Standing on the Rock – St. Bernard of Clairvaux on the Stages of Contemplation with Kris McGregor

About This Episode

In this episode of The Spiritual Journey for the Discerning Heart, Kris McGregor reflects on Saint Bernard of Clairvaux’s teaching on the stages of contemplation and what it can teach us about discerning God’s will.

St. Bernard begins with a powerful image: before trying to determine where God is leading, “take our stand” on Christ, the solid rock. Discernment begins in relationship with Jesus. From that foundation, the soul learns to listen to what the Lord is saying and to consider how it is being called to respond.

Bernard describes the first stage of contemplation as asking what God wants, what is pleasing to him, and what is acceptable in his sight. This requires humility because even sincere prayer can be influenced by our own desires, fears, attachments, expectations, and wounds. The answer is not self-condemnation, but honesty beneath the merciful gaze of God: “Heal me, Lord.”

As prayer deepens, Bernard describes another movement. The soul gradually turns from concentrating primarily on itself and its particular circumstances toward contemplating God himself. The question begins to move from “What does God want from me?” toward a deeper confidence in who God is and in the goodness of his will.

This change is important for discernment. God’s will is not a hidden answer that must somehow be forced out of him. Trust grows as the soul becomes convinced of God’s goodness. Even when his will involves surrender, patience, conversion, or an unexpected road, the discerning heart can place itself in his hands because it has begun to know the One who leads it.

Saint Bernard summarizes the movement beautifully: contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. For someone whose discernment has become anxious or exhausting, his counsel is deeply practical. Stand again on Christ, acknowledge honestly what is happening within the heart, receive God’s mercy, and allow prayer to lead beyond endless self-examination into confidence in the goodness of the Lord.

Discerning Hearts Reflection Question

1. When you are discerning an important question, do you begin by trying to find an answer or by becoming more firmly grounded in your relationship with Christ? What might it mean for you to “stand on the rock” before making a decision?
2. What desires, fears, expectations, or attachments might be influencing the way you currently see a situation? Can you bring those honestly before God without immediately judging or suppressing them?
3. Saint Bernard moves from asking what God wants of us to contemplating the goodness of God himself. Has your prayer become so focused on finding an answer that you have lost sight of the Lord who is leading you?
4. Bernard says that contemplating ourselves brings humility, while contemplating God brings hope and love. Which of those movements seems especially important in your prayer right now?

From the Office of Readings

From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux