St. Aelred of Rievaulx

This Friday 12th January, is in England the (optional) memorial of St. Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1166), the ‘Bernard of the North’ known, after St. Bernard, for his rich and profound teaching on friendship with Christ and with others. He was born of a noble family in Hexham and educated in Durham and in 1130 became a steward in the court of King David. Popular at court for his gentle and pious character, he left four years later for a more austere and simple life with the Cistercians at Rievaulx in North Yorkshire. In 1147 he became the Abbot and remained in this position until his death in 1166. He governed the monastery with holiness and gentleness, and it flourished under his rule becoming the largest monastic house in England at the time with over 600 monks. Towards the end of his life, he suffered very poor health and was confined to his room suffering from gout and stones. He was considered a saint even in his own lifetime. He was popular for his warm personality, respected for his intellect and counselling, and venerated for his personal holiness and preaching. Some of his writings survive, giving an indication of the breadth of his concerns. The most famous is de Spiritali Amicitia on friendship, based primarily on Cicero but also drawing on the Christian tradition of Augustine, John and Bernard. It seeks to illustrate the centrality of the person of Christ in true friendship. He also wrote de Anima which explores the nature of the soul and incorporates psychology, philosophy and theology. He wrote several lives of the Saints, most notably those of St. Edward and St. Ninian and many beautiful prayers and sermons.
 
Image credit: sykescottages.co.uk