RESURRECTION MIRACLES PERFORMED BY ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX AND HIS FRIEND ST. MALACHY
"Now that the dead rise again, Moses also shewed, at the bush, when he called the Lord The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. "
—Luke 20:37-38
Regarding St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), St. Robert Bellarmine wrote: "Bernard has more miracles to his credit than any other saint whose life has been written." And Ailbe J. Luddy, O. Cist., author of The Life and Teachings of St. Bernard, has added: "And the miracles are so well substantiated that to doubt them would mean to discredit all history."
St. Bernard is one of the greatest figures in all history. He completely dominated his era, and is known as "The Oracle of the Twelfth Century." He was a Doctor of the Church, founder of monasteries, reformer of religious life, advisor of popes, preacher, healer of schisms, peacemaker among the mighty, defender of the Church, lover of Mary, mystic, master of the spiritual life, scholar of the Scriptures, great theologian, author of mystical writings, and one of the greatest wonder-workers in the entire history of the Church.
As Luddy quotes the critical historian Luden: "It is absolutely impossible to doubt the authenticity of St. Bernard's miracles, for we cannot suppose any fraud either on the part of those who reported them or on the part of him who wrought them."
Bernard worked many miracles on well-known personages, often before great multitudes, and especially while he was preaching a crusade. These miracles were never challenged by his enemies or their followers. His band of secretaries or chroniclers recorded great numbers of miracles at different places.
At Doningen near Rheifeld, in one day Bernard cured nine blind, ten deaf mutes, and 18 of the lame or paralytic. On the following Wednesday at Schafhausen he performed an even greater number of miracles. And at Constance alone, 53 miracles were recorded in the journal—and that was not the total number that took place there! Because of his vast number of miracles of other kinds, it seems likely that Bernard raised more dead than the case or two that have come down to us.
While St. Bernard was on a preaching tour somewhere near Constance, a young knight named Henry, who spoke both German and French, became an interpreter for him. The young knight had been converted from evil ways by Bernard. But one of the knight's former squires did not like this change in Henry's life. One day when Henry was riding alongside St. Bernard, this squire suddenly appeared and attacked Henry with jeers and insults which also maligned Bernard. "He blasphemed the servant of God, and cried out with all his might, 'Go follow the devil; and may the devil take you!' "
The travelers ignored him. Then there came some people who laid a crippled woman at St. Bernard's feet, entreating his blessing. This made the squire still more furious. But when he saw the woman suddenly cured by St. Bernard, the squire fell back as if struck by an unseen hand. He lay stretched out on the earth, motionless, lifeless.
At this sudden and awful death, Henry, the squire's former master, was horrified. He fell at St. Bernard's feet, begging pity on the squire's soul: "It is on your account, it is because he blasphemed against you, that this terrible judgment has befallen him!"
"God forbid that anyone should die on my account!" Bernard cried, and turned back toward the lifeless body. He leaned over the corpse of the squire and slowly recited the Our Father, his voice trembling with emotion. "Hold him by the head!" Bernard said to the numerous bystanders. Then he anointed him with his spittle (which he frequently used as if it were a medical remedy). Then he commanded the dead squire: "In the Name of the Lord, arise!" Bernard repeated: "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, may God restore thee to life!"
These words fell solemnly amid the silence of the spectators. Then, as they watched, the dead man arose; he looked up to Heaven.
Loud acclamations and expressions of admiration rose from the people. Then Bernard addressed the restored squire: "Now, what are thy dispositions? What art thou about to do?"
The squire answered, "My Father, I will do all you command." True to his word, he changed completely, becoming a crusader.
Had the squire really been dead? He himself stated: "I was dead and I heard the sentence of my condemnation; for if the holy abbot had not interposed, I should now be in Hell."
The squire's former knight, Henry, became a monk at Clairvaux, and often told the above story.
On another famous occasion, St. Bernard beseeched God to back up his preaching by miraculous signs: "What dost Thou expect from me, my Lord and my God? These people seek for miracles, and we shall derive small profit from our words if Thou dost not confirm them by the tokens of Thy power." Bernard said these words as he was leaving the House of the Canons Regular of Toulouse.
At that moment, an ecclesiastic also named Bernard, dying from palsy, sprang from his bed to run after Bernard and thank him for his sudden and perfect recovery. The canons fled with loud cries because they believed that his soul had already left his body, and that this was therefore a phantom. The crowds that gathered after this miracle forced St. Bernard to hide in his cell and guard it. The raised man became a monk of Clairvaux and later abbot of a monastery at Valdeau.
Bernard was a friend of another great wonder-worker of those days, St. Malachy the Irishman, Archbishop of Armagh (1095-1148). St. Bernard, in whose arms Malachy (Malachi) died at Clairvaux, wrote the life of his friend. Malachy was so able that he was ordained five years early by his bishop in order to be his vicar; he was an abbot, and became a bishop by the age of 30. Malachy reformed Christian life in a good part of Ireland. When he died on November 2, 1148, St. Bernard preached at his funeral, and he also preached a year later on the anniversary of his death. Bernard also wrote the life of St. Malachy, and in it he relates a great number of miracles and wonders, of which he says these are only a few.
St. Malachy cured all sorts of people—from a lunatic lad in Ireland to whom he gave a job as porter, to Henry, son of King David of Scotland. The latter two were his friends ever after. Malachy also raised a storm to rout some would-be killers, and he drove out many demons.
St. Bernard tells of a nobleman in the neighborhood of the famous monastery at Bangor, Ireland, who had a wife sick to the point of death. St. Malachy, who occasionally stayed at Bangor, was asked to come and anoint her. At the sight of the saint she revived a bit, so they agreed to wait until morning to anoint her. Malachy left the room with his friends.
Not much later, a great cry of grief echoed throughout the house, and Malachy came running with his disciples. The woman had died! Bitterly St. Malachy reproached himself for having delayed the anointing. He prayed, "I beseech Thee, O Lord, I have acted foolishly. It is I who have sinned, I who have deferred. It was not she; she desired it!" St. Malachy cried aloud that he would take no rest and receive no comfort unless he was allowed to restore the lack of grace he felt he was responsible for. St. Bernard says that instead of the holy oil, St. Malachy dropped tears over the body all night. He told his disciples, "Watch and pray!" So they kept up an all-night vigil with Psalms.
In the morning, the woman opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead and temples with her hands, as people do who rise from a deep sleep. She got up from her couch. She recognized St. Malachy, bowed reverently to him, and devoutly greeted him. Joy was everywhere, and Malachy was full of great thanksgiving. He anointed the woman, and then went on his way.
The woman had been completely cured. She continued in good health, and when she felt better she did the penance Malachy had enjoined. Later on she "fell asleep" again "in a good confession, and went to the Lord."
As mentioned earlier, although St. Bernard recounts a good number of miracles of St. Malachy, he also states that these are only a few of the wonders he performed. For example, he cured a mute girl at Cruggleton village, a madwoman at the village "Church of St. Michael," and a woman whose limbs were completely useless and who was brought to him on a cart; she walked home on her own two feet.
The well-attested miracles of St. Bernard and St. Malachy make it reasonable to assume that there were similar wonders in the lives of other missionary saints who moved among the people—miracles either not recorded, or obscured among the legends of history.