DOCSLIB.ORG

The Monastic Rescue of the Church

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Monastic Rescue of the Church 6. THE MONASTIC RESCUE OF THE CHURCH Refer to 2000 year timeline: How was Christian orthodoxy preserved and saved from total control by state politics, worldly corruption, wealthy influence and the rise of powerful bishops? Monasteries emerged as places of pious worship, prayer, scholarship, service to the poor and missionary outreach. Without them much would have been lost entirely! The Fall of Rome: In 410 AD Alaric the Visigoth sacked Rome. Happened again by Vandals in 455 AD. In 476 AD the last official emperor in the west, Romulus Augustus, was removed. How could an ordinary pious Christian find a way of life based on the Bible and given to prayer? Monastic = from “monos”; meaning one, or solitary. Early Monastic Leaders or Models St. Anthony, in Egypt, ca. 270 AD. Hermit life of prayer in Egyptian Desert. Symeon Stylites (390-459 AD): a hermit in area of Antioch. Built a small abode atop a pole, where he lived for decades, with all life necessities pulled up in a bucket. St. Jerome (342-420 AD) St. Basil of Caesarea Benedict of Nursia (480-550 AD): composed his “Rule” for monastic life – a detailed manual giving both ideals and practical principles to regulate a community of faith – used by many other orders. “Prayer is work; and work is prayer.” Monastic Rescue of Manuscripts and Learning: (Pictures of ‘Art of the Book’) Realize that in these early days there were really no universities or organized schools at any level. The rest of society was too much in chaos to be bothered with the tedious and careful work of scholarship and books. Modern author, Thomas Cahill wrote How the Irish Saved Civilization. Monasteries in Britain and Ireland St. Patrick (390-460 AD) in Ireland Columba (521-597 AD) at Iona, spread the faith into Scotland Aiden, at Lindisfarne, produced the “Lindisfarne Gospels”, a famous illuminated manuscript of all four gospels 7. Later Monastic Orders Founded Augustinians – Luther! ; Dominicans; Franciscans; Cistercians; Carthusians; Carmelites; Trappists; and many others. For the sake of time, we’re not mentioning the many convents for nuns. There were some great women leaders such as Hildegard, Bridged, Catherine of Siena. Analysis of Monastic Accomplishments: Provided social centers of order, fellowship and self-discipline in the midst of chaotic social changes. Provided safe havens for various refugees; usually respected by marauders. Taught a humble life of Bible study, prayer and regulated worship; emphasis on self-sacrifice, obedience to authority. Strong contribution to preservation of Scripture documents, plus doctrinal books and classic literature. Development of music: Gregorian chant, etc. Some examples of reactions against unbiblical doctrines from Rome – certain early efforts well before the Reformation at church reform and doctrinal purity. Centers for education established; some led to great universities. Abbots of monasteries were generally more doctrinally and spiritually conservative than many of the magisterial bishops who ruled in cities. Care for the sick; some led to establishment of early hospitals. Care for the poor in an age of no social services available; also many orphanages. Business models and farming of monasteries became models for early forms of industry and capitalism: vineyards, bakeries, textiles, some manufacturing. Negative Issues: Celibacy was often exalted beyond proper Biblical teaching. Tendency toward an extreme emphasis on subduing “the flesh”; teaching that all sex is evil. In the emphasis on hard work, there sometimes was an imbalance leading to notions of salvation by works, not grace. At times leadership could be harsh or extreme in demands made. Some abbots even became rich by abuse of monastic finances. Idea of “withdrawal from the world” produced a false division between the ‘religious’ and normal secular life. Idea prevalent that calling as a monk or nun was a ‘higher’ vocation than secular careers. CONCLUSION: “After Christ’s commission to his disciples, the rise of Monasticism was the most important and in many ways most beneficial institution in the history of Christianity.” Dr. Mark Noll .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Continuum: Laying a Foundation Winter 2008
    Laying a foundation Between 1955 and 1958, the newly arrived Cistercians helped found the University of Dallas, carved out a piece of land, and built a monastery. By Brian Melton ’71 Editor’s note: This is the third in an occasional series of stories cel- Not that there was anything to complain about when it came to their ebratng the Cistercian’s 50 years in Texas. new digs in Texas. February found the fi rst seven monks (Frs. Damian Szödény, Thomas Fehér, Lambert Simon, Benedict Monostori, George, y 1955, things fi nally seemed to be going right for the Christopher Rábay, and Odo) living and working at Our Lady of Vic- beleaguered Hungarian Cistercians. Behind them lay tory in Fort Worth and several other parishes and schools throughout two intensely traumatic experiences: fi rst, their har- Dallas. And when Fr. Anselm Nagy came down from Wisconsin in the rowing escape from Soviet authorities back home, and spring, he established residence at the former Bishop Lynch’s stately second, the bitter disagreement with their own abbot mansion on Dallas’s tony Swiss Avenue (4946), which became the un- Bgeneral from Rome, Sighard Kleiner. His autocratic, imperious or- offi cial gathering place of his new little fl ock. ders for them — to live a life of contemplative farm work and prayer Even better, permission for a Cistercian residence in Dallas came at the tiny Spring Bank Monastery in Wisconsin — sat about as well straight from the Holy See and sailed effortlessly through the di- as the forced Soviet suppression of their beloved abbey back home ocesan attorney’s offi ce in March, as did the incipient monastery’s in Zirc (pronounced “Zeerts”), Hungary.
    [Show full text]
  • Discipline: the Narrow Road
    DISCIPLINE: THE NARROW ROAD KENNETH C. HEIN 1WOWAYS Much of the world sees life as a struggle between good and evil, with humanity caught in the cross fire. Individual human beings or even whole cultures have to choose sides: to follow the way of darkness or the way of light; to take the narrow road or the broad road, to choose blessing or curse, to follow the way to Paradise or the way to Gehenna, etc. Our Christian heritage takes us to our roots in Judaism, where the "two-ways theory" was widely understood and accepted. When Jesus of Nazareth spoke of "the narrow road" and "the broad road," his message drew upon traditional imagery and needed no modem-day exegesis before its hearers could grasp its meaning and be moved by the message. While we can understand the same message with relative ease in our day, we can still benefit from a brief look at the tra- dition that our Lord found available two thousand years ago.' In Jesus' immediate culture, those who spoke of an afterlife readily used various images to talk about life after death and how one might achieve everlasting life. The experience of seeing a great city after passing through a narrow gate in its walls was easily joined to the imagery of one's passing through difficulties and the observance of the Torah to everlasting life. Another image that was often used spoke of a road that is smooth in the beginning, but ends in thorns; while another way has thorns at the beginning, but then becomes smooth at the end.
    [Show full text]
  • OCTOBER 2019  No 10
    OCTOBER 2019 NO 10 ligious and lai News Re ty th AAof the Assumption e same mission EDITORIAL Happy are those called to the supper of the Lord « For us religious, it is necessary to center our lives on the Word of God. It is crucial that this Word becomes the source of life and renewal. » >> Official Agenda Jubilee of the Province of Africa The Assumptionist Province of Africa celebrates its 50th Plenary General Council anniversary this year: a jubilee celebrated in Butembo • n° 5 : December 2-10, 2019, in Rome. at the end of the month of August. The following is the • n° 6 : June 2-10, 2020, in Worcester (United letter addressed by the Superior General for this occa- States). sion, on August 19, 2019, to Fr. Yves Nzuva Kaghoma, • n° 7 : December 3-11, 2020, in Nîmes Provincial Superior: (France). Dear Brothers of the African Province, Ordinary General Councils • n° 16: November 11-15, 2019. It was 50 years ago, on July 3, 1969, that the Province of • n° 17 : December 11-12, 2019. Africa was founded. Resulting from long missionary work by • n° 18 : February 10-14, 2020. the Assumptionists, the young Province began its process • n° 19 : March 18-19, 2020. of development and the progressive assumption of respon- • n° 20 : April 20-24, 2020. sibility by the indigenous brothers. Today, though the mis- Benoît sionary presence is very limited---too limited in my eyes---, you have yourselves become missionaries. The important • October 1-10: Belgium and the Netherlands. number of religious present to the stranger for pastoral rea- • October 20-November 6: Madagascar.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Devotion to Mary Among the Carmelites Eamon R
    Marian Studies Volume 52 The Marian Dimension of Christian Article 11 Spirituality, Historical Perspectives, I. The Early Period 2001 The aM rian Spirituality of the Medieval Religious Orders: Medieval Devotion to Mary Among the Carmelites Eamon R. Carroll Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Carroll, Eamon R. (2001) "The aM rian Spirituality of the Medieval Religious Orders: Medieval Devotion to Mary Among the Carmelites," Marian Studies: Vol. 52, Article 11. Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol52/iss1/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Studies by an authorized editor of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Carroll: Medieval Devotions…Carmelites The Marian Spirituality of the Medieval Religious Orders: Medieval Devotion ... Carmelites MEDIEVAL DEVOTION TO MARY AMONG THE CARMELITES Eamon R. Carroll, 0. Carm. * The word Carmel virtually defines the religious family that calls itself the Carmelite Order. It is a geographical designation (as in also Carthusian and Cistercian), not a person's name like Francis, Dominic and the Servite Seven Holy Founders. In the Church's calendar, Carmel is one of three Marian sites celebrated liturgically, along with Lourdes and St. Mary Major. It may be asked: Who founded the Carmelites on Mount Carmel? There is no easy answer, though some names have been suggested, begin, ning with the letter B-Brocard, Berthold, ...What is known is that during the Crusades in the late eleven,hundreds some Euro, peans settled as hermits on Mount Carmel, in the land where the Savior had lived.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Report on Religious Life
    Catholic News Agency and women who Year-long MAJOR ORDERS TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS dedicate their lives celebrations AND THEIR CHARISMS to prayer, service The Roman Catholic Church recognizes different types of religious orders: and devotion. Year of Marriage, A religious order or congregation is Many also live as Nov. 2014- distinguished by a charism, or particular • Monastic: Monks or nuns live and work in a monastery; the largest monastic order, part of a commu- Dec. 2015 grace granted by God to the institute’s which dates back to the 6th century, is the Benedictines. nity that follows a founder or the institute itself. Here • Mendicant: Friars or nuns who live from alms and actively participate in apostolic work; specific religious Year of Faith, are just a few religious orders and the Dominicans and Franciscans are two of the most well-known mendicant orders. rule. They can Year of Prayer, congregations with their charisms: • Canons Regular: Priests living in a community and active in a particular parish. include both Oct. 2012- • Clerks Regular: Priests who are also religious men with vows and who actively clergy and laity. Nov. 2013 Order/ participate in apostolic work. Most make public Congregation: Charism: vows of poverty, Year for Priests, obedience and June 2009- Dominicans Preaching and chastity. Priests June 2010 teaching who are religious Benedictines Liturgical are different from Year of St. Paul, prayer and diocesan priests, June 2008- monasticism who do not take June 2009 Missionaries Serving God vows. of Charity among the Religious congregations differ from reli- “poorest of the gious orders mainly in terms of the vows poor” that are taken.
    [Show full text]
  • Emmanuel D'alzon
    Gaétan Bernoville EMMANUEL D’ALZON 1810-1880 A Champion of the XIXth Century Catholic Renaissance in France Translated by Claire Quintal, docteur de l’Université de Paris, and Alexis Babineau, A.A. Bayard, Inc. For additional information about the Assumptionists contact Fr. Peter Precourt at (508) 767-7520 or visit the website: www.assumptionists.org © Copyright 2003 Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher. Write to the Permissions Editor. ISBN: 1-58595-296-6 Printed in Canada Contents Contents Preface ................................................................................................. 5 Foreword .............................................................................................. 7 Historical Introduction ......................................................................... 13 I. The Child and the Student (1810-1830) .................................. 27 II. From Lavagnac to the Seminary of Montpellier and on to Rome (1830-1833).................................................................... 43 III. The Years in Rome (1833-1835) ............................................... 61 IV. The Vicar-General (1835-1844) ................................................ 81 V. Foundation of the Congregation of the Assumption (1844-1851) .............................................................................. 99 VI. The Great Trial in the Heat of Action (1851-1857) .................. 121 VII. From the Defense
    [Show full text]
  • The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret
    Saint Anthony Mary Claret AUTOBIOGRAPHY Edited by JOSÉ MARIA VIÑAS, CMF Director Studium Claretianum Rome Forward by ALFRED ESPOSITO, CMF Claretian Publications Chicago, 1976 FOREWORD The General Prefecture for Religious Life has for some time wanted to bring out a pocket edition of the Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret to enable all Claretians to enjoy the benefit of personal contact with the most authentic source of our charism and spirit. Without discounting the value of consulting other editions, it was felt there was a real need to make this basic text fully available to all Claretians. The need seemed all the more pressing in view of the assessment of the General Chapter of 1973: "Although, on the one hand, the essential elements and rationale of our charism are sufficiently explicit and well defined in the declarations 'On the Charism of our Founder' and 'On the Spiritual Heritage of the Congregation' (1967), on the other hand, they do not seem to have been sufficiently assimilated personally or communitarily, or fully integrated into our life" (cf. RL, 7, a and b). Our Claretian family's inner need to become vitally aware of its own charism is a matter that concerns the whole Church. Pope Paul's motu proprio "Ecclesiae Sanctae" prescribes that "for the betterment of the Church itself, religious institutes should strive to achieve an authentic understanding of their original spirit, so that adhering to it faithfully in their decisions for adaptation, religious life may be purified of elements that are foreign to it and freed from whatever is outdated" (II, 16, 3).
    [Show full text]
  • A Monestary for the Brothers of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance of the Rule of St
    Clemson University TigerPrints Master of Architecture Terminal Projects Non-thesis final projects 12-1986 A Monestary for the Brothers of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance of the Rule of St. Benedict. Fairfield ounC ty, South Carolina Timothy Lee Maguire Clemson University Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/arch_tp Recommended Citation Maguire, Timothy Lee, "A Monestary for the Brothers of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance of the Rule of St. Benedict. Fairfield County, South Carolina" (1986). Master of Architecture Terminal Projects. 26. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/arch_tp/26 This Terminal Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Non-thesis final projects at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Architecture Terminal Projects by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A MONASTERY FOR THE BROTHERS OF THE ORDER OF CISTERCIANS OF THE STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT. Fairfield County, South Carolina A terminal project presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University in partial fulfillment for the professional degree Master of Architecture. Timothy Lee Maguire December 1986 Peter R. Lee e Id Wa er Committee Chairman Committee Member JI shimoto Ken th Russo ommittee Member Head, Architectural Studies Eve yn C. Voelker Ja Committee Member De of Architecture • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . J Special thanks to Professor Peter Lee for his criticism throughout this project. Special thanks also to Dale Hutton. And a hearty thanks to: Roy Smith Becky Wiegman Vince Wiegman Bob Tallarico Matthew Rice Bill Cheney Binford Jennings Tim Brown Thomas Merton DEDICATION .
    [Show full text]
  • Mission Coop 2021 Letter the Assumptionists Are a World-Wide Religious Congregation Founded in 1845 by Venerable Fr. Emmanuel D
    Mission Coop 2021 Letter The Assumptionists are a world-wide religious congregation founded in 1845 by Venerable Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon to, in his words, “penetrate the world with a Christian idea…and to do so in words that it can understand.” The Congregation is located in 30 countries and numbers some 1,000 priests and brothers. Inspired by the founder’s vision, the Assumptionists are engaged in the great causes of God and society: education, the press, social outreach, pilgrimages, ecumenical work, and foreign missions. Among these foreign missions, one could cite those in Asia (Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines), in Latin America (Mexico, Ecuador, Chile), in Eastern Europe (Russia, Bulgaria, and Turkey) and in Africa (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and Madagascar). In the United States, Americans would most probably be familiar with some of our publications like Catholic Digest and the missalette, Living with Christ. We also run a university, Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts. This year we would like to draw attention to one of our missions located in Central Mexico, close to the city of Orizaba. This area is mostly populated by various indigenous Mexican tribes which are still using their native languages and some do not even speak Spanish. The Assumptionists have been doing ministry in this region for over twenty years. In the year 2017 the Order assumed the responsibility of the major parish in Tlilapan which consists of 12 missionary churches, some located in the high mountains up to 10 miles away. Three priests and a few brothers provide the daily ministry to all of the people in the area.
    [Show full text]
  • VOWS in the SECULAR ORDER of DISCALCED CARMELITES Fr
    VOWS IN THE SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES Fr. Michael Buckley, OCD The moment we hear the word “Vows” we think automatically of religious. The “vows of religion” is a phrase that comes immediately to our minds: vows and religion are always associated in our thinking. Indeed, for religious men and women, vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are of the very essence of their vocation. Regularly vows are made after novitiate, and again a few years later; the only difference is between simple (temporary) and solemn (perpetual) vows. So it is a new concept when we encounter vows in the context of a Secular Order as we do in Carmel. Yet, the exclusive association of vows with religious people is not warranted. A glance at the Canon Law of the Church will illustrate this. The Canon Law speaks about vows in numbers 1191-98, just before a chapter on oaths. Our Secular legislation makes no reference to the Canon Law when it speaks about vows. That is not necessarily a defect or lacuna in our Constitutions. Our legislation is in accord with sacred canons, but it is essential to be familiar with these. Let me summarize the chapter. It begins with a precise definition: “A vow is a deliberate and free promise made to God concerning a possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of the virtue of religion.” Then it goes on to distinguish vows which are a) public, i.e., accepted in the name of the church, b) solemn or simple, c) personal or real, d) how vows cease or are dispensed, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • CARMELITES REMEMBER the MISSION Mount Carmel N Honor of Veterans Day, Commit to the Mission
    Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us. Volume 18, Issue 1 May 2011 Published by the Mount Carmel Alumni Foundation CARMELITES REMEMBER THE MISSION Mount Carmel n honor of Veterans Day, commit to The Mission. Alma Mater Carmelite Alumni veterans On peaceful shores from Mt. Carmel High In 1934 the Carmelites began their ‘neath western skies our I hymn of praise we sing, School and Crespi Carmelite Los Angeles mission building High School gathered to watch Mount Carmel High School on To thee our Alma Mater dear, now let our voices the Crespi vs. Loyola football 70th and Hoover. Their mission ring! game and to reminisce and re- was to provide a Catholic college All hail to thee Mount Carmel High, Crusaders Sons are we! We love your ways, your spirit bold! We pledge ourselves to thee! Inside this issue: Carmelites recall the mission . 1,2 The Lady of the Place . 3 Golf Tournament Monday, May 16th 2011. 4,5 Field of Dreams . 6 Who designed the Crusader Picture L-R…Aviators share mission stories… Website. 7 A Haire Affair & Ryan Michael O’Brien MC’41 flew 35 bombing missions over other annoucements . 8 Germany in WWII receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. Dec. Board Meeting . 9 Lt. Col Kim “Mo” Mahoney USMC CHS’88, pilots F-18’s and is a veteran of three Iraq deployments. Lt. Col. Joe Faherty MC’63 USAF (RET) flew C-130’s in Viet Nam. Continued on Page 2 The purpose of the Mount Carmel Alumni Foundation is to provide financial assistance to the Carmelite Community and to the Catholic elementary schools in South-Central Los Angeles that have provided our alumni with an excellent education.
    [Show full text]
  • The Charterhouse of Nonenque: a Discussion of an Existing Medieval Nunnery in the Context of Carthusian Architecture
    The charterhouse of Nonenque: a discussion of an existing medieval nunnery in the context of Carthusian architecture Carol Steyn Research fellow, Department of Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology, University of South Africa E-mail: [email protected] The Charterhouse of Nonenque is one of the few remaining charterhouses for nuns in the world. It was built in the 12th century as a Cistercian Abbey and adapted in the early 20th century as a Carthusian charterhouse. In this article the buildings of Nonenque are described according to the plans of the layout after a brief history of the abbey. The structure of the buildings is discussed in the context of Carthusian architecture and also in the context of the Carthusian way of life. Carthusian architecture is shown to be unique in monastic architecture since the Carthusian way of life demands greater solitude than those of the other orders and buildings are constructed to make provision for this. Since Nonenque was adapted from a Cistercian building the measures needed to adapt buildings of other orders to Carthusian needs are discussed. These adaptations are more radical in the case of Charterhouses for monks than in those for nuns. Works of art at Nonenque are discussed briefly. This article on Nonenque follows on a visit of a few days which I was allowed to make to the nunnery in 2004. Die Kartuisiese klooster van Nonenque: 'n bespreking van 'n bestaande middeleeuse nonneklooster in die verband van Kartuisiese argitektuur Die Kartuisiese klooster van Nonenque is een van die min oorblywende Kartuisiese kloosters vir nonne in die wêreld.
    [Show full text]