Aelreds ideas are a challenge to many modern concepts of the spiritual life. Pdf aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship cistercian. Aelred of rievalux work on spiritual friendship presents the most noble presentation of friendship i have ever read. 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 died in the winter of 11667, probably on 12 january 1167 at rievaulx. Christmas through all saints por aelred of rievaulx disponible en rakuten kobo. 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. Saint aelred of rievaulx cistercian monk britannica. St aelred of rievaulx, abbot and patron of same sex spiritual.
Liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. 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. Meditation on christs humanity and a letter of instruction on a disciplined spiritual life for his sister epitomize aelreds gentle spirituality. Saint aelred of rievaulx primary author only author division. Spiritual friendship cistercian studies series by marsha l. Spiritual friendship in 300 words spiritual friendship. Actually, microsoft word informs me that this is only 297 words.
Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 9780879079703. 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. Now this new edition opens up the riches of this spiritual masterpiece to a wide audience of contemporary readers who see the spiritual life not as a solitary enterprise, but one intimately connected to relationships. His pastoral prayer reflects a man conscious that he is accountable to god for the souls of others. Aelred was a twelfth century english cistercian monk, who. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship pdf what is the. 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.
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. 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. 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. During this period, aelred wrote his best known work, spiritual friendship. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx is one of the all time classic books of devotion to christ. Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to spiritual mean you have. 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.
Spiritual friendshipis 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. Here is my reading log from aelred of rievaulxs classic devotional book on spiritual friendship. Reading aelred of rievaulxs little treatise on spiritual friendship as an. To have written so truthfully about friendship, he must have been a good friend to others. The first clairvaux collection, adventall saints, translated by theodore berkeley and m. The liturgical sermons ebook por aelred of rievaulx. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship garratt publishing. As a cistercian monk in the middle ages, aelred of rievaulxs 11101167 life was likely filled with physical work and contemplative prayer.
Spiritual friendship, by aelred of rievaulx, alban books. Liberty christian ministries inc recommended for you. The pastoral prayer of saint aelred of rievaulx akenside press. 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. Aelred writes in the prologue to his best known work, the treatise on spiritual friendship, that. Speculum caritatis the mirror of charity, which aelred wrote at bernards insistence, is a treatise on monastic life.
Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to spiritual mean you have to physically love before you can ascend. My pro posed answer for a spirituality at the junction of modernity and post modernity is a spirituality of mercy. Stock publishers 7jtjupvs8fctjufbuxxx xjqgboetupdl dpn. Jan 12, 2011 during this period, aelred wrote his best known work, spiritual friendship. Spiritual friendship by saint aelred of rievaulx librarything. Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to. 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. Jul 07, 2010 liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. Aelred of rievaulx download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. 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. What aelred discovered is that happiness does not exist without friendship. The idea suggests knocking on the door of a cell which will forever remain closed.
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. His most famous work is called spiritual friendship both it and the mirror have been published in english by the cistercian press. Friendship as spiritual encouragement peace theology. The rule is addressed to his older sister, who had become a recluse and had requested a rule for her chosen life. To explore this answer, i will draw extensively from the works of aelred of rievaulx. Aelred s ideas are a challenge to many modern concepts of the spiritual life. Speculum caritatis the mirror of charity, which aelred wrote. Ignatian spirituality is given through guided meditations, weekend, 8day, and 30day retreats based on the spiritual exercises of st. St aelred of rievaulx, abbot and patron of same sex spiritual love january 12, 2015 terence 1 comment st aelred, whose feast we celebrate today, is recognised in all sources as an important english saint, who lived in the north of england in the 12 c. Saint aelred of rievaulx is currently considered a single author. In his writings on friendship, aelred distinguished three kinds.
I have written my share of essays which use friendship as models for discussion, and in time, i too, will post them online. I address o good shepherd jesus, good, gentle, tender shepherd, behold a shepherd, poor and pitiful, a shepherd of the sheep indeed, but weak and clumsy and of little use, cries out to thee. Meditation on christs humanity and a letter of instruction on a disciplined spiritual life for his sister epitomize aelred s gentle spirituality. Close friends ground us and keep us from thinking that what we have is our own accomplishment. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 323 ratings, 4. Aelred, abbot of the yorkshire cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 to 1167, wrote six spiritual treatises, seven hist. Perhaps the flourishing of rievaulx was in part to do with how its abbot gave a christian witness to spiritual friendship. Lee the liturgical sermons the second clairvaux collection. Written in dialogue form, aelred of rievaulx offers wise counsel on many aspects of friendship. 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. Among spiritual writers, i think that aelred of rievaulx has been largely overlooked. Those familiar with aelred may be surprised that i intend to use. Aelred of rievaulxs rule for a solitary articles house. Friendship, aelred teaches, is both a gift from god and a creation of human effort.
Life in the medieval cloister, continuum publishing 2009 leyser, henrietta. 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 the cross of christ there is death, and in the cross of christ there is life saturday, mar 31 2012. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship john protevi. Carnal friendship is a mutual harmony in vice which begins when lustful eyes allow into the mind images of beautiful bodies. Spiritual friendship, cistercian pubns 27 copy quote. For further reading, i recommend aelred squire op, aelred of rievaulx. Reading aelred of rievaulxs little treatise on spiritual friendship as an undergraduate was a lifechanging experience for me. Aelred of rievaulx 11101167 was a twelfthcentury cistercian abbot and wellknown spiritual writer, whose treatise spiritual friendship. Ignatian spirituality serves the contemporary world as people strive to develop a friendship with god. When the friendship has these characteristics, it can be said to be a true friendship, a spiritual friendship, one which builds up both parties and helps them journey towards god. Friendship as spiritual encouragement geralyn july 1, 20 at 8. Formerly a retreat director in gloucester, massachusetts.