St. Bruno to his Carthusian
sons, written from the hermitage of the Tower in Calabria.
To my
brothers whom I love in Christ above all else, greetings from your brother,
Bruno.
Now that
I have heard from our dear brother Landwin a detailed and moving account of how
firm you are in your resolve to follow a path of life so commendable and in
accord with right reason and have learned of your ardent love and unflagging
zeal for all that pertains to moral rectitude and the fullness of Christian
maturity, my spirit rejoices in the Lord. I truly exult and am swept
away by my impulse to praise and thanksgiving; yet at the same time I bitterly
lament. I rejoice, as is only right, over the ripening fruits of your virtues;
but I blush and bemoan my own condition, since I wallow so listless and
inactive in the filth of my sins.
Rejoice
then my brothers over the lot of overflowing happiness that has fallen to you
and for the grace of God that you have received in such abundance. Rejoice that
you have succeeded in escaping the countless dangers and shipwrecks of this
storm-tossed world and have reached a quiet anchorage in the security of a
hidden harbor. Many would like to join you — and many are those who make a
considerable effort to do so — but fail in their attempt. What is more, many
are shut out after having attained it, since it was not in God's plan to give
them this grace.
Therefore,
my brothers, count it a certitude proven time and time again: whoever has once
experienced so enviable a good and subsequently lost it for whatever reasons
will grieve over his loss to the end of his days, if he has any regard or
concern for the salvation of his soul.
As
regards to you lay monks, brothers so close to my heart, I have only this to
say: My soul glorifies the Lord since I can perceive the glories of His
mercy toward you from the account of your beloved father and prior who boasts a
great deal about you and rejoices over you. I share in this joy since God in
His power never ceases to inscribe on your hearts — however little the
education you may have — not only love but understanding of His holy law. For
by your lives you show what you really know and love, that is to say, when you
are careful and zealous to observe a genuine obedience conceived not only as
the carrying out of God's commands but as the original key to the spiritual
life and its final stamp of authenticity as well, demanding as it does deep
humility and outstanding patience, as well as sincere love for the Lord and our
brothers — yes, when you do these then it is clear that you are gathering with
relish nothing less than the most delectable and life-giving fruits of Holy
Scripture.
So, my
brothers, abide in that which you have attained and avoid like the plague that
baneful crowd of so-called "monks" who, peddling their writings and
speaking in hushed tones about things they neither cherish nor understand but
rather contradict by the words and actions, are in reality as empty as can be.
They are lazy and wander from place to place, slandering all those who are conscientious
and dedicated, and imaging themselves worthy of praise if they blacken the name
of those who really are worthy. To them anything that even resembles
discipline or obedience is loathsome.
As for
our brother, Landwin, I had intended to keep him here on account of his rather
serious and recurrent illnesses; but he would have none of it, claiming that
there could be nothing worthwhile for him, neither health nor joy nor zest for
life apart from you. With repeated sighs and a veritable gushing fountain of
tears for you he laid before me how much you mean to him and what pure
affection he bears for you in the Lord. And so I have not wanted to force the
issue lest I cause grief either to him or to you who are so dear to me for your
maturity and excellence of spirit. Therefore, my brothers, I am most serious in
this request, at once both humble and insistent, that you manifest by your
deeds the love you bear in your heart for your prior and beloved father by
kindly and attentively providing him with everything he needs for the various
requirements of his health. He may be unwilling to agree to what your loving
solicitude may dictate, preferring to jeopardize his health and life rather
than be found lacking in some point of external observance. This is after all
normally not permitted, and he, since he holds the first place among you, might
be ashamed to fail in these matters, fearing lest some of you become negligent
or lukewarm on his account. Yet I think there is hardly any danger of that, and
so I hereby grant you the necessary authority to take my place in this regard
and to respectfully compel him to accept whatever you accord him for his
health.
As for
me, my brothers, I would have you know that the only desire I have, after God,
is to come and see you. As soon as I can, God willing, I will do just that.
Farewell.
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