Today we see Jesus praying in favor of the disciples of all times, those of the time and those who would come later thanks to the testimony of Christians of all generations: "Not only for these but also for those who through their word will believe in me "(Jn 17,20). The desire of Jesus covers not only the extension of the Kingdom of God, but also its unity; and the catholicity of the Church is revealed in this: " May they all be one as you Father are in me and I am in you " (Jn 17:21). And this "all" refers to all Christians of all times and from all parts of the world: all living in communion with Him who is the only true God in the bosom of the one Church.

One of the disciples present in the heart of Jesus, and for whom he prayed, was St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a great renovator of the Christian life and of monasticism at the beginning of the second millennium. With his look and thought devoted to Christ, Saint Bernard prayed and worked for the unity of the Church, for the communion between the brothers and for the living of a truly Christian life with the extension of the Kingdom of God. Grounded in the love of God, Saint Bernard exhorted his monks to live in charity, in order to achieve unity in oneself and in the Church: "Let us love ourselves, because we are loved: it is our interest and the interest of our people. In what we love, we rest; whom we love, we offer our rest. To love in God means to have charity; To be loved by God means to serve charity. "

Following the teachings of St. Benedict, St. Bernard applied to the school of divine service and thus showed us the importance of community life in the Christian faith.