The Sermons of Saint Bernardine of Siena

The Sermons of St. Bernardine of Siena brings readers face-to-face with one of the most fearless and influential preachers of the Franciscan tradition. Speaking to the turbulent cities of fifteenth-century Italy, St. Bernardine confronted public corruption and private sin with an urgency born from one overriding concern: the salvation of souls.

These transcribed discourses reveal a preacher unafraid to apply the moral law to every corner of human life. Bernardine condemns factional hatred and division, exposes the devastating consequences of slander, warns against vanity and attachment to worldly pleasures, and challenges Christians to recognize the hidden sins that quietly destroy the soul. His preaching is vivid, direct, practical, and relentlessly focused on conversion.

But Bernardine's moral vision extends far beyond personal piety. He examines justice in commerce, the dangers of usury, the Christian obligation of almsgiving, and the responsibilities of husbands and wives within marriage. For Bernardine, the Catholic faith must govern not only what happens inside the church but also how Christians speak, work, spend, marry, conduct business, and treat their neighbors.

Centuries after these sermons were first preached, their questions remain strikingly relevant. How should Christians live amid a corrupt culture? When does the pursuit of wealth become sinful? How can gossip destroy a community? What does justice require in business? And what must a sinner actually do to repent? St. Bernardine answers with the clarity of a saint who refuses to separate Christian belief from Christian life.