Bernard of Clairvaux (I believe he is Catholic) On Loving God is a fifteen chapter work on love, on its degrees, and various other elements of true love
Inspiration on loving God
by Bernard of Clairvaux
Contents of Inspiration on loving God
Dedication
1. Why we should love God and the measure of that love
2. On loving god how much God deserves love from man
3. What greater incentives Christians have to love God
4. Of those who find comfort in the recollection of God
5. Of the Christians debt of love
6. A brief summary
7. Of love toward God not without reward
8. Of the first degree of love
9. Of the second and third degrees of love
10. Of the fourth degree of love
11. Attainment of this perfection of love only at Resurrection
12. Of love: out of a letter to the Carthusians
13. Of the law of self-will & desire, of slaves & hirelings
14. Of the law of the love of sons
15. Of the four degrees of love
Dedication
1 . Why we should love God, and the measure of that love 2 . How much God deserves love from man in recognition of His gifts, both material and spiritual; and how these gifts should be cherished without neglect of the Giver 3 . What greater incentives Christians have, more than the heathen, to love God 4 . Of those who find comfort in the recollection of God, or are fittest for His love 5 . Of the Christian’s debt of love, how great it is 6 . A brief summary 7 . Of love toward God not without reward; and how the hunger of man’s heart cannot be satisfied with earthly things 8 . Of the first degree of love, wherein man loves God for self’s sake 9 . Of the second and third degrees of love 10. Of the fourth degree of love, wherein man does not even love self, save for God’s sake 11. Of the attainment of this perfection of love only at the resurrection 12. Of love: out of a letter to the Carthusians 13. Of the law of self-will and desire, of slaves and hirelings 14. Of the law of the love of sons 15. Of the four degrees of love, and of the blessed state of the heavenly fatherland.
Sample Chapter 1. Why we should love God and the measure of that love
To the illustrious Lord Haimeric, Cardinal Deacon of the Roman Church, and Chancellor: Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wisheth long life in the Lord and death in the Lord.
Hitherto you have been wont to seek prayers from me, not the solving of problems; although I count myself sufficient for neither. My profession shows that, if not my conversation; and to speak truth, I lack the diligence and the ability that are most essential. Yet I am glad that you turn again for spiritual counsel, instead of busying yourself about carnal matters: I only wish you had gone to some one better equipped than I am. Still, learned and simple give the same excuse and one can hardly tell whether it comes from modesty or from ignorance, unless obedience to the task assigned shall reveal. So, take from my poverty what I can give you, lest I should seem to play the philosopher, by reason of my silence. Only, I do not promise to answer other questions you may raise. This one, as to loving God, I will deal with as He shall teach me; for it is sweetest, it can be handled most safely, and it will be most profitable. Keep the others for wiser men.
You want me to tell you why God is to be loved and how much. I answer, the reason for loving God is God Himself; and the measure of love due to Him is immeasurable love. Is this plain? Doubtless, to a thoughtful man; but I am debtor to the unwise also. A word to the wise is sufficient; but I must consider simple folk too. Therefore I set myself joyfully to explain more in detail what is meant above.
We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing more profitable. When one asks, Why should I love God? he may mean, What is lovely in God? or What shall I gain by loving God? In either case, the same sufficient cause of love exists, namely, God Himself.
And first, of His title to our love. Could any title be greater than this, that He gave Himself for us unworthy wretches? And being God, what better gift could He offer than Himself? Hence, if one seeks for God’s claim upon our love here is the chiefest: Because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Ought He not to be loved in return, when we think who loved, whom He loved, and how much He loved? For who is He that loved? The same of whom every spirit testifies: “Thou art my God: my goods are nothing unto Thee” (Psalm 16:2, Vulg.). And is not His love that wonderful charity which “seeketh not her own’? (1 Corinthians 13:5). But for whom was such unutterable love made manifest? The apostle tells us: “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10).
So it was God who loved us, loved us freely, and loved us while yet we were enemies. And how great was this love of His? St John answers: “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
St Paul adds: “He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” ( Romans 8:32); and the son says of Himself, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
This is the claim which God the holy, the supreme, the omnipotent, has upon men, defiled and base and weak. Some one may urge that this is true of mankind, but not of angels. True, since for angels it was not needful. He who succored men in their time of need, preserved angels from such need; and even as His love for sinful men wrought wondrously in them so that they should not remain sinful, so that same love which in equal measure He poured out upon angels kept them altogether free from sin.
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