We invite Companions…
1/ …to seek God through silence, contemplation, Lectio Divina and faithfully praying the daily Offices.
2/ …to be inspired by our motto: “Septies in die laudo te” – taken from Psalm 119:164, “Seven times a day do I praise thee” (KJV). The phrase means that the psalmist is continually and often engaged in celebrating the praises of God, rather than a literal, rigid number. We invite Companions to pray the Offices regularly, daily.
3/ …to bear witness to the redeeming love of Christ through quietness, silence, patience, humility, charity, courage, and prayer, knowing that it is not the Companion who shall finally bring the Light, but only that they shall become messengers for the One who is the Light.
4/ …to discern and write a personal Rule of Life in consultation with Br Bernard.
5/ …to be steadfast in praying Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer of the daily Offices from either Common Worship or the Book of Common Prayer, (or an office book that you are currently using in your denomination, such as the Roman Catholic Morning and Evening Prayer from the Divine Office). See also on this site: Daily Prayer Online.
6/ …to imitate the love of Christ and his message in all relationships; striving to live with warmth, gentleness, and compassion towards everyone around them; in their family, among their friends, at work and at leisure, within the parish and the wider community. They want to make an extra effort having in mind those who, for one reason or another, are experiencing difficulties, making a special effort to accompany and support them.
7/ …to be nourished by the reading of Holy Scripture, (optional: the Patristics, and other suitable sacred reading) at a regular time of quiet reflection. Such reading, undertaken prayerfully and slowly, becomes lectio divina. The biblical readings appointed for the daily Eucharist and the Offices (mainly the Psalms) are to be especially commended. Companions are also encouraged to read the works of our Cistercian Fathers, and above all the Rule of Saint Benedict, a perennial wellspring of wisdom for the life of prayer and how to live with and alongside other people. Guidance from a Spiritual Director, such as a specially appointed monk, nun, or priest, can be of help with this.
8/ …to cultivate simplicity, a hallmark of the Cistercian vocation, by consciously resisting the excesses of our consumer-driven society. Companions shall foster an ecological awareness and reverence for creation, seeking to live sustainably and to reduce wastefulness whilst at all times seeking ways in which they can personally reduce consumption and energy and inspire others tactfully to do likewise. They will try to live a different life and lifestyle by not giving in to the pressures of advertising, nor shall they be influenced by what public opinion tries to prescribe. Instead, they will live in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, expressed not merely in intention but in concrete acts of service, advocacy, and shared simplicity of life.
9/ ……to honour the sanctity of labour, recognising that work is a sharing in God’s creative action which may itself become a prayer. All tasks, whether great or small, bear equal dignity before God. All labour is equal in glory, keeping in mind that all talents are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the work of all Companions must be to the greater glory of God. In diligence and love, they weave together prayer and labour, consecrating each action as an oblation. They will perform all tasks, even the minute and seemingly insignificant or boring, with respect and dedication. They do not want to become a slave to any form of needless over-activity.
Should this appeal to you, then email – without any obligation – to
Br Bernard via ocist@talktalk.net