One of the first characteristics that are clear in his life is that he reflected. He must have been a thoughtful kind of person. He wasn=t superficial and giddy and people recognized this so much so that Pope Eugene asked him what he could do to help him become a good Pope. Bernard wrote almost a little booklet on how to reflect.

        A reflection doesn=t always mean seeing our faults and our short comings, it doesn=t mean we exclude that either. It certainly must of been a great opportunity for Andrew and the Apostles when Jesus chose them as we will read in tomorrow=s gospel. Jesus was walking along and looked at them, called them and they responded. It probably took them some time of real reflection to realize what a tremendous moment that was in their life. How for them it was the beginning of a whole new transformation and how Jesus really attracted them. So reflection has more than just a question of our need for improvement. Bernard was real clear when he wrote to the Pope that he must reflect especially on his own life, not just on other things that are happening around him and what are problems. But on how he, himself is making progress and how the Lord is guiding his life.

        Another characteristic that we see in Bernard is that Bernard learned to pray and ask. When he was first called he was really struggling with the question as to whether he should go into public life or join this new order that was showing up with their austerities. He came across a church and he went in and pour out his soul and came out with conclusion that the Lord wanted him to become a monk. But that characteristic of petitioning was in his whole life. When the monastery was in trouble financially the treasurer told him we need some money right away, we don=t have it. Bernard took it immediately to prayer and often received the amount exactly what was needed. Also, when it came to the question of work. Sometimes when they were dredging the marshes the work was almost impossible. When it seemed that way to him he would again take it to prayer. Even when it came to deciding whether he should listen to take out time to take care of a guest he raised his mind and heart to prayer for discernment to see if it was more important for him to do his Lectio or to be with the guest. In all that he was rather faithful. The result was that he discovered things. If a monk would come to him and say: AI have all these difficulties.@ He would share all his problems and distress. Bernard told him the Lord gave you these things so you would turn to him and learn how gracious and compassionate God is. That he listens to our prayer and answers them. So for him the petitioning dimension of his life was for him a growth in the discovery of God=s present, compassionate guidance in his life and his many other gifts.

        Last, but not least, in his ordinary life he insisted on thanksgiving. Since we talked about this on Thursday there=s no need to repeat. In one letter it=s quite obvious that this woman, a noble woman was attached to him and his monastery. She was always giving gifts and supporting them. She must have been bit of a nosy person and a bit pushy. Nevertheless in the letter it=s clear that he even called her grandma, which she wasn=t, of course, in his graciousness and was genuinely grateful for her concern and her care for the monastery. He insist that the monk who doesn=t express gratitude for daily things is his own worst enemy. It is the reason why he doesn=t unfold in grace and prepare his soul for more graces that God wants to give him.

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