Daybreak

Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090-1153; joined the monastic community of Citeaux at age 20; within four years, they established a new house in the nearby valley of Wormwoods, with Bernard as abbot; he became known as an arbitrator and counselor; he intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it in favor of the Roman pontiff against the antipope; he was called upon to preach the Second Crusade across Europe; but the military had different ideals from those of Abbot Bernard, and the project ended as a complete military and moral disaster; this burden likely hastened Bernard's death, which came in 1153 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/20/2025 Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16