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The heart of Christ can be seen through the openings of his wounds. For what can prove to me so clearly as your wounds that you, O Lord Jesus, are sweet & mild & plenteous in mercy.

Bernard of Clairvaux

Humility in furs is better than pride in tunics.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Better Fur Humility Pride
If anyone makes himself his own master in the spiritual life, he makes himself scholar to a fool.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Fool Masters Spiritual
Many of those who are humiliated are not humble. Some react to humiliation with anger, others with patience, and others with freedom. The first are culpable, the next harmless, the last just.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Humble Lasts Next
What does God hate or punish except self-will? Let self-will cease, and there will be no hell. On what does that fire feed except on self-will?
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Cease Except Feed Fire Hate Self
Theirs is an endless road, a hopeless maze, who seek for goods before they seek for God.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Financial Mazes Stewardship
Let us not imagine that we obscure the glory of the Son by the great praise we lavish on the Mother; for the more she is honored, the greater is the glory of her Son. There can be no doubt that whatever we say in praise of the Mother gives equal praise to the Son.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Christian Honored More Mother Son
For I have learnt for a fact that nothing so effectively obtains, retains and regains grace, as that we should always be found not high-minded before God, but filled with holy fear.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Facts Found Grace High Holy
Hell is full of good wishes or desires.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Catholic Desire Wish
The rivers of Grace cannot flow uphill, up the steep cliff of the proud man’s heart.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Heart Men River
What I know of the divine science and holy scripture, I learnt in the woods and fields.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Fields Scripture Woods
Pride causes us to use our gifts as though they came from ourselves, not benefits received from God, and to usurp our benefactor’s glory.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Benefactor Benefits Pride Use
Do what Jesus says… what he commands through his ministers who are in the Church [see 1 Cor 6:4]. Be subject to his vicars, your leaders, not only those who are gentle and kind, but even those who are overbearing [see 1 Pt 2:18].
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Church Command Jesus Leader Minister
When God forgives a sinner who humbly confesses his sin, the devil loses his dominion over the heart he had taken.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Forgiving Heart Taken
What I know of the divine sciences and Holy Scriptures, I learned in woods and fields. I have no other masters than the beeches and the oaks.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Life Nature Religion
With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Christian Fall Heart
To serve Mary is a mark of eternal salvation to come.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Mark Mary Salvation
there are four degrees of love: 1) Love of self for self’s sake. 2) Love of God for self’s sake. 3) Love of God for God’s own sake. 4) Love of self for God’s sake.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Heart Love Self Soul
Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Hoe Lesson Needs
Both the nail and the wound cry out that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself… Through these sacred wounds we can see the secret of his heart, the great mystery of love.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Christ Cry Heart Love Mystery Nail Sacred
God has aroused the spirit of kings and princes to root up from the earth the enemies of the Christian name. Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of Christ.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Christian Enemies Grid Kings War
Ingratitude is the soul’s enemy… Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Grace Soul Wind
And truly, O man, if you concentrate hard on the state you are in it will be surprising if you have time for anything else.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Anything Concentrate Man Surprising
If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. For a canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Loss Water Wise
Inordinate love for the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body, we kill the soul.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Appearance Body Flesh Soul
Your actions in passing, pass not away, for every good work is a grain of seed for eternal life.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Action Good Life Work
Nay, what is worse, turning over corrupt and evil thoughts in mine heart, I thrust a dreadful offensiveness into His presence.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Dreadful Offensiveness Presence
Humility is, of all graces, the chiefest when it does not know itself to be a grace at all.
BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

Grace Humility Know

The heart of Christ can be seen through the openings of his wounds. For what can prove to me so clearly as your wounds that you, O Lord Jesus, are sweet & mild & plenteous in mercy.

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The heart of Christ can be seen through the openings of his wounds. For what can prove to me so clearly as your wounds that you, O Lord Jesus, are sweet & mild & plenteous in mercy.

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Popular Authors

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