Bernard of Clairvaux

In his own words on 1 John

• 1 John 3:18

  Therefore through the second, works are done, and in it charity resides -- not that affectual charity, which, seasoned with the salt of wisdom, growing rich, brings to the mind a great multitude of the sweetness of the Lord; but rather a certain actual charity, which even if it does not yet sweetly refresh with that sweet love, nevertheless vehemently inflames with a love of that very love. "Let us not love," he says, "in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 Jn 3:18). Do you see how he carefully proceeds in the middle between vicious and affectionate love, distinguishing from each equally this actual and salutary charity? He receives in this love neither the pretense of a lying tongue, nor in turn does he demand the taste of affecting wisdom. "Let us love," he says, "in deed and in truth": namely that we be moved to good works more by a certain impulse of living truth than by the affection of that savory charity.

  Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 50

• 1 John 4:10

  Good Jesus, the chalice you drank, the price of our redemption, makes me love you more than all the rest. This alone would be enough to claim our love. This, I say, is what wins our love so sweetly, justly demands it, firmly binds it, deeply affects it. Our Savior had to toil so hard in this, in fact in making the whole world the Creator did not labor so much. Then he spoke and they were made; he commanded and they were created. But in saving us he had to endure men who contradicted his words, criticized his actions, ridiculed his sufferings, and mocked his death. See how much he loved us. Add to this the fact that he was not returning love but freely offering it. For who had given him anything first, that it should be returned to him? As St John said: "Not that we had loved him, but that he first loved us." He loved us even before we existed, and in addition he loved us when we resisted him. If he had not loved his enemies, he could not have had any friends, just as he would have had no one to love if he had not loved those who were not.

  Sermons on the Song of Songs, Sermon 20