Episode Details

A meditation for the Feast of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, from Dom Guéranger’s “The Liturgical Year”, Volume IV of the Time after Pentecost.Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was a French Cistercian monk, abbot, mystic, theologian, and one of the most influential saints of the twelfth century. Born into a noble family of Burgundy, he entered the newly founded Cistercian monastery at Cîteaux in 1112, bringing with him a large group of companions, including several of his brothers. He later founded the monastery of Clairvaux and became its abbot, making it a great center of Cistercian spirituality and reform. Renowned for his preaching, eloquence, and profound devotion to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bernard traveled extensively to defend the Church, reconcile disputes, combat heresy, and preach the Second Crusade. He was also a prolific writer, especially celebrated for his sermons on the Canticle of Canticles and his works on the love of God and the spiritual life. Though deeply contemplative, he was drawn into the great ecclesiastical affairs of his age and became an important adviser to popes and kings. He died at Clairvaux in 1153 and was canonized in 1174; in 1830, Pope Pius VIII declared him a Doctor of the Church, giving him the title Doctor Mellifluus, the “Honey-Sweet Doctor,” in honor of the sweetness and eloquence of his teaching.Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.Link to the Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year playlist (updated daily): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZKdyYnV_bkh7rH6piW0ShgsdcefFoOvJIf you would like to support this channel:  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InprincipioPodcast PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U5EZ9X2CE2V7W Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/InPrincipioPodcast Zelle: inprincipiopodcast@gmail.com; or search for Zelle tag “inprincipiopodcast”  Checks may be written out to ‘InPrincipio Podcast’ and mailed to: P.O. Box 117 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924Sincere thanks to all who are able to contribute, by your prayers, your patronage, or otherwise. Your support sustains this work and helps make these readings available to others.Artwork: “The Virgin Appears to Saint Bernard” by Juan Correa de Vivar c. 1545