| 1505/32. An entire chapter entitled 'Of the great humility of a certain lay brother' (EM4:19) is devoted to the story illustrated here. Bernard visited a lay brother on his deathbed and told him to have courage, but realizing that his confidence was excessive he felt bound to chastise him. The lay brother then told him the secret of his confidence which he had learnt from Bernard 'that the kingdom of heaven cannot be acquired by nobility of blood or by earthly riches, but solely by the virtue of obedience'. Bernard was overjoyed to hear this and later preached a sermon on his life urging the community to follow the lay brother's example. Bernard is seen talking to a monk on the left who marvelled at the way the lay brother confronted death without fear and in total peace. To this Bernard remarked: 'Quid miramini? Non legistis, quia beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur?' (Why do you marvel? Have you not read 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord? - Apoc 14:13). Nearest to the dying brother are his fellow lay brothers praying for him and consoling him. A monk is reading prayers from a book. A fragment from St Apern of the lay brother alone has been preserved (seeGL67).
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