Bernard of Clairvaux Quotes

Sin recognized but that may keep us humble, But oh, it keeps us nasty.

I am mindful that we're all sinners.

There is a spiritual side to me that goes real deep, but I confess right up front that I'm the biggest sinner of them all.

Great is the difference betwixt a man's being frightened at, and humbled for his sins.

I too have my own demons, and I have struggled. I've made my own mistakes, and I'm not proud of them.

Strive to attain to the greater virtues, but do not neglect the lesser ones. Do not make light of a fall even if it be the most venial of faults; rather, be quick to repair it by repentance, although many others may commit a large number of faults, slight and grievous, and remain unrepentant.

I don't know if I'm so righteous.

Let God and all his creation teach you what your sins are.

Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but guilt is simply God's way of letting you know that you're having too good a time.

We can only write well about our sins because it is too difficult to recall a virtuous act or even whether it was the result of good or evil motives.

Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil too well to give it up.

I do all the evil I can before I learn to shun it? Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil too well to give it up.

You cannot be responsible for salvation until first you've been responsible for sin.

God may not accept a person to forgive him his sins, without an atonement, else he must give free license to sin both in angels and men, and then sin were no sin, and our God were no God.

Whoever hates his sins will stop sinning; and whoever confesses them will receive remission. A man can not abandon the habit of sin if he does not first gain enmity toward sin, nor can he receive remission of sin without confession of sin. For the confession of sin is the cause of true humility.

Jesus is never upset at sinners; he is only upset with people who do not think they are sinners.

A true man of piety will consider himself a sinner and, therefore, untouchable.

Remember the man who truly repents is never satisfied with his own repentance.

The prayer of one who does not consider himself a sinner is not accepted by the Lord.

Make account that thou hast done nothing, and then thou hast done all. For if, being sinners, when we account ourselves to be what we are, we become righteous, as indeed the Publican did; how much more, when being righteous we account ourselves to be sinners.

Let us fall before the majesty of our great God, acknowledging our faults, and praying that he will make us ever more conscious of them.

Conscience is its own readiest accuser.

Isn't there any statute of limitation in things spiritual? I don't believe any large mind dwells on its sins, any more than on its virtues!

To be ashamed of one's immorality: that is a step on the staircase at whose end one is also ashamed of one's morality.

I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have.