People of God is a brand new series of inspiring biographies for the general reader. Each volume offers a compelling and honest narrative of the life of an important twentieth or twenty-first century Catholic. Some living and some now deceased, each of these women and men have known challenges and weaknesses familiar to most of us, but responded to them in ways that call us to our own forms of heroism. Each of them offers a credible and concrete witness of faith, hope, and love to people of our own day.
Thomas Merton was the consummate post-modern holy one: flawed, anti-institutional, a voice for the voiceless. But he was also a classical traditionalist: centered, obedient, in search of stability. He was a religious thinker of remarkable insight, a social commentator of courage and conviction, and a writer of startling virtuosity. Michael W. Higgins recounts the life of this insatiable wanderer. He explores the various layers of influence and evolution in Merton's thought and spirituality. This book tells the remarkable story of a life that remains to be understood from its beginnings and long after its premature ending.

"Reaching for God" is a compendium of Benedictine life and prayer for oblates. It brings together in one volume the essence of Benedictine spirituality-its history, its relevance through the ages and in the present, and a summary of the most fundamental gifts and values it offers for living a meaningful life. Here, the meaning and purpose of the oblate way of life is explained in a clear and encouraging way. Werner offers guidance and examples of prayer to enrich any spiritual life.

"Sister Roberta Werner, OSB, having worked as a teacher, caregiver, and educational administrator, is now the assistant oblate director at St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota. In this role, she guides an oblate discussion group, contributes to oblate newsletter publications, has set up an oblate library, and makes the spiritual journey with the many oblates who connect with her and with the monastery in their search for God."

2014 Reprint of 1950 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Catholic Church. She remains a greatly respected figure for her spiritual writings, and for her political boldness to "speak truth to power." This was exceptional for a woman in this period. The "Dialogue" speaks to the whole spiritual life of man and is presented in the form of a series of colloquies between the Eternal Father and the human soul (represented by Catherine herself). It is a mystical counterpart in prose to Dante's "Divina Commedia." This edition is translated from the original Italian by Algar Thorold.

There is more in Benedict's Rule than meets the eye. Based on the rules of life of John Cassian and Saint Basil, Benedict invites us to go further back to the scriptural basis of all Christian and monastic living and pursue our spiritual journey by the guidance of the Gospel.This book of reflections on the tools for good living is intended to be read very slowly, one section at a time. In addition to communicating reflections on each verse of chapter 4, Casey invites readers to:* continue the process of reflection for themselves* apply what is written to their own lives* draw on their own wisdom and insight* and, ultimately, broaden their experience of monastic spirituality

Christophe Lebreton, aged forty-six, was the youngest of the seven Trappist monks assassinated in Algeria by terrorists in 1996. He was also the poet of the group. Anyone who was enthralled by the recent film "Of Gods and Men" should find in Brother Christophe's "Journal "ample and deeply moving material for meditation on both the light and the darkness inherent in the human condition. The "Journal "begins in 1993, four months before the terrorists' first visit to the monastery at Tibhirine, and it ends on March 19, 1996, just seven days before the monks' abduction. Entry after entry touches readers both by its vivid sincerity and by the fresh and inventive quality of its poetic expression. Through these pages readers become privy to the daily events in the soul of a generous searcher after God under very trying conditions. His style is highly personal, playful, ardent, full of color and whimsy.

In his old age, Roland Walls stood in awe admiring a tiny flower beside the path - 'isn't it beautiful? Just sitting there. Not drawing attention to itself. Just being itself'. Hearing these words, the author applied them in his mind to the Community of the Transfiguration. This tiny, humble contemplative religious Community, founded by the much-loved Roland Walls in Roslin near Edinburgh, achieved its far-reaching international and ecumenical influence by embodying a simple mode of 'Being' in a world where most people are extremely busy 'Doing'. Through the story of the Community's origins and its 50 years of existence, the author explores how, in an era when Europe has been shedding its religious faith, and the historic churches have been in decline, this tiny Christian community has been inspirational testimony to the relevance of religious faith in the 21st century.

On the periphery of the Roman empire, the sixth-century desert city of Gaza served as a crossroads between Palestine and Egypt. The nearby village of Tawatha was home to the thriving monastery of Abbot Seridos and the renowned anchorites Barsanuphius, known to the people as the Great Old Man, and his disciple John. The laity of the area looked to the monks for spiritual leadership, as did their brother monks, bishops, and religious leaders from as far away as Jerusalem and Constantinople. Having adopted a life of physical isolation, the monks communicated with others by letters, offering guidance in such matters as treatment of slaves, distribution of alms, interpretation of visions, and social relations with pagans and Jews. This extraordinary correspondence opens a window into the spiritual world of the desert monastery and the lay community it served. In Disciples of the Desert, Jennifer Hevelone-Harper uses a careful study of the letters to reveal fascinating insights into the monastic community and sixth-century Christian spirituality. Hevelone-Harper explains the network of spiritual authority that was created to lead the monastic community and discusses how monastic leaders responded to challenges to authority, appointed successors, and chose and mentored disciples. She reveals the immense love that Abbot Seridos, Barsanuphius, and John had for their fellow monastics and for the lay community in Tawatha, Gaza, and beyond.

The thirteen "Discourses" of Philoxenos of Mabbug (445-523) were delivered to new monks at a monastery under his episcopal care. Written in elegant Syriac, the "Discourses" deal with the fundamentals of the monastic and ascetic life-faith, simplicity, fear of God, renunciation, and the struggle against the demons of gluttony and fornication. This is Philoxenos's longest work and his most popular. It avoids the strident character of his letters and commentaries that were composed to advance the anti-Chalcedonian movement.

This is the first English translation of an important Syriac text since the 1894 translation, now difficult to find. The introduction to this translation of the "Discourses" takes into account the scholarly work done and the books and articles published about Philoxenos in the past half century. There are no other titles in English that deal with the Discourses in this depth.

Ressourcement: A Movement for Renewal in Twentieth-Century Catholic Theology provides both a historical and a theological analysis of the achievements of the renowned generation of theologians whose influence pervaded French theology and society in the period 1930 to 1960, and beyond. It considers how the principal exponents of ressourcement, leading Dominicans and Jesuits of the faculties of Le Saulchoir (Paris) and Lyon-Fourviere, inspired a renaissance in twentieth-century Catholic theology and initiated a movement for renewal that contributed to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The book assesses the origins and historical development of the biblical, liturgical, and patristic ressourcement in France, Germany, and Belgium, and offers fresh insights into the thought of the movement's leading scholars. It analyses the fierce controversies that erupted within the Jesuit and Dominican orders and between leading ressourcement theologians and the Vatican. The volume also contributes to the elucidation of the complex question of terminology, the interpretation of which still engenders controversy in discussions of ressourcement and nouvelle theologie. It concludes with reflections on how the most important movement in twentieth-century Roman Catholic theology continues to impact on contemporary society and on Catholic and Protestant theological enquiry in the new millennium.

Historian and Iona Community member Rosemary Power tells the story of the small Hebridean island of Iona and its remarkable spiritual influence over fifteen centuries. Beginning with the earliest Stone Age settlements, she combines new translations of early Gaelic and medieval Latin prayers with original research to chart: the founding of the abbey in 563AD six centuries of monasticism: food, lifestyle, work and the pattern of daily prayer architecture, the high crosses and early art medieval Iona: the nunnery, women's lives, and catering for pilgrims post Reformation Iona: the rebuilding of the Abbey, the lives of the resident population and what visitors from the 17th century onwards experienced

Two leading practitioners of new monasticism open up the movement's spiritual landscape and its distinctive calling and gifts within today's church. Practical experiences and stories are set alongside reflection and liturgies as a creative resource for all who are already involved in, or are exploring intentional living in community. Focusing on new monasticism's key characteristics of prayer, mission and community, this book explores: continuity with traditional religious life innovations, such as its use of social networking technology potential for spiritual formation preference for the abandoned places of society transformative approach to mission blend of the traditional and experimental in worship growing international presence Full Text - Short description/annotation (Text)

Smaragdus was a monk and abbot of considerable standing in the early ninth century church. His "Diadema Monachorum" ("The Crown of Monks"), together with a later commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict, established him as one of the most significant interpreters of Benedict's Rule in his day and for succeeding generations.

Smaragdus intended "The Crown of Monks" as a daily resource for monastic communities, to be read at the evening chapter. He sought to arouse well-established monks "to a keener and loftier yearning for the heavenly country" and "to strengthen and instill fear" in weaker monks.

In this gathering of excerpts from various respected sources, a genre known as the "florilegium," Smaragdus addresses a wide variety of topics perennially significant to monks. It offers rich material for "lectio" and meditation, forming monastic minds and hearts for facing whatever challenges come their way, linking them with the formative years of the monastic tradition, and pointing them to the final goal: the kingdom of heaven.

As novice master of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, Thomas Merton presented weekly conferences to familiarize his charges with the meaning and purpose of the vows they aspired to undertake. In this setting, he offered a thorough exposition of the theological, canonical, and above al spiritual dimensions of the vows.

Merton set the vows firmly in the context of the anthropological, moral, soteriological, and ecclesial dimensions of human, Christian, and monastic life. He addressed such classical themes of Christian morality as the nature of the human person and his acts; the importance of justice in relation to the Passion of Christ, to friendship and to love; and self-surrender as the key to grace, prayer and the vowed life. Merton's words on these topics clearly spring from a committed heart and often flow with the soaring intensity of style that we have come to expect in his more enthusiastic prose.

The texts of these conferences represent the longest and most systematically organized of any of numerous series of conferences that Merton presented during the decade of his mastership. They may be the most directly pastoral work Merton ever wrote.

"Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky. He was a renowned writer, theologian, poet, and social activist."

"Patrick F. O'Connell is associate professor in the departments of English and theology at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is a founding member and former president of the International Thomas Merton Society. "

2013 Reprint of 1963 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is Merton's Guide to basic principles of Roman Catholic spirituality for lay and religious aspirants. With a simplicity of language and an intellectual candor that exemplify the purity of his vision, Merton here traces the basic principles of the spiritual life.

2013 Reprint of 1948 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "Contemplation" is a word that Thomas Merton used again and again in his writings. It is a theme that he spent much of his life exploring. About contemplation, he wrote "Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent, and infinitely abundant source. Contemplation is above all, awareness of the reality of that source. It knows the Source, obscurely, inexplicably, but with a certitude that goes beyond reason and beyond simple faith...It is a more profound depth of faith, a knowledge too deep to be grasped in images, in words, or even in clear concepts..." This short pamphlet is a good introduction to this important topic in the overall work of Thomas Merton.

When a small village was plagued by a wild wolf, it is told that a humble friar named Francis came and met the predator with nothing but his gentle words-and turned the wolf from a menace to a welcome citizen. This graceful man, who spoke to each part of Creation as a sister or brother, has become one of the most beloved of all saints. In both joy and adversity, Saint Francis served as a bold example of how to live completely and authentically as a follower of Christ. From his survival as a prisoner of war to the series of awakenings that helped him to reform the Catholic Church, Francis drew his strength from his miraculous, loving union with the natural world. Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential devotional reader for building your personal connection to the spirit of this modest Italian sage. Through stories, prayers, and his own writings, you are invited to share in Francis's nourishing devotion to God, and in his profound compassion toward all living things.

2013 Reprint of 1914 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary and polymath. She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, and poems, while supervising brilliant miniature illuminations. In addition to her music, Hildegard also wrote three books of visions, the first of which, her Scivias ("Know the Way"), was completed in 1151. Liber vitae meritorum ("Book of Life's Merits" or "Book of the Rewards of Life") and Liber divinorum operum ("Book of Divine Works," also known as De operatione Dei, "On God's Activity") followed. In these volumes, the last of which was completed when she was about 75, Hildegard first describes each vision, then interprets them through Biblical exegesis. Hildegard has also become a figure of reverence within the contemporary New Age movement, mostly due to her holistic and natural view of healing, as well as her status as a mystic.

Basil of Caesarea (AD 329-78), called "the Great" by later generations, was one of the fourth century's greatest theologians and pastors. His influence on the foundation of monastic life was enormous.

As he toured the early ascetic communities, members would ask Basil about various aspects of living the Gospel life. Their questions and Basil's replies were taken down by tachygraphers and eventually became the "Small Asketikon," first published in 366. The "Regula Basilii" is a Latin translation of this work, done by Rufinus of Aquileia in 397. It is one of the major sources of the Rule of Saint Benedict, and Benedict recommends it to zealous monks, calling it "the rule of our holy father Basil."

This volume represents a new Latin edition, translated and annotated in English by Anna M. Silvas. It is based on the Latin text Basili Regula - A Rufino Latine Versa from Klaus Zelzer: Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiastricoum Latinorum, Vol. 86. It also includes three extra questions and answers that survive only in the Syriac translation. Silvas balances masterfully between the rigors of academic research and the interests of an intelligent, non-specialist readership. This volume promises to become an indispensable resource in understanding both the history and the spirituality of monastic life.

Brother Roger (1915-2005) founded the ecumenical Taize Community, which continues to welcome tens of thousands of young adult pilgrims each year. The Community is familiar to the faithful of many denominations, who use Taize's meditative songs in their worship. Above all else Brother Roger strived not to be a spiritual master or teacher of methods of prayer and meditation but a listener. So this book presents not a programmme of prayer but an itinerary through the insights at the heart of Brother Roger's life of prayer and of action, telling the story of the Taize Community along the way. It allows readers to know and to pray with a figure who touched thousands of lives and helped, as Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said, 'Change the whole climate of a religious culture'.

The Community of the Cross of Nails came into being as a result of the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in November 1940. Amid the destruction, two medieval nails were found lying in the shape of a cross - seen as a prophetic sign for the need of forgiveness and reconciliation, the people of Coventry offered forgiveness to the people of Germany at Christmas, just weeks after the bombing. Today, the Community of the Cross of Nails has 160 centres in 40 countries, working and praying to build peace, heal the wounds of history and enable people to grow together in hope through conferences, teaching in schools and prisons, and pilgrimages. This illustrated book tells its remarkable story from the beginning. It is also a work of contextual theology, offering reflection on the meaning of reconciliation in the contemporary world and relating experiences of imaginative forgiveness from Cape Town to Ground Zero. Published as part of Coventry Cathedral's golden jubilee celebrations, this celebrates its continuing ministry of reconciliation.

This book shares the wisdom of many communities in many locales over the last half century.

There has never been a richer time for Franciscan studies than now, thanks in great part to the publication of Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (FA:ED) in 2002. Hugo's workbook is a proven resource that has guided people at all academic levels through a study of the life and writings of Saint Francis using primary sources in translation. This Second Edition is a thorough revision that is totally compatible with FA:ED. It also includes new scholarship and new bibliographic references. More than half the worksheets of the previous edition have been revised, and others have been added. The worksheets can be done by individuals or in groups or seminars. General readers will enjoy learning about Saint Francis and how hagiography shaped the public stories of medieval saints. Formation directors who teach the life and writings of Saint Francis should not be without this extraordinary sourcebook with its readymade lesson plans and insightful commentaries. A Beginner's Workbook is an invaluable guide - Br. Bill Hugo takes pains not to interject his own person between the voyager and St. Francis. Rather, he provides the tools and maps out a route for one to discover for her/himself the person of Francis.

2012 Reprint of Original 1937 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is one of the most distinctly Franciscan of Bonaventure's texts. It was conceived in the wilderness of Mount Alverna where St. Francis received the stigmata. This text is meant to guide a generation of Franciscan clerics through the medium of a new scientific culture, while reminding them that Franciscan life is aimed at true devotion. In this masterpiece, Bonaventure recasts Augustinian illumination along distinctly Franciscan lines.

2012 Reprint of Original 1934 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is a one-volume edition of the work published in 1907 in two volumes under the title "The Paradise, or Garden of the Holy Fathers...." The work comprises "The Life of St. Anthony" attributed to Athanasius, "The Paradise" written by Palladius, "The Rule of Pachomius" and "The History of the Monks" by Jerome. The work has long been an important source for the knowledge of Egyptian monasticism. It is a history of the anchorites, recluses, monks, coenobites and ascetic fathers of the deserts of Egypt, between A.D. 250 and A.D. 400.