Lenten Readalong Begins

Dear Everyone,

It’s Ash Wednesday and I wish everyone who is celebrating a blessed Lent. This year I am inviting everyone to join me in a Lenten Readalong of “On Loving God” by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Dante describes St. Bernard in Canto XXI of the “Paradiso” thusly,

‘And he, the holy elder, said: “That you
may consummate your journey perfectly—
for this, both prayer and holy love have sent me

to help you—let your sight fly round this garden;
by gazing so, your vision will be made
more ready to ascend through God’s own ray.

The Queen of Heaven, for whom I am all
aflame with love, will grant us every grace:
I am her faithful Bernard.” Just as one

who, from Croatia perhaps, has come
to visit our Veronica—one whose
old hunger is not sated, who, as long

as it is shown, repeats these words in thought:
“O my Lord Jesus Christ, true God, was then
Your image like the image I see now?”—

such was I as I watched the living love
of him who, in this world, in contemplation,
tasted that peace.'”‘

I think this passage gives us an impression of why Dante chose St. Bernard to guide him after Beatrice took her seat amongst the blessed in Paradise. St. Bernard was known for his love of God, as a mystic, and for his emphasis on loving God. You can read more about him, (and his dispute with Peter Abelard) here.

Today, we will begin by reading Chapter 1 of “On Loving God.” The first chapter invites us to reflect on the question as to why we should love God. In this chapter, St. Bernard ably demonstrates his knowledge of Scripture, and he quotes from both the Old and New Testaments.

There are fifteen chapters in this work, which we will read over the course of the next forty days. The chapters aren’t very long and so my recommendation is that we read 2-3 per week. So over the course of this first week of Lent, let’s read Chapters 2-3. I will post weekly reflections, which I invite you to comment on.

Thank you for journeying through Lent with me. I hope that St. Bernard’s work will be a blessing to you all.

Peace be with you,
SR

www.sylvainreynard.com