20 August 2020
Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
One of the great tragedies of life is how we respond to goodness with violence. In today’s gospel, Jesus gives us a parable where a king invites many people to a wedding feast. Not only do some remain indifferent to the invitation, but “the rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them” (Mt. 22:6). All that for not wanting to attend a party! But what is often the case is that we do not trust the goodness that is before our eyes—confronted with unbelievable generosity, we assume there is a trick or “angle,” and treat it like a threat rather than a gift.
St. Bernard is perhaps the great antidote to this tendency. Bernard preached regularly on how powerful God’s love was for us, and the true depths of that love. Above all, he encouraged us to consider the Passion and Resurrection, and how they show clearly that God is willing to suffer for us and invite us into a greater glory than we could ever imagine. The more that we see these signs of God’s love, the more we will welcome Him with open arms when we see Him, rather than responding with violence. Consider the signs in your life that show God’s love for you, and grow in your loving trust of God.