Mystical Implications of Aelred of Rievaulx' Doctrine of Friendship
Abstract
Mystical implications and consequences of Aelred of Rievaulx' teaching on friendship result from irreplaceable presence of Jesus Christ and the unifying power of love, which leads friends to God, as its source and purpose, being itself the driving force behind them. Friendship is revealed here as a form of love, in which friends can together rejoice in God. As such it is a natural road of perfection, strengthened by the grace of caritas, whose ultimate stage is the unity of two hearts of friends in sweet love experienced by both of them, which the Abbott called the “mystical kiss of Christ”. It is the ultimate level of closeness between friends and God, which on earth is reflected in the monastic kind of friendship, however, it the face of a universal call of caritas, it is a preparation for universal brotherhood with God in heaven. Undoubtedly, thanks to friendship, human life gains light and sweetness and becomes a unique means of common tasting in God's love, started here on earth and consummated in eternity.
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