{"id":109742,"date":"2025-08-20T06:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/?p=109742"},"modified":"2025-08-19T13:48:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T20:48:14","slug":"revival-reform-and-saint-bernard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/revival-reform-and-saint-bernard\/","title":{"rendered":"Revival, Reform, and Saint Bernard"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

T<\/span>he Catholic Herald reports<\/a> that for the first time in decades, the Catholic Church in America is growing. They go so far as to say, “If the projections for 2025 hold, this change could represent a significant turning point for American Catholicism.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m cautiously optimistic. The Church is a big ship, and she takes a good long while to turn around, but it appears that she is indeed turning. Locally, you only have to look at our OCIA programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Easter Vigil at my parish<\/a>, we baptized more than thirty people, after starting our Inquiry last August with only six. This year, we already have more than thirty people signed up. I’m hearing similar jumps from elsewhere in the archdiocese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why am I cautious? Because while the number of Catholics may be increasing, the increase in priestly and religious vocations is obviously going to lag behind – perhaps as much as a generation behind. We’re not out of the woods yet.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Saint<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Someone once told me that we will know that there has been a true revival in the church only when there has been a revival in the monastic life. Just so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this brings me to the saint whose memorial we celebrate today: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. And at this moment in the history of the Church, we could very much use another like him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in 1090 to a noble Burgundian family near Dijon, he entered the monastery at age 23. In less than three years, he was sent by his abbot to found a new monastery in Vall\u00e9e d’Absinthe on 25 June 1115. Bernard named this new monastery Clairvaux, meaning “valley of light”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, Bernard spearheaded a wholesale reform <\/a>of monastic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For thirty-eight years as abbot, he nurtured this community<\/a>, fought heresy and schism, preached crusade and reform, composed hymns<\/a>, and wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh! Did he write!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is often considered the last of the\u00a0Church Fathers<\/a>\u00a0and is one of the great\u00a0Doctors of the Church<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard (detail) (1486), by Filippino Lippi. The motto on the wall is “substine et abstine” – medieval Latin for “endure and abstain”.<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But you don’t need to listen to me. Let the Mellifluous Doctor speak for himself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

L<\/span>ove is sufficient of itself<\/em>, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love because I love, I love that I may love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bridegroom\u2019s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love\u2019s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone; in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator do not flow with the same volume; one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What then of the bride\u2019s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with him who is Love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond; she cannot love so much and not be totally loved, and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(From a sermon by Saint Bernard, Abbot)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Is it any wonder that Saint Bernard has been called “one of the greatest spiritual masters of all times<\/a>“?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also stands as one of the great monastic reformers of all time, for during his time as abbot, three hundred<\/em> Cistercian <\/a>monasteries were founded. Of these, he personally supervised the creation of sixty-five of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could use another Saint Bernard right about now.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Cistercian<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So let us commend our efforts to him, who did so much in his lifetime and continues to intercede for us at the throne of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

O<\/span> God, <\/em>
who made the Abbot Saint Bernard
a man consumed with zeal for your house
and a light shining and burning in your Church,
grant, through his intercession,
that we may be on fire with the same spirit
and walk always as children of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Catholic Herald reports that for the first time in decades, the Catholic Church in America is growing. They go so far as to say, “If the projections for 2025 hold, this change could represent a significant turning point for American Catholicism.” I’m cautiously optimistic. The Church is a big ship, and she takes a good long while to turn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[46,15,3,49,19,16,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-annual","category-meditations","category-moments-in-time","category-ocia","category-pray","category-saint","category-vocation"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Filippino_lippi_saint_bernard.jpg?fit=910%2C854&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1aGBK-sy2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":110313,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/no-doubt\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":0},"title":"No Doubt","author":"Thom","date":"26 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"a rough week. One of the ways I volunteer at my parish is as an adult catechist. I'm part of our OCIA team; we teach the faith to those adults seeking baptism or full communion with the Catholic Church. We have a great team \u2013 we have some folks who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Francine my love"","block_context":{"text":"Francine my love","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/francine-my-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/503340903_10162582856229985_6323745938576014227_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/503340903_10162582856229985_6323745938576014227_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/503340903_10162582856229985_6323745938576014227_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/503340903_10162582856229985_6323745938576014227_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/503340903_10162582856229985_6323745938576014227_n.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":84879,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/ten-years-catholic\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":1},"title":"Ten Years Catholic","author":"Thom","date":"26 March 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Ten years ago today, on the night of the 26th of March 2005, I was baptized into the Church at the great Vigil of Easter. I used to think that it was a rare thing that one could point to a specific day, a specific moment, and say with certainty,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Camino"","block_context":{"text":"Camino","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/camino\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/At-the-Start.jpg?fit=478%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":110310,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/saint-polycarp-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":2},"title":"Saint Polycarp: a Link on a Golden Chain","author":"Thom","date":"23 February 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"the memorial of the blessed martyr Saint Polycarp. Burned alive and then beheaded in the city of Rome for the crime of being a Christian bishop, he was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle. In fact, he was ordained bishop of Smyrna by Saint John. He wrote many letters,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Annual"","block_context":{"text":"Annual","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/annual\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/succession.png?fit=960%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/succession.png?fit=960%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/succession.png?fit=960%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/succession.png?fit=960%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109979,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/praying-for-the-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":3},"title":"Praying for the Dead","author":"Thom","date":"03 November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We finally got Francine's autopsy results on Monday. The whole week was kind of a blur after that. I didn't even go to OCIA on Tuesday. I did manage to make soup for my friends Adam and Chris when they came over on Friday, and it was a hit. Or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Francine my love"","block_context":{"text":"Francine my love","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/francine-my-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-02-10.22.35-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-02-10.22.35-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-02-10.22.35-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-02-10.22.35-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-02-10.22.35-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":108842,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/how-the-assumption-saved-my-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":4},"title":"How the Assumption Saved my Life: a Reflection","author":"Thom","date":"15 August 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"twenty years ago today, and I was a pagan. Now when I say pagan, I don't mean that I was unchurched or a \"None\". No, I was a card-carrying member of an ancient Egyptian reconstructionist church. I am often amused by God's little jokes. I was raised with no religion,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Bishop Peter J. Elliott"","block_context":{"text":"Bishop Peter J. Elliott","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/category\/bishop-peter-j-elliott\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Baptism.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Baptism.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Baptism.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Baptism.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Baptism.jpg?fit=1200%2C901&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69497,"url":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/amateurmonk\/corpus-christi-procession\/","url_meta":{"origin":109742,"position":5},"title":"Corpus Christi Procession","author":"Thom","date":"29 May 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This Sunday my parish will participate in an outdoor Procession of the Blessed Sacrament. If you are anywhere in the area, I hope you will consider joining us. Here is the press release as it went out: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: \u00a0 Archbishop of Seattle to Lead Corpus Christi Procession in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Archbishop J. Peter Sartain"","block_context":{"text":"Archbishop J. 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