Close friends ground us and keep us from thinking that what we have is our own accomplishment. Saint aelred of rievaulx, writer, historian, and outstanding cistercian abbot who influenced monasticism in medieval england, scotland, and france. Throughout his life, aelred took great joy in his friends and. The creator god of genesis is johns god who is love. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx is one of the all time classic books of devotion to christ. No one can interrupt us now, no one can spoil our friendly conversation. Grant to your people that same spirit of mutual affection, that, in loving one.
Second, it is seen as spiritual intimacy with the creator. The classic text with a spiritual commentary by dennis billy, c. In 1147 he became abbot of rievaulx, a post which he held until his death of kidney disease twenty years later at the age of 57. Medieval women, orion 1995 and with thanks to paul fogarty. During this period, aelred wrote his best known work, spiritual friendship.
Margaret, he eventually entered the cistercian monastery at rievaulx around 13 and ultimately became abbott of the monastery in 1147. He may have been partially educated by lawrence of durham, who sent him a hagiography. For further reading, i recommend aelred squire op, aelred of rievaulx. Robert lentz, ofm, that some dear friends of mine gave me at christmas this year. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship thursday, april 16, 2009 share this. Here is my reading log from aelred of rievaulxs classic devotional book on spiritual friendship. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 9780879079703. Carnal friendship is a mutual harmony in vice which begins when lustful eyes allow into the mind images of beautiful bodies. Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to spiritual mean you have. His extensive spiritual writings show such similarity. Aelred was born in hexham in the north east of england in 1110. To have written so truthfully about friendship, he must have been a good friend to others. Life in the medieval cloister, continuum publishing 2009 leyser, henrietta.
Spiritual friendship, cistercian pubns 27 copy quote. Aelred 11091167 was the abbot of the cistercian abbey of rievaulx in england. Aelred of rievaulx, 11101167 feast day january 12 printer friendly. An excerpt from spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx aelred. Spiritual friendship cistercian studies series marsha l. Here we are, you and i, and i hope that christ makes a third with us. Liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. Liberty christian ministries inc recommended for you. In his writings on friendship, aelred distinguished three kinds. Spiritual friendship, by aelred of rievaulx, alban books. The prospect of a friendship with god has brought solace to numerous followers in the harsh realities of this world. Or common of a monastic or professed religious for all baptized christiansthe preface of a saint 2 the collect.
While love is universal, freely given to all, friendship is a particular love between individuals, of which the example is jesus and john the beloved disciple. In 1095, the council of claremont had forbidden the ordination of the sons of priests. The provision is made for spiritual friendship which promotes a mutual journey throughout life. His sermons and treatises reflect aelred the monk, the novice. Today is the feast day of aelred of rievaulx, often called the patron saint of friendship. Friendship, aelred teaches, is both a gift from god and a creation of human effort. Speculum caritatis the mirror of charity, which aelred wrote at bernards insistence, is a treatise on monastic life. Of noble birth, aelred was reared at the court of king david i of scotland, whose life.
The dialogue structure of spiritual friendship immediately shows the importance of others in the spiritual life. When i was still just a lad at school, and the charm of my companions pleased me very much, i gave my whole soul to affection and devoted myself to love amid the ways and vices with which that age is wont to be threatened, so that nothing seemed to me more. The interaction between spiritual friends is a mutual love and desire to see each other become all that god intends for them to become. It is a return to the perfection of the garden of eden. Spiritual friendship cistercian fathers by aelred, marsha l dutton, lawrence c braceland isbn. True spiritual friendship, friendship that incarnates christ among us, perfects love. Aelred of rievaulxs rule for a solitary articles house.
Ambroses contribution to aelred of rievaulxs spiritual friendship. During his abbacy he built rievaulx into a place of spiritual welcome and physical prosperity, desiring to make it a mother of mercy to those in need. As a result of a kiss, there arises in the mind a wonderful feeling of delight that awakens and binds together the love of them that kiss. It has been about 900 years, so i shouldnt be so surprised. Spiritual friendship cistercian studies series by marsha l. His most famous work is called spiritual friendship both it and the mirror have been published in english by the cistercian press. And aelred takes a further significant step when he moves from affirming that god is love to. Reading aelred of rievaulxs little treatise on spiritual friendship as an undergraduate was a lifechanging experience for me.
Saint aelred of rievaulx cistercian monk britannica. He called twelve disciples and told them they were considered his friends john 15. Aelred of rievaulx is considered one of the most lovable saints, the patron saint of friendship and also, some say, a gay saint. Over the years aelred rose to considerable prominence in england, and his counsel was sought out by church. Aelred spent several years at the court of king david of scotland, son of st.
Patricia carroll ocso draws our attention to aelred of rievaulx, a cistercian saint and spiritual writer who specialised in writing about friendship as an image of. The end result of this mutually nurturing relationship is a spiritual transformation that honors god. Spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 11471167. Aelred writes in the prologue to his best known work, the treatise on spiritual friendship, that. They aim to learn about friendship from a friend, and in the presence. I went to rievaulx out of gratitude for that witness. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx goodreads. As a cistercian monk in the middle ages, aelred of rievaulxs 11101167 life was likely filled with physical work and contemplative prayer. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship john protevi. And, the differences are plain to see as one reads.
Traditions of spiritual guidance aelred of rievaulx brendan callaghan 375 c istercian spirituality and christian friendship have each fea tured in traditions of spiritual guidance, 1 so for aelred to be treated in his own right might seem unnecessary. Aelred of rievaulx asks us to carry on the everdynamic mission of the incarnation. This was done in part to end the inheritance of benefices. Spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 1167. Aelred of rievaulx us from gods service, as well as deluding our understanding of spiritual friendship. Jesus had three special friends whom he included in exclusive spiritual experiences such as raising a child from the dead, the transfiguration and even his most powerful time of prayer on the eve of. Saint aelred also rendered ailred was the son of a saxon priest of hexham, england, and was born in 1109 ad. The treatise is a series of dialogues in which three monks join aelred to examine their ideas about. A lmighty god, you endowed the abbot aelred with the gift of christian friendship and the wisdom to lead others in the way of holiness. And here is my memory of visiting the ruin of rievaulx abbey a few years ago rounding the bend in the road from the village of thirsk in north yorkshire, your first glimpse. It is amazing to me how much has changed in regards to friendship since aelred of rievaulx wrote spiritual friendship. Perhaps the flourishing of rievaulx was in part to do with how its abbot gave a christian witness to spiritual friendship. Our pdf merger allows you to quickly combine multiple pdf files into one single pdf document, in just a few clicks.
In short, monastic theology, like monastic friendship according to the exemplary account of aelred of rievaulx, is ideally a balanced activity of reason and will, profoundly christcentered, existentially grounded in both sensible and spiritual experience, and quintessentially expressed in. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 323 ratings, 4. For the last four years of his life, illness confined him to a cell attached to the abbey where small groups of monks daily sought his counsel. Pour into our hearts, o god, the holy spirits gift of love, that we, clasping each the others hand, may share the joy of friendship, human and divine, and with your servant aelred draw many to your community of love. Patricia carroll ocso draws our attention to aelred of rievaulx, a cistercian saint and spiritual writer who specialised in writing about friendship as an image of the relationship between god and each person. It starts as a dialogue between aelred and ivo, with a third, christ, present with them. Aelred was born in hexham, northumbria, in 1110, one of three sons of eilaf, priest of st andrews at hexham, himself a son of another eilaf, treasurer of durham. Grant to your people that same spirit of mutual affection, that, in loving one another, we may know the love of christ and rejoice in the gift of your eternal goodness. Saint aelred of rievaulx 11101167 author of spiritual friendship. Jul 07, 2010 liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. Aelred of rievaulx was an heir of saxons living under norman rule, a native speaker of english daily speaking french and latin, a descendant of generations of married priests in an age when priests were forbidden to wed, an english monk in a french order, an abbot bred to service in the church but trained for service in the court. His feast day is celebrated by the cistercians on february 3. Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to.
St aelred of rievaulx english province of the order of. Flag question question text levi strauss believes that it believes in diversity and is open minded. Jan 12, 2015 known best for his treatises on spiritual friendship and the mirror of charity, in which he sketched a vision for monastic community, aelred has become the unofficial patron saint of friendship, owing to his powerful depiction of the spiritual fruitfulness of samesex love. The first clairvaux collection, adventall saints, translated by theodore berkeley and m. Jesus demonstrated the importance of spiritual friendship. What aelred discovered is that happiness does not exist without friendship. Apr 01, 2010 spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 1167. Jan 12, 2011 during this period, aelred wrote his best known work, spiritual friendship. The purpose of this group is to allow you to socialize, network, make friends, and explore the world of spirituality together. Lastly, it offers a connection to something outside of oneself. Spiritual friendship is contrasted with carnal or worldly friendship in this work.
An extremely competent administrator of rievaulx, a vast yorkshire abbey in northern england, yet even more a spiritual father to hundreds of men, had we met aelred we would identify him with pope john xxiii or carlo martini, the archbishop of milan, italy. For those of you who are single and are looking to date or be in a relationship with a conscious and spiritual person, then this group is a perfect way for you to meet your match. Spiritual friendship in 300 words spiritual friendship. Stock publishers 7jtjupvs8fctjufbuxxx xjqgboetupdl dpn. Aelred, a 12thcentury cistercian abbot, insists that we need to test our beliefs about friendship with scripture.
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