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Love Songs: Wisdom from St. Bernard of
Clairvaux, edited by Jeanne Kun. The Word Among Us Press, 2001..
The Introduction brings to mind the life of Saint Bernard as it was written in “The Family That Overtook Christ” by—-was it Raymond, the Cistercian? At the heart of Bernard, son of Tescelin and Aeth, who joined the strict Cistercians in Citeaux, along with his brother, uncles, and even his father, was his passion for God. Bernard experienced God’s love in profound ways and grew daily in the knowledge of the ways God loved him. This love burst forth in prayerful songs of
praise which the editor has presented in this book.
The editor borrowed from Bernard’s works entitled On Loving God, Sermons on the Song of Songs, Liturgical Sermons, On the Steps of Humility and Pride, In Praise of the Virgin Mother, In Praise of the New Knighthood, The Parables and the Sentences, On Conversion, and On Consideration. Based on Scripture, Bernard wrote in words that were shaped
by the language of the Holy Book, and he breathed of his familiarity with it.
Chapter one begins with Bernard’s words: “You wish me to tell you why and how God should be loved. My answer is that God Himself is the reason why He should be loved.” “As for how He is to be loved, there is to be no limit to that love.”
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St. Marguerite d’Youville: (1701-71). June 15.
Born in Varennes, Canada, Marie Marguerite Dufrost de Lajemmerais had to interrupt her schooling at the age of 12 to help her widowed mother. Eight years later she married Francois d’Youville; they had six children, four of whom died young. Despite the fact that her husband gambled, sold liquor illegally to Native Americans, and treated her indifferently, she cared for him compassionately until his death in
1730.
Even though she was caring for two small children and running a store to help pay off her husband’s debts, Marguerite still helped the poor. Once her children were grown, she and several companions rescued a Quebec hospital that was in danger of failing. She called her community the Institute of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal; the people called them the “Grey Nuns”
because of the color of their habits. In time, a proverb arose among the poor people of Montreal, “Go to the Grey Nuns; they never refuse to serve.” In time, five other religious communities traced their roots to the Grey Nuns.
The General Hospital in Montreal became known as the Hotel Dieu (House of God) and set a standard for medical care and Christian compassion. When
the hospital was destroyed by fire in 1766, Mère Marguerite knelt in the ashes, led the Te Deum–a hymn to God’s providence in all circumstances–and began the rebuilding process. She fought the attempts of government officials to restrain her charity, and established the first foundling home in North America.
Pope Saint John XXIII, who beatified Mère Marguerite in 1959, called her
the “Mother of Universal Charity.” She was canonized in 1990.
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