August 20 | Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine that you are about to make a massive, life-changing decision. You are giving up your chance at a normal career, a wealthy lifestyle, and hanging out with your friends. Instead, you are going to go live in absolute poverty and near total silence.

Naturally, your family and friends completely freak out. They stage a massive intervention. They sit you down, look you in the eye, and try with all their might to talk you out of this crazy idea. But then, you explain your choice, and you are so incredibly convincing, so passionate, and so on fire for your new path, that by the end of the conversation, the very people who came to stop you end up coming with you. This is the fascinating and dramatic life of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

Bernard was born in the year 1090 in Burgundy, France. He excelled at his studies and was wildly popular. But at the age of 20, right when he had his entire future ahead of him, he heard God calling him to join a small, strict community of monks. Shocked, his friends and family didn't want him to go. But Bernard was the ultimate influencer before social media ever existed.

After simply talking to him about his calling, his friends and family were completely won over. In a legendary twist, around 30 of his brothers, uncles, and friends actually packed their bags and joined him at the monastery. After a few years of living this intense, quiet life, Bernard was assigned to travel to a completely different valley, a place now known as Clairvaux, to start a brand new monastery from scratch.

At Clairvaux, Bernard's reputation exploded. He became widely known for a few incredible superhero-level qualities. His peaceful resolution of messy conflicts, his deep devotion to Mary, and his profound knowledge. He wasn't just hiding away in his monastery, either. He was out in the world making huge waves. He helped settle a schism, which is a massive, painful split in the church. And he preached powerfully on how to authentically live a missionary life.

Now, here is where Bernard is incredibly relatable for us today. Even though he became super popular for all his amazing works and his powerful words, deep down, Bernard really just wanted to be left alone. He deeply desired a silent and contemplative life. He was constantly striving for a balance between being incredibly active in the world and taking quiet time to pray.

Despite wanting more silence, he was super productive. He wrote many important works, including a famous commentary on a book of the Bible called The Song of Songs. But being a major leader isn't always a success story. Because he was so respected, Bernard was asked to preach and rally support for the Second Crusade. Unfortunately, the Second Crusade resulted in absolute disaster. Bernard took this failure incredibly hard. He began to feel personally responsible for the catastrophe. The immense stress and heartbreak of this situation took over his life.

He was a man of his word. He was a man of his word. He was a man of his word. A huge toll on his health, and it is believed that this extreme stress could have actually led to his early death. He passed away on August 20, 1153, in Clairvaux, France.

Though his life ended under the heavy, crushing weight of stress, the church recognized his brilliant mind and holy life. On January 18, 1174, Pope Alexander III canonized him as a saint and declared him a doctor of the church. Remember how he was famously persuasive and had beautiful, sweet-sounding words? Well, fittingly, he is the patron saint of beekeepers And candle makers. Remember how Bernard was incredibly popular, doing huge things for the church, yet he deeply desired a silent and contemplative life. He knew that to do great things, you need quiet time to unplug, recharge, and listen to God.

Your challenge today is to practice Bernard's Balance. Sometime today, before you turn on a video game or scroll through social media, set a timer for just five minutes. Spend those five minutes in complete, totally unplugged silence. Pray, breathe, and just rest in that quiet space.

In our noisy world, taking time for silence might just be the most dramatic. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.