DOM DAVID LAVICH, OCSO
We might find it curious to note that the name of Mary, or even the name “Jesus”, is not mentioned in the Rule of St. Benedict. Although the Rule of the Master includes the name of “Jesus” three times. It seems that St. Benedict consciously avoided much reference to the humanity of Christ or his Virgin Mother, perhaps because he wanted to distance himself from Arian tendencies (Christ not equal to God; rejection of the Trinity) that were present in the Italy of his time. Monks “prefer nothing to Christ” and serve him as “Lord.” Nevertheless, we remember that the Council of Ephesus took place in 431 AD, nearly a century before St. Benedict. This Council declared Mary as the Theotokos, “Mother of God”, and, naturally, this would influence the piety of the monks.
The Cistercians of the 12th century, on the other hand, are characterized by a love for Christ’s humanity. For them, Christ’s humanity is the path leading to his divinity. The theme of human love was a particular concern of their generation, as we can infer from the medieval troubadours. The Cistercians experienced an intimacy with the poor Jesus, the meek and merciful Savior born of the Virgin Mary. Following some earlier monastic precedents, the White Monks clearly manifested a tender devotion toward the Virgin Mother. She was their queen: “Salve, Regina!”
This devotion and loyalty to Mary can be noticed from the very beginning of the Order. Ordinatum est: In honore Reginae caeli et terrae nostra omnia fundari debere cenobia. “It has been decreed: All our monasteries are to be founded in honor of the Queen of heaven and earth.”
