Today is the Feast Day of St. Bruno - Founder of the Carthusians
Today is the Feast Day of St. Bruno - Founder of the Carthusians
Note to my readers: I have not posted for a few weeks due to being on retreat and pilgrimage in the lands of St. Dominic. Please know that I prayed for you all. Many blessings and peace.
Following the Silent Path: The Life of St. Bruno
Embracing Solitude in Pursuit of Divine Union
St. Bruno, born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany, was a renowned scholar and teacher who could have easily lived a life of comfort and recognition. However, his spiritual thirst led him on a unique path, where silence and solitude became his intimate companions.
Throughout his early life, Bruno showed signs of deep piety and intellectual prowess. He eventually became a distinguished teacher in Reims, educating the future elite of the Church and society. Yet amidst his accomplishments, a profound divine calling beckoned him to leave all worldly pursuits behind. He heeded this call by founding the Carthusian Order in 1084, an order known for its strict asceticism and commitment to a life of solitary contemplation.
The Carthusian motto, "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis" (The Cross stands firm while the world turns), aptly encapsulates St. Bruno’s ideals. To him, the unchanging truth of the Cross was the center of existence, around which everything else revolved and found its meaning.
Bruno's life demonstrates the paradoxical nature of Christian discipleship: by seeking solitude, he found communion; by embracing silence, he heard the voice of God more clearly. His dedication to monastic life wasn't a flight from the world but rather a deeper immersion into the mysteries of God and the cosmos.
For many, the idea of retreating from the world to find God might seem counterintuitive. Yet, St. Bruno's life is a testament to the profound encounters that await those who dare to tread the path less traveled. In our noisy and fast-paced world, St. Bruno stands as a beacon, reminding us of the profound spiritual depth that can be found in silence and solitude.
As we celebrate his feast day, let us remember that in every moment of quiet and every instance of withdrawal, there lies an opportunity to meet Christ and His Church more deeply. Like St. Bruno, may we too be inspired to seek those silent spaces where the Divine whispers can be heard.
A letter of St Bruno to his sons the Carthusians
My spirit rejoices in the Lord
Knowing from the frequent and welcome accounts of our blessed brother Landowin the unremitting rigor of your well-considered and truly praiseworthy way of life, and hearing of your holy love and unceasing zeal for what is perfect and good, my spirit rejoices in the Lord. Truly I rejoice and am led to praise and thank the Lord, and yet I sigh bitterly. I rejoice indeed, as is right, for the growth of the fruits of your virtues, but I lament and am ashamed that I lie inert and torpid in the filth of my sins.
Rejoice then, my dear brothers, for your blessed lot and for God’s abundant gift of grace to you. Rejoice that you have escaped the manifold perils and shipwrecks of this storm-tossed world. Rejoice that you have reached a safe and tranquil anchorage in that inner harbor which many desire to reach and many make efforts to reach yet never attain. Many too, after reaching the goal, have been excluded since it was not given them from above.
Therefore, my brothers, be certain and convinced that if anyone experiences this desirable good and then loses it, no matter how, he will never cease to regret it if he retains any regard or care for his soul’s salvation.
As for you, my beloved lay brothers, I say: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord’, for I see the greatness of his mercy to you according to the report of your loving prior and father, who boasts much about you and rejoices. We too rejoice since, though you are unlettered men, yet the mighty God writes on your hearts with his finger not only his love but a knowledge of his holy law. You show by your actions what you love and what you know. For when you practice true obedience with all care and zeal, it is clear that you read wisely the sweet and life-giving fruit of divine scripture.
Today’s Mass Collect
O God, who called Saint Bruno to serve you in solitude, grant, through his intercession, that amid the changes of this world we may constantly look to you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.