An Introduction to St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Not being Catholic, I'm not overly familiar with the many saints. However, I do think that it is interesting to learn about them. Some of them are well known in contemporary culture (for example, Joan of Arc). A few saints' days are observed by people of all faiths, particularly patron saints of countries (for example, Ireland's Saint Patrick). There are many more saints, though, that seem to have been forgotten and are rarely mentioned. One of these lesser known saints is Bernard of Clairvaux.

Bernard was born to Tescelin, Lord of Fontaines, and Aleth of Montbard, in 1090 in Fontaines, France. Little is known about his early childhood. It is documented that he began his education in Chatillon when he was nine years old. The next notable event in his life was his mother's death. Bernard was nineteen when she died, and he was deeply affected by the loss. His views on life changed, and he increasingly turned to religion for solace. When he was twenty two, he entered a Cistercian monastery at Citeaux. He flourished as a monk.

Only three years after taking his vows, he was entrusted with the mission of founding a new monastery in Clairvaux. He was a patient and fair leader, and his new monastery was successful. In fact, the monastery soon grew so large that it had to be divided, and new monasteries founded to accommodate the people. In addition to his monastic duties, St. Bernard became a trusted advisor to the pope. Although the pope was incredibly powerful, there were numerous political disputes involving the church during this period. The pope often delegated these manners to Bernard and trusted him to resolve them. Bernard was also prominent politically for his support of the Second Crusade. Its failure was a bitter disappointment to him, and affected him deeply.

Although Bernard was a great proponent of the Cistercian ideals of simplicity in life and religion, he was an educated and intelligent man. He studied literature, and wrote poems, cannons, and sermons. The text to the hymn Jesus, the very thought of Thee are attributed to Bernard.