What to Read 

study bibles

• The Catholic Study Bible, New York, Oxford University Press 1990
• The New Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday & Company Inc. Garden City, NY
• New Revised Standard Version (RSV) with Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville 1990

the rule

• Rule of Saint Benedict, Pocket edition and commentary (see reading list for commentary suggestions)

daily lectionary/missal/breviary

sources for daily Gospel readings, morning & evening prayer and commentaries

• Magnificat
• Give Us This Day
• People's Companion to the Breviary 

on-line services

• Universalis
• Creighton University Daily Reading
• The Ark 
• Luc Brï¿sard, of the abbey of Citeaux, A History of Monastic Spirituality

 

Psalter & Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours

• The Psalms  A New Translation Singing Version Paulist Press, New York 1991

A guide to the liturgy of the hours has been developed with both Mississippi's or New Melleray's schedules  see www.aicassociates.org

 

 

Seasonal Liturgical Reading -- for seasonal lectio, office of readings, liturgy of the hours

The Liturgical Sermons, Guerric of Igny, Cistercian Fathers 8 and 32 Kalamazoo, MI; Cistercian Publications.

Drinking from the Hidden Fountain, A Patristic Breviary, Spidlik, Thomas

Universalis

 

 

Commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict

Ester deWaal. A Life Giving Way.

Joan Chittister. Insights for the Ages.

Michael Casey. A Guide to Living in the Truth. (Chapter 7 of the Rule)

Terrence Kardong. Benedict's Rule

RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict. With extensive appendices, articles, indices.

 

 

The Cistercian Experience

Casey, Michael. Strangers to the City

Louf, Andre. The Cistercian Way

DeWaal, Esther. The Way of Simplicity: The Cistercian Tradition

Cummings, Charles. Monastic Practices 

 

 

Lectio Divina

Casey, Michael. Sacred Reading

Enzo Bianchi, Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina

 

 

Prayer

Casey, Michael Toward God

Casey, Michael, Undivided Heart

 

 

Pre-Benedictine Monastics

Roberta Bondi, To Love as God Loves

Athanasius, Life of Anthony

Merton, Thomas, Wisdom of the Desert

 

 

Christian Classics

Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Present Moment

St Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul (autobiography)

St Augustine, Confessions (autobiography)

The Cloud of Unknowing

Julian of Norwich, Showings (a/k/a Revelations)