Bernard's story is another good one. Admittedly, his connection to God described in sensual terms wasn't the most natural concept for me to absorb mainly because some religions (or maybe more so people) teach that human bodies = bad/shameful. His insights are still a revelation in 2024.
I also find his vision of Mary so interesting. It reminds me of the conclusion of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," in which Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a dying man in a barn to save him from starvation. It mirrors Bernard’s story: He was seriously ill and after his vision of being breastfed by Mary, he is miraculously healed. When I first read "Grapes" as a teenager, I remember being perplexed at this ending. But after reading this Advent entry and the context of Isaiah 66:10-12, it brings to mind the themes of "salvation" and "new beginnings" for the starving man--which also applied to Bernard post-vision.
What an amazing connection you make there with that scene in The Grapes Of Wrath. I had forgotten about that ending. This makes me want to read it again. Thank you for reminding me of it. I love the intimacy of all this--the sustaining power of mother's milk, literally, metaphorically and spiritually.
Bernard's story is another good one. Admittedly, his connection to God described in sensual terms wasn't the most natural concept for me to absorb mainly because some religions (or maybe more so people) teach that human bodies = bad/shameful. His insights are still a revelation in 2024.
I also find his vision of Mary so interesting. It reminds me of the conclusion of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," in which Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a dying man in a barn to save him from starvation. It mirrors Bernard’s story: He was seriously ill and after his vision of being breastfed by Mary, he is miraculously healed. When I first read "Grapes" as a teenager, I remember being perplexed at this ending. But after reading this Advent entry and the context of Isaiah 66:10-12, it brings to mind the themes of "salvation" and "new beginnings" for the starving man--which also applied to Bernard post-vision.
What an amazing connection you make there with that scene in The Grapes Of Wrath. I had forgotten about that ending. This makes me want to read it again. Thank you for reminding me of it. I love the intimacy of all this--the sustaining power of mother's milk, literally, metaphorically and spiritually.