God removes the sin of the one who makes humble confession, and thereby the devil loses the sovereignty he had gained over the human heart.
Saint BernardRead
You wish me to tell you why and how God should be loved. My answer is that God himself is the reason he is to be loved.
Interpretation
What this quote means
God is inherently worthy of love simply by His nature.
In this quote, Saint Bernard emphasizes that the divine quality of God is sufficient justification for love towards Him. Love for God is not contingent upon reasons or conditions but is rooted in God's very essence, which embodies goodness and perfection. This suggests that true love is based on recognition of the inherent worth of the beloved, highlighting the idea that some entities are deserving of love simply for who they are.
Themes
GodLoveFaithPhilosophyDivine
In practice
Example use cases
During a theological discussion about the nature of God, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of loving God for His inherent qualities.
More from Saint Bernard
All quotes βWho is there that can adequately gauge the greatness of the humility, gentleness, self-surrender, revealed by the Lord of majesty in assuming human nature, in accepting the punishment of death, the shame of the cross?
Saint BernardRead
Christian, learn from Christ how you ought to love Christ. Learn a love that is tender, wise, strong; love with tenderness, not passion, wisdom, not foolishness, and strength, lest you become weary and turn away from the love of the Lord.
Saint BernardRead
There is a daily discussion with our servants about the price of food and the number of loaves: a conference with our presbyters to consider the sins of our people is a very rare occurrence.
Saint BernardRead
Even the holy men who lived before the coming of Christ understood that God had in mind plans of peace for the human race.
Saint BernardRead
The mind must first reflect upon itself in order that it may frame a rule of Justice, and not be inclined to do to another what it would not have done to itself, nor refuse to another what it desires for itself. These two assuredly comprise the whole sphere of Justice.
Saint BernardRead
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