Today, August 20
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Bernard was born in a castle near Dijon, France, in 1090. One of seven well-educated children, he was particularly gifted. His mother's death when he was 17 affected him deeply. Of a passionate nature, he suffered from migraines all his life. In his Apologia, he wrote that it was because of his unruly nature that he chose the newly founded Cistercians, thinking their austerity could tame him.
At 22, forsaking a life of privilege, Bernard went to Cîteaux, an abbey known for its strict observance of St Benedict's Rule. He overcame the objections of his family, and such was his remarkable enthusiasm that he persuaded his uncle, his brothers and many friends to join him, and the group of about 30 men left for the abbey. The abbot of Cîteaux, the dedicated Englishman Stephen Harding, was soon able to send monks out to begin new foundations, and within three years, the gifted and dedicated Bernard was sent with 12 monks to a diocese in Champagne. There, in a valley which came to be known as the Valley of Light ('Clairvaux'), Bernard founded the monastery where he ruled as abbot for the rest of his life.
His initially stern rule gave way to tolerance and fatherly care and before long he was known throughout Europe and consulted in person and in writing by popes, emperors and commoners alike. Thanks to his tireless efforts, Bernard helped the Church avoid schism in 1130. He was fearless in his support of the truth as he saw it.
From the time he became abbot until his death in 1153, Bernard dominated the religious and political life of Western Europe. His mystical and theological writings, sermons, letters, treatises, and biblical commentaries have had a profound and lasting influence on Catholic spirituality. His abbey became the motherhouse for dozens of Cistercian monasteries around the world.
When Bernard died, all Europe mourned. He was canonized in 1174 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1830. Because his teaching is modelled on that of the early Fathers of the Church, he is often called the last of the Fathers.
©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
Readings of the Day
Book of Ezekiel 36,23-28.
Thus says the LORD: I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you. For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Psalms 51(50),12-13.14-15.18-19.
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you. For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 22,1-14.
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Daily Reflection
'The fragrance of your garments is as the fragrance of frankincense." (Song of Songs 4:11) This indicates what the goal of the life of virtue is for human beings. For the limit that the virtuous life approaches is likeness to the Divine, and for the sake of this goal both the soul’s purity and its separation from any passionate disposition are in virtuous persons carefully realized, so that a certain impress of the transcendent Nature comes to them also, on account of the nobler quality of their life. Now the virtuous manner of life is not uniform or marked by a single style, but just as in the making of a fabric the weaver’s art creates the garment by using many threads, some of which are stretched vertically and others are carried horizontally, so too, in the case of the virtuous life, many things must twine together if a noble life is to be woven. Just so the divine apostle enumerates threads of this sort, threads by means of which | pure works are woven together; he mentions love and joy and peace, patience and kindness (cf. Gal 5:22) and all the sorts of thing that adorn the person who is putting on the garment of heavenly incorruptibility in place of a corruptible and earthly life (1 Cor 15:53). Thus the meaning of the enigma is this: “In your case, O Bride, the garment of virtues imitates the divine blessedness because it has been made like the unapproachable Nature by its purity and impassibility.