St. Bernard's Ascetic Reaction

St. Bernard’s letter, Ascetic Reaction, reflects a puritan and conservative interpretation of the architectural and sculptural structure of the Cluniac church of Saint-Pierre. As a monk and abbot of the Cistercian order, St. Bernard is predisposed to Saint Benedict’s ‘ideal’ organization and structure of monastic life. To observers of Saint Benedict’s rules, the monastery is designed as a self-sustaining complex where time is dedicated to manual labor and biblical study. His letter addresses the monks at Moissac by questioning their motives for exhausting their time and money on over embellishing the church. He excuses the bishops and the laity of their involvement for they are too ignorant to understand the sacrifices monks have made for the sake of Christ.
What profit, I say, do we expect therefrom?” These questions reflect his disappointment towards the monks of Moissac. He is baffled and astonished, for he can’t comprehend the actions of his fellow monks. He continues to investigate their reasoning by asking: “To speak plainly, doth the root of all this lie in covetousness, which is idolatry, and do we seek not profit, but a gift?” This question disguises what St. Bernard fears to be true, that the overly ornate church is being utilized by the monks as a tool to earn profit to satiate their greed. By asking and answering his own questions, St. Bernard is distinguishing himself as a true ascetic. He has elevated himself from the monks of Moissac by casting judgement onto their church. He then asks: “What, think you, is the purpose of all