To Another Holy Virgin Of The Convent Of S. Mary of Troyes 227, LIV. The earth is shaken because the Lord of heaven is losing his land, the land in which he appeared to men, in which he lived amongst men for more than thirty years; the land made glorious by his miracles, holy by his blood; the land in which the flowers of his resurrection first blossomed. Thus to risk both soul and body is not brave but shocking is not strength but folly. He went alone, at the head of a mass of people who had entrusted themselves to his care, and led them into so great dangers that none, or at least very few, escaped death, either by hunger or the sword. Saint Bernard was a gifted and prolific writer of theological treatises, scriptural commentaries, letters, and many sermons. To Gilbert, Bishop of London, Universal Doctor 42, IX. I. Therefore, they have done well who have already taken the heavenly sign; well and wisely also will the rest do, if they hasten to lay upon their shoulders, like the first, the sign of salvation. Venture with devotion and the gain will be God s kingdom. They are living signs to use, representing the Lord's passion. Wherefore the Church, speaking in the same Psalm, says, "Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, our shield." I would rather do so by word of mouth, if the opportunity, as well as the will, were afforded me. Even then the hesitation was brief. Let not your former warlike skill cease, but only that spirit of hatred in which you are accustomed to strike down and kill one another and in turn be overcome yourselves. Yet ignorant though I be, I am not unmindful of those words of the Most High: "It must needs be that scandals come, but nevertheless woe to that man through whom the scandal cometh." Author(s): Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint (1090 or 91-1153) Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. To The Same 34. Has that prayer which the Church offers for the Jews, from the rising up of the sun to the going down thereof; that the veil may be taken from their hearts so that they may be led from the darkness of error into the light of truth, been instituted in vain? Accompanying the letter we find nineteen sermons originally attributed to Peter Damian, 26 nine sermons attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, 27 and seventy-four short commentaries to the Psalms that are ascribed to Hugh of St. Victor. Under Christian princes they endure a hard captivity, but "they only wait for the time of their deliverance." I received your kind letter with due respect, but my answer must be brief because of the press of business. What opportunity of salvation has God not tried and sought out, when the almighty deigns to summon to his service murderers, robbers, adulterers, perjurers, and those guilty of other crimes, as if they were a people that dealt righteously? And then there’s the “Mellifluous Doctor” himself, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153), the great monastic reformer. To his Monks of Clairvaux 140 XXXIX. on May 24, 2017, Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, III. A new power forsooth! But now, O mighty soldiers, men of war, you have a cause for which you can fight without danger to your souls; a cause in which to conquer is glorious and for which to die is gain. In his letters, however, a different Bernard emerges – one who had fled the world for the cloister yet possessed a soaring vision for the Church on earth. Look, sinners, at the depths of his pity, and take courage. He stirs up his vessels of wrath so that if they do but once lay hands upon these holy places there shall be no sign or trace of piety left. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of abundant salvation. {{/title}} Could he not send more than twelve legions of angels, or even just say the word and save his land? He was the model monk of the :Middle Ages, the most lofty personality of his time, and one of the best men of the Christian centuries. The world is fall of their praises, and the renown of their courage is on the lips of all. This I say in order that the Lord's authority may excuse the unworthiness of the person who speaks; let the consideration of its usefulness to yourselves also excuse the faults of my address. A fellow without sense and void of all modesty! I. And now, for our sins, the enemy of the Cross has begun to lift his sacrilegious head there, and to devastate with the sword that blessed land, that land of promise. To The Brother of William, a Monk of Clairvaux 206, XLVIII. Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux — Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. "I am no better than a child that has no skill to find its way back and forth." He wills not your death, but that you may turn and live; for now he seeks occasion, not against you, but for your benefit. They have cast their greedy eyes especially on the holy sanctuaries of our Christian Religion, and they long particularly to violate that couch on which, for our sakes, the Lord of our life fell asleep in death. {{texts.summary}} I would have preferred to do so by word of mouth had I but the strength to come to you as I desire. This doctrine is not his own but his father's. {{/_source.additionalFields}}. To Gilbert, Bishop of London, Universal Doctor 42 IX. He makes, or feigns, a need for himself, while he desires to help you in your necessity. The Letters of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (London: Burns Oates, 1953).] To The Monk Adam 3 III. To Thomas of St. Omer, After he had Broken His Promise of adopting a Change of Life 160, XLII. To Richard, Abbot of Fountains, and his Companions, who had passed over to The Cistercian Order from another  129, XXXIV. Will you give what is holy to the dogs, and cast your pearls before swine? What are we then to think, brethren? Behold, brethren, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. And so it is: dispersed they are. To the venerable lord and most blessed father, Malachy, by the grace of God archbishop of the Irish, legate of the Apostolic See, Brother Bernard called to be abbot of Clairvaux, [desiring] to find grace with the Lord. How long will your men continue to shed Christian blood; how long will they continue to fight among themselves? For the rest, not I but the Apostle warns you, brethren, not to believe every spirit. To Louis The Younger, King of The French 294, LXIII. Put a stop to it now, for it is not fighting but foolery. 1. infer from a letter of Bernard, De Portis, it appears that he dictated his sermons, at least those on the Song of Solomon, and thus published them. To sum up briefly what I feel about this fellow: He is a man with a great opinion of himself and full of arrogance. vicar of stalisfield. Hence the same psalm adds, "only let thy power disperse them." He puts himself under obligation to you, or rather feigns to do so, so that he can help you to satisfy your obligations towards himself. Bernard salutes him very respectfully. To The Abbot of a certain Monastery at York, From Which The Prior Had Departed, Taking Several Religious With Him  124, XXXII. {{{label}}}{{{title}}} The textual history of Bernard of Clairvaux's letters is particularly complex, not only because of the sheer number of manuscripts involved but also owing to the unusually large number of letters transmitted outside the main 'official' collection. The material itself, being bought, is worth little; but if it be placed on a devout shoulder, it is, without doubt, worth no less than the kingdom of God. I address myself to you, the people of England, in the cause of Christ, in whom lies your salvation. To Matthew, The Legate 40 VIII. Source: Clairvaux Foundation Museum. The fellow you mention in your letter [a monk named Raoul, who had urged violence against Jews as the Second Crusade was being organized] has received no authority from men or through men, nor has he been sent by God. He prepares the instruments of sin, and will leave no sign or trace of so great piety, if ever (which God forbid!) Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read Saint Bernard of Clairvaux … Concerning The Maccabees but to whom Written Is Unknown 169, XLV. The evil one sees this and is enraged, he gnashes his teeth and withers away in fury. However, it is full of references to the crusade as just and to the crusaders as doing the will of God. There was in the former expedition, before Jerusalem was taken, a certain man, Peter by name, of whom (if I mistake not) you have often heard mention. A detailed listing of the texts under scrutiny can be consulted in the Appendix of Tables (Tables 3–11). St Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abelard. For this reason they are dispersed into all regions, that now they may pay the just penalty of so great a crime, and that they may be witnesses of our redemption. Bernard’s letter to the people of England is particularly relevant for it is a record of how Bernard preached the Crusade. Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux. You attack each other, you slay each other and by each other you are slain. Who am I, or what is my father's house, that I should have referred to me a case of contempt for an archbishop and of damage to his metropolitan see? 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