Friday, August 20, 2010

St Bernard of Clairvaux


Today is the feast of St. Bernard, doctor of the church and also one of the Church's mystics...those who were given the gift of initmate union with God here on earth.

A few words from the Good Doctor:

"Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside of itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice.

I love because I love, I love that I may love.

Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes.

Of alll the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be.

For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him."

1 comment:

Joyce said...

A perfect reflection. After reading it, I was left in a serene, calming state of contemplation re: the love of God Thank you.