Robert Thomas, a monk of Sept-Fons from 1928 until his death in 2002, served as prior of his community, professor of theology and Sacred Scripture, and chaplain to Cistercian nuns. He was instrumental in translating the early Cistercian Fathers into modern languages.

• TABLE OF CONTENTSTranslator’s Introduction   ixPreface   xiBrief introduction to the authors   xiList of Abbreviations   xvI—Atmosphere of the retreat   1Intus 1To descend in one’s interior, to live with oneself   2Enclosing yourself   4Occupied with self, occupied with God   5Having a solitary heart   6Speaking with God   7The guard of the heart   9II—Passing from self to God   101) Dialogue of Saint Francis with Brother Leo   112) Two personal experiences   12A very simple practice   12A liberating experience   14Two memories   163) Passages from Cistercian authors on this subject   17Being happy with God   17You, not me   20A secret of perfection   28Disinterested love   29Finding oneself again in God   33III—Resting your soul   35Looking for rest in all things   38Reciprocal rest   41 A tractate on rest   43Hasten to enter into that rest!   46IV—Rest in the heart of Christ   48Gilbert of Hoyland   48Guerric   50Aelred   53William of Saint-Thierry   53Bernard   56V—From multiplicity to unity   62Called to unity with God!   62Monastic theology and this theme   63Theological and practical teaching of the Cistercians on this topic   651) We are displaced persons   652) God has reestablished us through Christ   683) Unavoidably there is some multiplicity which we must endure and which is even helpful   714) It takes great skill to know how to keep your soul one, even to unify it, in the middle of all this multiplicity   74VI—Passing from the old man to the new   781) Theological point of view   812) Practical point of view   85The old man lives in us   85What we must do 92 VII—Being small   991) Being small like the baby Jesus   1002) God loves children; the Spirit of God rests on little children   1023) Having a humble opinion of self   1084) Leaning only on God   109VIII—Praising God   112The double confession   114Thanksgiving; the remembrance of the divine benefits   117To sing God’s praise   123 IX—Doing the will of God   1261) Doing the will of God; conforming our will to his   1262) The degrees of conformity to the divine will   1293) Self-will   1334) One spirit together with God, one will together with God   137X—Believing in the love of God   1421) God loves us   143It is a personal love for each one of us   144It is a first love 146Love without cost, disinterested   1472) How to believe practically in love   1503) Where does this faith in the love of God lead us?   153Conclusion 158Bibliography   161Index of Scripture Citations   164Index of Citations from the Cistercian Fathers   166General Index   170

This book delivers on its promise . . . It would be best read slowly, day by day, theme by theme while meditation on its directives over the course of a silent, intensive, solitary retreat. . . . This book is deep and wise.Cistercian Studies Quarterly