St. Bernard of Clairvaux

 Looking for some spiritual readings I came across Mystics, by William Harmless, S.J. Typical of many books on my shelf it is one of those only partially read, left unfinished due to another book capturing my all too fickle attention. Opening to a section on St. Bernard I began to read and was immediately taken by the very spiritual nature of the writings of St. Bernard, highly reminiscent of St. Augustine's Confessions.

In his Confessions St Augustine spoke to the heart of the seeker, in a way that elevated my sense of the transcendent and grew my desire for spiritual growth. St. Bernard writes in the same fashion. 

I'll be posting a series of quotes from St. Bernard's writings. Mostly from his Sermons on the Song of Songs. Here is a start from Sermon 1.2:

...there are two evils that comprise the main enemies of the soul:

a misguided love of the world and an excessive love of self. The two Books [Wisdom and Proverbs] can provide an antidote to these infections. One uproots pernicious habits of mind and body with the hoe of self-control. The other by enlightening reason quickly perceives a delusive tinge in all the world holds glorious, truly distinguishing between it and deeper truth. 

CISTERCIAN FATHERS SERIES: NUMBER FOUR - THE WORKS OF BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX Volume Two - Song of Songs I

More to come .......