Learning the Importance of Balance from the History of Monasticism

Introduction

Monasticism is not only to be found in Christianity. Many of the
other great religions of the world were led by men and women who
chose to be geographically apart from the social, economic and
political affairs of their society. Some choose this way of life
as a permanent commitment, while others only temporary - as a
preparation for a special mission in the world. For monasticism
in the Christian tradition, its scope of meaning (according to
St. John Cassian) involves the attainment of purity of heart,
detachment from worldly things and ambitions, a great desire for
interior silence, prayer and union with God.

Where the impact of monasticism was found

The more the monks in our Christian tradition centered everything
on God and their concern for all of Christianity, the more they
produced an immense influence and impact on society. On the other
hand, the more the monks attended to social, economic, and
political affairs to the detriment of their contemplative life of
prayer, silence and community, the more their impact diminished.

Cluny and the Cistercians

When Cluny was founded by Duke William of Aquitaine in the tenth
century, its saintly abbots and monks created a great impact on
Europe. This positive impact did not end with Cluny. The fullness
of monasticism's positive influence came through the Cistercians.
The Cistercians' spirituality was able to balance well all the
elements of the monastic way of life: liturgical prayer, sacred
reading, labor to support themselves and their studies. It was
the Cistercian way of life that gifted the Church with great
mystical writers like: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, William of
Saint-Thierry, Isaac of Stella, and St. Lutgard (or Lutgardis).

Conclusion

We can learn a lot from the history of monasticism how balance in
the Christian life is necessary so that it can have a positive
impact on others. As the Cistercian monks were able to balance
well all the elements of their way of life, their monastic spirit
evolved into its fullest infuential force. In the same way, as
we balance well all the elements that comprise our state of life
and Christian vocation, we too can be able to positively impact
the people we interact with in our everyday life.

Sources of this blog post

• The New Dictionary of Theology, by editors Komonchak,
  Collins, and Lane
• Dictionary of Saints, by John Delaney
• The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, by editor
  Bernard McGinn