder Inner Peace: Meditation 9.3–7   187Total Openness in God’s Presence: Meditation 9.8–9   189Experiences of Alternations: Meditation 9.10–11   190Truth, Accurate Self-knowledge, Comes from God’s Presence: Meditation 9.12–13   191The Fullness of Love Depends on the Fullness of Faith: Meditation 9.14–17   191An Intuitive Vision of God: Meditation 10.1–2   193The Bonding Role of This Wisdom: Meditation 10.3   195Prayer with Images: Meditation 10.4–10   196 The Incarnate Christ as the Open Door to Eternal Life: Meditation 10.9–12   200The Theme of Ascent: Meditation 11.1–3   203The Scriptural Image of Bartimeus of Jericho (Mark 10:46): Meditation 11.4–11   204Word of God, the Divine Protagonist: Meditation 11.12   206His Total Destiny, the Discovery of God’s Truth, Is in God’s Hands: Meditation 11.13–14   207Scrutinizing Intention, Thoughts, Soul, and Spirit: Meditation 11.15–33   208Intention: Meditation 11.15–20   208Joints: Meditation 11.21–24   210Marrow: Meditation 11.25–30   211A Dialogue between William’s Spirit and His Soul: Meditation 11.31–33   214Your Love: Meditation 12.1   217William Addresses His Past Life: Meditation 12.2–8   218Your Love as an Advocate: Meditation 12.9–10   219Your Love, an Experience of Love: Meditation 12.11   221The Life of the Trinity Working in William: Meditation 12.12–13   222Your Love Expands Conscience: Meditation 12.14–15   223Way of Ascent: A Will—Great, Enlightened, Ardent: Meditation 12.16–20   224Great Will 225 Enlightened and Ardent Will: Meditation 12.20–21   227Your Love Imparts Participation with the Saints: Meditation 12.22   228Your Love Reshaping Persons: Meditation 12.23–24   228 Your Love Forms Unpretentious Persons: Meditation 12.25–27   229Eucrasis and the Saints   230To Love Much: Meditation 12.28–30   231Meditation Thirteen   234Bibliography   241

"Thomas Davis makes an invaluable contribution in his fresh translation of the Meditations and his insightful commentary on William’s account of the contemplative ascent into God, situating the abbot of Saint-Thierry’s spiritual itinerary in his broader theological vision. That ascent is motivated by ardent love and longing to see God’s face, yet paradoxically necessitates a descent into the truth of a person’s deepest self where one comes face to face with one’s utter brokenness and the need to die to self. There one also discovers the truth of one’s unimaginable beloved-ness in the eternal Word. Ascending then through the Incarnation, one’s will is united with God’s love—the Holy Spirit—in the unitas spiritus where one’s life is transformed and one’s spirit is enfolded the ineffable embrace of the Divine Persons of the Trinity."Glenn E. Myers, PhD, Professor of Church History and Theological Studies, Crown College