Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
(Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14)
In today’s often cited first reading the prophet Ezekiel
foresees the reemergence of the People of God.
He writes that the Babylonian exiles, chastened by the loss of homeland,
compatriots, and temple, will return to Israel as not only stronger but also as
more loving. They will possess the
spirit of God to enable them to live according to God’s will. What Ezekiel envisions is lived, not for the
first time, in the life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, today’s patron.
Bernard was the son of a twelfth century French
nobleman. From youth he exhibited exceptional
talent and energy. Dedicating himself to
God as a monk, he became a reformer of the monastic system by inculcating a
spirit of poverty. Nevertheless, he was
a friend of bishops and monarchs. He is
sometimes called the greatest man who lived in his time.
The poverty that Bernard recommended was firm but not
cruel. It has something to say to us in
our contemporary world for convenience.
Evangelical poverty does not impoverish us. On the contrary, it makes us richer. It enables us to know some of the travails of
the suffering. It conserves resources
that might be shared with others. And
finally, it allows us to identify with Christ, our teacher and Lord.
