Christ Wants to Embrace You | St. Bernard of Clairvaux ~ Fr. Perricone

About this sermon

St. Bernard of Clairvaux teaches that authentic charity must be both affective and effective: it must burn within the heart and reveal itself through sacrifice, labor, courage, and service to others. One of the towering figures of the twelfth-century Church, Bernard entered the Cistercian community at Cîteaux and later became Abbot of Clairvaux. His intense contemplation of Christ crucified did not separate him from the Church’s struggles. He defended Catholic doctrine, confronted error, helped resolve a papal schism, supported the Knights Templar, preached the Second Crusade, and wrote some of the Church’s most beautiful Marian theology. The sermon considers Bernard’s devotion to Our Lady, his association with the Memorare, his dispute with Peter Abelard, and his call for Christians to defend the faith with courage. Dante fittingly chose St. Bernard as his final guide toward the vision of God in the Paradiso. The closing meditation turns to Francisco Ribalta’s masterpiece Christ Embracing St. Bernard. In the painting, the crucified Savior releases one arm from the Cross and embraces the kneeling saint. That embrace is not intended for Bernard alone. Christ desires to draw every soul to His Sacred Heart through prayer, fidelity, and sacrificial love. “No greater love has any man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux, obtain for us a love of Christ that transforms our entire lives! 0:00 Invocation of the Holy Trinity 0:20 Why we must remember St. Bernard 0:49 The saint who dominated the twelfth century 0:58 Entering the Cistercian life at Cîteaux 1:25 Prayer and devotion to Christ crucified 1:38 Contemplation joined to priestly duty 1:54 Helping to end a papal schism 2:05 St. Bernard and the Knights Templar 2:16 His theological and Marian writings 2:36 Recommended spiritual reading on Our Lady 2:47 Entrusting his labors to Mary 2:59 St. Bernard and the Memorare 3:23 His greatest lesson: the nature of charity 3:47 Affective and effective charity 4:05 Love of Christ must come from the heart 4:12 Charity must animate our entire life 4:34 Love must become visible through action 4:59 A model of Catholic realism 5:18 Fervor received from the Heart of Christ 5:25 “No greater love than this” 5:46 St. Bernard confronts theological error 5:55 His controversy with Peter Abelard 6:19 Protecting souls from dangerous errors 6:42 Called to preach the Second Crusade 6:55 Vézelay, March 31, 1146 7:05 Preparing Christians to defend the Holy Land 7:21 Rousing hearts against fear 7:42 The sermon attributed to St. Bernard 8:08 The dangers and penances of war 8:41 Delivering the holy places 8:47 “Fly, then, to arms” 9:11 God could summon twelve legions of angels 9:33 A road opened to divine mercy 9:59 The duty to defend the faith 10:17 “He who gave His life for you” 10:27 Combats worthy of Christian warriors 10:46 Remembering those who liberated Jerusalem 10:54 Abandoning what perishes for an eternal kingdom 11:08 The crowd’s extraordinary response 11:32 “Deus vult—God wills it” 11:56 St. Bernard in Dante’s Paradiso 12:11 Bernard guides Dante toward the vision of God 12:28 Francisco Ribalta’s masterpiece 12:53 Bernard before the crucified Savior 13:10 Christ reaches down from the Cross 13:18 The Savior embraces St. Bernard 13:28 Christ desires to embrace every soul 13:47 The answer: sacrificial love 13:59 “What are you waiting for?” 14:09 Final blessing 14:21 Sponsor message 14:28 Download the Sensus Fidelium app 14:36 Real Estate for Life https://www.youtube.com/@MyDearCatholicFriends https://www.fatherperricone.com/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #SaintBernard #StBernardOfClairvaux #ChristCrucified #CatholicCharity #Cistercians #CatholicHomily #CatholicTradition #SecondCrusade #MarianDevotion #SacrificialLove #CatholicFaith #SensusFidelium

Topics

• Jesus Christ