Today is the Feast Day of St. Bruno, a revered educator at Rheims who eventually fled to the hills of France and founded La Grande Chartreuse, a.k.a., the Carthusian order. One of his former students, Pope Urban II, dragged him back to Rome to be an advisor on the reformation of the clergy, but Bruno soon asked to be released. Pope Urban II offered him a Bishopric to keep him close by, but Bruno declined and headed back to the hills, this time in Italy. He died on this date in 1101..
The essential rule of St. Bruno (I don't know if it's an official "rule" or not) is that life should be lived as a prayer, preferably in quiet and solitude. This is what the Carthusians have been doing in groups of like-minded bretheren for nearly 1000 years. Hmmmm....today may be a good day to watch "Into Great Silence" again in honor of St. Bruno and his order, come to think of it. If you haven't yet seen this film, put it on your short list for a quiet weekend viewing. It's incredible.
Statue of St. Bruno from St. Peter's Basilica - he has his own dedicated transept area...you could spend a month in Vatican City and not see enough.
1 comment:
Hi Kit:
Sorry I've been a stranger! I really liked the movie, Into Great Silence, and was able to request it through the St. Paul library. It did take a little time to get it because several other people already had holds on it!! Totally shocked it could get it (St. Paul is pretty liberal) and that so many others were liked minded!
Post a Comment