St Bernards High School - Bernardian Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

Page 16 text:

FRONT STAIRWAY and ; BALCONY During the Marian year, each home- room had a special day on which to come to Mary’s shrine on the balcony and to Say a rosary, sing a hymn, or other similar devotions to our Blessed Mother. How often we have passed up and down these stairs during the past four years! Let us keep in mind the scriptural lines written as a border on the three sides of the entrance: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I am the way and th truth and the light. I have chosen the wa of truth. ; } hy i x —

Page 15 text:

Yrasy.) wi ui be is y q fos cv, ar HT | | | | | i | , DUAN Y Lad awa ' 7 her, sister, and five brothers tried to dis- his purpose to renounce the world. And, rld which they presented to him, did ap- way to the highest dignities in the Church. enever the world smiled on him, and he was d to yield to it, the memory of his mother recalled “tothe reality of life. he ernard described the beauty of the religious life in h glowing colors that four of his brothers, his uncle, and many of his friends resolved to follow him to the monastery of Citeaux. Here, in spite of his delicate constitution, Bernard did his share and more of the hard manual labor as the Rule commanded. His example brought so great an increase of candidates that a new monastery became a necessity. A wild valley in a mountain gorge was chosen and Bernard was ap- pointed the first abbot of the monastery to be built here. Bernard and his monks soon converted this savage waste. into a smiling garden, which well deserved the name it: has borne for over 800 years — Clairvaux, the valley of light. RE Here, broken in health by his austerities and by cease- less work, Bernard died in 1153. :

Page 17 text:

a Hi a va | a} py j alli WAAR | yy) f 4g Fei Sada | aby — ‘| Wie au , ' $ ue = f aT ' ) “JUNIOR DAYS Had Bernard remained in the world, he probably would have : been knighted in such an elaborate ceremony as this: First, he would have bathed himself “in order to make him- ee self pure. He would then have knelt or stood all night in» prayer before an altar on which would lay his precious armor. which he would don on the morrow. . In the morning, he would confess his sins; have his weapons blessed by a priest; listen to a sermon telling him of his duties; put on a suit of chain armor; arm himself with a sword and lance; throw over his armor a mantle of red and white; carry a shield about his neck; and wear a helmet upon his head. Then in the presence of a large company, and on his bended knee, he would take a vow to speak the truth, to serve the king and the Church, to respect women, and never to run from a foe. The officiating lord or knight would then give Bernard the accolade. This was a blow upon the neck or shoulder with the fist or the flat of a sword with such words as: ''l dub thee knight in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; be brave and loyal. After a maiden had buckled on his golden spurs, Bernard would have been led outside to his war horse and run the quintain (spearing a figure stuffed with straw) and in other feats exhibit his skill in arms. The red robe would mean that Bernard should be willing to shed his blood for the Chuch; the white girdle, a clean life; the white coif, a pure heart; the spurs, ready service; and the two edges of the sword, self-defense and aid-defense and aid’ to others. ie