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Office Of Readings | Advent Wednesday Week 1 | A Reading From A Sermon By Saint Bernard | The Word Of God Will Come Within Us
‘The word of God will come within us.’
Saint Bernard returns us to the core Advent mystery: Christ comes to us not only in history and at the end of time, but also now—quietly, inwardly, transforming the heart. Bernard’s teaching is characteristically clear and architectural: three comings, three modes of divine presence, three points along the path of Christian life. Yet the emphasis is unwaveringly experiential. Bernard is not giving us a speculative map but a description of how grace actually works in the soul.
Bernard begins by naming the three comings: the first in the flesh at Bethlehem, the final in glory at the consummation of all things, and the ‘middle coming’ which lies hidden and discerned only by the elect. This third coming is the true subject of his reflection. For Bernard, Advent is not merely a remembrance of the past nor a preparation for the future, but a present reality in which Christ seeks entry into the depths of one’s life. The invisible coming is real, active, and decisive. It is the Lord’s approach to those who ‘keep his word’—that is, those who have allowed the gospel to penetrate the interior sanctuary where choices are made and desires are shaped.
Here Bernard introduces a deeply biblical reading of the heart as the dwelling place of God’s Word. Citing the psalmist, he insists that the Word must be ‘hidden’ in the heart—not concealed from others, but lodged deeply enough to become the governing principle of life. When the Word is kept in this way, it acts upon the soul. It enters desire, reshapes habits, nourishes the will, strengthens the affections. For Bernard, this is not metaphorical language; it is the concrete way grace operates. We ‘feed on goodness’ because the Word becomes food, sustenance, inner vitality. The heart that refuses such nourishment ‘withers’—Bernard’s description of the spiritual famine that comes from neglecting prayer, Scripture, and fidelity.
The middle coming thus becomes a road, a pathway linking Bethlehem to the Last Day. Bernard’s imagery here is striking: Christ is our redemption in the first coming, our life in the final coming, and our ‘rest and consolation’ in the present one. Advent, then, is not simply an anticipation but a journey in which Christ accompanies and steadies the pilgrim soul. It is the time in which the Lord’s quiet visitation produces the interior renewal that prepares us for glory.
Finally, Bernard widens the horizon. Just as the sin of Adam spread universally, so Christ intends to take possession of all humanity, renewing creation from within. The middle coming is the beginning of this reclamation. It is the moment Christ enters the individual heart so that, in the end, he may glorify the whole of redeemed humanity. Bernard’s vision is profoundly hopeful: the quiet entrance of Christ now anticipates the universal transfiguration to come. The hidden arrival in the believer is the seed of the world’s final restoration.
In this way, Bernard’s teaching gives Advent its proper shape: a season of attentiveness, receptivity, and inner hospitality. The Lord who once came and will come again desires to come now—into the heart that listens, welcomes, and keeps his word.
A Reading From A Sermon By Saint Bernard | The Word Of God Will Come Within Us
We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.
In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself ways: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. There is another passage of Scripture which reads: He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God’s word. Where is God’s word to be kept? Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.
Keep God’s word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.
Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.
If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfil what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man. Just as Adam’s sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.
Christian Prayer With Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ,
You who came in humility, who will come in glory,
and who now come quietly to the hearts that long for You—
grant us grace to receive Your Word with reverence and love.
Make our hearts a dwelling-place for Your presence.
Let Your truth take root in us,
guiding our desires, strengthening our weakness,
and bringing rest to our restless spirits.
May this holy season prepare us for Your final appearing,
that we who welcome You now in faith
may rejoice to behold You in glory.
Come to us, Lord, and make all things new.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Advent – The liturgical season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ: historically in his birth, spiritually in the present, and fully at the end of time.
Redemption – Christ’s saving work by which humanity is freed from sin and restored to right relationship with God.
Glory – The manifested splendour of God’s presence; in the final coming, the radiance of Christ revealed to all creation.
Elect – Those who respond to God’s grace and, through fidelity, perceive and welcome his hidden work within the heart.
Incarnation – The mystery of the Son of God taking on human flesh and becoming man for our salvation.
The Word (Logos) – A title for Christ, especially in his eternal divine identity as the Word spoken by the Father.
Sanctification – The process by which God makes the believer holy, inwardly transformed by grace.
Final Coming (Parousia) – Christ’s return at the end of time, when he will judge the world and bring his kingdom to fulfillment.
The Heart – In biblical and monastic theology, the inner centre of the person: the seat of thought, desire, intention, and encounter with God.
Consolation – Spiritual comfort or strengthening given by God, particularly in times of trial or struggle.
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Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
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