+ Today we celebrate the feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of
the Church. Bernard was born to French nobility in Dijon,
in 1090. When he was 22, fearing the ways of the world, he, four of his
brothers, and 25 friends joined the Benedictine abbey of Citeaux (it had the
strictest monastic rule); his father and another brother joined soon after.
Three years later Bernard was named Abbot of a new foundation at Clairvaux, a
post he would hold for the next thirty-eight years.
At first, and by his own admission, he was too
strict on the monks, but later relented. The monastery prospered, establishing
160 daughter houses throughout Europe, and by the time of his death there were
700 monks at Clairvaux alone. What was so appealing to the monastic way of life
was the blessed assurance that seeking
God alone was not only theoretically possible but also practically fruitful.
The great contribution of the monks has always been and always will be hope
for the Church and the world, and a source of powerful prayer for all of the
world’s ills.
Bernard was also very active
in the life of the Church outside the monastery walls; he fought against
heresies, and helped interdisciplinary problems within the Church itself, he
was adviser to Pope Eugene III who had been one of his monks, he was a famed
spiritual writer and preacher who made a great impact on the Western Church: he
is rightly called the last of the Western Doctors of the Church.
Every morning Bernard would
ask himself, “Why have I come here?”, and then remind himself of his main duty
– “to lead a holy life!” He died
after having led a very holy and exemplary life on August 20, 1153.
Bernard was truly a dear friend of Jesus referred to in the
gospel passage – who was deeply united with his Savior, his Master and his Lord
– and he encourages others to seek and
find that same friendship! It is available to all!
Remain
in my love, says the Lord; whoever lives in me and I in him will bear much
fruit.
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