Dear Friends, The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the government from favoring one religion over another and protects the people’s right to worship. It was never intended as an excuse for the faithful to ignore the Gospel values one holds true on Sunday when one enters the public sector on Monday – Saturday. There is no such thing as a private Catholic: At the end of every Mass, the congregation is sent forth to preach the Gospel with their lives. This is a difficult challenge today as mainstream political views are hostile to Christianity and differing religious sects are openly opposed to each other. It was also true in the days of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a Cistercian monk in the 12-century, who led the church through his preaching, writings and leadership and whose feast day the Church celebrates on August 20. St. Bernard was sought after as an advisor and mediator by the ruling powers of his age. He helped heal the papal schism that arose in 1130 with the election of the antipope Anacletus II. For eight years he labored and traveled to mediate between warring factions, while also laboring for peace and reconciliation between England and France. His witness led to him being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1830. What was it about St. Bernard that moved thousands of people to live a deeper life in Christ? It was his love of Christ; more accurately, his understanding of Christ’s love for mankind and his ability to preach it. His numerous sermons and reflections on the Song of Songs are read by generation after generation, as is the beautiful bridal language he used to express the gift of holy love and the sacrament of endless union with God. With this intimate love came overwhelming peace. It is through his witness of God’s love that peace came to those he served. Let us all, like St. Bernard, be a stream of peace that flows throughout all of society, not by creating an imaginary separation between our practice of Catholicism and our lives, but by living in one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Yours in the Heart of Jesus, Donna