Bernard of clairvoux

Three years later, St. Considering the rationalistic attitude typified by Abelard to represent a serious threat to the spiritual foundations of Christendom, Bernard now renewed his accusation of heresy against the scholar and became the prosecutor in his trial.

This is a eulogy of the military order instituted inand an exhortation to the knights to conduct themselves with courage in their several stations. Bernard considered lectio divina and contemplation guided by the Holy Spirit the keys to nourishing Christian spirituality. Deputations of the bishops of Armenia solicited aid from the pope, and the King of France also sent ambassadors.

Nevertheless, their formally responding to his call had a tremendous effect. Four brothers, an uncle, two cousins, an architect, and two seasoned monks under the leadership of Bernard endured extreme deprivations for well Bernard of clairvoux a decade before Clairvaux was self-sufficient.

He had accredited the enterprise by miraclesbut he had not guaranteed its success against the misconduct and perfidy of those who participated in it.

Bernard's great desire was to excel in literature in order to take up the study of Sacred Scripturewhich later on became, as it were, his own tongue. In the first part, he proved himself innocent of the charges of Cluny and in the second he gave his reasons for his counterattacks.

He then found Radulphe in Mainz and was able to silence him, returning him to his monastery. Bernard then denounced him to the pope who caused a general council to be held at Sens. He defended the rights of the Church against the encroachments of kings and princes, and recalled to their duty Henri Sanglierarchbishop of Sens and Stephen of Senlisbishop of Paris.

Bernard explained in eighty-six sermons only the first two chapters of the Canticle of Canticles and the first verse of the third chapter. This led for a time to the exaltation of human reason and rationalism. Bernard are as follows: He then went with him into Italy and reconciled Pisa with Genoaand Milan with the pope.

At the Eucharisthe "admonished the Duke not to despise God as he did His servants".

Believing himself at last secure in his cloister, Bernard devoted himself with renewed vigour to the composition of the works which would win for him the title of "Doctor of the Church".

Lack of discipline and the over-confidence of the German troops, the intrigues of the Prince of Antioch and Queen Eleanor, and finally the avarice and evident treason of the Christian nobles of Syriawho prevented the capture of Damascusappear to have been the cause of disaster.

Bernard answered the letter by saying that, if he had assisted at the council, it was because he had been dragged to it, as it were, by force. De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae [The steps of humility and pride] in Latin.

The regime was so austere that Bernard became ill, and only the influence of his friend William of Champeaux and the authority of the general chapter could make him mitigate the austerities. Clairvaux becoming too small for the religious who crowded there, it was necessary to send out bands to found new houses.

A book addressed to the young ecclesiastics of Paris. Peter the Venerableabbot of Clunyanswered Bernard and assured him of his great admiration and sincere friendship.

As in the First Crusade, the preaching led to attacks on Jews ; a fanatical French monk named Radulphe was apparently inspiring massacres of Jews in the Rhineland, CologneMainzWormsand Speyerwith Radulphe claiming Jews were not contributing financially to the rescue of the Holy Land.

Bernard struggled and learned to live with the inevitable tension created by his desire to serve others in charity through obedience and his desire to cultivate his inner life by remaining in his monastic enclosure.

Under the care of his pious parents he was sent at an early age to a college at Chatillon, where he was conspicuous for his remarkable piety and spirit of recollection.

On the news of the disaster that had overtaken the crusaders, an effort was made to salvage the effort by organizing another expedition.

It is a testimony to the nature of his personality that when he finally decided to join the Benedictine community at Citeaux, he took with him his brothers, several of his relations and a number of friends. After a novitiate spent in great fervor, he made his profession in the following year.

Alberic, who died in the year Bernard was chosen by the council to draw up a profession of faith directly opposed to that of Gilbert, who concluded by stating to the Fathers: In the meantime the abbot had returned to France in June, and was continuing the work of peacemaking which he had commenced in He is labeled the "Mellifluous Doctor" for his eloquence.

The full text has not survived, but a contemporary account says that "his voice rang out across the meadow like a celestial organ" [18] James Meeker Ludlow describes the scene romantically in his book The Age of the Crusades: The whole conflict ended when Anacletus died on 25 January The Second Crusade Even more important was his activity in the following year,when Bernard was asked by Louis VII of France of France whether it would be right to raise a crusade.

Other monks, such as the Cistercian St. Bernard de Clairvaux (–), were suspicious of the use France: Religious and cultural life ascetic Benedictine observance, of which St. Bernard of Clairvaux (–) was the great proponent.

During an absence from Clairvaux, the Grand Prior of Cluny, Bernard of Uxells, sent by the Prince of Priors, to use the expression of Bernard, went to Clairvaux and enticed away the abbot's cousin, Robert of Châtillon.

This was the occasion of the longest, and most touching of Bernard's letters. By Clairvaux was able to found its first daughter house—the first of some 70 Cistercian monasteries Bernard founded (which in turn founded another monasteries in Bernard's lifetime.

Welcome to the Parish of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Welcome to St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish! We hope you will find a genuine spiritual home with us. St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church St.

Bernard was born of noble parentage in Burgundy, France, in the castle of Fontaines near Dijon. Under the care of his pious parents he was sent at an early age to a college at Chatillon, where he was conspicuous for his remarkable piety and spirit of recollection.

Bernard was born at Fontaines, near Dijon, in France, into the noble class. His father, Tescelin, was a knight of the lower nobility, and his mother, Aleth, was a daughter of the noble house of Montbard.

She was a woman distinguished for her piety, but died while Bernard was still a boy.

Bernard of clairvoux