Truly, love is delightful and pleasant food, supplying, as it

Saint Bernard, with words both tender and profound, declares: “Truly, love is delightful and pleasant food, supplying, as it does, rest to the weary, strength to the weak, and joy to the sorrowful. It in fact renders the yoke of truth easy and its burden light.” In this saying, he draws forth a truth that spans both heaven and earth: that love is not merely an emotion, nor a fleeting sweetness, but a sustaining nourishment, a divine provision for the soul. To those who are crushed beneath the weight of sorrow or who stagger beneath the demands of life, love comes as bread for the heart and wine for the spirit. What food is to the body, love is to the soul—it sustains, renews, and makes possible what once seemed impossible.

The origin of this thought flows from the heart of the Christian tradition. Saint Bernard, that great mystic of the twelfth century, sought to teach his monks and all who would listen that the law of God, which might seem stern and heavy when viewed with fear, becomes light when borne upon the wings of love. For fear toils, but love delights. Duty without love is drudgery; but duty with love becomes song. Thus, when he speaks of the “yoke of truth” and its “burden,” he invokes the words of Christ, who Himself proclaimed: “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Bernard merely unwraps this mystery, showing that the secret ingredient which makes this yoke bearable is love, that “pleasant food” which transforms command into joy.

Consider, for example, the tale of Simon of Cyrene, compelled by the Romans to carry the cross of Christ. At first, he bore it with reluctance, for it was thrust upon him unwillingly. Yet as he walked beside the Suffering One, something changed. Love awakened in him—not a love of ease or self, but of compassion for the bruised and bleeding Savior. What was once an unwanted burden became, by love’s alchemy, a privilege and an honor. In Simon’s heart, the yoke grew light because love had touched it. Such is the transformation Bernard speaks of: the crushing weight of life, when borne with love, becomes not curse but crown.

Even outside the sacred story, history echoes the same truth. Think of the soldier who endures sleepless marches, icy winds, and gnawing hunger—yet because he loves his country, his comrades, or his cause, he presses on with joy. Recall the mother who labors through countless nights of watchfulness beside her child’s cradle; though weary, she finds a hidden strength in her love, which makes her sleepless toil not a torment but a delight. Thus, from battlefield to hearth, from monastery to marketplace, love proves itself the hidden bread that sustains human courage and endurance.

Saint Bernard’s words also carry an inner teaching: love restores balance to the soul. The weary find rest, for love releases them from striving in vain. The weak find strength, for love pours courage into their fainting hearts. The sorrowful find joy, for love lifts their eyes from their grief to a higher light. In every case, love does not erase suffering, but it transforms the meaning of suffering, clothing it with dignity and hope. Just as a bitter herb may be made palatable when mixed with honey, so the trials of life become endurable when sweetened by love.

What then shall we learn, O reader of future ages? That without love, truth itself may become a lash that scourges, a weight too heavy to bear. But with love, truth becomes not a tyrant but a friend; its commands are not chains but guiding hands. Therefore, do not seek to perform your duties through fear alone, nor to carry your burdens with grim resolve. Rather, kindle in yourself the flame of love, for love alone transforms toil into joy and struggle into triumph.

Practically, this means that in your daily labors—whether in the home, the field, or the workshop—remind yourself of whom you serve and why. Let your actions spring not merely from compulsion but from devotion: devotion to God, to your family, to your community, to that which is greater than yourself. Speak kindly, even when weary. Lend a hand, even when weak. Smile, even when sorrow presses near. For in these small acts of love, you will find, as Bernard promised, that the burden grows light and the yoke becomes sweet.

Thus, take these words as a guiding torch through the shadows of life: Love is the food of the soul, and he who eats of it shall never faint. Nourish yourself daily upon it, and share it freely with others, for in the giving of love you shall find your strength renewed, your sorrows comforted, and your path made radiant with joy.