Since last fall I have been studying The History of the Catholic Church. I must say this is the hardest Bible study I have attempted. There is so much material to process which covers over 2000 years of history!. And I never have enjoyed history classes to begin with.
One time period that has stayed with me is from around the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries. As the first few centuries of Christianity passed, the fervor of the faith was starting to decline. Then the era of monasticism came about and its influence on the Church was very much needed. It helped turn many people away from paganism.
Many early Christians wanted to strive in their imitation of Jesus Christ. Some spent their lives in meditation and prayer while living as hermits in the desert. Then during the fourth century such people gathered together in monasteries to live the religious life as monks.
There was an Eastern Monasticism and a Western Monasticism. One of the great monks of the East was St. Anthony of the Desert. He established his community in Egypt. The Father of Western Monasticism was St. Benedict. He established the rule that would become the foundation for all monasteries in the Western Church. His rule focused and organized groups that brought great strength to the Church and helped preserve the invaluable written treasures of the ancient world, most especially the Bible.
These monasteries spread rapidly throughout Europe and brought the faith to many pagans and barbarians. They gave a higher ideal to Christians as the monks showed dignity and sanctity to work and prayer. In the fourth century and after the monasteries produced the great bishops who enabled the Church to survive one of the most critical periods in its history.
The monasteries were the main source of education in early medieval Europe. They taught people to read and write. They kept and copied old texts. They created orphanages and hospitals and other types of institutions that could help people in need. As they helped spread Christianity among the people, this helped create a more united culture in Europe.
Without the development of monastic life, the Catholic Church could easily have seen its foundations crumble. I believe the most important part that the monastery played in keeping the Church together was that of PRAYER. While the outside world was crumbling, inside the monastery were men of prayer holding it all together. And to this day I believe this still takes place around the world. These monasteries are of men praying for all of us, for the world, everyday. And many times per day! God is good!
