BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

You wish me to tell you why and how God should be loved. My answer is that God himself is the reason he is to be loved.

I was made a sinner by deriving my being from Adam; I am made just by being washed in the blood of Christ and not by Christ's 'words and example.'

There are people who go clad in tunics and have nothing to do with furs, who nevertheless are lacking in humility. Surely humility in furs is better than pride in tunics.

Ambition is the mother of hypocrisy and prefers to skulk in corners and dark places. It cannot endure the light of day. It is an unclean vice wallowing in the depths, always hidden, but with ever an eye to advancement.

There is no distinction of persons among them, and deference is shown to merit rather than to noble blood.

This is, I say, a new kind of knighthood and one unknown to the ages gone by. It ceaselessly wages a twofold war both against flesh and blood and against a spiritual army of evil in the heavens

How beautiful then is modesty and what a gem among virtues it is.

The true measure of loving God is to love him without measure.

You wish to see; listen. Hearing is a step toward Vision.

If anyone makes himself his own master in the spiritual life, he makes himself scholar to a fool.

Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.

Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of God.

God has aroused the spirit of kings and princes to root up from the earth the enemies of the Christian name. Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of Christ.

Love me, love my dog.

We find rest in those we love, and we provide a resting place in ourselves for those who love us.

Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.

The tears of those repenting are the wine of angels.

Neither fear nor self-interest can convert the soul. They may change the appearance, perhaps even the conduct, but never the object of supreme desire... Fear is the motive which constrains the slave; greed binds the selfish man, by which he is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed (James 1:14). But neither fear nor self-interest is undefiled, nor can they convert the soul. Only charity can convert the soul, freeing it from unworthy motives.

There are some who wish to learn for no other reason than that they may be looked upon as learned, which is ridiculous vanity ... Others desire to learn that they may morally instruct others, that is love. And, lastly, there are some who wish to learn that they may be themselves edified; and that is prudence.

Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.

God will either give us what we ask, or what He knows to be better for us.

Understanding is the sure and clear knowledge of some invisible thing.

Pride only, the chief of all iniquities, can make us treat gifts as if they were rightful attributes of our nature, and, while receiving benefits, rob our Benefactor of His due glory.

Do what Jesus says... what he commands through his ministers who are in the Church [see 1 Cor 6:4]. Be subject to his vicars, your leaders, not only those who are gentle and kind, but even those who are overbearing [see 1 Pt 2:18].

What does God hate or punish except self-will? Let self-will cease, and there will be no hell. On what does that fire feed except on self-will?