Tuesday, 6 May 2014

aelred's life and spirituality



INTRODUCTION
            The word spirituality derives from a Latin word spiritualitas. It is any religious or ethical value which is put into practice. It is an essential element in the church. Christian spirituality is one of the full spectrums of those realities that constitute the Christian life in relation to God. Within the Christian tradition, there is not just one spirituality but a great diversity. There are also protestant and Islamic spiritualities.
            The spirituality of the early church is Christocentric; early Christian spirituality was Christocentric, both because the words and deeds of Christ were still fresh in the minds of Christians (thanks to those who had been witnesses to the Lord) and because Christians lived in anticipation of the return of the risen Christ. This is seen in the liturgical content of the Eucharistic, prayer and homily. [1] The early Christian spirituality of the early church is also eschatological which is centered at the second coming of Christ. The spirituality of the early church is equally ascetical.
            To be spiritual means to be related to God who is the spirit incarnate. Spirituality therefore can be explained as the nature of God in man. It is a strive towards perfection and holiness (cf Matthew 5:48, Leviticus 11:44). Spirituality in its strict sense, according to J. Aumann, o.p, refers to the religious or ethical values that are concretized as an attitude or spirit from which one’s action flow.
            Spirituality is the part of theology that deals with Christian perfection and the ways that leads to it. It is a comprehensive term, pertaining to our way of being Christian, in response to the call of God, issued through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Spirituality embraces Trinitarian, Christological, ecclesiological and eschatological realities. It is noted in the life of the triune God, centered on Jesus Christ, situated in the church, ever responsive to the Holy Spirit and oriented always to the coming of God’s reign in all his fullness at the end of human history.
This term paper on spirituality is concerned and interested in examining the life history and spirituality of St. Aelred of Rievaulx, and the spirituality of the historic period in which he lived.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE HISTORIC PERIOD OF ST AELRED OF RIEVAULX.
            St Aelred of Rievaulx lived during the period of the early middle ages. The early middle age is a period in Europe dating from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the west around the 5th century. However, the fixing of dates for the beginning and end of the middles age is arbitrary.
            The church’s duty in this period was to look after the spiritual welfare of the body and everyone else. The only universal European institution during this period was the church and the hierarchy was in the hands of the local bishops. The church here basically saw itself as the spiritual community of the Christian believer, in exile from God’s kingdom waiting in a hostile world for the day of deliverance.
            The spirituality of the early middle age was highly monastic in nature. It is possible that monastic life in the West could have developed without any direct influence from the East. The ascetics, virgins and widows were already observing some of the practices proper to a monastic lifestyle. Eusebius even speaks of an ascetic living in solitude as early as the middle of the third century, But one of the distinguishing elements of monastic life was absent in the first few centuries of the Church in the West, namely, separation from the world. The early ascetics preferred life in community to a solitary life separated from the world. Consequently, although we cannot say with certainty that monastic life in the West was strictly an importation from the East, during the fourth and fifth centuries eastern monasticism was a dominant influence on the development of monastic communities in the West.
            The early middle age drew to an end in the 10th century with the new migration and invasion. During this period, the church began to take on distinctive shapes, whereas in the east the church maintained its structure and character.
The three principal spiritualities that existed in the period of the early middle ages are:
a)      Celtic spirituality
b)      Benedictine spirituality
c)      Cistercian spirituality



THE CELTIC SPIRITUALITY OF THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES

            The Celtic spirituality is mostly associated with saint Patrick of Ireland. Ireland was never a part of the Roman Empire neither was it ever a subject to the Roman law. It has a unique development and made its first contact with Rome though the Christian faith. St Patrick was the great apostle of Ireland and his missionary evangelization and activities left influences and a widespread acceptance of the Christian faith. St Patrick’s legacy would be a great and lasting one for the people of Ireland.[2] He founded numerous monasteries, the most famous being that at Armagh.
            Monasticism played a great and important in the development of Christianity in Ireland. There was great enthusiasm by a large number of men and women to embraces this form or way of life. The 5th and 6th centuries witnessed the founding and electing of many monasteries throughout the country of Ireland. The main components of the life of all these monasteries were prayer, study and manual labour. The study of the sacred scripture was held high in esteem. The spirituality of the monasteries in this period was strongly scriptural; the psalms in particular were central to the life of prayer.[3]
            The magnificent history and apostolic zeal of the monks of Ireland can be summarized in the life and works of St. Patrick and St. Columbanus. St. Patrick (+493), of course, is the patron of Ireland and the founder of Irish monasticism. The Church in Ireland developed along the lines of the clan and the way of life in the local churches was almost monastic. Both monks and nuns accompanied St. Patrick on his missionary journeys and throughout the centuries the Irish monks were famous for their evangelization of foreign lands. The Celtic monks also cultivated a love of learning, so that Ireland became known as the isle of saints and scholars.[4]
            Some other characteristics of the Celtic spirituality are as follows: the celebration of mass was the central act of worship and was solemnly celebrated on Sundays and feast days. The reception of communion was encouraged in daily basis and the prayer of the office was central to the daily life of the monasteries and was carried out with great care and devotion. [5]
THE BENEDICTINE SPIRITUALITY OF THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
            In the seventh and eighth centuries the Church was still carried along by the momentum received from the fruitful pontificate of St. Gregory the Great. The Council of Orange (529) had given the Holy See great prestige and had confirmed the doctrinal authority of St. Augustine. Prior to this, the writings of Boethius (+ 524) had also helped to propagate Augustinian doctrine. However, the predominant influence and unifying force was monasticism, and especially Benedictine monasticism.[6]
            St Benedict of Nursia (480-547) would become the most famous monastic legislator in the west. His rules were built upon previous monastic rules and reflect the wisdom and the experience of the tradition that he inherited. His summary of this tradition became the most significant, and gradually it became supplant to all the other monastic rules that were written in the sixth and seventh centuries in the west.[7]
            St Benedict embraced the ascetic life and he lived as a hermit on mount Subiaco. He lived in solitude in a cave for three years. He lived the life of prayer, penance and solitude. The Rule of St. Benedict is the most influential document in all of western monasticism, for although there were numerous other monastic rules in this period, it was the Rule of St. Benedict that the Council of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 817, proposed as the basic rule for monastic life. It is not, as some have asserted, an entirely original innovation, but it draws on a number of previous sources such as St. Pachomius, St. Basil, Cassian, St. Augustine and the Regula Magistri.[8] St. Benedict had a gift for synthesizing the essential elements of these diverse sources, with the result that his Rule is at once a faithful continuation of the monastic traditions and practices and at the same time a personal contribution to the necessary adaptation of monasticism to contemporary needs.[9]

            The Rule of St. Benedict can be divided, as was the Regula Magistri, into two main sections: the Prologue and the first seven chapters consist of spiritual doctrine; the remainder (chapters 8-73) provides regulations for the life and discipline of the monastery. Most of the first section is taken almost literally from the Regula Magistri, and it begins with the well-known phrase, "Listen carefully, my son, to the master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart." Then follows the challenge: "This message of mine is for you, then, if you are ready to give up your own will, once and for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true King, Christ the Lord."[10] The central concept in the Prologue is that the monastery is a "school for the Lord's service," and St. Benedict concludes the Prologue with the words: Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. It is bound to be narrow at the outset. But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God's commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the sufferings of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his
Kingdom. Amen.

THE CISTERCIAN SPIRITUALITY MONASTERY OF THE MIDDLE EAST
            The third outgrowth of monasticism in the Middle Ages, and the most popular, was the Cistercian Order, founded by St. Robert of Molesmes at Citeaux in 1098. After making the foundation, the Pope commanded Robert to return to Molesmes but the other members remained at Citeaux, living in great austerity under St. Alberic and St. Stephen Harding. St. Bernard arrived at Citeaux with thirty companions in 1112 and so great was the expansion of the Cistercian Order that when St. Bernard died in 1153, there were 343 monasteries of strict observance covering Europe and reaching into the Balkans and the Holy Land.
THE LIFE JOURNEY OF ST. AELRED OF RIEVAULX
            Aelred of Rievaulx, an English Cistercian was born at hex ham in Northumbia around 1109. He spent much of his youth at the Scottish court of king David 1. At the age of 24, he entered the newly founded Cistercian abbey at Rievaulx in York-shire, a daughter house of Clairvaulx. He was novice master there for a short period and then was elected abbot of Revesby, a foundation of Rievaulx. In 1147 he returned to Rievaulx as abbot and wisely and successfully directed this monastery until his death in 1167. He suffered much from poor health and during his last years he was forced to direct the monastery from his infirmary living quarters.
            From his writings and biography written by one of his discipline, Aelred emerges as a very warm, compassionate and beloved person with great gift for friendship. He has often been referred to as “Bernard of the North”. Although he never matched the breath of Bernard’s accomplishments, there is the same warmth of sentiments in his writings and wonderful ability to administer and organize. Under his leadership the monastery at Rievaulx grew rapidly in number.
            Aelred writes in his spiritual friendship about his walking around his monastery and reflecting: “in that multitude of brethren I found no one to whom I did not love, and no one by whom, I felt sure, I was not loved. I was filled with such joy that it surpassed all the delights of this world.[11] St Aelred wrote various sermons, prayers and treaties which include “Jesus at the age of twelve, a rule of life, mirror of charity and, spirituality friendship.[12]
            The mirror of charity was written at the insistence of St. Bernard and flowed through the conferences he gave to his novices. Aelred writes about the spiritual life as a response to God’s love, freely choosing the love of God over the love of self. He also developed the theme of restoration of God’s image and likeness in the human person, made possible through Christ’s coming. Aelred made a distinct and unique contribution among the monastic writers.
            Aelred see friendship as God’s gift realized in Christ. “He that abides in friendship abides in God and God in him”.[13] The writing of Aelred has a series of meditation on the life of Christ[14]. Aelred died in 1167, was a contemporary of St Thomas Becket and Henry II and like them, was deeply involved in the history of the times. His monastery of Rievaulx still survives today, one of the loveliest monastic ruins in England.

THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST. AELRED OF RIEVAULX
            Plagued all his life by bad health, Aelred entered the Cistercian monastery at Rievaulx at the age of 24 and died in 1167, after being abbot for twenty years. During much of this time he administered the abbey from the infirmary and gained great renown as a spiritual director. Aelred was completely monastic in his spiritual teaching and writings, attempting to show the monks how to achieve union with God by abandoning self and sin and, through fraternal love in community, restoring the image of God that had been lost through sin.[15]
            Aelred appreciated the eremitical life and in fact he wrote a treatise for his sister on the formation of a recluse, but he was much more in favor of the cenobitic life. According to Aelred, man's whole being longs for God because God has instilled this desire in the human heart. More than that, man seeks to become like unto God, even when he wanders in the "land of unlikeness" because of his sins. It is only through Christ that man can realize his inmost desire, and hence he should love Christ as his dearest friend. Indeed, "God himself is friendship," and "he who dwells in friendship, dwells in God and God in him." This is where human friendship, if it is a spiritual friendship, can be a means of friendship with God. Anyone who enjoys such a spiritual human friendship is by that very fact a friend of God. Friendship with God, therefore, constitutes perfection because "to love God is to join our will to God so completely that whatever the divine will prescribes, the human will consents to."[16]
            For Aelred the monastery is not only, as St. Benedict stated, "A school for the Lord's
Service" (Prologue, 45); it is a "school of love." Under the abbot, who stands in the place of Christ, the monks are brought to friendship with God through their fraternal love in community. Yet this does not mean that the monastic life is a source of continual joy. The abandonment of human will to the divine will involves suffering, and daily life in community often presents trials and crosses. Some monks may even ask themselves, as did Bernard, why they have come to the monastery or what is the value of their hidden life. To this, Aelred would respond by showing the importance of the imitation of Christ and of his apostles who suffered persecution and death.
            It is everyone's affair by charity, and the abbot's by his counsels, to prevent anyone from straying from the path, or any delay on the journey. This peaceful confidence in the monastic life is not peculiar to St. Aelred, but he sets it forth with a charm, a good humor, and at times a humorousness, that are entirely his own. St. Bernard, his master, is a doctor of the Church, whereas St. Aelred is only a doctor of the monastic life; and yet his teaching has a universal value, because monasticism is part of the Church, and he himself lays stress on unity of spirit. Still, he is thinking first of all of monks. The theologian is always the pleasant Father Abbot.[17]

CHARACTERISTIC PHRASE OF ST AELRED OF RIEVAULX
            St Aelred of Rievaulx is one of the most popular medieval spiritual writers. He brings together great deal of traditional materials and organized them in a readable and creative way. He speaks about the four stages in the process of contemplative prayer: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation.
            Reading for him is a careful study of the scriptures, meditation is the busy application of the mind to seek with one’s own reason for the knowledge of the hidden truth, prayer is the heart’s devoted turning to God to drive away evil and obtain what is good, contemplation is the lifting up of the mind to God and held above self, so as to taste the joys of everlasting sweetness.
            The above illustration and explanations are likened to eating. Reading is just like putting food into the mouth, meditation is similar to chewing and breaking it up, prayer reflects in the extraction of the flavour, and contemplation is the sweetness of the food which gladdens and refreshes the body. This is more illustrated with the well known words of the scriptures, “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”.

RELATION WITH THE MISSION
            St Aelred of Rievaulx Plagued all his life by bad health entered the Cistercian monastery at Rievaulx at the age of 24 and died in 1167, after being abbot for twenty years. During much of this time he administered the abbey from the infirmary and gained great renown as a spiritual director. Aelred was completely monastic in his spiritual teaching and writings, attempting to show the monks how to achieve union with God by abandoning self and sin and, through fraternal love in community, restoring the image of God that had been lost through sin.
            St Aelred of Rievaulx was so much committed to his life as an abbot, he carried all his monks along in his activity; he never hated any one neither was he hated by any one. He so much involved himself with the youth, the monk of his time. For Aelred the monastery is not only, as St. Benedict stated, "A school for the Lord's service" (Prologue, 45); it is a "school of love." Under the abbot, who stands in the place of Christ, the monks are brought to friendship with God through their fraternal love in community. Yet this does not mean that the monastic life is a source of continual joy. The abandonment of human will to the divine will involves suffering, and daily life in community often presents trials and crosses. Some monks may even ask themselves, as did Bernard, why they have come to the monastery or what is the value of their hidden life. To this, Aelred would respond by showing the importance of the imitation of Christ and of his apostles who suffered persecution and death.[18]
            His best works consist of sermons and treatises, and of these the best are Mirror of Charity, Jesus as a Twelve-year-old Boy, and Spiritual Friendship. It is everyone's affair by charity, and the abbot's by his counsels, to prevent anyone from straying from the path, or any delay on the journey. This peaceful confidence in the monastic life is not peculiar to St. Aelred, but he sets it forth with a charm, a good humor, and at times a humorousness, that are entirely his own. St. Bernard, his master, is a doctor of the Church, whereas St. Aelred is only a doctor of the monastic life; and yet his teaching has a universal value, because monasticism is part of the Church, and he himself lays stress on unity of spirit. Still, he is thinking first of all of monks. The theologian is always the pleasant Father Abbot.[19]

WHAT TOUCHES ME IN THE SPIRITUALITY OF ST AELRED
            Aelred of Rievaulx irrespective of the health issues he had was still able to paddle on with his monastic life. Aelred was a monk who later was made an abbot. As an abbot of the monastery of Rievaulx, Aelred had a special love for the youths especially the monks. This is shown I his pastoral prayers and was also seen in his spiritual friendship where he said, “I that multitude of brethren I found no one whom I did not love, and no one by whom, I felt sure, I was not loved”. He was a loving pastorally minded abbot, who calmly accepted the changing situation faced by monks in their journey to God and tried to provide suitable guidance to help them on their way.
            St Aelred’s rule of life is centered and focused on the goal of achieving spiritual and physical oneness. He sees friendship as God’s given gift that is realize in Christ; just as he said in his spiritual friendship, “he that abides in friendship abides in God and God in him”. There are series of meditation in the life of Christ and devotions to the humanity of Christ in the writings of St Aelred. He is too sentimental in his writings and he also had a creative and wonderful ability to administer and organize; these is seen in his character as the abbot of the monastery. He is very warmth, compassionate and loving person with a gift and special interest for friendship.
            What touches me most is the ability of St Aelred to accommodate peoples in his life. Hence, those who were restless in the world and those to whom no religious house give entry, coming to St Aelred in Rievaulx, the mother of mercy and finding the gates wide open, freely entered therein.[20]

THE ASPECT OF ST AELRED’S SPIRITUALITY WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO INTEGRATE IN MY OWN SPIRITUAL LIFE
            The aspect of St Aelred’s life that I would love to integrate in my own life is his love for learning and his desire for God. His love and desire for God is outstanding in his life because in the monastic tradition, friendship exists as a means of achieving an edifying union that symbolizes and points to divine love.[21] Aelred’s love and desire for God is reflected in his writings and his relationship with the peoples around him. This led him to embrace and live full his monastic life both as a monk and an abbot.
            His developments on the themes so dear to all the Cistercians of the restoration of God’s image and likeness in the human person, made possible through Christ’s coming marvels me a lot. With this mind set, coupled with the effect of his love and desire for God, he has emphasis on friendship as a way to God and he made a distinct and unique contribution among the monastic writers. Friendship for Aelred is rooted in the love of Christ.
            The above are all what touches me in the life of St Aelred and they also are the things I saw in his life that I would love to integrate in my own life, both the spiritual and the physical aspects.

CONCLUSION
The period of St Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1167) was a great period in the history of the early middle ages. It was a time marked by a gradual development of the early monasticism and the monastic culture. This was also a time of change and transition that led to the emergency of new developments and trends, it implies renaissance.
            This period in the twelveth century, brought about developments to the earlier traditional forms of western spirituality.


[1] Jordan Aumunn, O.P. Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition. published by Ignatius Press/Sheed & Ward,1985.
[2] Christian spirituality an introduction pg97  Diarmuid O’ Laoghaire ”celtic spirituality” in the study of spirituality, edited by C, Jones, G, Wainwright and E, Yarnold (new York; oxford university press, 1986) pp218-219.
[3] Charles J. Healey S.J.  Christian spirituality, an introduction to the heritage.  Paulist press, New York. 2003.
[4] Cf. J. F. Kenney, the Sources for the Early History of Ireland, New York, N.Y., 1929; J. Ryan, Irish Monasticism: Origins and Early Development, Talbot Press, Dublin, 1931; L. Gougaud, Christianity in Celtic Lands, London, 1932.
[5] ibid
[6] Cf. J. Lortz, Geschichte der Kirche, Munster, 1950; J. Leclercq, F.Vandenbroucke, L. Bouyer, The Spirituality of the Middle Ages, Burns & Oates, London, 1968; L. Génicot, La spiritualité médiévale, Paris, 1958; J. F. Rivera Recio, "Espiritualidad popular medieval," in Historia de la Espiritualidad, ed. B. J. Duque-L. S. Balust, Juan Flors, Barcelona, 1969, pp. 609-657.
[7] J. Healey S.J.  Christian spirituality, an introduction to the heritage.  Paulist press, New York. 2003.pg 85
[8] For discussion of relation between Rule of St. Benedict and Regula Magistri, cf. C. Peifer, art. cit., pp. 79-90.
[9] Charles J. Healey S.J.  Christian spirituality, an introduction to the heritage.  Paulist press, New York. 2003.pg 85
[10] All quotations from the Rule of St. Benedict, ed. T. Fry, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn., 1981.
[11] Aelred of Rievaulx, spiritual friendship, translated by mary  Eugenia Laker, s.s.n.d and introduction by douglas Roby( kalamazoo, mi: Cistercian publication,1969).
[12] (McGinn, op. cit.,pp.309-323) kalamazoo , mi: cistercian publication, 1969).
[13] Spiritual friendship, op. cit, pp. 65-66. The writings of Aelred has a series of meditation on the life of Christ.
[14] Charles J. Healey S.J.  Christian spirituality, an introduction to the heritage.  Paulist press, New York. 2003. pg 131-135.
[15] Jordan. Aumunn O.P. Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition. published by Ignatius Press/Sheed & Ward, 1985.
[16] Speculum caritatis, PL 195, 566.
[17] Cf. J. Leclercq et al., op. cit., p. 208. For further details Cf. W: Daniel, The Life of Aelred of Rievaulx, London, 1950.
[18] Jordan. Aumunn O.P. Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition. published by Ignatius Press/Sheed & Ward, 1985.
[19] Cf. J. Leclercq et al., op. cit., p. 208. For further details Cf. W: Daniel,
The Life of Aelred of Rievaulx, London, 1950.
[20]  Edition by F.M. Powicke, the life of Aelred of Rievaulx by Walter Daniel. London: Thomas Nelson, 1963.
[21] Michael Downey (Ed). The new Dictionary of spirituality. Theological publications in India, Bangalore.  pg  425.

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