We Must Lift Our Hearts From Earthly Things to Those of Heaven
Even in the midst of our work days, we must lift our hearts from
earthly things to those of heaven. Hey, I'm not making this up. Pope
Pius XII urges this upon even us busy Catholic men at work.
I stumbled on this great pope's instruction in the middle of his encyclical about St Bernard of Clairvaux. St Bernard and I "became friends" during the years I worked within a stone's throw of St Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Tucked away on the left, towards the back of the great church, his statue and that of St Bridget share a side altar. You pass it when you're on your way to the confessionals. And for some reason, over time, with enough passes, the great saint caught my eye and my fancy. I read about him and grew to appreciate not only his holiness, but his incredible work ethic and how much he accomplished not only in the spiritual realm, but in the pressing matters of his day.
Poking around the internet to learn more about St Bernard, one day I found out that Pope Pius XII wrote an encyclical in 1953 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of St Bernard's death in 1153. It's well worth reading, but the following passage stands out as particularly apt for we who spend the majority of our time working to earn a living. Pope Pius has just demonstrated that behind St Bernard's vast accomplishments and worldly notoriety stood a deep mystical love of Christ.
It's about love, gents. Yes, prayer, piety, reading, confession, daily Mass, and all those good practices we cram into our busy days help build spiritual muscle serve the purpose (or should) of moving us closer to being more Christlike (yes, even you). But unless we love God - the "Supreme Dispenser of all gifts" - all of that will be in vain.
Bernard served as Abbot, reformed many other Benedictine monasteries, breathing new life into St Benedict's patrimony. He settled disputes, even one between rival popes, refuted false philosophies, preached the Second Crusade, attended Church Councils - a true man in demand - wrote volumes, eventually being named a Doctor of the Church. The man was busier than the busiest of any of us busy bee workers today. But his love for God stood tall, above it all.
Pope Pius tells us that today "love for God is gradually growing cold today in the hearts of many, or is even completely quenched." Let's make darn sure he's not talking about us, okay?
I stumbled on this great pope's instruction in the middle of his encyclical about St Bernard of Clairvaux. St Bernard and I "became friends" during the years I worked within a stone's throw of St Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Tucked away on the left, towards the back of the great church, his statue and that of St Bridget share a side altar. You pass it when you're on your way to the confessionals. And for some reason, over time, with enough passes, the great saint caught my eye and my fancy. I read about him and grew to appreciate not only his holiness, but his incredible work ethic and how much he accomplished not only in the spiritual realm, but in the pressing matters of his day.
Poking around the internet to learn more about St Bernard, one day I found out that Pope Pius XII wrote an encyclical in 1953 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of St Bernard's death in 1153. It's well worth reading, but the following passage stands out as particularly apt for we who spend the majority of our time working to earn a living. Pope Pius has just demonstrated that behind St Bernard's vast accomplishments and worldly notoriety stood a deep mystical love of Christ.
In our day this sublime teaching of the Doctor of Clairvaux on the mystical life, which surpasses and can satisfy all human desires, seems to be sometimes neglected and relegated to a secondary place, or forgotten by many who, completely taken up with the worries and business of daily life, seek and desire only what is useful and profitable for this mortal life, scarcely ever lift their eyes and minds to Heaven, or aspire after heavenly things and the goods that are everlasting.Before you object that your work simply takes up most of your time with little left over to "aspire after heavenly things and the goods that are everlasting, Pope Pius immediately lowers the boom:
Yet, although not all can reach the summit of that exalted contemplation of which Bernard speaks so eloquently, and although not all can bind themselves so closely to God as to feel linked in a mysterious manner with the Supreme Good through the bonds of heavenly marriage; nevertheless, all can and must, from time to time, lift their hearts from earthly things to those of heaven, and most earnestly love the Supreme Dispenser of all gifts.Got that? All busy worker bees (that means us) "can and must (emphasis added), from time to time, lift their hearts from earthly things to those of heaven, and most earnestly love the Supreme Dispenser of all gifts."
It's about love, gents. Yes, prayer, piety, reading, confession, daily Mass, and all those good practices we cram into our busy days help build spiritual muscle serve the purpose (or should) of moving us closer to being more Christlike (yes, even you). But unless we love God - the "Supreme Dispenser of all gifts" - all of that will be in vain.
Bernard served as Abbot, reformed many other Benedictine monasteries, breathing new life into St Benedict's patrimony. He settled disputes, even one between rival popes, refuted false philosophies, preached the Second Crusade, attended Church Councils - a true man in demand - wrote volumes, eventually being named a Doctor of the Church. The man was busier than the busiest of any of us busy bee workers today. But his love for God stood tall, above it all.
Pope Pius tells us that today "love for God is gradually growing cold today in the hearts of many, or is even completely quenched." Let's make darn sure he's not talking about us, okay?
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