Sermons of St. Bernard, Abbot

Sermon 15 on the Canticle of Canticles

 Not in vain does the Holy Spirit compare the name of the Bridegroom with oil when He makes the bride say to the Bridegroom, "Your name is as oil poured out." For oil gives light, nourishment, and ointment. It feeds the flame, nourishes the flesh, eases pain; it is light and food and medicine. See, all this applies to the Bridegroom's name: when preached on, it enlightens; when thought on, it enlivens; when called on, it smoothes and soothes. Let us follow through each point. What do you think caused such a sudden shining of faith's light throughout the world, if not the preaching of the name of Jesus? Has not God called us into His own wonderful light by the radiance of this name? Thus are we illumined, and in this light we see light, so that St. Paul says to us with good reason, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."

The same Apostle Paul was charged to carry this name among kings and nations and the children of Israel. And he did carry this name, carried it like a torch, and enlightened his homeland. Everywhere he proclaimed, "The night is far advanced; the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Let us walk becomingly as in the day." Paul set this lamp upon its stand for all to see, preaching everywhere Jesus, and Him crucified. How this light sparkled and drew the gaze of all beholding it when it came forth from St. Peter's mouth like lightning! It set a lame man soundly on his feet, and gave sight to many who were spiritually blind. For certainly Peter struck sparks when he declared, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk!"

The name of Jesus is not only light, it is also food. Are you not strengthened whenever you meditate on it? What is its equal for enriching the mind that thinks about it? What else can so renew your fatigued spiritual powers, bolster virtue, make good and upright habits grow, foster pure affections? All spiritual food is dry if this oil is not mixed in with it, tasteless if it is not seasoned with this salt. Anything you write is without savor for me unless I read the name of Jesus in it. Your disputations and your conferences remain flat to me unless they ring with the name of Jesus. "Jesus" is honey to the mouth, sweet song to the ear, joyful delight to the heart. But it is also a medicine. Is someone sad among us? Let "Jesus" come into his heart and from there leap to his lips. And behold, as the light of His name arises, all clouds pass, and cheerfulness returns. Has someone lapsed into sin? Worse, is despair pushing him headlong into a trap where death awaits his soul? Surely, if he invokes the name of Life, he will be revitalized at once.

Sermon 1 on the Circumcision

A great and awesome mystery! The Child is circumcised, and is called Jesus. Why are these two events connected? "Jesus" means "Savior," and circumcision seems to pertain more to one who needs to be saved than to the Savior, so that we should expect the Savior to do the circumcising rather than to be circumcised Himself. But the connection is seen if we recognize Jesus not only as Savior but also as Mediator between God and men. From the very beginning, from His birth, He allies the human with the divine, the lowest with the most sublime. He is born of a woman, but one whose fruit-fulness came about in such a way that the flower of virginity remained. He is wrapped in swaddling bands, yet these very cloths share in the honor of angelic praises. He is ensconced in a crib, but is made known by a star shining from heaven. So indeed the circumcision shows the reality of the human nature He has taken up; while the name which is above every name reveals His glorious majesty. Being a true son of Abraham, He is circumcised; being the true Son of God, He is called Jesus.

 For my Jesus does not bear this name, like some before Him, as an empty title. With Him there is no foreshadowing of a great name, but rather the reality itself. Indeed, the Evangelist bears witness that the name is of heavenly origin: "the name given Him by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb." And note the depth of meaning in the word: after His birth He is called "Jesus" by men; even before His conception He had been called "Jesus" by an Angel. This means that He is Savior of both Angels and men: of Angels from the beginning of creation, of men from the time of His incarnation. "His name was called Jesus," says the Gospel, "the name given Him by the Angel." Thus "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every Word is established." And that Word which is found in the Prophet's book as "cut short" is manifested in the Gospel as the Word made flesh. 

Sermon 2 on the Circumcision

 The circumcision of the Child who "is born to us" is obviously an appropriate time for calling Him "Savior," since it is now that He begins to actualize our salvation, shedding His immaculate blood for us. There is no need, then, for Christians to go searching for the reason why the Lord Christ wished to be circumcised. He was circumcised for the same reason that He was born and suffered. He did all these things not for Himself, but for His chosen ones. He was neither conceived in sin, nor circumcised because of sin, nor put to death for sin of His own. Rather, He died for our sins. "The name," says the Gospel, "given Him by the Angel before He was conceived in the womb." More precisely, the name by which the Angel called Him, not a name which the Angel gave Him. For this name is His from all eternity. He is Savior by His own proper nature. This name is innately His, not given Him by any human or angelic creature.