The Work of Fra Bernardo

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 2, 1916

The Work of Fra Bernardo

THERE is a beautiful legend of Fra Bernardo. The monastery had vowed to set a carved altar to the Christ at Christmastide. Every monk was to do his own part. All the other monks had finished their work. On Christmas Eve Fra Bernardo knelt and told his Lord of his failure. He had tried with his poor skill to carve something for the altar, for Christ’s dear sake, but somehow he could not make anything worthy. So he prayed that his fingers might have skill, and that he might be able that very night to carve the dream of beauty that was in his heart. In the morning the monks sought Bernardo’s cell and found him there—

“Dead, smiling still, and prostrate as in prayer; While at his side a wondrous carving lay, A face of Christ sublimely tender, sweet: The work of Fra Bernardo was complete.”

So it will be with those who seem to fail but who continue striving faithfully, doing their lowly work as well as they can. When the end comes, it will be seen that what to them seemed failure was beautiful with the beauty of Christ. God finishes the work that his lowly ones try to do for him.—“A Heart Garden.”