Catholic Audiobook: The Holy Cistercians

When Monasticism in the west had become lax  God kindled zeal in the hearts of the founders of the Cistercian Order. Through much zeal, perseverance and struggle  St. Robert, St. Alberic, St. Stephen founded the Cistercian Order  to fully observe the Rule of St. Benedict.  All Christians should be inspired by these men who had overcome great obstacles to be permitted to live the full life of a benedictine monk.  It was to this Order that St. Bernard, Wonderworker, Doctor,  Father of the Church and the Oracle of the 12th century was drawn to learn the ways of holiness and would spread over all of Europe.

Learn about:

• The Lives of St. Robert, St. Alberic and St. Stephen
• Why Orders should sometimes split up because of the different degrees of observance.
• What was relaxed about Monasticism in the 11th and 12th century.
• Why some Monasteries do not have beautiful Churches attached to them.
• What is a General Chapter meeting and where they come from.
• God’s Prophecies surrounding the arrival of St. Bernard.
• The importance of perseverance even when numbers of faithful shrink.

Sources

All of these readings are from A Concise History of the Cistercian Order published in 1852 and are in the public domain.