Fr. Bob’s Spiritual Reflection–8/20/2025
St. Bernard..Legend and Hero
Today is the feast day of a true legend and hero of the Catholic Church…….St Bernard of Clairvaux. I say hero and legend because of how much the Pope depended on him for so many different things.
Bernard was born in France and was motivated by his very religious mother and early in life found prayer to be so meaningful. At twenty-one he entered the Cistercians and three years later he founded the monastery at Clairvaux. There he introduced many reforms and in time he founded 163 monasteries.
Bishops and the Pope called on Bernard to arbitrate disputes and bring about evangelization of all of Europe. He found his call to serve, a blessing when so many came to him for healing. He himself struggled with health issues and found his relief in the love he had for the Blessed Mother. He liked to call himself “Blessed Mary’s little Chaplain.”
Bernard was canonized only twenty years after his death and was named a Doctor of the Church. His dedication to the Church is quite a challenge to imitate.