Saint Bernard of Clairvaux:

Feast day : 20 August

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a French holy Abbot who lived during the period 1090-1153. He is considered as one of the most influential people of his times, contributing to the Church as a Theologian, powerful arbitrator, advisor to the Popes, miracle worker and preacher of the Second Crusade. He belonged to a reformed Benedictine order and set up several monasteries across Europe. His powerful arbitrary skills are believed to have reduced the Papal Schism which broke out in 1130 to the seven years that it lasted. He was a contemplative and also greatly devoted to the Blessed Virgin. His literary works are marked with eloquence and are known to have influenced the spiritual formation of several Saints in the following years. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III on 18 January 1174 and bestowed the title "Doctor of the Church" by Pope Pius VIII. His eloquence earned him the title the ‘Mellifluous Doctor’. He is also known by the title of Thaumaturgus’ meaning ‘miracle-worker’ of the West. Several miracles of healing, raising the dead to life and conversions have been recorded during his lifetime.

Early life:

Saint Bernard was born as the third child to parents of noble birth. He was given a good education and was known to be a brilliant student. At the age of nineteen, when he lost his mother, he was strongly moved to retire from the world and spend his time in solitude and prayer.

Monastic life:

One day, at the age of 22, when he was in prayer, he felt God calling him to join the monastery at Citeaux which was founded in 1098 with the purpose of restoring the Rule of St. Benedict in all its rigour. Without much delay, he joined the community of the reformed Benedictines at the monastery. Three years later he was sent along with twelve monks to found a new abbey in the Diocese of Langres. There he founded a monastery on 25 June 1115 naming it Claire Vallee which later evolved into Clairvaux and remained as part of his identity forever. He was made the Abbot of the monastery and under his spiritual direction, the monastery made rapid progress. Disciples flocked to it in great numbers including his father and brothers who abandoned the world and came to pursue religious lives under him. There he preached an immediate faith in which the intercessor was the Blessed Virgin. He was greatly devoted to Our Lady and many of his literary works have excelled in eloquently explaining traditions about her which have led many to grow in their love for the Blessed Virgin.

Saint Bernard was a contemplative and often spent time in silence and prayer. He actually wrote only a few treatises, such as, On the Necessity of loving God and The Degrees of Humility. Most of his teachings are in his sermons. As a restorer and promoter of the Cistercian Order, he was dedicated to a strict renewal of the liturgical life of the primitive Benedictine rule. His literary works were par excellence and are believed to have had a influence on the formation of the spirituality of Saint Francis of Assisi, St. John of the Cross, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Francis de Sales and many more. He also wrote a treatise on meditation of Pope Eugene III called De Consideratione which is known to have largely influenced St. Ignatius and his Spiritual Excercises. The Memorare prayer is also known to have been derived from his sermons. In the year 1128, Saint Bernard attended the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar, which soon became the ideal of Christian nobility. His influence led Alexander III to launch reforms that led to the establishment of canon law.

Papal Schism:

On the death of Honorius II on 14 February 1130, a Schism broke out in the Church by the election of two popes, Pope Innocent II and Antipope Anacletus II. The Papal Schism brought forth the power of Saint Bernard’s arbitration skills. Called to the French Council at Etampes, he stood for Innocent II and held Anacletur II to be the antipope. In fact his support to Pope Innocent II kept the Schism from lasting longer as he continued to work for the pope during the long seven years that it lasted. He travelled with the Pope Innocent II through various parts of Europe and defended, argued and pleaded for him with royalty and people in authority. The whole conflict ended when Anacletus died broken hearted on 25 January 1138. From the beginning of the Schism in 1130 till his death in 1153, he remained one of the most influential people in the Church.

Preacher of the Second Crusade:

In 1144 he was sent forth as preacher of the Second Crusade under the command of Pope Eugene III, who was a monk of Clairvaux and a spiritual son to Saint Bernard. He opened his campaign at Vezelai le Rideau in France and the enthusiasm was great. At Pentecost a council elected him to be commander-in-chief and lead the soldiers but he declined it and was instead sent by the Pope to Germany. There, crowds flocked to him and there were several conversions and miracles. But with the failure of the Crusade, he was blamed for all the losses. He bore the humiliation and ingratitude in silence. A year later he wrote an apology to the Pope pointing out that he had acted under obedience and for the glory of God. Moses and other prophets had done the same in ancient times, and yet the people, by their sins, had often brought defeat upon themselves.

Miracle worker:

One of the titles attributed to him was ‘Thaumaturgus’ meaning ‘miracle-worker’ of the West. During his travels in Germany, when he preached the Second Crusade, there were thousands of miracles of healings of the blind, lame and those possessed. The miracles came to be when Saint Bernard prayed over them and blessed them or even when they touched his garments. The Liber Miraculorum records more than 100 people who were raised from the dead. But he remained humble throughout his fame because he believed these miracles meant that people were growing in their faith which in turn led them to their salvation. In his words “Signs of this kind do not contemplate the holiness of the one, but the salvation of the many.” When he lay on his death bed, the Archbishop of Treves came to tell of civil war between the people of Metz and nobles whereby two thousand people had already been killed. Though he was extremely sick, he got out of bed and travelled to Metz and tried to make peace among the warring factions. Later that night when he cured a palsied woman, he won them over and peace was restored in the region.

Death and Sainthood:

Saint Bernard died at age sixty-three on 20 August 1153. He was laid to rest at the Clairvaux Abbey, but after its dissolution in 1792 by the French revolutionary government, his remains were transferred to Troyes Cathedral. There were around 700 monks at Clairvaux and more than 343 monasteries at other locations at the time of his death. He was the first Cistercian monk placed on the calendar of saints and was canonized by Alexander III on 18 January 1174. Pope Pius VIII bestowed on him the title "Doctor of the Church". He is labeled the "Mellifluous Doctor" for the eloquence in his writings. Cistercians honour him as the founder of the order because of the widespread activity which he gave to the order.