We all know people who express themselves very well verbally. We may enjoy the way certain priests or deacons, for example, express themselves in homilies. If they look up at the audience instead of just reading words from a page they connect better and impress their message more effectively.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) did not have the options of all our 21st-century computer devices, and it is probably better that he did not. One of the reasons Franciscan Media labels him the “man of the 12th Century” is the fact that Bernard was a very eloquent preacher. He spoke! I think I would have learned a lot from this gifted scholar and theologian. St. Bernard was also a reformer, a counselor, and a great arbitrator. All those talents require the ability to make one’s points out loud while maintaining another’s attention.
While we are not all called to be preachers or public speakers, we do have a wonderful, powerful message to share about how much we are loved by God and have the promise of eternal joy with him in heaven. In the Gospels, Jesus teaches us how to be deliverers of this good news. From my experience, witness accounts and personal stories conveyed as someone looks up at the listeners are quite effective and often enjoyable.
In the suggested gospel reading for this memorial for St. Bernard (John 17:20-26), Jesus prays for his disciples, for holiness and unity:
I am not saying we cannot evangelize by texting; but how much more meaning is shared with the help of heartfelt spoken words and eye contact! I am not talking about long, drawn out sermons either. If we are watchful and attentive, we will recognize many small instances in our daily lives wherein we have opportunities to remark about God’s goodness, his beautiful works of creation, his gentle mercy, and the numerous chances he gives us. We don’t have to have halos on our heads to say out loud that God is good, loves us, and is with us in all our challenges.
The first reading at today’s memorial of St. Bernard is from Sirach 15:1-6. It is about the happiness of someone who is seeking wisdom. Wisdom is referred to as she:
With Jesus calling us to talk to others about him and the confidence of having wisdom to help us, we should be joyful in saying over and over again, right to others’ faces, that we are constantly in good loving company!
(Resource: franciscanmedia.org)
Scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Manchester, Connecticut. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.