Bernard Cistercian

Solemnity of St. Bernard of Clairvaux August 20

A Prayer from Bernard of Clairvaux

As we celebrated the community Mass this morning, a thought came to mind on St. Bernard’s popular prayer rather than his greater writings.

“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary”. We celebrate the Solemnity of St. Bernard

We call him the mellifluous Doctor. He is admired him as mellifluous but in a sense can be counter productive. He is greatly prolific. So many are hindered by loss of memory, or deafness or dyslexia.

The words seem ring when we hear the prayer, “In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, . . .” Our’s is more familiar. In fact we recall more the word MEMORARE. “Memorare” is more powerful as shortcut not just to the Prayer but to the whole spirit of St. Bernard.

As we offer the Holy Mass we are reminded of St. Bernard in the ways he inspired and lead so many to the sacrifice of themselves to God. We pray by the intercession of St. Bernard for the so many people who suffer from the effects of Autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Dyslexia, Aphasia.

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Memorare
To Remember

Memorare, o piisima Virgo Maria, non esse auditum a saeculo, quemquam ad tua currentem praesidia, tua implorantem auxilia, tua petentem suffragia esse derelicta. Nos tali animati confidentia ad te, Virgo Virginum, Mater, currimus; ad te venimus; coram te gementes peccatores assistimus. Noli, Mater Verbi, verba nostra despicere, sed audi propitia et exaudi. R. Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins and Mother; to thee do we come; before thee do we stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us. R. Amen

After the Chapter we listened to the sermon of Br. Philip.

Feast of St. Bernard. 20 Aug 2009. Feast of St. Bernard. 20 Aug 2009. Saint Bernard with his friends William of St. Thierry and St. Aelred of Rievaulx stand like medieval triptych. The dominating figure of Bernard with his two companions, William the great theologian, and Aelred, the example of friendship, Bernard stands between the two, the synthesis of contemplation of the Divine. Together these men represent that balance between the love of God and the love of man and friendship. Which animated their theology and gave it life. Bernard is complex – if not paradoxical he was undoubtedly the most dynamic figure of the twelfth century, if not the whole of the middle ages. For he dominated all other voices in his own century and changed more patterns of thought and sentiment than anyone else. He was born around 1190 at the court of the Counts of Burgundy. He was a member of a wealthy Burgundian family. His mother, Aleth, died when Bernard was about fourteen. When he was tempted to pursue learning for reasons of vain glory, his mind filled with the reproachful vision of his mother. Praying in chapel one day, he contemplated the verse: “If therefore thine eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light.” Thence was started a light, says Bernard, “like the flame which turns the forest into a roaring blaze and then grows on to turn the mountains black.” It was serene as well as a reforming light, for it shone in him, and through him, and with him. Bernard had an irresistible charm with people. When he was only twenty-two. He decided to enter the monastic community of Citeaux. At that point he persuaded his uncle, four of his five bothers, and twenty five friends to accompany him in this way of life. Earthly honours and comforts he despised, with a total lack of self-interest. ‘To be poor with Christ’ was his one concern. So, despite his father’s opposition, he and his friends lived in the primitive huts in the marshy valley of the river Aube at Citeaux. From 1127 until his death, he was called upon to give council on temporal affairs all over Europe. He patched up the Papal Schism, and in 1145, Eugene III, one of his spiritual sons was elected Pope. It is probable he spent as more than a third of his time at Clairvaux. Yet he was sick from continual gastric illnesses. Before he entered Citeaux, the Cistercian Order scarcely existed. At his death, the Order possessed 350 Abbeys. Simply stated, Bernard’s’ belief was: knowledge of God comes only through devotion to God, in poverty, simplicity and in solitude. Within his generation, the Cistercian movement – based on these principles – was the greatest success story of the middle ages.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Presented by His Parents, Saints Aleth and Tescelin

Pot metal, white glass, vitreous paint, silver stain, sanguine

German, Kreis Schleiden, Mariawald, Cistercian Cloister Church, ca. 1505-8

This scene, along with its neighbouring three, are probably part of the glazing from the Cistercian church of Mariawald, located southwest of Colonge. Here, the Cologne glass painters adapted colour to the traditional fondness for white glass, so that large areas of saturated color are combined with equally large sections of grisaille. These windows are stylistically related to the windows in the north aisle of the Cologne cathedral.

Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935, (41.170.104-.106). NYC - Metropolitan Museum of Art - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Presented by His Parents, Saints Aleth and Tescelin (a creative Commons License).