What happened at Citeaux? Something wonderful and unimaginable happened.
From its origins in Burgundy in 1098, the Cistercian Order grew rapidly throughout the European continent, bringing together some 750 abbeys and 1,000 monasteries, with communities of both monks and nuns. It is not so much about Sts. Robert, Alberic and Stephen as it is the movement of the Spirit. Without realizing it our founders started a movement that originated from above. Theirs was not a human endeavor. From the point of view of human endeavor, it didn’t seem to have a chance of surviving. It was the movement of the Holy Spirit. Only in response to the Holy Spirit will such fruitfulness can come about. It was a desire for a deeper love, a life in community based on this love.
Human beings are always on the move. History advances and brings us to new horizons and milieu that we as humans did not plan. It was a living thing. And it is so with the Spirit. It moves where it wills. Human beings are constantly moving in the inner spiritual dimension of their lives. When the movement stops death occurs. The individual exists but not living.
The founders were not in control of the unfolding life of the new monastery. As a matter of fact there were difficulties right at the beginning. They were ridiculed perhaps dismissed by the larger monastic communities as a novelty, a novice fervor that would die out. They had to fight for recognition as a legitimate monastic entity with rights. Then there too was the great disappointment and dismay when Robert their leader went back to the former monastery of Molesme out of obedience to the Holy See. Their human frailty showed when in the early documents of the order they did not mention the name of Robert. It was a kind of a collective hurt and resentment, of being abandoned. Then came the drought of vocation until Bernard came.
All these difficulties show that there is a hand behind this Cistercian movement. As all saints do they are obedient to the will of God even though at times it puts their faith to its limits. When our founders were willing to go on, to move on with the Spirit then things begin to happen. But as always when the spirit is replaced by establishment, not that the holy spirit is no longer part of the monastic life, however to rely more on the enterprise of governing an order then it begins to lose its fervor and falls back again to find security in its own endeavors, ingenuity and leadership.
What sustains the life of an order? To go back to its origins. It is not how they lived monastic life but in hearing the heartbeat of society through the aid of the spirit. When we can longer hear the heartbeat of our society and could no longer serve it then we have lost our effectiveness in the world. We may be still around for some time but it will be spent in a slow death.
The new monastery that is Citeaux answered to needs of their time. It hit a chord at the right time in the hearts of men and women. These were longing for something deeper and profound which our founders unknowingly provided for them. It is the task of our Order then to stay alive and be renewed to discern what the longings and desires of our age is. If not we will turn in on ourselves and we will not be of service to the world. Our vocations will be only to perpetuate ourselves and not serve the heartbeat of the world.
Citeaux was begun by the Holy Spirit and our founders responded well to the call. They planted the seed and the growth was God’s work. Did our years of prayer, silence and contemplation finally reveal to us what the world is longing to see from us? Do we have even an inkling of what the world needs and we could provide for it? It is really unfair to say let the future generation think of that. I believe we as an order should be able to give birth to something new. Else we are living sterile life.