St. Bernard (1090-1153 A.D.) lived at a time of splintering turmoil within the Church. Monasteries that were once devoted to the “desert way” of life fell victim to worldly temptations.  Spiritually, traditional practices in the monastic way were slowly fading away.  However, it was Bernard’s “honey tongue” steeped in Scripture that knew how to redirect the heart of society back towards God. At the young age of twenty-four, Bernard was given the seemingly impossible task to establish a new foundation at Langres (1115) as abbot to twelve monks.  Living the Christian state of life as consecrated religious calls for the removal of whatever is incompatible with the practice of love of God and neighbor.  Hence, Bernard accepted the enormous task to carry out Christ’s mission with a heart of love. Known as the “bitter valley,” the uncultivated Langres was depleted of natural resources and basic…