Cistercian Customs

[John Paul]

since we had carmelites why not the cistercians.What were some of the rules they had before Vatican II ?

Edited April 10, 2015 by John Paul

[John Paul]

They wear a tunic  called the house robe ,a belt know as the cincture,and a scapular witch is attached to the hood .They may have a rosary in their pocket too.Does anyone know what rules they have in the Divine  Office.

[marigold]

JP have you read Seven Storey Mountain? I read it in the monastery and enjoyed it. Probably Trappists are sick of Thomas Merton being the only one people ever mention, but as far as learning about customs and the daily life, it's quite good.

[Antigonos]

They wear a tunic  called the house robe ,a belt know as the cincture,and a scapular witch is attached to the hood .They may have a rosary in their pocket too.Does anyone know what rules they have in the Divine  Office.

​Sorry, sorry, sorry, but in my mind's eye I see a little doll like the Wicked Witch of the West hanging from the peak of the hood...delayed reaction to matzah overdose, I suppose

[John Paul]

JP have you read Seven Storey Mountain? I read it in the monastery and enjoyed it. Probably Trappists are sick of Thomas Merton being the only one people ever mention, but as far as learning about customs and the daily life, it's quite good.

​No I have not.

[John Paul]

They pray the complete 7 offices of the divine office,go to daily mass,and practice letcio.They pray for about 8 or more hours a day.

[truthfinder]

Cistercians had their own way of doing prostrations (which although generally disappeared, I saw a picture of from a somewhat recent profession at Our Lady of the Valley monastery) - prostration on the knuckles - which is to kneel down and put your knuckles on the floor in front of you which induces a bit of a bow into your kneeling state.  I thought to myself that it couldn't be that hard, and while it's not really, if you're doing it during the whole length of the Litany of Saints it's certainly harder than the normal prostration lying flat on the floor.  

[John Paul]

I never knew that!

Besides 7 story mountain is there any other books on the cistercians?

How devoted to Mary are they ?

[truthfinder]

While there are a lot of books on the Cistercians, a lot of them tend to be academic in nature.  I'm sure there are a few popular books, but most of them seem to be after Merton.  I don't think there really was the popularity of them as there was for the books which popped up for the Carmelites (there were several books between the 20s-50s written by Carmelites).  

Hopefully someone will be able to find such a similar book.  Although, I'm assuming it would have to do with their overall charism as well that they wouldn't have been big into publishing books about their lives.

[hep_rsb]

There are many more books on cistercians!  

I do have a question though, are you interested in the customs of the Cistercian family, including Trappists (OSCO) and Cistercians (O. Cist.), or just the Cistercians?

If you mean the whole family including Trappists, then here are two of my favorite books:

-Strangers to the City by Michael Casey, OSCO

-Monastic Practices by Charles Cummings, OSCO

They are generally very devoted to Mary.  Each Abbey is usually named "Our Lady of __________", and each hour of the divine office ends with an antiphon to Mary including the Salve Regina at Compline.  Our Lady of the Mississippi (the Abbey I have most experience with) prays the Angelus three times daily, I'm not sure if others do or not. 

Edited April 12, 2015 by hep_rsb

[John Paul]

I mean the Trappists to.

[deusluxmea]

You may enjoy this photo essay of Cistercian nuns

 

http://petersonphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery/nuns/G0000J0D4BRSBki4/

[Maximilianus]

They make great beer. 

 

 

 

[Yaatee]

They get up at three in the morning.

[marigold]

​Sorry, sorry, sorry, but in my mind's eye I see a little doll like the Wicked Witch of the West hanging from the peak of the hood...delayed reaction to matzah overdose, I suppose

​Oh dear... I was trying not to make a joke about that too!

​No I have not.

​I recommend it if you're interested in a basic intro to their customs etc.

[Egeria]

I second the recommendation of the Charles Cumming book on Monastic Practices above as (from what I remember) it not only details practices but leads one into their deeper meaning.
http://www.amazon.com/Monastic-Practices-Cistercian-Studies-Cummings/dp/0879079754/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

Also highly recommended is the late Dom Andre Louf's The Cistercian Way:
http://www.amazon.com/Cistercian-Way-Studies-76/dp/0879079762/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1428863260&sr=8-4&keywords=Andre+Louf

[graciandelamadrededios]

THE MANNER OF MAKING THE SIGNS USED IN THE CISTERCIAN ORDER

 

            In making the signs, the right hand is always used when only one hand is necessary; and when one finger is sufficient, the forefinger is always used, unless another is specially mentioned.  Noises with the mouth, in order to make the signs understood, are absolutely forbidden.  The days of the week are counted by one finger for Sunday, two for Monday, and so on.  To signify a room, workshop, etc., the sign of house is made, and that of the person who occupies it or of the things which are made or kept there, etc.  Employments not mentioned here are signified by the pace or thing in question, adding to it the sign of charge or work, and that of Choir Religious orLay Brother.

 

A

 

 

Abbot.  Touch the forehead with the tips of the two first fingers.

 

Acid.  See Sour.

Acolyte.  Make the sign of Choir Religious or Novice, and put the right hand under the left elbow, raising the forearm and forefinger.

After.   Put the hand, stretched out, near the hip, and draw it backwards.

Agony.  The signs of dead and little.

Alb.  Pinch the cowl or robe near the knee and add the sign of Mass.

All.  Move the closed hand several times from left to right.

Altar.  The signs of table and Mass.  For the High Altar, add the sign of big, and for the lesser altars, that of Saint.

Altar-cloth.  The signs of linen and altar.

Amice.  Make the sign of linen, and put the hand flat on the head.

Angel.  The sings of wing and saint.

Angelus.  Make three times the sign of ringing and that of Our Lady.

Animal.  Curve the finger and move it at the end of the nose.

Antiphonal.  The signs of book, chant, and Matins.

Apostle.  The sings of saint, sermon, and red.

Apple.  Make the sign of pear with the little finger.

Apron.  The sign of serve.

Arrange (to).  Pass both hands over the chest once.

Ass.  Make the sign of animal and put the thumb on the ear, raising and moving the fingers.

Assistant.  The sign of serve.

Assistant Cantor.  The signs of serve and Cantor.

Awaken (to).  Make the sign of sleep, and then rub the eyes or make the sign of finish.

They are taken from the book “Regulations of the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance.  Published by the General Chapter of 1926.

[John Paul]

THE MANNER OF MAKING THE SIGNS USED IN THE CISTERCIAN ORDER

 

            In making the signs, the right hand is always used when only one hand is necessary; and when one finger is sufficient, the forefinger is always used, unless another is specially mentioned.  Noises with the mouth, in order to make the signs understood, are absolutely forbidden.  The days of the week are counted by one finger for Sunday, two for Monday, and so on.  To signify a room, workshop, etc., the sign of house is made, and that of the person who occupies it or of the things which are made or kept there, etc.  Employments not mentioned here are signified by the pace or thing in question, adding to it the sign of charge or work, and that of Choir Religious orLay Brother.

 

A

 

 

Abbot.  Touch the forehead with the tips of the two first fingers.

 

Acid.  See Sour.

Acolyte.  Make the sign of Choir Religious or Novice, and put the right hand under the left elbow, raising the forearm and forefinger.

After.   Put the hand, stretched out, near the hip, and draw it backwards.

Agony.  The signs of dead and little.

Alb.  Pinch the cowl or robe near the knee and add the sign of Mass.

All.  Move the closed hand several times from left to right.

Altar.  The signs of table and Mass.  For the High Altar, add the sign of big, and for the lesser altars, that of Saint.

Altar-cloth.  The signs of linen and altar.

Amice.  Make the sign of linen, and put the hand flat on the head.

Angel.  The sings of wing and saint.

Angelus.  Make three times the sign of ringing and that of Our Lady.

Animal.  Curve the finger and move it at the end of the nose.

Antiphonal.  The signs of book, chant, and Matins.

Apostle.  The sings of saint, sermon, and red.

Apple.  Make the sign of pear with the little finger.

Apron.  The sign of serve.

Arrange (to).  Pass both hands over the chest once.

Ass.  Make the sign of animal and put the thumb on the ear, raising and moving the fingers.

Assistant.  The sign of serve.

Assistant Cantor.  The signs of serve and Cantor.

Awaken (to).  Make the sign of sleep, and then rub the eyes or make the sign of finish.

They are taken from the book “Regulations of the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance.  Published by the General Chapter of 1926.

​Thank you so much gracian I hoped you would come but your profile said you hadn't visited since March 1.Please post more on the Cistercians !

[John Paul]

what is the ONE week psalm schedule.

Note:one week not two week

[truthfinder]

It means all the psalms get said during the week. I believe the EF breviary is generally divided that way (although in some seasons psalms do get left out). It would typically mean more psalms at any given office. Five psalms at lauds for example, in the EF, over 3. Someone should have a link for the way the osb one week schedule works (I imagine it would be very similar in the Cistercian and Trappist offices).