Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Saints

SERMONS OF ST BERNARD, ABBOT OF CLAIRVAUX, ON THE SAINTS.

ON THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL. SERMON I. How we ought to be converted after his example.

1. Rightly indeed, dearly beloved, is the conversion of the Teacher of the Gentiles celebrated today by the whole of the Gentiles with festive rejoicing. For we see that many branches have sprung from this root. Paul, once converted, was made a minister of conversion to the whole world. And many indeed, while he was formerly still in the flesh, yet no longer walking according to

the flesh, he converted to God by the office of preaching; and now too, living more happily in Him and with Him, he does not even yet cease from the conversion of men: I mean by example, by prayer, by teaching. For this reason, then, the memory of his conversion is kept so often, because it is also found useful to those who keep it in memory. For in this memory the sinner conceives hope of pardon, so that he is called forth to penance; and

he who already repents receives the pattern of a perfect conversion. Who would despair any longer on account of the greatness of any crime whatever, when he hears that Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, was suddenly made a vessel of election? Who, pressed down by the weight of iniquity, would say: I am not able now to rise to better pursuits; when on the very journey on which, thirsting for Christian blood, he was breathing out a dire venom from his whole breast, the cruellest persecutor was suddenly changed into the most faithful preacher? For in this one conversion both the greatness of mercy and the efficacy of grace are magnificently set forth.

2. Suddenly, says Luke, there shone round about him a light from heaven (Acts 9:1–8). O truly inestimable condescension of the divine goodness! He illumines with heavenly brightness, at least from outside, one who was as yet incapable of light within: he who could not yet have it poured into him is at least poured round with the divine radiance. And there came a voice. The testimonies of light and of voice were made exceedingly credible, nor can one doubt of the truth which presses itself in through both windows, namely of the eyes and of the ears. So indeed, so at the Jordan too, above the Lord's head, both a dove appeared and a voice sounded (Matt. 3:16–17); so also on the mountain, when He was transfigured before the disciples, both a brightness was seen and the voice of the Father was heard all the same (Matt. 17:2, 5): Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? Truly Saul is caught: there is no room for pretence, no possibility at all of denial. In his hands are the letters of a most cruel commission, of an authority to be execrated, of an unjust power. Why do you persecute Me? He says. Was he not persecuting Christ, who was butchering the members of Christ on earth? Or did those persecute Christ who fastened that most sacred body to the gibbet of the cross, and was he not persecuting Him who raged with unjust hatred against His body, which is the Church (for she too is His body)? In short, if He gave His own blood as the price of the redemption of souls, does it not seem to you that He suffers a heavier persecution from him who, by malign suggestion, by pernicious example, by occasion of scandal, turns away from Him the souls He has redeemed, than from the Jew who shed that blood?

3. Recognize, dearly beloved, and dread the fellowship of those who hinder the salvation of souls. Utterly horrible is the sacrilege, which seems to exceed even the crime of those who laid sacrilegious hands on the Lord of majesty. The time of persecution seemed already to have ceased; but, as has been made plain, persecution is never lacking to the Christian, nor indeed to Christ. And now, what is graver, those very men persecute Christ who are certainly called Christians after Him. Thy friends, O God, and Thy neighbours have drawn near against Thee and have stood. The whole of the Christian people seems to have conspired against Thee, from the least even to the greatest: from the sole of the foot even to the crown there is no soundness at all: iniquity has gone forth from the elder judges, Thy vicars, who seem to rule Thy people. One can no longer say, As the people, so the priest (Isa. 24:2); for not even is the people as the priest.

Alas, alas! Lord God, for those are first in persecuting Thee who seem to love the primacy in Thy Church and to bear its rule! They have seized the citadel of Sion, they have taken the fortifications, and thereafter they freely and with full power hand over the whole city to burning. Wretched is their manner of life, pitiable the overthrow of Thy people. And would that they did harm in this respect alone! There might perhaps be someone who, forewarned and forearmed by the Lord's exhortation, would take care not to imitate their examples but to observe their precepts, according to that saying: What they say, do, and do not look to their works (Matt. 23:3). But now the sacred orders are given as an occasion of base gain, and they reckon godliness to be gain. For they are found to be of most abundant godliness in taking up, or rather in receiving, the care of souls: but with them this is the lesser care, and the salvation of souls is their last thought. Could there indeed be any heavier persecution for the Saviour of souls? The others too act wickedly against Christ, and many are the antichrists in our times. Yet rightly He judges that persecution the crueller in view of the benefits received, and feels it the heavier in view of the power, which He suffers from His own ministers; although many others too seem to act against the salvation of their neighbours in many ways and by many means and on various occasions. These things Christ sees, and is silent; these things the Saviour suffers, and passes over. Therefore it is necessary that we too pass over them and be silent for the time being, and most of all about our prelates, the masters of the churches. So indeed, so it pleases them as well, that they should escape human judgements now, and that once for all there should come a heavy judgement on those who preside, and the mighty should suffer torments mightily.

4. I fear, dearly beloved, lest there be perhaps among us too some persecutor of the Lord, since plain reason has taught that to hinder salvation is to persecute the Saviour. What thanks can I give, for the salvation of my soul, to that brother who pledges me the poison of detraction against a brother? Rightly are detractors described as hateful to God (Rom. 1:30), as being persecutors. And what of him who by his example provokes the others to act more slackly, or disturbs them by his singularity, or unsettles them by his curiosity, or troubles them by his impatience and murmuring; or in any way whatever saddens the Spirit of God who is in them, scandalizing one of these least who believe in Him? Does not he too plainly persecute Christ? So, that both the name and the crime of persecutors may always be far from us, I beseech you, dearly beloved, let us always show ourselves kind and gentle, bearing with one another in all patience, and provoking one another to what is better and more perfect. For what servant thinks it enough for himself not to persecute his Lord, while not even obeying his Lord? What favour will he have if, as he does not resist, so he does not even stand by Him? Lastly, if anyone is so faint-hearted that he reckons it enough for himself to be neither a persecutor nor a fellow-worker of God, let him hear what He Himself says: He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters (Matt. 12:30).

5. Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? And he:

Who are You, Lord? From this it is surely given to be understood that the brightness was truly poured round him, not poured into him. Paul heard the voice of the Lord, but did not see the face of the Lord; for he was being instructed for faith: and, as he himself afterwards taught, Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). Who are You? he says. For he was persecuting one unknown to him, and therefore he obtained mercy, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief. Learn from this, brethren, that God, the just judge, considers not only what is done, but also with what mind it is done; and beware henceforth lest anyone think small the things, however small, in which he is convicted [alias: seen] of offending knowingly. Let no one say in his heart: These things are light, I do not care to correct them; it is no great matter if I remain in these venial and least sins. For this, dearly beloved, is impenitence, this is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, blasphemy beyond remission. Paul indeed was a blasphemer, but not against the Holy Spirit, because he did it ignorantly in unbelief. He did not speak blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; therefore he obtained mercy.

6. Who are You, Lord? And the Lord to him: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute. I am the Saviour, whom you assail by persecuting. I am He of whom you read, foretold in your law, what you do not know has been fulfilled: For He shall be called a Nazarene (Matt. 2:23). And he: Lord, what do You want me to do? This, brethren, is plainly the perfect pattern of conversion. My heart is ready, he says, O God; my heart is ready (Ps. 107:2). I am ready and am not troubled, to keep Thy commandments (Ps. 118:60). Lord, what do You want me to do? O word brief, but full, but living and effective, but worthy of all acceptance! How few are found in this pattern of perfect obedience, who have so cast away their own will that they have not even their own heart, so that at every hour they seek not what they themselves, but what the Lord wills, saying without ceasing, Lord, what do You want me to do? and that word of Samuel, Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hears (1 Sam. 3:10). Alas! we have more imitators of that blind man of the Gospel than of the new apostle. What do you want, says the Lord to that blind man, that I should do for you? (Luke 18:41). How great is Thy compassion, Lord, how great Thy condescension! Does the Lord thus ask so that He may do His servant's will? Truly blind was that man, because he did not consider, was not aghast, did not cry out: Far be this, Lord; rather do Thou say what Thou wouldst have me do! For so it is fitting, so it is altogether right, that not my will be sought and done by Thee, but Thy will by me. You see, brethren, that in this place a conversion was truly necessary. So indeed, so even to this day the faint-heartedness and perverseness of many demands that they must be asked: What do you want me to do for you? They themselves do not ask, Lord, what do You want me to do? The ministers and vicars of Christ think it necessary to consider what they would like to be commanded: they themselves do not consider what is the will of the one who commands. Their obedience is not full, not in all things

are they ready to obey; they have not resolved to follow in all things Him who came to do not His own will but the Father's. They distinguish and decide, choosing in what things they will obey the one who commands, or rather in what things their superior must obey their will. Let such men, therefore, even if they see themselves tolerated, and condescension shown and indulgence given to their weakness, make progress, I beseech, and let them be ashamed to be found always little ones, lest some time perhaps they hear: What ought I to have done for you, and have not done? and, as they abuse the patience and kindness of their prelate, the abundance of the mercy shown them become at last the heap of a just condemnation.

7. Lord, what do You want me to do? And the Lord to him: Arise, and go into the city; there you will be told what you must do. O Wisdom, truly ordering all things sweetly! The one to whom Thou speakest, to be instructed concerning Thy will, Thou sendest to a man, so that the usefulness of the common life may be commended; and so that, taught by a man, he too may learn to help men according to the grace given him. Go into the city. You see, brethren, that it was not without divine counsel that you entered this city of the Lord of hosts, to learn the divine will. Plainly He who wholesomely terrified you, and turned your heart to desire His will, He Himself said to you: Arise, and go into the city. But hear how plainly, in what follows, willing simplicity and Christian meekness are commended. With his eyes open he saw nothing: but he was led by the hand by those who were with him. Happy blindness, by which eyes once ill enlightened in transgression are at last wholesomely blinded in conversion. Indeed, that Paul remains three days without food, persisting in prayer, pertains most of all to those who, newly renouncing the world, do not yet breathe freely in heavenly consolation. Let them therefore also wait for the Lord in all patience; let them pray without ceasing, seeking, asking, knocking, for the heavenly Father will hear them in due time. He will not forget them to the end; He will come and will not delay. If for three days you have waited for Him, having nothing to eat, trust that the compassionate and merciful Lord will not send you away fasting.

8. Then Ananias is commanded to lay hands on Saul; but, as one well taught, he does not at once acquiesce. For see whether Paul himself did not afterwards also hand on this teaching to his disciple, saying: Lay hands hastily on no one (1 Tim. 5:22). He has seen, says the Lord, a man laying hands on him, that he may receive his sight. Brethren, when Paul had seen this, he was not at once enlightened. Did he not wait for the hand of Ananias, whose coming he had perhaps foreseen in dreams? (Acts 9). I say these things to you, dearest brethren, because I fear lest there be perhaps someone among you who presumes that he has been enlightened by a dream alone; and no longer bears with equanimity to be led by the hand, but professes himself the guide of others. For one to whom the care of administration has not yet been enjoined, to whom a stewardship has not yet been entrusted, to whom