Religious communities and monasticism Books

La Monaca Intenta A Rinnovarsi Nello Spirito... di Mercurio M. Teresi offre una profonda riflessione sul rinnovamento spirituale nella vita monastica. Il libro esplora i principi e le pratiche che guidano una monaca nel suo cammino di crescita interiore...

Gertrud the Great (1256-1302) entered the monastery of Helfta in eastern Germany as a child oblate. At the age of twenty-five she underwent a conversion that led to a series of visionary experiences. These centered on "the divine...

Nuns Navigating the Spanish Empire tells the remarkable story of a group of nuns who traveled halfway around the globe in the seventeenth century to establish the first female Franciscan convent in the Far East.In 1620 Sor JerÃ3nima de la...

The life and wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers is not only retained in historical volumes, but has been a constant presence throughout the development of the church. A formative influence since the time of the early Christians, this wisdom has the...

The First Life of Bernard of Clairvaux, traditionally knownas the Vita Prima, originated to prepare the case for canonization ofBernard, first abbot of Clairvaux. The work was begun by William ofSaint-Thierry, continued by Arnold of Bonneval, and...

This is a rich collection of memories and reflections from the long-time abbot of La Trappe, Dom Marie-Gérard Dubois, OCSO. Starting with his entry into monastic life, he walks the reader through the dramatic changes in the Strict Observance of...

For three decades, Monastic Practices has been a valued resource for English-speaking aspirants to monastic life. In this second edition, updated and expanded, Charles Cummings, OCSO, explores the common practices of the monastic life in order to...

Thomas Merton's sessions with the young monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani showcase Merton's brilliant ability to survey the key figures and synthesize their writings, inspiring his listeners and readers with what it means for the spiritual life...

This multiauthor book celebrates the bicentenary of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), founded by St. Eugène de Mazenod, and arises from an international conference on French spiritual traditions hosted by the Oblates in San Antonio,...

After fifty years of monastic life, prayer, and spiritual direction, Meg Funk knows what it means to listen with the ear of one's heart to the Holy Spirit. In Discernment Matters, she shares what she has learned. This book is a resource for those who...

Gregory the Great was pope from 590 to 604, a time of great turmoil in Italy and in the western Roman Empire generally because of the barbarian invasions. Gregory's experience as prefect of the city of Rome and as apocrisarius of Pope Pelagius fitted him...

Thomas Merton's deep roots in his own Cistercian tradition are on display in the two sets of conferences on the early days of the Order included in the present volume. The first surveys the relevant monastic background that led up to the foundation of...

These conferences, presented by Thomas Merton to the novices at the Abbey of Gethsemani in 1963 1964, focus mainly on the life and writings of his great Cistercian predecessor, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 1153). Guiding his students through Bernard s...

"Humility Matters" makes the claims that humility is for a disciple of Jesus Christ what enlightenment is for a Buddhist, realization for a Hindu, surrender for a Muslim, and righteousness for a Jew. It is the unmistakable character of one who...

For some thirty years Eric Dean, as a layman, husband, parent, Presbyterian minister, Lafollette Professor of Humanities at Wabash College, and as an ecumenical oblate of a Benedictine abbey has reflected on and put into practice the Rule of St. Benedict...

It is said that the heart of the home is the kitchen tale, and the same is true of the monastic home. Saint Benedict devoted ten chapters to the monastic tale and to providing and serving food as well as necessities; inserted in the middle are chapters...

This volume offers translations of the twelfth-century Latin vitae of fourmonks of the Monastery of Savigny: Abbot Vitalis, Abbot Godfrey, Peter ofAvranches, and Blessed Hamo. Founded in 1113 by Vitalis of Mortain, aninfl uential hermit-preacher, Savigny...

Gregory the Great was pope from 590 to 604, a time of great turmoil in Italy and in the western Roman Empire generally because of the barbarian invasions. Gregory's experience as prefect of the city of Rome and as apocrisarius of Pope Pelagius fitted him...

For almost half a century Trappist monk Matthew Kelty has delivered homilies to monks and retreatants in his unique style. Visitors at his monastery have been inspired, and challenged by his talks, given after Compline each evening, and monks have come...

Bl. Rafael Arnáiz Barón's life was extraordinary by any standards. Set amid the tumult of the Spanish Civil War, this spiritual biography recounts the efforts of a fervent young Spanish aristocrat to come to grips with his artistic talent, his intense...

Monastic life involves a continual return to the Gospeland this exploration begins on the road to Emmaus, inthe company of downhearted disciples who wereastonished to discover the Lord in their midst. Invitingthe reader to a renewed encounter with the...

How can we tend the garden of our souls? Meg Funk turns to the wisdom of the desert fathers for the means of removing obstacles to spiritual growth, which include thoughts of food, sex, possessions, anger, dejection, and pride, among other preoccupations...

The Study Guide to Lessons from Saint Benedict is an excellent resource for groups and individuals who would like to further their studies and enhance spiritual growth through Father Donald Raila's book Lessons from Saint Benedict. Each chapter includes...

Part of a collection written over twenty years, Lessons from Saint Benedict contains 26 letters written by Donald Raila, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Using the 1500-year-old Rule of Benedict and Benedictine spirituality as his...

Franciscan Lectio is for all those on a spiritual journey who long to see the world more beautifully and deeply and become more attentive and present.An ancient tradition dating back to the third century, lectio divina has long served as an avenue of...

Our world and our Church are in dire need of joy - genuine Christian joy. Besieged with a persistent pandemic, cruel warfare, frequent violent crimes, and all sorts of discouraging reports in the media, people - and even we Christians - may be tempted to...

WORK IS IN FRENCHThis book is a reproduction of a work published before 1920 and is part of a collection of books reprinted and edited by Hachette Livre, in the framework of a partnership with the National Library of France, providing the opportunity to...

Discussion around the bestseller The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher has led many people to want to know more about Benedictine principles.Listen, my child. I want you to put the ear of your heart to the solid ground of the master's wisdom (what I...

Franciscan spirituality, with its characteristic simplicity, joy, openness and welcome to all, compassionate action and love for creation - all undergirded by prayer and study, offers as compelling a vision for today's world as when Francis of Assisi...

Although St. Anthony the Great, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, and the Desert Fathers have received considerable attention in early Christian studies, St. Sarapion of Thmuis has remained in relative obscurity. This book introduces the thought of this...

The Ladder of Divine Ascent is an ascetical treatise on avoiding vice and practicing virtue so that at the end, salvation can be obtained. Written by Saint John Climacus initially for monastics, it has become one of the most highly influential and...

Collected WorksVol. 1: The Two-Fold Knowledge: Readings on the Knowledge of Self and the Knowledge of GodVol. 2: Pater Bernhardus: Martin Luther and Bernard of ClairvauxVol. 3: Luther's Catholic Christology According to His Johannine Lectures of 1527

Foreword by the TranslatorsThe story about the life of Saint Seraphim of Sarov1, the miracle-worker, was first printed by the Monastery of Sarov in 1893. It was then re-written by N. Puretzki and published by the printer I. D. Sytin in Moscow in 1903...

2016 Reprint of 1960 Edition.  Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software.  Volume one of the 1960 translation of Bonaventure, containing his most important treatises.  As a theologian,...

Internationally bestselling author and German monk Anselm Grün presents ancient wisdom for leadership today.Leadership is not about power, status, and titles. According to the Rule of St. Benedict, true leadership is about awakening creativity in others...

The contemplative tradition in Christianity traces its origins back to Jesus himself, who frequently withdrew to quiet places to pray, and it has nourished and challenged disciples in every generation since.Journey to the Heart is an in-depth and richly...

Christ, the Life of the Soul is a modern spiritual classic. Drawing upon the Scriptures, the Liturgy, and the Doctors of the Church, Blessed Columba Marmion shows us the path towards freedom from self-bondage and the enlargement of our souls - to realize,

To understand the life and thought of Thomas Merton, one must understand him as a monk. After introducing his vocation and entrance into the Trappist order, this book highlights some of his basic spiritual presuppositions. Relying primarily on...

What does it mean to be humble like Christ? In this book, Bernadette McNary-Zak explores various concepts of Christian humility in late antiquity. To help the reader deepen their understanding of Christian humility, McNary-Zak takes a close look at some...

Roland Morant's book on the medieval monastic buildings of Lincolnshire fills a significant gap in books about the surviving monastic buildings in Lincolnshire and includes information relating to all parts of the county in a single volume. It is...

Collecting anecdotes from several of Thomas Merton's former novices, this book offers readers an opportunity to meet the famous monk and writer as a monastic brother, confessor, spiritual director, and friend. The title Awake and Alive reflects a way of...

Cassian and the Fathers is the initial volume in the series of Novitiate Conferences of Thomas Merton, the classes he presented to young men beginning their monastic life at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. They contain Merton's insights on important...

Though not a systematic theologian, Thomas Merton spent a lifetime writing in an immensely appealing way about the monastic tradition and mystical theology. One of the fundamental questions he examined was that of the self; for Merton the recovery of the...

Although these homilies and lectures were delivered to monastic communities, the spiritually nourishing teachings reflect on biblical teachings that are applicable to all readers seeking to pursue a life of holiness. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of...

Michael Casey, a monk and scholar who has been publishing his wise teachings on the Rule of St. Benedict for decades, turns to the particular Benedictine values that he considers most urgent for Christians to incorporate into their lives today.Eloquent...

The life received by St. Anthony is one that is precisely in accordance with the Bible, one which was aided by tremendous power from the Holy Spirit. His going out into the wilderness as an eighteen year old, to live in the mountains and parched deserts,...