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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On St. Bernard of Clairvaux
H.H. Benedict XVI
August 20, 2006
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, the calendar mentions among the day's saints Bernard of Clairvaux,
a great Doctor of the Church who lived between the 11th and 12th
centuries (1091-1153). His example and teachings are proving more useful
than ever, even in our time.
Having withdrawn from the world after a period of intense inner travail,
he was elected abbot of the Cistercian Monastery of Clairvaux at age 25,
remaining its guide for 38 years until his death. His dedication to
silence and contemplation did not prevent him from carrying out intense
apostolic activity.
He was also exemplary in his commitment to battle against his impetuous
temperament, as well as his humility by which he recognized his own
limitations and shortcomings.
The riches and merits of his theology do not lie in having taken new
paths, but rather in being able to propose the truths of the faith in a
style so clear and incisive that it fascinated those listening and
prepared their souls for recollection and prayer. In every one of his
writings, one senses the echo of a rich interior experience, which he
succeeded in communicating to others with a surprising capacity for
persuasion.
For him, love is the greatest strength of the spiritual life. God, who
is love, creates man out of love and out of love redeems him. The
salvation of all human beings, mortally wounded by original sin and
burdened by personal sins, consists in being firmly attached to divine
love which was fully revealed to us in Christ Crucified and Risen.
In his love, God heals our will and our sick understanding, raising them
to the highest degree of union with him, that is, to holiness and
mystical union. St Bernard deals with this, among other things, in his
brief but substantial Liber de Diligendo Deo.
There is then another writing of his that I would like to point out, De
Consideratione, addressed to Pope Eugene III. Here, in this very
personal book, the dominant theme is the importance of inner
recollection - and he tells this to the Pope -, an essential element of
piety.
It is necessary, the Saint observes, to beware of the dangers of
excessive activity whatever one's condition and office, because, as he
said to the Pope of that time and to all Popes, to all of us, many
occupations frequently lead to "hardness of heart", "they are none other
than suffering of spirit, loss of understanding, dispersion of grace"
(II, 3).
This warning applies to every kind of occupation, even those inherent in
the government of the Church. In this regard, Bernard addresses
provocative words to the Pontiff, a former disciple of his at Clairvaux:
"See", he writes, "where these accursed occupations can lead you, if you
continue to lose yourself in them... without leaving anything of
yourself to yourself" (ibid).
How useful this appeal to the primacy of prayer and contemplation is
also for us! May we too be helped to put this into practice in our lives
by St Bernard, who knew how to harmonize the monk's aspiration to the
solitude and tranquillity of the cloister with the pressing needs of
important and complex missions at the service of the Church.
Let us entrust this desire, not easy to find, that is, the equilibrium
between interiority and necessary work, to the intercession of Our Lady,
whom he loved from childhood with such a tender and filial devotion as
to deserve the title: "Marian Doctor". Let us now invoke her so that she
may obtain the gift of true and lasting peace for the whole world.
In one of his famous discourses, St Bernard compares Mary to the Star
that navigators seek so as not to lose their course: "Whoever you are
who perceive yourself during this mortal existence to be drifting in
treacherous waters at the mercy of the winds and the waves rather than
walking on firm ground, turn your eyes not away from the splendour of
this guiding star, unless you wish to be submerged by the storm!... Look
at the star, call upon Mary.... With her for a guide, you will never go
astray; ...under her protection, you have nothing to fear; if she walks
before you, you will not grow weary; if she shows you favour you will
reach the goal (Hom. Super Missus Est, II, 17).
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After the Angelus:
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present for this Sunday Angelus. In today's Gospel Jesus reveals himself
as the Bread of Life, who comes down from Heaven. May our celebration of
the Lord's Day be always a time of joyful thanksgiving for the gift of
new life in Christ! I wish you all a pleasant stay in Castel Gandolfo
and Rome, and a blessed Sunday.
I wish everyone a good Sunday!
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