White snows of St. Bernard

[aglover]

I became a Catholic just over a year ago and took St. Bernard of Montjoux as my saint. I am reading GK Chesterton’s book, Orthodoxy, and came across a passage referring to “the white snows of St. Bernard.” I am wondering if this is a reference to St. Bernard of Montjoux (or Menthon - the guy the dogs are named after; not the more commonly known St. Bernard of Clairvaux.)

The full passage reads: “Christianity…could hold a thought about the abject smallness of man that could only be expressed in fasting and fantastic submission, in the gray ashes of St. Dominic and the white snows of St. Bernard.” It’s on pg 113 in my 180-pg Nook edition.

Does anyone know what the “white snows of St. Bernard” is a reference to?

Thanks!

 

[Viola_Incognita]

I think you are correct that it’s a reference to your St. Bernard.

Here are two excerpts from a short bio of St. Bernard of Menthon on New Advent:

“Since the most ancient times there was a path across the Pennine Alps leading from the valley of Aosta to the Swiss canton of Valais, over what is now the pass of the Great St. Bernard. This pass is covered with perpetual snow from seven to eight feet deep, and drifts sometimes accumulate to the height of forty feet. Though the pass was extremely dangerous, especially in the springtime on account of avalanches, yet it was often used by French and German pilgrims on their way to Rome. For the convenience and protection of travelers St. Bernard founded a monastery and hospice at the highest point of the pass, 8,000 feet above sea-level, in the year 962.”

“At all seasons of the year, but especially during heavy snow-storms, the heroic monks accompanied by their well-trained dogs, go out in search of victims who may have succumbed to the severity of the weather.”

newadvent.org/cathen/02503b.htm

My guess is that the “white snows” is probably a way to describe where St Bernard chose to serve God and how he served.

The next line in Orthodoxy reads: “When one came to think of ONE’S SELF, there was vista and void enough for any amount of bleak abnegation and bitter truth.”

St. Bernard and his monks were definitely not thinking of themselves amidst the white snows. It is quite a picture Chesterton paints. Thanks for sharing.

May Christ’s peace be with you.

 

[aglover]

Thank you, Viola, for your prompt reply (which I received while watching Pope Francis adoring the Blessed Sacrament at World Youth Day), and for drawing my attention to the next sentence. The “white snows” of the Alpine passes certainly seem an apt metaphor for the self-abnegation we feel in light of our own smallness, which is what Chesterton is specifically addressing in this passage.

Thank you also for the link; it’s hard to find info on this intriguing saint!

Peace be with you.

 

[Viola_Incognita]

You’re welcome, aglover

St. Benedict M and his monks did such amazing work, you’d think there would be more written about him.

You have peaked my interest in this saint – no pun intended… I looked up the Great Pass of St. Benedict on google-maps satellite view. If you zoom way in and drag out the little street-view figure, you can find and see a few photos of the interior of the chapel. Search for “Great Saint Bernard Pass, 1946 Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland.”

I found place names associated with his life here: saints.sqpn.com/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-blessed-bernard-of-menthon-confessor/ and here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_of_Menthon

Wikipedia’s articles on the passes have links to sites with photos of the passes. Check out the photos here on Little St. Bernard Pass (scroll down and you can see a few statues): paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Venice%20&%20N%20Italy/Alps/Piccolo_San_Bernardo.htm

This one is cool too: swisscastles.ch/aviation/Montagne/stbernard.html

I wasn’t able to find the monastery where he is buried, but I did find a link for his congregation: gsbernard.ch/ They’d be your best bet for learning more about your saint… but I think you’re going to have to learn French.

May Christ’s peace be with you. And welcome to the family!