Coenobium

Michael Casey, OCSO, has been a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey (Australia) since 1960. In the intervening years he has conducted many retreats and workshops on every continent (except Antarctica) and has written many articles on topics relating to monastic history and spirituality. He is also the author of many books, including The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's Rule; Seventy-Four Tools for Good Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict's Rule; and Balaam's Donkey, all from Liturgical Press.

"With realism and no little wit, Michael Casey dispels any romantic notion of the monastery as he portrays monastic community as a school of love where members are called to grow in humility, gentleness, and patience, especially with those who are different. If one stays the course for many decades, however, one might just be 'overcome by admiration for the holy lives lived by others' and find that the monastery has indeed been an initiation into the very life of heaven. Springing from sixty some years of monastic life, Michael Casey’s profound insights on lectio divina, prayer, honoring others, and cultivating self-knowledge invite all readers to a deeper encounter with the other—both human and divine."Dr. Glenn E. Myers, Professor of Church History and Theological Studies, Crown College

• ContentsAbbreviations  viiIntroduction  11  Community as Church  72  Common Prayer  253  Hearers of the Word  434  What Ascends Must Converge  575  Responsiveness to Persons  736  Neither Slaves nor Children  917  Common Work  1118  Self-Restraint  1279  Self-Truth  14510  Fellowship  18111  Cloistral Paradise  205