Instruction 
Instruction on the Rule by noteworthy modern day monastics or oblates
Acedia: Spiritual Weariness
Originally one of Evagrius’ and Cassian’s eight principal logismoi, acedia came to be included among the medieval seven deadly sins. Although generally translated as “sloth”, the terms “apathy” or “spiritual weariness” are closer to the original meaning. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) cited John Damascene’s definition of acedia as “weariness in the face of work” (Sum.Theol…. Read More ›
The aim of humility
At the heart of Christian anthropology is the conviction of a deep affinity between human nature and spiritual life. The difficulties of living spiritually do not come from our nature, as such, but from the deformation of our nature through selfishness and pride. Humility aims to eliminate the phony aspects of our life and to… Read More ›
Conversion means…
Conversion means being liberated by God's grace so that we can at last follow the intimate spiritual aspirations that have long been unheeded, neglected, or frustrated. It is the beginning of the journey towards a fulfillment, a journey powered by the spiritual quest but one which profoundly influences and transforms every sphere of human activity… Read More ›
The Lord’s Bride
When our Lord's bride has come further and ascends higher into greater piety, she feels another mode of love in a closer understanding and a higher knowledge. She feels that love has overcome all her opponents within her and has made good her defects. Love has mastered her knowing and allowed her to receive the… Read More ›
A Healthy Obsession
Spiritual life is not a hobby or a part-time occupation. It is nothing if it does not find expression in everything we do. There is no possibility of moonlighting: using some of our energies for other goals or for ourselves. Taking the spiritual life seriously means that it is not compartmentalized. It is a total… Read More ›
St. Thomas More, remembered June 22
Denver, Colo., Jun 19, 2011 / 05:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On June 22, the Catholic Church will honor the life and martyrdom of St. Thomas More, the lawyer, author and statesman who lost his life opposing King Henry VIII's plan to subordinate the Church to the English monarchy. Thomas More was born in 1478,… Read More ›
Enter by the narrow gate
Amma Theodora said, ‘Let us strive to enter by the narrow gate, Just as the trees, if they have not stood before the winter’s storms cannot bear fruit, so it is with us; this present age is a storm and it is only through many trials and temptations that we can obtain an inheritance in… Read More ›
God calls human persons to union with Himself
Whatever I may have written, I think it all can be reduced in the end to this one root truth: that God calls human persons to union with Himself and with one another in Christ, in the Church which is His Mystical Body. It is also a witness to the fact that there is and… Read More ›
New Book: The Benedictines in the Middle Ages
For those of you who are interested in the history of the Benedictine Order, The Benedictines in the Middle Ages by Dr James G. Clark might be of interest. “The men and women that followed the sixth-century customs of Benedict of Nursia (c.480-c.547) formed the most enduring, influential, numerous and widespread religious order of the… Read More ›
Pope: with St. Benedict, Christ in first place
To live no longer for ourselves but for Christ: this is what gives full meaning to the life of those who let themselves be conquered by him. This is clearly demonstrated by the human and spiritual life of St Benedict who, having abandoned all things, set out to follow Jesus Christ faithfully. Embodying the Gospel… Read More ›