On Loving God
by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
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DEDICATION
To the illustrious Lord Haimeric, Cardinal Deacon of the Roman Church, and
Chancellor: Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wisheth long life in the Lord
and death in the Lord.
Hitherto you have been wont to seek prayers from me, not the solving of
problems; although I count myself sufficient for neither. My profession shows
that, if not my conversation; and to speak truth, I lack the diligence and the
ability that are most essential. Yet I am glad that you turn again for
spiritual counsel, instead of busying yourself about carnal matters: I only
wish you had gone to some one better equipped than I am. Still, learned and
simple give the same excuse and one can hardly tell whether it comes from
modesty or from ignorance, unless obedience to the task assigned shall reveal.
So, take from my poverty what I can give you, lest I should seem to play the
philosopher, by reason of my silence. Only, I do not promise to answer other
questions you may raise. This one, as to loving God, I will deal with as He
shall teach me; for it is sweetest, it can be handled most safely, and it will
be most profitable. Keep the others for wiser men.
Chapter I. Why we should love God and the measure of that love
You want me to tell you why God is to be loved and how much. I answer, the
reason for loving God is God Himself; and the measure of love due to Him is
immeasurable love. Is this plain? Doubtless, to a thoughtful man; but I am
debtor to the unwise also. A word to the wise is sufficient; but I must
consider simple folk too. Therefore I set myself joyfully to explain more in
detail what is meant above.
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more
reasonable, nothing more profitable. When one asks, Why should I love God? he
may mean, What is lovely in God? or What shall I gain by loving God? In either
case, the same sufficient cause of love exists, namely, God Himself.
And first, of His title to our love. Could any title be greater than this, that
He gave Himself for us unworthy wretches? And being God, what better gift could
He offer than Himself? Hence, if one seeks for God's claim upon our love here
is the chiefest: Because He first loved us (I John 4:19).
Ought He not to be loved in return, when we think who loved, whom He loved, and
how much He loved? For who is He that loved? The same of whom every spirit
testifies: 'Thou art my God: my goods are nothing unto Thee' (Ps. 16:2, Vulg.).
And is not His love that wonderful charity which 'seeketh not her own'? (I
Cor.13:5). But for whom was such unutterable love made manifest? The apostle
tells us: 'When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His
Son' (Rom. 5:10). So it was God who loved us, loved us freely, and loved us
while yet we were enemies. And how great was this love of His? St. John
answers: 'God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John
3:16). St. Paul adds: 'He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all' (Rom. 8:32); and the son says of Himself, 'Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends' (John 15:13).
This is the claim which God the holy, the supreme, the omnipotent, has upon
men, defiled and base and weak. Some one may urge that this is true of mankind,
but not of angels. True, since for angels it was not needful. He who succored
men in their time of need, preserved angels from such need; and even as His
love for sinful men wrought wondrously in them so that they should not remain
sinful, so that same love which in equal measure He poured out upon angels kept
them altogether free from sin.
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