"For those not familiar with the allegorical interpretation of Scripture that Bernard and most of his Christian predecessors and contemporaries used, reading these sermons will be a shock. They are like a quilt made up of many small pieces, sewn into a very complex pattern. If the pieces and patterns are studied and savored, they invite the reader/listener to meet the Word, presented by one of the great wordsmiths of Christian literature. Bernard's intent is to fashion the reader into a dwelling place for the Word."Hugh Feiss, O.S.B., Ascension Monastery, Jerome, ID, <i>American Benedictine Review</i>
"Bernard is not easy. This translation, thanks to its clear English and superb introduction, will make it possible to follow Bernard through the liturgical year."<i>The Journal of Medieval Monastic Studies</i>
General Introduction ix
Editor’s Note and Acknowledgments lxvii
Table of Abbreviations lxix
The Sermons
On the Time of Harvest (In lab mess) 1
Sermon One: How a Twofold Evil Works for Good 1
Sermon Two: Of the Two Tables 4
Sermon Three: This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob (Ps 23:6) 7
On the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Asspt) 14
Sermon One: Of the Double Assumption 14
Sermon Two: Of Cleaning, Adorning, and Furnishing the House 18
Sermon Three: Of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus 26
Sermon Four: Of the Four Days of Lazarus and the Celebration of the Virgin 33
Sermon Five: On the Same as Before 41
Sermon Six: To Establish “full of grace” in Mary in Three Ways 53
Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption (OAsspt) 55
Of the words of the Apocalypse: A great wonder appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev 12:1) 55
On the Nativity of Blessed Mary (NatBVM) 70
Of the Bringing of Water 70
A Sermon to the Abbots (Abb) 85
How Noah, Daniel, and Job Crossed the Sea, Each in His own Way: on a Ship, by a Bridge, by the Shallows 85
On the Feast of Saint Michael (Mich) 91
Sermon One: Of the Threefold Reasons that the Angels Care for Us 91
Sermon Two: Of the Words of the Lord, If anyone offends one of these little ones (Matt 18:6) 97
Sunday of the First Week of November (1 Nov) 101
Sermon One: Of the Vision of Isaiah 101
Sermon Two 104
Sermon Three 109
Sermon Four 114
Sermon Five 118
On the Feast of All Saints (OS) 130
Sermon One: Of the Gospel Reading: Jesus Seeing the Crowds 130
Sermon Two: Of the State of the Saints before their Resurrection 146
Sermon Three: In What Way Shall They Be without Blemish or Wrinkle? (Eph 5:27) 154
Sermon Four: Of Abraham’s bosom, and of the altar beneath which Blessed John heard the voices of such souls of the saints,
and of the seven loaves from which we read that the same number of baskets remained 159
Sermon Five: Of the Advantage of Their Memory 167
For the Dedication of a Church (Ded) 178
Sermon One: Of the Five Sacraments of the Dedication 178
Sermon Two: How We Should Cling to Ourselves and Others 184
Sermon Three: Of Three Sorts of Equipment We Possess for Godly Vigilance 188
Sermon Four: Of the Threefold Dwelling-Place 193
Sermon Five: Of the Twofold Consideration of Oneself 200
Sermon Six: Concerning the word of Jacob: Truly the Lord is in this place (Gen 28:16) 210
On the Feast of Saint Martin, Bishop (Mart) 213
Of Examples of Obedience 213
On the Feast of Saint Clement (Clem) 229
Of the Three Waters 229
Sermon on the Passing of Saint Malachy the Bishop (Mal) 235
On the Vigil of Saint Andrew the Apostle (VAnd) 244
How We Should Prepare for the Solemnities of the Saints with Fasting 244
On the Feast of Saint Andrew (And) 249
Sermon One: Concerning Clean Fish 249
Sermon Two: Of the Four Arms of the Cross 258
On the Death of Master Humbert (Humb) 266
Index of Scriptural References in Bernard’s Liturgical Sermons (CF 51–54) 275
Index of Subjects in Bernard’s Liturgical Sermons (CF 51–54) 334