Action and contemplation are very close companions; they live together in one house on equal terms. Martha and Mary are sisters.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
Learn the lesson that, if you are to do the work of a prophet, what you need is not a sceptre but a hoe.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True leadership requires hard work and humility rather than power or authority.
This quote emphasizes that fulfilling a significant role, such as that of a leader or prophet, is less about holding power or prestige and more about being willing to work hard and serve others. It suggests that the most important tools for making an impact are not symbols of authority, like a sceptre, but the practical skills and dedication represented by a hoe, which symbolizes labor and effort.
Themes
LeadershipServiceHard WorkHumilityDedication
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about community service, one could mention this quote to highlight the value of selfless work.
More from Bernard Of Clairvaux
All quotes →You wish to see; listen. Hearing is a step toward Vision.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
Neither fear nor self-interest can convert the soul. They may change the appearance, perhaps even the conduct, but never the object of supreme desire... Fear is the motive which constrains the slave; greed binds the selfish man, by which he is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed (James 1:14). But neither fear nor self-interest is undefiled, nor can they convert the soul. Only charity can convert the soul, freeing it from unworthy motives.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
Pride only, the chief of all iniquities, can make us treat gifts as if they were rightful attributes of our nature, and, while receiving benefits, rob our Benefactor of His due glory.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
The piercing nail has become a key to unlock the door, that I may see the good will of the Lord. And what can I see as I look through the hole? Both the nail and the wound cry out that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself... Through these sacred wounds we can see the secret of his heart, the great mystery of love.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
What I know of the divine_x000D_ science and holy scripture,_x000D_ I learnt in the woods and fields.
Bernard Of ClairvauxRead
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