Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

1:His coming against men." ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

2:Its profit lies in the practice. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

3:The measure of love is love without measure. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

4:The true measure of loving God is to love Him without measure." ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

5:I know by myself how incomprehensible God is, seeing I cannot comprehend the parts of my own being. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

6:Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world; but he has no disturbance when he is with God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

7:Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

8:Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, [T5],

9:We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable." ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

10:The more I contemplate God, the more God looks on me. The more I pray to him, the more he thinks of me too.
~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, [T5],

11:To have a restful or peaceful life in God is good; to bear a life of pain in patience is better; but to have peace in the midst of pain is the best of all. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

12:When God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return. The sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

13:When God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

14:Divine love so penetrated and filled the soul of Mary that no part of her was left untouched, so that she loved with her whole heart, with her whole soul, and her whole strength, and was full of grace. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

15:There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

16: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. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

* WISDOM TROVE *

* NEWFULLDB 2.4M *

1:Love me, love my dog. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

2:Expertus potest credere. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

3:What I know of the divine ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

4:Death is the gate of life. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

5:Who loves me will love my dog also. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

6:Jesus, what made You so small? LOVE! ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

7:The reason for our loving God is God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

8:Hell is full of good wishes or desires. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

9:What we love we shall grow to resemble. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

10:hell is full of good wishes and desires. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

11:There is no greater misery than false joys. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

12:All things are possible to one who believes. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

13:The measure of love is love without measure. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

14:The road to hell is paved with good intentions. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

15:Expect much of God, and he will do much for you. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

16:Humility in furs is better than pride in tunics. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

17:Prayer is a wine which makes glad the heart of man ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

18:The tears of those repenting are the wine of angels. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

19:Bring a mirror and let a dirty face recognize itself. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

20:To serve Mary is a mark of eternal salvation to come. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

21:Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

22:He rightly reads scripture who turns words into deeds. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

23:I have no other masters than the beeches and the oaks. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

24:Learn first to love yourself, and then you can love me. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

25:God will become visible as God's image is reborn in you. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

26:True love does not demand a reward, but it deserves one. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

27:He won me over entirely by giving Himself entirely to me. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

28:You wish to see; listen. Hearing is a step toward Vision. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

29:Persecution shows who is a hireling, and who a true pastor. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

30:Prayer is a virtue that prevaileth against all temptations. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

31:Qui s'enseigne lui-même pourrait bien avoir un sot pour maître ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

32:The true measure of loving God is to love him without measure. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

33:A pretext is never lacking to him who would break with a friend. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

34:How beautiful then is modesty and what a gem among virtues it is. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

35:Qui me amat, amet et canem meum. (Who loves me will love my dog also.) ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

36:The three most important virtues are humility, humility, and humility. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

37:Understanding is the sure and clear knowledge of some invisible thing. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

38:From the best bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to Thee again. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

39:Jesus to me is honey in the mouth, music in the ear, a song in the heart. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

40:God will either give us what we ask, or what He knows to be better for us. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

41:Have death always before your eyes as a salutary means of returning to God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

42:The Eucharist is that love which surpasses all loves in Heaven and on earth ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

43:It is a fault, not a virtue, to wish your humility recognized and applauded. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

44:Vines and trees will teach you that which you will never learn from masters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

45:Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

46:Love of Mary and devotion to her are a sure sign of obtaining eternal salvation. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

47:It is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

48:The rivers of Grace cannot flow uphill, up the steep cliff of the proud man's heart. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

49:Slander is a poison which kills charity, both in the slanderer and the one who listens. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

50:So far from being able to answer for my sins, I cannot even answer for my righteousness! ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

51:Theirs is an endless road, a hopeless maze, who seek for goods before they seek for God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

52:Let your prayer for temporal blessings be strictly limited to things absolutely necessary. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

53:Humility is, of all graces, the chiefest when it does not know itself to be a grace at all. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

54:What I know of the divine
science and holy scripture,
I learnt in the woods and fields. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

55:Your actions in passing, pass not away, for every good work is a grain of seed for eternal life. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

56:If anyone makes himself his own master in the spiritual life, he makes himself scholar to a fool. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

57:We find rest in those we love, and we provide a resting place in ourselves for those who love us. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

58:I know by myself how incomprehensible God is, seeing I cannot comprehend the parts of my own being. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

59:Nihil nescit omnium quae in coelo et quae in terra sunt, praeter se ipsum.

-EPISTOLA CXCIII ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

60:I know by myself how incomprehensible God is, seeing I cannot comprehend the parts of my own being. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

61:Rest is in Him alone. Man knows no peace in the world; but he has no disturbance when he is with God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

62:As patience leads to peace, and study to science, so are humiliations the path that leads to humility. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

63:Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

64:Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

65:If you concentrate hard on the state you are in, it would be suprising if you have time for anything else. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

66:He gives Himself as prize and reward: He is the refreshment of holy soul, the ransom of those in captivity. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

67:The more I contemplate God, the more God looks on me. The more I pray to him, the more he thinks of me too. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

68:Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

69:Inordinate love for the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body, we kill the soul. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

70:If you would know whether you have made a good confession, ask yourself I you have resolved to abandon your sins. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

71:We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

72:When God forgives a sinner who humbly confesses his sin, the devil loses his dominion over the heart he had taken. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

73:A saint is not someone who never sins, but one who sins less and less frequently and gets up more and more quickly. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

74:Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, [T5],

75:The more I contemplate God, the more God looks on me. The more I pray to him, the more he thinks of me too.
~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, [T5],

76:The reason for loving God is God Himself. As to how He is to be loved, there is only one measure: It is immeasurable! ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

77:And truly, O man, if you concentrate hard on the state you are in it will be surprising if you have time for anything else. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

78:In Him should all our affections center, so that in all things we should seek only to do His will, not to please ourselves. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

79:Grace is necessary to salvation, free will equally so - but grace in order to give salvation, free will in order to receive it. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

80:Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

81:It is no great thing to be humble when you are brought low; but to be humble when you are praised is a great and rare attainment. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

82:There are three distinct comings of the Lord of which I know: His coming to men, His coming into men, and His coming against men. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

83:You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

84:Jesus the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

85:Pride causes us to use our gifts as though they came from ourselves, not benefits received from God, and to usurp our benefactor's glory. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

86:Ingratitude is the soul's enemy... Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

87:Nothing can work me damage except myself. The harm that I sustain I carry about with me, and never am a real sufferer but by my own fault. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

88:They wear themselves out in vain travail, without reaching their blessed consummation, because they delight in creatures, not in the Creator. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

89:What I know of the divine sciences and Holy Scriptures, I learned in woods and fields. I have no other masters than the beeches and the oaks. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

90:Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment. I love because I love; I love in order that I may love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

91:What does God hate or punish except self-will? Let self-will cease, and there will be no hell. On what does that fire feed except on self-will? ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

92:What of the souls already released from their bodies? We believe that they are overwhelmed in that vast sea of eternal light and of luminous eternity ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

93:A truly obedient man does not discriminate between one thing and another, since his only aim is to execute faithfully whatever may be assigned to him. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

94:True penance consists in regretting without ceasing the faults of the past, and in firmly resolving to never again commit that which is so deplorable. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

95:What I know of the divine sciences and the Holy Scriptures, I have learned in woods and fields. I have no other masters than the beeches and the oaks. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

96:Let us then cast ourselves at the feet of this good Mother, and embracing them let us not depart until she blesses us, and accepts us for her children. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

97:Our King [Jesus] is accused of treachery; it is said of him [by the Muslims] that he is not God, but that he falsely pretended to be something he was not. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

98:To have a restful or peaceful life in God is good; to bear a life of pain in patience is better; but to have peace in the midst of pain is the best of all. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

99:To them that long for the presence of the living God, the thought of Him is sweetest itself: but there is no satiety, rather an ever-increasing appetite... ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

100:I have ascended to the highest in me, and look, the Word is towering above that. I have descended to explore my lowest depths, and I found Him deeper still. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

101:To have a restful or peaceful life in God is good; to bear a life of pain in patience is better; but to have peace in the midst of pain is the best of all. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

102:To shame our sins He blushed in blood;
He closed His eyes to show us God;
Let all the world fall down and know
That none but God such love can show ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

103:We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still:
We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

104:there are four degrees of love: 1) Love of self for self's sake. 2) Love of God for self's sake. 3) Love of God for God's own sake. 4) Love of self for God's sake. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

105:Believe me, for I know, you will find something far greater in the woods than in books. Stones and trees will teach you that which you cannot learn from the masters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

106:Spiritual life is like living water that springs up from the very depths of our own spiritual experience. In spiritual life everyone has to drink from his or her own well. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

107:O Blessed Mary, whoever loves you honors God; whoever serves you pleases God; whoever invokes your holy name with a pure heart will infallibly receive the object of his petition. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

108:Believe one who has tried, you shall find a fuller satisfaction in the woods than in the books. The trees and the rocks will teach you that which you cannot hear from the masters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

109:For I have learnt for a fact that nothing so effectively obtains, retains and regains grace, as that we should always be found not high-minded before God, but filled with holy fear. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

110:The heart of Christ can be seen through the openings of his wounds. For what can prove to me so clearly as your wounds that you, O Lord Jesus, are sweet & mild & plenteous in mercy. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

111:Pride only, the chief of all iniquities, can make us treat gifts as if they were rightful attributes of our nature, and, while receiving benefits, rob our Benefactor of His due glory. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

112:God has aroused the spirit of kings and princes to root up from the earth the enemies of the Christian name. Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of Christ. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

113:Many of those who are humiliated are not humble. Some react to humiliation with anger, others with patience, and others with freedom. The first are culpable, the next harmless, the last just. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

114:In his greediness, he counts all that he has clutched as nothing in comparison with what is beyond his grasp, and loses all pleasure in his actual possessions by longing after what he has not, yet covets. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

115:And real happiness will come, not in gratifying our desires or in gaining transient pleasures, but in accomplishing God's will for us: even as we pray every day: "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

116:It is so that these impious ones wander in a circle, longing after something to gratify their yearnings, yet madly rejecting that which alone can bring them to their desired end, not by exhaustion but by attainment. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

117:O wretched slaves of Mammon, you cannot glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ while you trust in treasures laid up on earth: you cannot taste and see how gracious the Lord is, while you are hungering for gold. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

118:There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

119:There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

120:Ignorance is brutal, arrogance is devilish. Pride only, the chief of all iniquities, can make us treat gifts as if they were rightful attributes of our nature, and, while receiving benefits, rob our Benefactor of His due glory. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

121:The peacemakers shall be called the sons of God, who came to make peace between God and man. What then shall the sowers of discord be called, but the children of the devil? And what must they look for but their father's portion? ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

122:Do what Jesus says... what he commands through his ministers who are in the Church [see 1 Cor 6:4]. Be subject to his vicars, your leaders, not only those who are gentle and kind, but even those who are overbearing [see 1 Pt 2:18]. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

123:There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity.

There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity.

There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

124:My child, seek those things which make for peace. Cease to stir up the King against the Church, and urge upon him a better course of action. If you will promise to do this, I in return promise to entreat the merciful Lord to grant you offspring. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

125:It was love that motivated His self-emptying, that led Him to become a little lower than angels, to be subject to parents, to bow His head beneath the Baptist's hands, to endure the weakness of the flesh, and to submit to death even upon the cross ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

126:The spiteful tongue strikes a deadly blow at charity in all who hear him speak and, so far as it can, destroys root and branch, not only in the immediate hearers but also in all others to whom the slander, flying from lip to lip, is afterwards repeated. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

127:Among us on the earth there is His memory; but in the Kingdom of heaven His very Presence. That Presence is the joy of those who have already attained to beatitude; the memory is the comfort of us who are still wayfarers, journeying towards the Fatherland. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

128:Prostrate, see Thy cross I grasp,And Thy pierced feet I clasp;Gracious Jesus, spurn me not;On me, with compassion fraught,Let Thy glances fall.Thy cross of agony,My Beloved, look on me;Turn me wholly unto Thee;"Be thou whole," say openly:"I forgive thee all. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

129:Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

130:Let us affectionately love His angels as counselors and defenders appointed by the Father and placed over us. They are faithful; they are prudent; they are powerful; Let us only follow them, let us remain close to them, and in the protection of the God of heaven let us abide. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

131:Wherever...thou shalt be, pray secretly within thyself. If thou shalt be far from a house of prayer, give not thyself trouble to seek for one, for thou thyself art a sanctuary designed for prayer. If thou shalt be in bed, or in any other place, pray there; thy temple is there. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

132:Let no one believe that he has received the divine kiss, if he knows the truth without loving it or loves it without understanding it. But blessed is that kiss whereby not only is God recognized but also the Father is loved; for there is never full knowledge without perfect love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

133:It's not as if grace did one half of the work and free choice the other; each does the whole work, in its own peculiar contribution. Grace does the whole work, and so does free choice - with this one qualification: That whereas the whole is done in free choice, so is the whole done of grace. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

134:Love is alone sufficient by itself, it pleases by itself and for it's own sake. It is itself a merit, and itself it's own recompense. It seeks neither cause, nor consequences beyond itself. It is its own fruit, its own object and usefulness. I love because I love you, I love that I may love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

135:Thus understanding and love, that is, the knowledge of and delight in the truth, are, as it were, the two arms of the soul, with which it embraces and comprehends with all the saints the length and breath, the height and depth, that is the eternity, the love, the goodness, and the wisdom of God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

136:"My burden is light," said the blessed Redeemer, a light burden indeed, which carries him that bears it. I have looked through all nature for a resemblance of this, and seem to find a shadow of it in the wings of a bird, which are indeed borne by the creature, and yet support her flight towards heaven. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

137:There are some who wish to learn for no other reason than that they may be looked upon as learned, which is ridiculous vanity ... Others desire to learn that they may morally instruct others, that is love. And, lastly, there are some who wish to learn that they may be themselves edified; and that is prudence. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

138:O wretched slaves of Mammon, you cannot glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ while you trust in treasures laid up on earth: you cannot taste and see how gracious the Lord is, while you are hungering for gold. If you have not rejoiced at the thought of His coming, that day will be indeed a day of wrath to you. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

139:We must know, then, what we are, and that it is not of ourselves that we are what we are. Unless we know this thoroughly, either we shall not glory at all, or our glorying will be vain. Finally, it is written, "If thou know not, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock" (Song of Solomon. 1:8). And this is right. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

140:Death is the gate of life. Ingratitude is the soul's enemy... Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace. You will find something far greater in the woods than you will find in books. Stones and trees will teach you that which you will never learn from masters. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

141:The piercing nail has become a key to unlock the door, that I may see the good will of the Lord. And what can I see as I look through the hole? Both the nail and the wound cry out that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself... Through these sacred wounds we can see the secret of his heart, the great mystery of love. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

142:I do a great wrong in His sight, when I beseech Him that He will hear my prayer, which as I give utterance to it, I do not hear myself. I entreat Him that He will think of me; but I regard neither myself nor Him. Nay, what is worse, turning over corrupt and evil thoughts in mine heart, I thrust a dreadful offensiveness into His presence. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

143:If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus communicates, without loss to itself, its superabundant water. In the Church at the present day, we have many canals, few reservoirs. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

144:Obey your bishop! "Obey those set over you [Heb 13:17]," the teachers of the Church... I remind you, my dear friends, of what I said when I was with you: do not receive any outside or unknown preacher, unless he be sent by your bishop or preaches with the permission of the pope. For "how shall they preach unless they are sent [Rom 10:15]?" ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

145: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. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

146:Many appear full of mildness and sweetness as long as everything goes their own way; but the moment any contradiction or adversity arises, they are in a flame, and begin to rage like a burning mountain. Such people as these are like red-hot coals hidden under ashes. This is not the mildness which Our Lord undertook to teach us in order to make us like unto Himself. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

147:Blessed," he says, "are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Mt 5:9). Consider carefully that it is not the people who call for peace but those who make peace who are commended. For there are those who talk but do nothing (Mt 23:3). For just as it is not the hearers of the law but the doers who are righteous (Rom 2:13), so it is not those who preach peace but the authors of peace who are blessed. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

148:Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts, Thou fount of life, thou Light of men, From the best bliss that earth imparts We turn unfilled to Thee again. We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. O Jesus, ever with us stay, Make all our moments calm and bright; Chase the dark night of sin away, Shed o'er the world Thy holy light. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

149:The man who is wise, therefore, will see his life as more like a reservoir than a canal. The canal simultaneously pours out what it receives; the reservoir retains the water till it is filled, then discharges the overflow without loss to itself ... Today there are many in the Church who act like canals, the reservoirs are far too rare ... You too must learn to await this fullness before pouring out your gifts, do not try to be more generous than God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

150:Righteousness is the natural and essential food of the soul, which can no more be satisfied by earthly treasures than the hunger of the body can be satisfied by air. If you should see a starving man standing with mouth open to the wind, inhaling draughts of air as if in hope of gratifying his hunger, you would think him lunatic. But it is no less foolish to imagine that the soul can be satisfied with worldly things which only inflate it without feeding it. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

151:Neither fear nor self-interest can convert the soul. They may change the appearance, perhaps even the conduct, but never the object of supreme desire... Fear is the motive which constrains the slave; greed binds the selfish man, by which he is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed (James 1:14). But neither fear nor self-interest is undefiled, nor can they convert the soul. Only charity can convert the soul, freeing it from unworthy motives. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

152: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. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

153:[Quomodo stilla aquae modica, multo infusa vino, deficere a se tota videtur, dum et saporem vini induit, et colorem; et quomodo ferrum ignitum et candens, igni simillimum fit, pristina propriaque forma exutum; et quomodo solis luce perfusus aer in eamdem transformatur luminis claritatem, adeo ut non tam illuminatus, quam ipsum lumen esse videatur: sic omnem tunc in sanctis humanam affectionem quodam ineffabili modo necesse erit a semetipsa liquescere, atque in Dei penitus transfundi voluntatem.]
As a drop of water poured into wine loses itself, and takes the color and savor of wine; or as a bar of iron, heated red-hot, becomes like fire itself, forgetting its own nature; or as the air, radiant with sun-beams, seems not so much to be illuminated as to be light itself; so in the saints all human affections melt away by some unspeakable transmutation into the will of God. ~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

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