Wednesday, January 12, 2011

St. Aelred

Today the Church remembers Aelred, an abbot who died in 1167. He was born in Durham, England in 1109. He was in the court of the king of Scotland, but found the life an empty one, so he joined a Cistercian monastery at the age of 24.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux encouraged Aelred to write, and he did. The Mirror of Charity was his first book and it dealt with seeking to follow the example of Christ in all things. He also wrote Spiritual Friendship is the fullest medieval discussion of friendship and its associated virtues. He used the example from the Old Testament of Jonathan, son of King Saul, and David.

Aelred also wrote seven works of history, addressing two of them to Henry II of England, advising him how to be a good king, and declaring him to be the true descendent of Anglo-Saxon kings. Until the 20th century Aelred was generally known as a historian rather than a spiritual writer; for many centuries his most famous work was his Life of Saint Edward, King and Confessor.

In 1147, Aelred became abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Yorkshire, a post which he held until his death of kidney disease twenty years later at the age of 57.

Collect of the day: Almighty God, you endowed the abbot Aelred with the gift of Christian friendship and the wisdom to lead others in the way of holiness: Grant to your people that same spirit of mutual affection, that, in loving one another, we may know the love of Christ and rejoice in the gift of your eternal goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In addition to everyone on our prayer list, please remember the family of Pat Williams who died this morning.

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550

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