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Great Christian Thinkers - 44 St. Odo of Cluny
Great Christian Thinkers - 44 St. Odo of Cluny
by SPCK - Pope Benedict XVI
St. Odo of Cluny We resume the presentation of important writers of the Eastern and Western Church in the Middle Ages because in their lives and writings we see, as in a mirror, what it means to be Christian. One such luminous figure is St. Odo, abbot of Cluny… Taken from Great C…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 14 Co-Creation
The Monastery Of The Heart - 14 Co-Creation
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Co-Creation “Regard all utensils and goods of the monastery as sacred vessels of the altar.” Benedictine spirituality is a sacramental spirituality. It holds all things-the earth and all its goods-as sacred… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by Joan Chittister
The Monastery Of The Heart - 24 Good Zeal
The Monastery Of The Heart - 24 Good Zeal
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Good Zeal “Just as there is a wicked zeal of bitterness which separates from God, so there is a good zeal which leads to God.” The Rule of Benedict was written in the sixth century, in an ascetical climate more given to personal self-denial than to the discipline of community bui…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 26 Epilogue
The Monastery Of The Heart - 26 Epilogue
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Epilogue As we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.” Benedictine spirituality is not a spiritual practice that waxes and wanes, comes and goes, as we grow and chan…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 15 Loving Care
The Monastery Of The Heart - 15 Loving Care
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Loving Care “Let those who are not strong have help….” Patience and care are two pillars of Benedictine community. They hold up before our eyes, in blinding light, in immovable form, what is to be the nature of our presence in the world… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by J…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 20 Stability of Heart
The Monastery Of The Heart - 20 Stability of Heart
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Stability of Heart “Do not… run away from the road that leads to salvation.” The will of God in life does not come in straight lines, or clear signs, or certain choices… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by Joan Chittister
The Monastery Of The Heart - 3 A Single Vision
The Monastery Of The Heart - 3 A Single Vision
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
A Single Vision “Perform the Opus Dei where you are… Those on a journey are not to omit the prescribed hours but to observe them as best they can.” The Benedictine Rule is based on the notion that community life is the preeminent form of the spiritual journey, because it provides…
John for Everyone Part 1 - Jesus and the Woman
John for Everyone Part 1 - Jesus and the Woman
by SPCK - N T Wright
Jesus and the Woman John 4.16-26 A friend of mine described the reaction when he went home, as a young teenager, and announced to his mother that he’d become a Christian. Alarmed, she thought he’d joined some kind of cult. ‘They’ve brainwashed you!’ she said. He was ready with th…
GOD's rich Pattern - Coming out of the darkness
GOD's rich Pattern - Coming out of the darkness
by SPCK - Dr Lin Berwick
Coming out of the darkness Blindness makes you draw on inner resources and get in touch with the world around you in a different way. Sound is all important. Music can be a wonderful comforter, enabling one to get on a higher spiritual plane. My first introduction to classical mu…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 16 Responsibility
The Monastery Of The Heart - 16 Responsibility
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Responsibility “Let everyone receive help as the size of the community or local conditions warrant.” Benedictine spirituality is communal. It never intends to create a world of isolates, even for the isolated… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by Joan Chittister
The Monastery Of The Heart - 7 Retreat and Reflection
The Monastery Of The Heart - 7 Retreat and Reflection
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Retreat and Reflection “The life of a monastic ought to be a continuous Lent.” There is a time in every life when the very act of looking back and taking stock becomes essential to going forward… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by Joan Chittister
The Monastery Of The Heart - 21 Humility
The Monastery Of The Heart - 21 Humility
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Humility “After ascending all these steps of humility, we will quickly arrive at the ‘perfect love’ of God which ‘casts out fear.’” In Benedictine spirituality, there is a twelve-runged ladder that leads to God… Taken from The Monastery Of The Heart by Joan Chittister
The Monastery Of The Heart - 23 Sacred Art
The Monastery Of The Heart - 23 Sacred Art
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Sacred Art “They are to practice their craft with all humility.” The bond between Benedictine spirituality and art goes deep. Medieval monasteries were centres of the arts and patrons of the arts because art, as a reflection of beauty- which is itself an attribute of God- came to…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 11 Sufficiency and Sharing
The Monastery Of The Heart - 11 Sufficiency and Sharing
by SPCK - Joan Chittister
Sufficiency and Sharing “Do everything with moderation.” The purpose of the monastic life is never to amass wealth for the sake of the self. Instead, Benedict’s definition of the relationship between persons and things is sufficiency, not frugality… Taken from The Monastery Of Th…
The Monastery Of The Heart - 19 Conversion of Heart