August 20: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

Read entire reflection online >>>August 20: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church—Memorial1090–1153Patron Saint of beekeepers, bees, candlemakers, chandlers, Cistercians, and Knights TemplarCanonized by Pope Alexander III on January 18, 1174Declared a Doctor of the Church (Doctor Mellifluus, “Honey-Sweet Doctor”) by Pope Pius VIII in 1830Liturgical Color: WhiteQuote: Admit that God deserves to be loved very much, yea, boundlessly, because He loved us first, He infinite and we nothing, loved us, miserable sinners, with a love so great and so free. This is why I said at the beginning that the measure of our love to God is to love immeasurably. For since our love is toward God, who is infinite and immeasurable, how can we bound or limit the love we owe Him? Besides, our love is not a gift but a debt. And since it is the Godhead who loves us, Himself boundless, eternal, supreme love, of whose greatness there is no end, yea, and His wisdom is infinite, whose peace passeth all understanding; since it is He who loves us, I say, can we think of repaying Him grudgingly? ~Saint Bernard, On Loving GodPrayer:Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, God called and you responded. You navigated the weaknesses of your age, inspired countless others to love God, and continue to make a lasting impact upon the world. Please pray for me, that I will never waver in my love of God and will believe, with a firm faith, that profound holiness is achievable. As you were so deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, please pray for me and for the whole Church, that we will discover that same love in our hearts and allow her to lead us through the darkness we encounter. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: mycatholic.lifeCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons: Main