Monastery Of Alcobaça: A Cistercian Oasis Of Prayer And Work

Built in fertile fields of valley of Alcobaça, Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça is a prayer in stone, a World Heritage monument, and one of finest expressions of Cistercian spirituality in Europe. Founded by Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, in 1153 as a vow following victory over Moors, this monastery was not so much a testament to a battle triumph, but a testament to a larger spiritual victory. For over eight centuries, this sacred complex was a force center of prayer, work, and culture creation, a light in Dark Ages. For today’s pilgrim, a pilgrimage to Alcobaça is an opportunity to leave behind din of world and enterserene, rhythmic splendor of a life wholly dedicated to God, experiencing at first hand the timeless Cistercian tradition of finding the divine in the very simplicity of ora et labora prayer and work.The spiritual significance of Alcobaca is irrevocably tied up with the Cistercian order who peopled it. The Cistercians were a reform movement, a return to primitive rigor and simplicity of the Rule of St. Benedict.

They were attempting to remove the excesses which had penetrated into the monastic life and return to the essentials: a life of liturgical prayer, manual work, and sacred reading. The very walls of Alcobaca bear testimony to this charism. The monks who lived here followed a schedule which sanctified the entire day, getting up in the middle of the night to recite the Divine Office, the Church’s canonical prayer, and gathering during the day for the Conventual Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. This constant shower of praise cultivated a spiritual environment, a “thin place” where heaven and earth appear tenuous, a tradition which continues to permeate the monastery complex to this day. The dedication of the church as “Santa Maria de Alcobaça” reflects the profound Cistercian devotion to Mary, Mother of God, as perfect model of obedient contemplation and the first follower of her Son.

The architectural splendor of the monastery is a stone sermon of Cistercian ideals. The church is itself a masterwork of austere, uncut Gothic beauty. Its vaulted, soaring ceilings lift the eye and the spirit upward to heaven, and its perfect acoustics were engineered not for making music, but to bring out the full resonant, solemn chanting of the psalmody of the monks. It is to imagine the centuries of Gregorian chant that reverberate through these rooms, a prayer wave of generations moving to the throne of God, if to be in the nave and to hear an echo. And the cloister, where its airy, harmonious Gothic arches contain a still garden, is the ideal place for contemplation. Here, the monks would recite (lectio divina), pray, and stroll in silent communion with God.

Symmetry and simplicity of its design engender a profound sense of tranquility, an outward expression of inner tranquility monastic life seeks to cultivate. The most theatrical and surprisingly human religious feature of Alcobaca is maybe stunningly beautiful pair of Gothic tombs of King Pedro I and his ill-fated lover, Inês de Castro. Their tragic story a legend of love, political murder, and post-mortem grotesque coronation is a legend in Portuguese history. Yet even here, in this sacred space, these tombs are a deep contemplation of what love, pain, and redemption are. Standing toward each other, legend has it, so that on Day of Reckoning they shall stand up and see each other, they speak to deep human need for a love greater even than death.

For the pilgrim, they can be a strong symbol of the mystical marriage between Christ the Bridegroom and His Church, a love tested in the cross and death but ultimately victorious in resurrection. They remind us that our own greatest human love is but a shadow, a pointer, to flawless, eternal love of God. The monastery, although it is now a national monument, is still a living center of spiritual and cultural activity. The community of Cistercian monks surrounds it with centuries-old tradition of prayer and hospitality, welcoming pilgrims who would like to participate, even briefly, in their rhythm of life. The Gregorian chant can still be heard occasionally in church, and core of praying community is essence of place.

For visitor who wishes something more, monastery offers periodic retreat programs on Rule of St. Benedict and balancing work and prayer in daily life. Alcobaca is not a place to behold, but a place to learn a spiritual academy that teaches beauty of simplicity, necessity of silence, and sanctifying worth of consecrating one’s daily work to God. A Pilgrim’s Meditation at Alcobaca: Look for a quiet bench in cloister. Close your eyes and listen to silence. Then read slowly Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Reflect on how God, as a good shepherd, leads you beside “still waters” feeds your soul, even in turmoil of busy life. Pray for grace to claim moments of this monastic peace within your own heart.