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Church History – Part 18
Church in the Middle Ages 1
Today we look briefly at a monastic revival in the Middle Ages! As we saw last time, under the leadership of Hildebrande and Innocent III, there was a revival of monastic orders. Let us look briefly at some of the prime people from this period of our Church History.
Cistercians
This order of monks was founded in 1097 in France, the village we know now as Cîteaux, by a group of Benedictine Monks including Robert of Molesme, Alberic of Citeaux and Stephen Harding. The Cistericans are also known as the White Monks due to the colour of their clothing over which a black head-dress is worn. The Cistercians lifestyle emphasizes a manual labour rather than scholarship, an ascetic lifestyle and self-sufficiency. Many Cistercian abbeys supported themselves through brewing ales and from agriculture. One man who helped them spread rapidly throughout Europe was the next person we will learn about – Bernard of Clairvaux, who entered the monastery in the early 1100s with 30 companions.
Bernard of Clairveaux (1097-1153)
He was one of the most influential leaders and stressed a devotional relationship with God, and led many men into a monastic lifestyle.
Here are some quotes attributed to him, which reflect this:
- “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
- “There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.”
- “Many of those who are humiliated are not humble. Some react to humiliation with anger, others with patience, and others with freedom. The first are culpable, the next harmless, the last just.”
By the end of the 12th century, wealth & laxity had crept into the monastic movement and as a result, declined rapidly. However, the preaching monks soon became more important.
Preaching Monks
These monks lived together under a strict rule, but went into the community to teach and preach. Friars were the most important preaching monks. Two such orders were the Franciscans (Grey Friars, Lesser Friars) and the Dominicans
Francis of Assisi (1182-1276)
The founder of the Franciscans was probably the man who is one of the most known monks of all. Francis was born the son of a wealthy Italian cloth merchant Pietro di Bernardone. During his early adulthood, Francis lived a typical life of most young and wealthy men, and even fought as a soldier. He had a vision when at war in 1204, which directed him back to Assisi. Here he lost his taste for his wealth and worldly life.
Francis gave away his possessions to live a simple lifestyle, begging and giving to the poor and caring for the sick. He gained many followers and was given his official status by Pope Gregory IX, when on July 16, 1228, he was pronounced a saint. Francis’ lifestyle and teaching stressed simplicity, poverty, genuine devotion to God, preaching and charity.
Here is a copy of his famous prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
Dominicans
(Black Friars, founded 1220). This order of Monks was founded by a Spanish priest, Dominic de Guzman. While he made his headquarters in Rome, he did travel widely to visit the growing brotherhood of friars under the Dominican movement. They were renowned for the fact that they owned no property and had no revenues – simply trusting in God to provide. He emphasised the Friars role of teaching and they rapidly spread throughout the lands. They quickly became known as the “Watchdogs of the Lord”, and were renowned for hunting down heretics.
Here are some quotes attributed to him:
- Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.
- A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil.
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