Category Archives: Bernard of Clairvaux

Devout Adoration

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Matthew Phillips

“We revere him in the manger, we revere him on the gibbet, we revere him in the tomb.  Devoutly do we acknowledge that he was a tender child for our sake, and blood-stained for our sake; we revere him, pallid … Continue reading →

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Who Can Marvel Enough?

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Matthew Phillips

“An angel announces, power overshadows, and the Spirit startles; the Virgin believes, by faith the Virgin conceives, the Virgin gives birth, the Virgin remains a virgin: who would not marvel? Then is the Son of the Most High born, God, … Continue reading →

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Humility

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Matthew Phillips

“And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12 (Douay-Rheims) In my last post we saw how Augustine asserted that pride began as a perverse exaltation of the self above … Continue reading →

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Pride Goes Before Destruction

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Matthew Phillips

“Pride goeth before destruction and the spirit is lifted up before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (Douay-Rheims) Pride (superbia) was the foundation of all sin in medieval piety and theology.  A concept well-established on the Bible and the Church Fathers, pride … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clairvaux, medieval, pride | 1 Comment

Bernard’s Memoria

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Matthew Phillips

“Preserve without fail the memory of all those bitter things he endured for you, persevere in meditating on him and you in turn will be able to say: ‘My beloved is to me a little bunch of myrrh that lies … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard of Clairvaux, memory, philosophy | 2 Comments