Bernard of Clairvaux: Feed

Home » Meditations » Meditations » Bernard of Clairvaux: Feed

And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezekiel 3:3

“Keep God’s Word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness… If you keep the Word of God in this way, it will also keep you.”

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) in Advent 5 as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 199.

What’s in your diet? I don’t mean fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein foods. Are you feeding on the goodness and generosity of the Scriptures, so that your both your body and spirit delight in its richness?

Bernard explains why this feeding is important. When we feed on goodness, our soul will delight in its richness. In plain terms, we will get what we need to flourish. It will enter our very being and transform our living.

When the Lord fed Ezekiel the scroll, it was sweet as honey in his mouth. That expression referred to the best tasting thing. And notice the Lord said to “feed your stomach and fill your body” which implies feeding both the material and immaterial self.

When we eat fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein foods it nourishes our body. When we feed on the goodness of the word, it strengthens us physically and spiritually. And it positions us for generous living, giving, loving, and serving.

And notice Bernard’s last line today. If you keep the Word in this way, the Word will keep you. Reminds me of the saying I wrote in my Bible when I was a small child. “This book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book.” Feed on goodness.

Pray for my wife, Jenni, as she heads to Black Rock Retreat near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for 2 weeks. She will speak and offer soul care practices for the summer staff to prepare them for abundant service: teaching them to feed on goodness and much more.