Chaste Fear

[Rich]

Chaste Fear

"Just from the fact that you try to avoid evil, you improve
yourself, and you begin to desire what is good. When you begin to
desire what is good, there will be a chaste fear in you.
That fear by which you fear being cast into hell with the devil is
not yet chaste, since it does not come from the love of God but from
the fear of punishment. But when you fear God in the sense that you do
not wish to lose him, you embrace him, and you desire to enjoy him."
--St. Augustine--Sermon on 1 John 9, 5

Prayer: Lord, I now love you alone, I follow you alone, and I seek you
alone. I yearn to be possessed by you.
--St. Augustine--Soliloquies 1, 1

<<>><<>><<>>
August 20th - St. Bernard of Clairvaux
(1090-1153)

It has been said of St. Bernard of Clairvaux that he “carried the 12th
century on his shoulders.” That suggests the importance of this monk
whose talents made him a natural leader in his generation.

Bernard (pronounced BERnard, not BerNARD) was one of the many children
of the Burgundian nobleman Tescelin Sorrel and his wife Aleth. This
was a remarkable family. They learned piety, particularly from their
mother. Bernard was personally very attractive, witty, friendly and
sweet-tempered, and charmed everybody. These traits could have been
perilous, of course. Fortunately, they were counterbalanced by a
strong spirituality. He felt an early call to the religious life. For
a while he fought it; then he gave in. At the age of 22, he decided to
become a monk in a new and strict community of Benedictine monks
called the “Cistercians”. It was typical of the leadership qualities
of Bernard that he should not have entered alone, but brought 31 other
men whom he had talked into becoming monks with him! Among the 31 were
four of his brothers and an uncle.

Bernard made such a contribution to the monastery of Citeaux that he
is deservedly called that order’s “second founder”. After he had been
a monk for only three years, St. Stephen Harding, the abbot of
Citeaux, sent him forth to found a new monastery at a place they came
to call Clairvaux. Among the candidates that St. Bernard welcomed at
Clairvaux were his own father, Tescelin, and his youngest brother,
Nivard. (Today three of Bernard’s brothers and his sister are
venerated as “blessed”: Guy, Gerard, Nivard, and Humbeline.)

St. Bernard’s obvious talents, his notable spirituality and his gift
of miracles, made it inevitable that he would be called on to help the
wider church. Not only was his influence great in the reformation of
the monastic life and of the secular clergy; he became “the oracle of
Christendom”: a man to whom princes and prelates and popes looked for
advice and aid.

In 1130, two factions elected different persons as pope. Bernard
examined the claims of the candidates and decided in favor of Innocent
II. He preached on Innocent’s behalf in Germany, France and Italy.
Thanks to his eloquence, Innocent was accepted, thus thwarting a
tragic schism in the Church.

Bernard was also a brilliant theologian. In his day, two theologians
had begun to teach erroneous doctrines: Abelard and Gilbert de la
Porree. As a result of Abbot Bernard’s efforts, their errors were
condemned. He was also delegated to preach against the errors of the
Aibigensians of southern France and northern Italy. They taught
Manicheism, an ancient heresy that among other things condemned
marriage. Bernard had some success in this battle, but the
Albigensians would not be finally conquered for another century.

Then there was the second crusade. The first crusade, in the 11th
century, had wrested the Holy Land from the control of antagonistic
Muslims and once more given pilgrims access to the holy places: But
the Muslims had begun to recover the territory by 1144. In 1146 Pope
Eugenius III (once a monk of St. Bernard’s) asked the saint to preach
a second crusade. Bernard threw all his energy into the cause. But the
crusade failed to achieve its aims, and its preacher suffered not only
disappointment but much undeserved blame.

Despite the many missions on which he had spent, Bernard continued to
write and preach on theological and spiritual matters. He was not only
a great writer (he has been called “the last of the Fathers of the
Church.”), but his eloquent spiritual teachings influenced the
spirituality of later generations. Several popular hymns have been
incorrectly attributed to him: for instance, the “Hail, Holy Queen”,
and “Jesus, the very thought of Thee”. But it is clear that they are
based on some of his writings, which merited for him the title “Doctor
Mellifluus”, “Honey-sweet Teacher”.

Bernard died on August 20, 1153. He had founded 68 monasteries of
Cistercians in many countries. He has always meant much to the diocese
of Rochester. Our first bishop was Bernard McQuaid. The saint was
patron of our former St. Bernard’s Seminary, and of its present
successor, St. Bernard’s Institute. And the Trappist Cistercians at
Piffard also carry on in his tradition of loving and prayerful service
of God. Both man of God and genius, Bernard of Clairvaux was one of
our greatest saints.
–Father Robert F. McNamara


Saint Quote:
In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary.
Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your
heart. And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect
not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go
astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she
is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your
hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear;
if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you
favor, you shall reach the goal.
St. Bernard

Bible Quote:
He that buildeth his ascension in heaven, and hath founded his bundle
upon the earth: who calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out
upon the face of the earth, the Lord is his name. [Amos 9:6] DRV


<><><><>
Compassion

People whose inner vision has been cleansed by the exercise of
charity toward their neighbor can delight in the contemplation of
truth in itself, for it is love of truth which makes them take upon
themselves the misfortunes of others. But can people find the truth in
their neighbor if they refuse to support their brothers and sisters
in this way--if on the contrary they either scoff at their tears or
disparage their joys, being insensitive to all feelings but their own?
There is a popular saying which well suits them: A healthy person
cannot feel the pains of sickness, nor can one who is well-fed feel
the pangs of hunger. The more familiar we are with sickness or hunger,
the greater will be our compassion for others who are sick or hungry.
Just as pure truth can only be seen by the pure in heart, so the
sufferings of our fellow men and women are more truly felt by hearts
that know suffering themselves.
--St. Bernard of Clairvaux