LBW 316, “Jesus, the Very Thought of You”
Devotion
Today the church commemorates the life and ministry of Bernard of Clairvaux. Born in 1090, he was the third of seven children. When he was 17, his mother died. At age 21, he joined a Benedictine monastery. Three years later, he was asked to be abbot of a new monastery that he and 12 others established in Clara Vallisor Clairvaux. This is where he was ordained a priest.
Sometimes called “the Last of the Fathers,” Bernard’s love for Christ is voiced in this hymn. Through it we can express our love for Christ, too, singing of how sweet it is that Jesus is our savior, hope and joy. It can move our spirits to want to see and serve the Lord, which is what the sweetness of Jesus does. It brings us to love the Lord all the more.
Prayer
Savior of the world, fill us with your hope and joy and help us to hear the sweetness of your voice that finding our delight in you, we might sing of your love with a humble and contrite heart. Amen.