Bernard of Clairvaux
Biographical Details:
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Biography:
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was a pivotal figure in the 12th-century Christian world, best known for his role in revitalizing Benedictine monasticism through the Cistercian Order, his contributions to the Crusades, and his deep devotion to Marian theology. As a Burgundian abbot, Bernard founded Clairvaux Abbey in 1115, which became a model for Cistercian discipline and piety. His influence extended well beyond monastic life, notably through his involvement with the Knights Templar. At the Council of Troyes in 1128, Bernard drafted the Rule of the Knights Templar, a military order of warrior monks who protected Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land and played a key role in the Crusades. Bernard’s endorsement of the Templars and his outline of their spiritual and military duties made them an ideal of Christian chivalry, combining the ideals of monastic life with martial prowess.
Bernard also played a significant role in the larger political and ecclesiastical events of his time. During the papal schism of 1130, he ardently supported Pope Innocent II against Antipope Anacletus II, helping to secure Innocent’s position through his skillful diplomacy and theological arguments. Bernard’s advocacy for the Crusades, especially the Second Crusade, was driven by his deep sense of Christian mission, though the military expeditions were not as successful as he had hoped.
Perhaps one of Bernard’s most enduring legacies is his contribution to Marian theology. He became one of the leading proponents of the veneration of the Virgin Mary, drawing on earlier theological works by figures such as Ambrose and Augustine. Bernard’s Mariology emphasized Mary’s role as a compassionate mediator between humanity and Christ, advocating for her intercessory power and her position as the Mother of the Church. His sermons and writings on Mary, especially his famous homilies on the “Hail Holy Queen” prayer, helped shape the devotion to the Virgin that would flourish in later medieval theology. His articulation of Marian devotion reinforced both her unique role in salvation history and her accessibility to the faithful, cementing her place in Catholic spirituality.
In his lifetime, Bernard helped to found over 160 monasteries, spreading Cistercian ideals across Europe. His spiritual influence earned him the title “Mellifluous Doctor” for his eloquence, and his theological contributions, particularly his mysticism and Mariology, left a lasting imprint on the Church. Canonized in 1174 and later declared a Doctor of the Church, Bernard remains a revered figure, especially within the Cistercian and Trappist traditions.
Extant Writings:
Works:
- De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae (The steps of humility and pride)
- Apologia ad Guillelmum Sancti Theoderici Abbatem (Apology to William of St. Thierry)
- De conversione ad clericos sermo seu liber (On the conversion of clerics)
- De gratia et libero arbitrio (On grace and free choice)
- De diligendo Dei (On loving God)
- Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae (In Praise of the new knighthood)
- De praecepto et dispensatione libri (Book of precepts and dispensations)
- De consideratione (On consideration)
- Liber De vita et rebus gestis Sancti Malachiae Hiberniae Episcopi (The life and death of Saint Malachy, bishop of Ireland)
- De moribus et officio episcoporum
Sermons:
- Sermones super Cantica Canticorum (Sermons on the Song of Songs)
- Sermones de diversis (Sermons on Different Topics)
- Sermones per annum (Sermons on the Liturgical Year)
Quotes and Excerpts:
On Mary, Queen of Heaven:
“And the Queen of heaven, for whom I burn Completely with love, will give every grace, For I am her faithful Bernard.” –Paradiso 31, 100-102
On the Incarnation:
“God formed a single Christ from his own substance and from that of the Virgin; or rather, he became a single Christ.” –Super missus est 3, 4; PL 183, 73A.
“God was absolutely incomprehensible and inaccessible, invisible and inconceivable. But now he wanted to be grasped, seen, and conceived. “But how?” you ask. Lying in the manger, reclining in his mother’s virginal lap.” –In Nativitate II; PL 183, 443D.
On the Veneration of Mary:
“Oh, that you would observe whose Mother she is! How far would your admiration for her wonderful loftiness take you! Would it not lead you to understand that you cannot admire her enough? In your judgment, in the judgment of Truth himself, will she not be lifted up, yes, above all the choirs of angels, seeing that she had God as her own Son? Did not Mary boldly call him her Son, who is God and Lord of the angels?” –Super missus est 1, 7; PL 183, 59D.
On Immaculate Mary:
“God wanted her to be a virgin. From her, the immaculate one, would proceed the immaculate Son, who would wash away every stain. He also wanted her to be humble, for from her would come forth the Son who is meek and humble of heart, and in himself he would present an example of these virtues, an example necessary and salutary for all. So God, who had first inspired the Virgin’s vow of virginity and given her the merit of humility, granted to her that she should give birth.” –Super missus est 1, 7; PL 183, 61D
“Yes, honor the integrity of her flesh and the holiness of her life; wonder at the Virgin’s fruitfulness, venerate her divine Son. Exalt her who did not know concupiscence in conceiving or pain in childbirth. Preach her who is to be reverenced by the angels, desired by the nations, foreseen by the patriarchs and prophets, who was chosen from among all and preferred above all. Magnify her, the finder [inventrix] of grace, the mediatrix of salvation, restorer [restauratrix] of the ages. Exalt her who has been exalted into the kingdom of heaven, above the choirs of angels. This is what the Church sings of her to me, and the Church has taught me to sing the same. And what I have received from the Church, I safely hold and safely hand on to others. As for what I have not received from the Church, I confess that I would admit it with less ease. … I learned in the Church and from the Church to consider the birth of the Virgin certainly a holy day and worthy of celebration. With the Church, I firmly believe that Mary received, in [her mother’s] womb, the grace to be born holy.” –Super missus est 1, 7; PL 183, 61D
On Mary, Mediatrix:
“The Virgin’s martyrdom (which, as you may remember, we have reckoned the twelfth star of her crown) is confirmed, of course, both in the prophecy of Simeon and in the story of the Lord’s Passion. ‘This child has been set up’, said the holy old man about the Child Jesus, ‘as a sign which will be spoken against’. And he said to Mary, ‘A sword shall pierce your soul’ (Lk 2:34-35). O Blessed Mother, truly a sword has pierced your soul. Besides, if it did not pierce your soul, it would not pierce the flesh of your Son. And indeed, after your Son Jesus (who belongs to everyone but is your Son particularly) gave up his life, the cruel lance did not touch his soul at all, though it opened his side (not sparing one already dead, whom it could not harm). No, it pierced your soul instead. It is certain that his soul was no longer present, but your soul could not be torn away from that place. Therefore, a violent pain pierced your soul, so that we speak of you as more than a martyr. I am sure that, for you, what you felt in sharing your Son’s Passion was even worse than the sensation of physical suffering. Now, was not the word spoken by your Son from the cross not worse than a sword for you? Did it not pierce your soul, penetrating even unto the division of soul and spirit (ef. Heb 4:12)? ‘Woman, behold your son’ (n 19:26). What an exchange! In place of Jesus, you are handed John, the servant in place of the Master, the disciple in place of the teacher, the son of Zebedee in place of the Son of God, a mere man in place of true God! How could the hearing of these words not pierce your most affectionate soul, when the mere recollection of them breaks our hearts, though they be made of stone or iron? Do not wonder, brothers, that Mary is said to have been a martyr in her soul. Let him wonder who does not remember having heard Paul recalling that one of the greatest offenses of the pagans was that they were without affection (cf. Rom 1:31). This lack of feeling was far from the heart of Mary, and let it be far from the hearts of her servants. But perhaps someone will say, “Did she not know ahead of time that her Son was going to die?” Yes, undoubtedly. “Did she not keep on hoping that he would rise?” Yes, faithfully. “And despite this, she grieved to see him crucified?” Yes, greatly, Besides, who are you, brother, or where do you get this knowledge, if you find it more amazing that Mary should share in her Son’s suffering by her compassion than that Mary’s Son should suffer in the first place? If he could die in the body, why could she not die with him in her heart? It was charity, greater than that of any other man, that made [Christ die], and it was also charity that made Mary die with him in her heart, and, after that charity, no other like charity ever was. Now, O Mother of Mercy, the moon, humbly prostrate at your feet, devoutly implores you, her Mediatrix with the Sun of justice, begging you by the most sincere feeling of your heart that in your light she might see light and merit the grace of the Son by your procuring. For he truly loves you more than all others and has adorned you, dressing you in a robe of glory (of. Sir 6:31) and placing a crown of beauty on your head (cf. Ezek 16:12). You are full of graces (ef. Lk 1:28), full of heavenly dew, resting upon your beloved, sated with delight (cf. Song 8:5).” – Sermo infra Octavam Assumptionis 14-15; PL 183, 437-38