St. Bernard of Clairvaux - When You Are Afraid, Discouraged, or Unsure Where God Is Leading You
Feast Day: August 20
What do you do when life feels stormy?
When you are afraid of what might happen?
When you cannot see where God is leading you?
When temptation, discouragement, uncertainty, or worry begins taking over your thoughts?
St. Bernard of Clairvaux gives us beautiful advice: look to Mary.
He was one of the great spiritual teachers of the Church and had an extraordinary love for the Blessed Virgin.
His message remains wonderfully practical:
When the storm comes, do not spend all your time staring at the waves.
Look toward Heaven.
Who Was St. Bernard?
St. Bernard was born in 1090 in Burgundy, France.
As a young man, he entered the monastery of Cîteaux and embraced the austere life of the Cistercians.
Remarkably, he did not go alone.
His influence was so powerful that relatives and companions followed him into religious life.
He later became abbot of the monastery at Clairvaux, from which he received the name by which we usually know him: St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Bernard became one of the most influential churchmen and spiritual writers of his age.
He preached.
He advised popes and rulers.
He defended the Faith.
He wrote extensively about prayer, humility, the love of God, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Yet beneath all of his learning was a simple desire:
to love Jesus completely.
“Look to the Star — Call Upon Mary”
One of St. Bernard's most beloved passages compares our journey through life to traveling across a dangerous sea.
When temptation rises...
When tribulation crashes over us...
When we feel ourselves being tossed about...
Bernard tells us to look toward the Star and call upon Mary.
Mary is not the destination.
Jesus is.
But just as a star helps a sailor remain on course during a dark night, Our Lady continually directs us toward her Divine Son.
So when you do not know what to do next:
Look to Mary.
When you are afraid:
Call upon Mary.
When temptation is strong:
Call upon Mary.
When you are discouraged:
Call upon Mary.
When you cannot see how your situation will work out:
Call upon Mary.
And then follow her advice at Cana:
“Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.”
What Are You Looking at All Day?
This is worth asking ourselves.
Are you looking more at your problem than at God?
Are you checking circumstances constantly?
Replaying conversations?
Imagining what could go wrong?
Searching for signs?
Trying to predict the future?
Talking about the problem over and over?
St. Bernard's spirituality gives us another way.
Look up.
You do not have to pretend the storm does not exist.
You simply refuse to make the storm bigger than God.
Every time your mind returns to the fear, turn it into prayer:
“Mary, Star of the Sea, keep me looking toward Jesus.”
Call Her Name
Sometimes you are too overwhelmed for a long prayer.
You may not have the concentration for a novena.
You may not know what words to use.
Simply say:
“Mary.”
Or:
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, help me.”
There is something beautiful about developing the habit of calling upon Heaven throughout the day.
When you receive difficult news:
“Mary, help me.”
Before an important conversation:
“Mary, go with me.”
When you are tempted:
“Mary, protect me.”
When fear starts:
“Mary, keep me close to Jesus.”
When you are waiting:
“Mary, teach me to trust.”
Your prayer does not have to be long to be sincere.
St. Bernard and the Memorare
St. Bernard is often associated in Catholic devotion with the Memorare, although the familiar prayer in its present form developed later and should not simply be treated as a composition written by him.
But its spirit beautifully reflects the confidence in Our Lady that St. Bernard preached.
The Memorare teaches us to approach Mary as children approaching their Mother—with confidence in her intercession.
When you have an intention weighing heavily upon you, pray the Memorare slowly.
Do not race through it merely to finish another prayer.
Give Mary the intention.
Then trust God.
When Should You Turn to St. Bernard?
Ask St. Bernard's intercession when you need:
Greater love for Jesus
Greater devotion to Our Lady
Help during temptation
Courage during uncertainty
Peace when you are afraid
Confidence while waiting
Protection from discouragement
Help surrendering an intention
Wisdom in an important decision
Perseverance in prayer
Greater humility
A deeper interior life
Help keeping your thoughts focused upon God
Strength to remain faithful during a spiritual storm
He is especially helpful when you realize:
“I am spending more time thinking about my problem than praying about it.”
Pray More Than You Worry
Try this for one day.
Every time the same worry returns, pray instead of analyzing it again.
If you think:
“What if this doesn't work out?”
Answer:
“Jesus, I trust in Thee.”
If you think:
“How is this ever going to happen?”
Answer:
“Mary, Star of the Sea, guide me.”
If you think:
“I need to figure this out right now.”
Answer:
“Holy Ghost, show me only what I need to do today.”
You may have to repeat these prayers twenty, fifty, or a hundred times.
That repetition is not failure.
You are training your heart to turn toward God instead of fear.
Prayer of St. Bernard: The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come;
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Bring your intention quietly before Our Lady.
Then say:
“Blessed Mother, I have asked. Now help me trust.”
A Prayer to St. Bernard During a Storm
O St. Bernard of Clairvaux,
faithful servant of Jesus
and devoted son of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
pray for me in the storm I am facing.
[Mention your intention.]
When fear makes me stare at the waves,
remind me to look toward Heaven.
When I cannot see the road ahead,
help me trust Divine Providence.
When temptation comes,
teach me to call upon Mary.
When discouragement tells me to give up,
obtain for me perseverance.
When I begin trying to control the future,
remind me that my future belongs to God.
Teach me to love Jesus more deeply
and to remain close to His Blessed Mother.
May every trial draw me toward Him
rather than away from Him.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us.
Amen.
You Do Not Need to Know the Whole Route
A sailor following a star does not need to see the entire journey at once.
He needs to know which direction to keep traveling.
Perhaps that is where you are today.
You want God to show you:
How everything will work out.
When the answer will come.
What another person will do.
Which door will open.
How long you will have to wait.
But God may only be giving you enough light for the next faithful step.
Take it.
Pray.
Fulfill today's duties.
Receive the Sacraments.
Do the good that is immediately before you.
Leave tomorrow with God.
Make St. Bernard's Advice a Daily Practice
Choose one worry you repeatedly carry.
Every time it enters your mind today, do not give it another ten minutes of analysis.
Instead:
Look to the Star.
Pray one Hail Mary.
Then return to your duty.
When it comes back:
Pray another.
In this way, even recurring worries can become reminders to pray.
The very thing that once pulled you away from peace can begin pulling you toward God.
When the Waves Become Loud
You may still feel afraid.
The circumstances may not immediately change.
You may still have questions.
Faith does not mean pretending the sea is calm.
Faith means knowing Who is greater than the sea.
St. Bernard teaches us not to navigate life's storms alone.
Look toward Our Lady.
Call her name.
Let her point you toward Jesus.
And keep going.
When temptation comes — call upon Mary.
When uncertainty comes — call upon Mary.
When discouragement comes — call upon Mary.
When the storm comes — look to the Star.
And when you cannot see very far ahead:
Trust God with the next step.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us.
Mary, Star of the Sea, guide us to Jesus.
