Bernard of Clairvaux

Because Bernard of Clairvaux has written one of the first letters regarding the Rules of the Knights Templar, he is important enough to deserve a special paragraph on this weblog.
(info taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia)

Bernard's youth
He was born from his father Tescelin, lord of Fontaines, and Aleth of Montbard, both of Burgundy nobility . Bernard, was sent to a much renowned school at Chatillon-sur-Seine when he was nine years old, this school was kept by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles. He loved literature and to a lesser extent, poetry.
Bernard's motivation with literature was inspired to take up the study of Sacred Scripture. He was especially devoted to the Blessed Virgin.
During his youth, he was tempted in different ways, but his virtue triumphed over them, in many instances in a heroic manner, and from this time he thought of retiring from the world and living a life of solitude and prayer. So his way to Monastic life was paved here.

The Abbey of Citeaux
Around 1113 Bernard sought entrance and admittance to the Monastic Order (Cistercian). Life in this Monastery was dictated by the Rule of Benedict. After almost three years Bernard and a number of other monks were sent to found a new house in the 'Vallée d'Absinthe' (valley of bitterness; freely translated). Bernard named the house: 'Claire Vallée' or, Clairvaux, this he did at June 25th in the year 1115.
William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne, blessed Bernard as abbot because he saw in him the predestined man, servum Dei. (serving god)
It is an interesting fact that apart from Bernard, also his father (Tescelin, now old) and all his brothers entered his Monastery as well.
Because of great success Bernard had to found new houses:

• in 1118, the Monastery of the Three Fountains was founded in the Diocese of Châlons;
• in 1119, that of Fontenay in the Diocese of Auton (now Dijon)
  
• and in 1121, that of Foigny, near Vervins, in the Diocese of Laon (now Soissons)

In the year 1119, Bernard attended the first general chapter of the order convoked by Stephen of Cîteaux. Though one of the younger participants, Bernard was listened to with the greatest attention and respect, especially when he presented his thoughts upon the revival of the primitive spirit of regularity and fervour in all the monastic orders. It was this general chapter that gave definitive form to the constitutions of the order and the regulations of the "Charter of Charity" which Pope Callixtus II confirmed 23 December, 1119. In 1120 Bernard composed his first work "De Gradibus Superbiae et Humilitatis" and his homilies which he entitles "De Laudibus Mariae".

Council of Troyes
In the year 1128, Bernard was assisting as Secretary at the Council of Troyes, which had been convoked by Pope Honorius II, and was presided over by Cardinal Matthew, Bishop of Albano.
It was at this council that Bernard traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templars who would later become the ideal of the French nobility. Bernard praises it in his "De Laudibus Novae Militiae".

Pope Innocentius visits Clairvaux
Around 1130 the pope Innocentius visited the Monastery of Clairvaux and he was taken by the pure and simple religous reception there. n 1132, Bernard accompanied Innocent II into Italy, and at Cluny the pope abolished the dues which Clairvaux used to pay to this celebrated abbey--an action which gave rise to a quarrel between the "White Monks" and the "Black Monks" which lasted twenty years.

Fall of Edessa 1144
When the news came that Edessa had fallen to the Siege and that jeruzalem and Atoich could expect a similar fate, the pope commissioned Bernard to preach a new Crusade and granted the same indulgences for it which Urban II had accorded to the first. Then a parliament was convoked at Vézelay in Burgundy in 1146, and Bernard preached before the assembly. And it was a success, many pledged the vows to go on Crusade.



The Works of Bernard of Clairvaux

The works of St. Bernard are the following:

* "De Gradibus Superbiae", his first treatise;
* "Homilies on the Gospel 'Missus est'" (1120);
* "Apology to William of St. Thierry" against the claims of the monks of Cluny;
* "On the Conversion of Clerics", a book addressed to the young ecclesiastics of Paris (1122);
* "De Laudibus Novae Militiae", addressed to Hughes de Payns, first Grand Master and Prior of Jerusalem (1129). This is a eulogy of the military order instituted in 1118, and an exhortation to the knights to conduct themselves with courage in their several stations.
* "De amore Dei" wherein St. Bernard shows that the manner of loving God is to love Him without measure and gives the different degree of this love;
* "Book of Precepts and Dispensations" (1131), which contains answers to questions upon certain points of the Rule of St. Benedict from which the abbot can, or cannot, dispense;
* "De Gratiâ et Libero Arbitrio" in which the Catholic dogma of grace and free will is proved according to the principles of St. Augustine;
* "Book of Considerations", addressed to Pope Eugenius III;
* "De Officiis Episcoporum", addressed to Henry, Archbishop of Sens.

His sermons are also numerous:

* "On Psalm 90, 'Qui habitat'" (about 1125);
* "On the Canticle of Canticles". St. Bernard explained in eighty-six sermons only the first two chapters of the Canticle of Canticles and the first verse of the third chapter.
* There are also eighty-six "Sermons for the Whole Year"; his "Letters" number 530.

There is more to tell about Bernard of Clairvaux, but the above is enough.