Today is the feast of St. Bernardino of Siena, a fiery preacher of revival in Northern Italy who played a significant role in the moral theology of finance. From his sermons:
There are certain men who say: I go not to the preaching because I can remember naught. Hearken! Listen to this example which once befell, and which perhaps will be of use and will help you to remember. There was a holy father, who living as he did in a very humble little cell in a wood had with him one of his good little hermits, who could remember naught of that which he heard for his instruction, and for this reason he never went to hear preaching or aught else. And when he was telling to the holy father the reason because of which he went not to hear the preaching he said: I remember naught. Then said this holy father: Take this little pan, for he had a little pan in which to cook fish, and he said: Boil this water, and when the water is boiling he says: Fill a glass full with it and pour it into this little pan which is all greasy. The other did so. Go, pour it out without cleansing it. And he did so, and the father said: Look now, and see if it be as greasy as it was at first. He said that it was less greasy. The father said: Put some water in it once again, and pour it out. He did so. And this time also was it cleaner. And thus the father made him to do many times, and each time was it cleaner. And he said then to him: Thou sayest that thou dost remember naught. Knowest thou the reason of this? Because thou art fat-witted, and thus greasy like the pan. Go, and pour some water into thy mind, and thou wilt see that it will be cleansed. Pour in more and again it will become cleaner and the more often thou shalt hear the word of God, the more shall thy mind be cleansed and thou wilt be able to hear the word of God, until that thy mind shall be wholly cleansed and clarified.
