Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I for my part do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead,I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
REFLECTION
St. Bruno was an exceptional theologian and professor at Rheims. He supported Pope Gregory VII in his efforts to reform the clergy, which led to the destruction of his house.
Bruno had a deep calling to prayer and solitude. He and six companions sought to establish a hermitage in an isolated location. He obtained land "in the Chartreuse," a mountainous area with a dry, desert-like climate, ideal for silence, poverty, and prayer. They constructed an oratory and individual cells spaced apart. The men gathered only for Matins and Vespers daily and dedicated most of their time to solitary prayer and meals, except for communal meals on major feast days. They wore hair shirts, completely abstained from eating meat, and on Fridays and other fast days, they consumed only bread and water. Their primary activity was copying manuscripts. They became known as the Carthusians.
The Carthusians adhered to St. Benedict's rule. Over time, they expanded throughout Europe, with the order growing to 195 houses. This religious lifestyle never required nor underwent reform.
The motherhouse at the Grande Chartreuse is renowned for its distilled liqueur, which they distributed to nearby religious charities.
.St. Bruno, himself, wrote commentaries on the psalms and the epistles of St. Paul. Bruno's lifestyle and his quest for holiness and unity with God was his primary goal in life.
Like St. Paul said, "Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, ..." St. Bruno believed that understanding Jesus Christ held greater significance than relinquishing things he considered worthless.
Let us seek the intercession of St. Bruno to concentrate on repentance now and strive for holiness as he did.
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