Bernard of Clairvaux

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) was a Frankish abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order. After the death of his mother in 1112, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order along with 27 of his friends and relations including four of his brothers. The young Frenchman had decided to withdraw from riches in order to live a life of poverty and a diet of cooked beech and herbs. He was soon recognised as a saint of such purity that he made others feel their impurity and many of his fellow monks were afraid even to come into his presence. It only required a few minutes in his company to learn how far they have fallen short.
Three years after entering the order Bernard was sent by the abbot of St Citeaux to start a monastery at Clairvaux. Within a few years the monastery had become under Bernard of Clairvaux’s rule the most prominent of the Cistercian order. His eloquent preaching and the miracles witnessed there attracted numerous pilgrims. By 1146 around 70 monasteries had been founded under the auspices of the one at Clairvaux and Bernard had established himself as one of the most influential men in Christendom. He advocated a more personal faith in which the Virgin Mary is the bridge between humanity and our saviour Jesus Christ. He also gained a reputation for denouncing liberal monks who undermine the mysteries of God by trying to understand the Christian faith through philosophy and intellectual means.
Around this time News came from the Holy Land that alarmed Christendom. Christians had been defeated at the Siege of Edessa and most of the county had fallen into the hands of the Seljuk Turks. At the command of the pope, Bernard preached a sermon at Vézelay, promoting a second Crusade that aroused enthusiasm throughout Western Europe. Louis VII, the King of France was persuaded to join the Crusade and recruits from northern France, Flanders and Germany also signed up. It did not succeed in any of its aims and the last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the Second Crusade he had preached, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him.

Benedictines

In 529 The Benedictine Order was founded by St Benedict (480-543) at Mount Cassino and 51 years later the Mount Cassino monastery was sacked by the Lombards thus fulfilling a prophecy of Benedict. The monks took refuge in Rome and started to spread knowledge of Benedictine rule. The Benedictine movement within the next few centuries became a key source for the conversion of Germany and England to Roman Christianity.
The Benedictine order arrived in England in 597 when a monastery was built in
Canterbury by the Benedictine prior St Augustine. Other Benedictine missionaries
completed the conversion of England to Roman Christianity. A century later the
English Benedictines, Saints Willibrord and Boniface successfully evangelized Germany and from there it spread northwards to Scandinavia and southwards to Spain. In 816 the Benedictine monastic order was imposed on the Holy Roman Empire. By this time the Benedictine had become the only form of monastic life throughout the whole of Western Europe, excepting Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, where the Celtic form of
Christianity remained prevalent.
A typical Benedictine day in England in the ninth century was : 12.00 Laud and Mass. Back to bed. 7.00 Service (prime) and mass. Breakfast. Discuss day’s business. 12.00 Work. 5.00 Vespers then relaxation. 6.30 Supper. 7.00 Compline then bed.
A typical Benedictine day in England in the ninth century was : 12.00 Laud and Mass. Back to bed. 7.00 Service (prime) and mass. Breakfast. Discuss day’s business. 12.00 Work. 5.00 Vespers then relaxation. 6.30 Supper. 7.00 Compline then bed.
In 910 The Benedictine Abbey of Cluny was founded in France by the Abbot Berno as a
reaction to the corruption and lack of zeal in the Benedictine Order. It became the
headquarters of the Cluniac order, who were noted for their strict adherence to the rule of St Benedict. From here monastic reforms were spread and Cluny became the leader of western monasticism from the later 10th century.
The Benedictine rule is a monument of wisdom that has survived the centuries. At its peak forty thousand monasteries were following it in the west.

Saint Benedict

Born at Nurcia in Umbria, Benedict (c480-543) was a pious and virtuous child. He was sent to study at Rome and at the age of 15, disgusted at the vices of the city, fled to a cave on the face of a cliff in the mountains of Subiaco. Benedict survived on bread lowered to him in a basket attached to a rope by Romanus, a monk living at one of the numerous monasteries nearby.He had forsworn the consumption of meat in order to suppress his own carnal desires. After three years in the cave, the fame of Benedict's virtues reached some monks whose abbot had just died and they insisted that he become his successor. Though Benedict remained in the cave, more and more disciples placed themselves under his guidance. Eventually he established an abbey at Vicovano to house the growing number of his followers. It was the first of twelve monasteries he built for them, each of twelve monks.
About 529 Benedict founded the Monte Cassino abbey on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to the God, Apollo. He established there his Rule of St Benedict, which he composed 15 years earlier. The rule encouraged monks to participate in manual labour and studying, a novel idea at the time, but a monument of wisdom that has survived the centuries. Benedict declared “Idleness is hostile to the soul, and the brethren should be occupied at fixed times in manual labour and at definite hours in religious reading.”
A few weeks after the death of his sister Scholastica, Benedict had her tomb opened as he wished to be laid to rest beside her. He was then without warning taken with a violent fever. The dying Benedict was carried into the chapel at Monte Cassino by his fellow Benedictines where he received communion before he drew his last breath standing erect supported by his disciples.

Bathing

Fear of impurity prevented nuns removing their clothes to wash, until a hygienic vision revealed to Saint Brigid (c. 451–525) that the Lord would have no serious objection to a proper bath once a fortnight.

The Augustine Order

The Augustinian order was established in 1256 to follow the monastic teaching and 'rule' of St Augustine. They were not founded by any particular personality, but were a union of several monastic societies. It was the last of the great begging orders to emerge on the thirteenth century.

Mount Athos

In 961, The Great Laura, the first monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece was built. By the 16th century there were twenty monasteries on the Greek mountain. The 3,000 monks living there forbade all females, whether human or animal, from setting foot on the Athos peninsular.
In 1775 Nicholas Kalliboutzes entered a monastic community on Mount Athos, taking the new name, Nicodemus. He devoted much of his time there to editing various writings about the theory and practice of prayer and his personally written books on spirituality were widely circulated. Arising from this, in the mid 1780s a spiritual revival broke out.