To love God…
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Love God, then neighbor…
It is not possible to love your neighbor unless you love God. If you love God first, then you can love your neighbor in God… If we really love God, we will love what belongs to God. We will love in the same manner as we have been loved. We care about others even as Christ cared. We love the Lord not because he is good to us, but because the Lord is good.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Have real mercy…
You will never have real mercy for the failings of another until you know and realize that you have the same failings in your soul.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
The name of Jesus…
Are you troubled? Think but of Jesus, speak but the name of Jesus, the clouds disperse, and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death? invoke the name of Jesus, and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy name; there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name.
–Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
Action and contemplation…
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 (1090-1153)
True penance consists…
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 (1090-1153)
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