Benedictine spirituality the cistercian order of the. The book places benedict and his rule within the extraordinary world of early christian monasticism and explores his key insights about awareness of the presence of god and meeting christ in other people. As a christian i find it good company on my travels especially on kindle. The prayer service is approximately 20 30 minutes long. An eightpage pdf of the key elements of what makes benedictine spirituality a powerful presence during the last 1,500 years. I really like christian prayer, but shorter christian prayer seems easier for me. Yet through the centuries, millions have found the teachings of st. The benedictine way of living by john mcquiston ii on impulse. Its the way of the prayer book and is embedded in much of the way we function as parish communities. It was, above all, a spirituality firmly rooted in biblical sources and nourished by lectio divina and liturgical prayer. Not only did i enjoy kens meditations, but his theology of prayer is spot on. The first benedictine book i was introduced to back in the 90s was a tree full of angels. From its beginnings, benedictinism has touched the lives of many people beyond those who dwell in monasteries. Or the spirituality of the black monks as distinct from the spirituality of the monks of citeaux, calmoldoli and all the other branches which stem from benedictine roots.
The merging of work, prayer, and hospitality to the dispossessed was for her, the essence of benedictine spirituality. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Monasteries of the heart is a new form of benedictine life for our time.
Our evening prayer consisted of a vigil, as one of the sisters had gone to be with the lord, after continue reading benedictine spirituality for today. Shes written on hope, liturgy, world religion, peace, feminism and her wisdom distilled from the daily along with kathleen norriss works was my gateway drug to benedictine spirituality. Oblates who use this prayer book will not find it the least bit burdensome. Benedictine daily prayer provides an everyday edition of the divine office for people who desire to pray with the church in a simple manner.
And as a result, i experience a dance between the kindness i show myself, kindness others offer me, and recircling in my relationships with myself, god, and people in my community. This is benedictine prayer written by a respected benedictine author. And it contains useful information for monks and the followers of monasticism. Our roots also include a bit of the celtic tradition which existed prior to the benedictine influence in britain. In my opinion, it is the original little way that the little flower rediscovered.
Benedictine spirituality community of hope international. Michael casey, a guide to living in the truth, 2001. Benedictine spirituality simple reflections for a deeper. Columba stewart osb, are the two central disciplines of benedictine life. Benedictine spirituality in everyday life sister edith bogue benedictine center for spirituality st. Hilary thimmesh, osb for catholic digest, june 2011. Regarding benedictinerelated spiritualities, a lot of monastic books strive to help readers integrate work, lectio divina, and liturgical prayer this includes both mass and the divine office as the mainstays of their lives and. Benedictine spirituality is a way of life in which one follows christ in the footsteps of st benedict as prescribed in his holy rule. I have written much more about this devotion in my book, benedictine men and women of courage. I have learned so much from each of them about the pillars of benedictine spirituality work and prayer, silence, listening, hospitality, stability, conversion of life and obedience.
The benedictine practice of liturgical prayer is one of benedictine spirituality s most visible, unmistakable hallmarks. If youd like to learn more about celtic spirituality, here are 7 books to get you started from my very own bookshelf. But it is even more important as an introduction to one of the formative influences on anglican spirituality. Benedictine spirituality approaches life through an ordering by daily prayer that is biblical and reflective. Work of god, a onevolume breviary, is short and pure. Christian prayer shorter christian prayer work of god a 2 week benedictine psalter is there a sort ofultimate prayer book used by catholicism. Prayer and community 1998 by columba stewart is another title in the traditions of christian spirituality series. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading my prayer book. Yet based on the benedictine understanding of spirituality, being holy is more about honoring the sacred in our everyday world.
Ive read lots of books on benedictine spirituality and reflections on his rule but i still. And the first question is, does prayer have a place in our life. The second part of the pdf document gives the most memorable and important parts of st. At the heart of their prayer was recitation of the 150 religious poemssome historical. And so, that first evening, as we all sat in prayer, i asked god for the gift of peace. Benedict overview of benedictine spirituality catholics, protestants, buddhists, and all people are welcomed as christ according to benedictine hospitality under the rule of st. Benedictine spirituality timeless guidance for everyday living.
Ill be using this book for my morning prayers in lent this year. This is the key to benedicts whole spiritual teaching. Because of its simplicity, i find the benedictine spirituality appropriate for our time. This phrase from the prologue to the rule is a good way to summarize the goal of benedictine spirituality and prayer. It may seem odd that some of the best guidelines for achieving balance in our world today, where stress has become the norm, come from a sixth century italian monk who at one point chose to live by himself in a cave. Benedictine monks and nuns take root in a particular place, called monasteries, and they are related to the culture and needs of a specific location. I longed to carry the christ child in my heart this advent season, but there was simply no room in the inn. Benedictine spirituality the monks are models of catholic culture as they have formed a complete way of life centered on the faith. It is one among many schools that speak to contemporary hearts, yet it is particularly unique in its lasting impact on western christianity. While written primarily for benedictine oblates, this simple yet elegant prayer book also gives the. I address another application in my book, the beer option, which brings the benedictine vision into contemporary culture, using beer as an entry point. New copies of this book tend to be pricey look for a good used copy.
Her new book, radical spirit promises in the subtitle 12 ways to live a free and authentic life. Benedictine spirituality our lady of grace catholic. For those looking for an everyday grounding in benedictine spirituality and who wish to pray according to thebenedictine style of liturgy of the hours, work of god is an ideal resource. We also follow our constitution, and manual of the cistercian order of the holy cross. One of my spiritual teachers is author sister macrina wiederkehr.
A spirituality for the 21st century spiritual legacy. Benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today. The benedictine spirituality group has been praying the liturgy of the hours evening prayer every monday at 6. As sister julie explains on the blog a nuns life, the liturgy of the hours is made up of specific prayers said at various time hours during the day and night. Recently, english professor sister cynthia binder, osb of our monastery discussed saint gertrude in a homily to our monastery i would like to share with you with her permission, of course. I prayed that, in the space between gently released thoughts, the veil might be lifted from my eyes and christ enter in. My resistance to selfcompassion is deep, but thankfully it is rising to the surface more and more and i am able to consciously choose a different response. Im not really a fan of the very diluted work of god that i just bought it was at a monastery gift shop though, so the money went. Benedictine prayer, the heartbeat of benedictine spirituality is always about the presence of god in time this time, our time, my time. It does conform to the basic benedictine format, but with a wonderful celtic spirit and intentionality of worshipfulness and joy that makes this prayer book one to move into in your heart and prayer life in a permanent sense. I personally use this volume on a regular basis and recommend it to anyone interested in exploring praying the liturgy of the hours at home.
The electronic version i got for my ipad needs work however. But how the vitality of benedictine spirituality continues for our times and inspires activities like those above depends first of all on the place of prayer in our life. Oblate formation benedictine spirituality imitatio dei. A lot of religious, cloistered and noncloistered, have the imitation of christ as a bedside book. Seeing the holy in the ordinary written by macrina. Beer, in fact, demonstrates benedictine culture as the monks invented many modern brewing practices and were the first to use hops in beer in their attempts to be selfsufficient and to care for the poor and pilgrims. If you are looking for an overview of how to incorporate benedictine spirituality into your daily life, this book is probably not the best place to start. This exploration of benedictine spirituality provides the perfect introduction to st benedict and his rule.
She gives an example in her writings of the problem most of us face as we struggle to maintain our benedictine spirituality in a world consumed by woes. Benedictine spirituality is part of our anglican dna. Benedict center, i was honored to meet macrina attending one of her retreats. Benedictine spirituality from benedictine monasticism by dom cuthbert butler. Benedict of nursia and his rule for monastic life key to their own spiritual wholeness. So, an introduction to benedictine spirituality may be an important contextualisation for some preordination retreats. My prayer book kindle edition by concordia publishing house. While they come from the mind, heart, and pc of a catholic benedictine, the topics of these reflections appeal to churchgoing christians, readers of a. Benedictine spirituality is practical and profound. Im looking for ways to bring my life into better balance, i have always been fascinated with the idea of monastic life, and the title of this book appealed to me. Joan chittister, osb is one of our great contemporary spiritual writers. Reading an excerpt from the rule of benedict for beginners. Benedictine spirituality archives benedictine center.
We may think that being holy is something reserved for a privileged few who stand several wrungs higher than ourselves on the spiritual ladder. Benedict rb are devoted to instruction about liturgical prayer. Ordo sancti benedicti, abbreviated as osb, are a monastic catholic religious order of monks and nuns that follow the rule of saint benedict. For the benedictine, if you want to convert the world, you begin by making your bed. How can i give thanks to god with my whole heart when it is so divided. Drawn from the book of common prayer, it offers a flexible set of preferences that can. Benedictine spirituality, hospitalityand my favorite. Benedict has offered those who follow its path a way to faithfilled living through work, prayer, learning and living in community. Benedictine spirituality enrich your spiritual life with one of these titles from paraclete press, based on the timetested wisdom of the rule of saint benedict. The order of saint benedict has continued to the present day. Links for oblates benedictine oblates, benedictine.
Benedictine spirituality group saint patrick catholic church. Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at subiaco, about 40 miles to the east of rome, before moving to monte cassino in the mountains of southern italy. A spirituality for the 21st century spiritual legacy series. Based on fifteen hundred years of liturgical prayer within the benedictine monastic tradition, benedictine daily prayer offers a rich diet of classic office hymnody, psalmody, and scripture. The volume covers the benedictine tradition, the largest tradition by far in christian monastic orders, and perhaps the most important in the overall series. Saint benedicts prayer book for beginners ampleforth abbey press on. It is a monastic movement for lay people designed to respond to the great hunger and thirst for spirituality that exists in todays world. Collected here are thoughts about the nature of holiness, plus what it is that makes us whole. The rule of benedict opens with the word listen ausculta. The prioress, sister paula, taught the class benedictine spirituality for today. Benedict but by anyone else who is seeking the nourishment of benedictine spirituality. Benedictine writers often appealed to methods of prayer and asceticism that were foreign to the monastic tradition. Three basics prayer work common good three practices lectio divina. Benedictine spirituality part 1 of 3 benedictine spirituality offers an important voice in our world today, a voice which informs our praying, living and discerning.
Scholastica monastery duluth, minnesota 7 november 2015 2. They are also sometimes called the black monks, in reference to the colour of the members religious habits despite being called an order, the benedictines do not operate under a single. Don talafous have long urged the author to publish selections in book form. Benedictine spirituality for today oblate formation. For community of hope international, the rule is simply an aid to help us live lives rooted in the gospel and grounded in the core values of benedictine spirituality. Each time i pray these words, i feel a little guilty. The glenstal prayer book is a wonderful daily prayer book, both for simplified home use and for travel and retreat needs. Benedictine spirituality part 2 of 3 prayer and community, according to monastic scholar fr. Bonnie perry, xi bishop, diocese of michigan in this heartfelt book, ken graciously and gently invites us to join him for forty days in pondering the unique, ancient, yet very contemporary sarum. My prayer book kindle edition by concordia publishing. Many oblates rely on give us this day, a monthly prayer book with simplified daily prayer for morning and evening, to help us participate in the divine office when we are away from the monastery. A book of celtic wisdom by john odonohue john donohue, poet, philosopher, and scholar, guides you through the spiritual landscape of the irish imagination.
Authors include enzo bianchi, jonathan wilsonhartgrove, michael casey, and notker wolf, osb. Benedictine spirituality building catholic culture. Buy saint benedicts prayer book for beginners by ampleforth isbn. Saint benedict s prayer book this hard backed prayer book includes a two week cycle of morning prayer a one week cycle of evening prayer and a short. The life of the benedictine monk was a life of prayer and penance, a life withdrawn from the world by a desire to be united with god. A benedictine prayer book ireland the monks of glenstal. Here is such a collection offering hope and encouragement in the face of the sadness and suffering of our world. A benedictine prayer book by monks of glenstal abbey. Since its founding in 1983, the benedictine center has carried forward the values envisioned by its founder, s. But how the vitality of benedictine spirituality continues for our times and. Benedictine spirituality st isidore catholic worker farm. Reflect upon how i have experienced my sponsor and the community life so far, in. Osb benedictine spirituality, prayer and spirituality, the rule of st.
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