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Those seeking to deepen their spiritual life are increasingly being drawn to monasteries and the monastic round of prayer and reflection. Yet rarely do temporary visitors have enough time to absorb as much as they would like about the spiritual life. In this book an experience spiritual master, a monk of Sept-Fons abbey in France, provides an intensive directed retreat which relies heavily on the rich Cistercian Spiritual tradition. Readers are at liberty to read and digest at their own pace, while savoring the author's contagious enthusiasm for the values and attitudes he learned from the monastic way and the Cistercian Fathers he studied throughout his long life.Extensive quotations from early Cistercian writers also make the book an excellent introduction to the thought of these medieval monks and the tradition they created and bequeathed to generation of monks and nuns. Quotations are grouped by topic, making it easy to compare the thoughts of various Fathers on a single subject, and an index of citations is provided. Robert Thomas, OCSO, (1911-2002), was born in Paris and entered the monastery of Sept-Fons in 1928. He studied at the Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained priest in 1937. In addition to serving as prior of his monastery, professor of theology and of Sacred Scripture, and chaplain to Cistercian nuns, he was instrumental in publishing translations, into French, of the early Cistercian Fathers in the pioneering series, Pain de Citeaux. The author of numerous books, Fr. Robert Thomas died in 2002 at the age of ninety-one, a student of the Cistercian tradition to the end.
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