Every August 20, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a French monk who lived between the 11th and 12th centuries. He was one of the most relevant figures of his time, and his contribution to Catholic theology and spirituality has been decisive, especially with regard to filial piety to the Virgin Mary.
Tradition has called him ‘hunter of souls and vocations’ and ‘oracle of Christianity’; and the reasons for this are multiple, although they generally revolve around his strength of character and his keen intelligence.
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A devastating personality
Bernard was the first and most famous abbot of the Clairvaux monastery, a famous Cistercian abbey for its cultural influence and its abundant fruits of holiness. In that sense, Bernardo is recognized as one of the great promoters of the rebirth of monastic life at the beginning of the second millennium.
Possessed of a great zeal for the truth and a notable capacity for persuasion, Bernardo was also a man of iron will. And it is at this point where we must not ignore, if we want to know the saint, the capacity of his faith to ignite his passionate heart: Bernard was fundamentally someone who knew how to put his gifts and abilities at the service of the Gospel. . He was a man of service and dedication to others. He fought numerous intellectual battles and converted many to Christ, including several members of his own family.
He was an advisor to kings and popes, wrote several books and is the author of one of the most beautiful prayers to the Virgin Mary that exist.
filial love
Bernard of Fontaine – by his first name – was born in 1090 in the castle of Fontaine-les-Dijon, located in the Burgundy region (France). His family belonged to the Gallic nobility. His father, Tescelino, was one of the knights of the Duke of Burgundy; and his mother, Alice, was the daughter of a powerful feudal lord named Bernard of Montbard. Bernardo was the third of seven brothers.
Since he was a child he had a very close relationship with his mother. She said that, while pregnant, she had had a vision about her son’s life as a saint. Bernardo was a sensitive and usually reserved child. He received a careful education, as did his brothers.
When his mother died, little Bernardo turned his gaze towards the Virgin Mary, the source of his consolations and for whom he professed a strong devotion throughout his life. An expression of that special affection for the Mother of God is “Remember,” one of his most beautiful Marian prayers ever written.
The “escape” from the world
During his youth he forged a vigorous temperament, but he also allowed himself to be seduced by the things of the world, between superficial friendships and vainglory. Deep down, Bernardo felt empty and fed up.
On Christmas night in the year 1111, Bernard fell asleep. In a dream the Virgin appeared to her carrying the Child Jesus in her arms and looking at him she offered him to him so that he could love him and make others love him too. After that dream he decided to consecrate himself to God and achieve holiness.
“Vocation Hunter”
In 1112 Bernard entered the Cistercian monastery of Citeaux, founded by three great saints: Saint Robert, Saint Alberic and Saint Stephen Harding. At that time, the monastery had become the center of an ecclesial renewal movement driven by the idea of ’a return to the origins’: the rule of Saint Benedict (a rule instituted by Saint Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century). Saint Stephen Harding, who was the prior of Citeaux, accepted Bernard and all those who presented themselves with him at the door of the abbey with unusual joy: they had not received vocations for fifteen years.
Bernard’s efforts to achieve holiness through the original spirit of monastic life made his superiors trust him to lead an ambitious project. At only 25 years old he was sent to found, with twelve other monks, a new monastery in Champagne, which he called “Clairvaux” – that is, Clairvaux, which in French means “clear valley” -. The first abbot would be him.
Bernardo led a rigorous and demanding life. His constant prayer and concern to be faithful to Christ in all things attracted many to the monastic life. He earned the nickname “the hunter of souls and vocations.” It is said that the young girls were afraid that the saint would talk to his boyfriend because they ended up asking to be admitted to the abbey.
Bernardo visited and preached in schools, universities, towns and fields to talk about the benefits of religious life.
He founded nearly 300 monasteries and got 900 men to profess their vows. One of his disciples, Bernard of Pisa, became pope, under the name of Eugene III.
The family that reached Christ
Bernardo was not only part of a noble family. Bernardo belonged to a holy family.
His mother, Blessed Alice de Montbard, was a charitable woman dedicated to the will of God. She raised her seven children in the Christian faith and died praying the holy rosary. Her father, the venerable Tescelino, spared the life of a knight who challenged him to a duel. The good man thus wanted to instill in his two eldest sons – Blessed Gerardo and Blessed Guy – the importance of mercy.
However, any process towards sainthood has high costs: when Saint Bernard expressed his desire to become a monk to his family, he encountered strong opposition. Despite this, the saint managed to change things. Not only did he overcome that initial opposition, but he ended up taking with him his four older brothers: Gerardo, Guy, Andrés and Bartholomew – all of them future blesseds -; as well as one of his uncles and 31 of his colleagues.
When Bernardo and his brothers – tradition has it – left the family home, Nivardo, the youngest brother – another who would be beatified – told them: “Aha! So you are going to earn heaven and leave me here on earth? I cannot accept this.” Years later, Nivardo would follow in the footsteps of his older brothers.
And the story would not end there: Bernardo’s father, Tescelino, would also enter, some time later, the monastery of Citeaux.
Good is diffuse
Blessed Guy’s wife, Elizabeth, also became a nun along with their two daughters. The saint’s sister, Blessed Humbelina, reached a mutual agreement with her husband, Guy de Marcy, that they would both consecrate themselves to God. Humbelina was the founder of several convents. Her motto was “to love is to serve.”
Bernardo had been the one who unleashed the love for Christ in the family, and the family more than responded to God’s call.
Always abbot, always father
Saint Bernard became a counselor to princes and bishops, who asked him for insights on the most important matters thanks to his rectitude of thought and wisdom. For this reason, they ended up calling him “the oracle of Christianity.”
Bernard died on August 21, 1153, aged 73, after having been abbot for almost four decades. He was canonized on January 18, 1174 by Pope Alexander III and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius VIII in 1830.
Among the reflections on the Doctors of the Church that Pope Benedict XVI made during his pontificate, the one dedicated to Saint Bernard stands out. In this, the Pope beautifully highlighted, with the help of the saint, the role of the Virgin Mary in the work of salvation:
“I want to conclude these reflections on Saint Bernard with the invocations to Mary that we read in a beautiful homily of his: “In dangers, in anguish, in uncertainties,” he says, “think of Mary, invoke Mary. May She never depart.” from your lips, may it never depart from your heart; and so that you may obtain the help of her prayer, never forget the example of her life. If you follow her, you cannot deviate from her; in her, you cannot go wrong. If she supports you, you do not fall; if she protects you, you do not have to fear; if she guides you, you do not tire; if she is favorable to you, you will reach the goal…” (Hom) . ii super “Missus est”, 17: PL 183, 70-71).
Patronages
Saint Bernard is the patron saint of the Cistercians. He is also from various places such as the Burgundy region (France), Gibraltar, Algeciras. He is a patron of Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, of Speyer Cathedral (Speyer, Germany), and of beekeepers and candle makers. In Latin America he is patron of the Salta region (Argentina).
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If you want to know more about this great saint, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Bernardo_de_Claraval.
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