Tag: Bernard of Clairvaux
Self-knowledge is a step in knowing God
It is my experience that as long as I keep looking at myself, like Job, my eye is filled with bitterness. But if I look upward and raise my eyes to the help that comes from the divine mercy, then my former bitter vision gives way before the joyful sight of God. Then I say,… Read More ›
Enter the Way of Mercy and Truth
The first step for the wretched person extricating himself from the depths of vice is the mercy which makes him merciful to the son of his mother, to be merciful to his soul, and thereby pleasing to God. In this way he emulates the great work of divine pity, being moved to tears with him… Read More ›
Consolations from God
There is many a consolation to relieve the torment of a guilty conscience. God is kind and does not let us be tempted beyond our strength. Especially at the beginning of our conversion, he anoints our wounds with the oil of mercy so that the acute nature of our sickness and the difficulty of the… Read More ›
Patriarch, Pontiff and Prophet
Christ is the good Samaritan who rescues us as well as the physician who binds up our wounds: With what oil abounding was Christ anointed! From his bounty he poured oil into all our wounds! Yes, we are the wounded man who went down to Jericho, fell among brigands, was robbed, and wounded and left… Read More ›
God has the Words of Eternal Life
We who were made in the form of God but have been deformed by sin can ‘return and be converted to the Word to be reformed by him and conformed to him’. ‘Who would not be amazed at the love of God in recalling someone who has spurned him?’ —and yet God does just that,… Read More ›
None Better Suited that the Son of God
The image would have lain stained and deformed, had not the woman of the Gospel lit her lamp — had not Wisdom appeared in the flesh, in other words–, swept the house — of the vices — searched carefully for her lost coin — her image — which, its original luster gone, coated over with… Read More ›
St. Bernard: Theology “must be nourished by contemplative prayer”
Vatican City, Nov 4, 2009 / 11:55 am (CNA).- Speaking to almost 15,000 people in St. Peter’s Square during the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI continued last week’s comparison of the monastic and scholastic theology in the twelfth century. In the area of theological discussion, the Holy Father cautioned against ethical relativism influencing the… Read More ›
Feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
CNA STAFF, Aug 16, 2009 / 12:15 pm (CNA).- This week the Church is preparing to celebrate the feast day of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Doctor of the Church thanks to his writings and sermons which greatly influenced Europe during the 12th century, and his efforts which helped to avoid a schism in the… Read More ›
Love the Lord your God
“You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole strength.” It seems to me that the love of the heart relates to a certain warmth of affection, the love of the soul to energy or judgement of reason, and the love of strength can refer to constancy… Read More ›
The Word is near you…
‘The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.’ Believing is having found. The faithful know that Christ dwells in their hearts by faith. What could be nearer? Therefore seek him confidently, seek him faithfully. ‘The Lord is good to the soul who seeks him.’ Seek him in your prayers, follow him… Read More ›