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Thoughts Matter: The Practice of the Spiritual Life
Introduces the method developed by John Cassian, a fourth-century monk, for concentrating the mind and controlling extraneous thought during meditation
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 30, 2014
Based on the desert fathers Cassian and Evagrius, presenting maturity in spiritual life as awareness and direction of our thoughts regarding: hunger, lust, possessions, anger, sadness, boredom (acedia), posing (vainglory), and arrogance (pride). Quite amazing - I didn't at first agree that snacking between meals (seems so little) can have an effect on prayer or mindfulness, but she makes a good case. Interior and exterior life inform and influence each other.
September 10, 2020
Food.
Sex.
Things.
Anger.
Dejection.
Acedia.
Vain glory.
Pride.
Must control our thoughts to be able to pray. To avoid sin.
Based upon desert fathers.
I REALLY enjoyed this. Very helpful.
Sex.
Things.
Anger.
Dejection.
Acedia.
Vain glory.
Pride.
Must control our thoughts to be able to pray. To avoid sin.
Based upon desert fathers.
I REALLY enjoyed this. Very helpful.
August 15, 2026
Quotes:
"First, we must renounce our former way of life and move closer to our heart's desire, toward the interior life. Second, we must do the inner work (of asceticism) by renouncing our mindless thoughts...Third, we must renounce our own images of God so that we can enter into contemplation of God as God" (xvii-xviii).
"Between 415 and 425 we know he [John Cassian] wrote his wonderfully ingenious collection: the teachings of thousands of solitaries of the early Christian era who lived in the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine" (xix).
"...let go of thoughts that are not toward prayer" (xx).
"While we are not our thoughts, we can direct our thoughts toward our heart's desire God. This is called prayer" (1).
"The wisdom of a later tradition, made popular by St. Hugh, taught that this LECTIO DIVINA has three books: the book of nature, the book of experience, and the book of Scripture" (4).
"We can redirect or thoughts. We do this by noticing our thoughts rather than thinking our thoughts. When thinking pauses we are at peace" (8).
"Discernment is our ability to do the right deed with the right intention or motivation" (8).
"Silence will teach us everything" (12).
"The I-thought in free-fall tends to serve the ego" (14-15).
"A solitary cup of morning coffee takes on sacramental dimensions in the dawn" (21).
"...three moderations...to eat at the right time, to eat "enough," to eat what is served" (28).
"All harsh voices in your mind are not of God" (52).
Jesus Prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner" (54).
"God is closer to us than we are to ourselves" (77).
"When I am angry, both my own soul and that of another person are equally inaccessible" (85).
"God can communicate directly to my soul without thought. This is contemplation" (90).
"...prayer happens in this silence because God is beyond thoughts and images. Purity of heart is simply a clear mind without thoughts" (91).
"I can't love and hate during worship" (100 - 101).
"...just as I am not my thoughts, neither am I my moods and feelings. Thoughts, feelings and moods come and go" (113).
"Know that silence vanishes when chatter enters. Silence includes a rule of charity" (126).
"Take pains to be quiet. Do your own business. Work with your own hands. Work honestly for those who are in need. Check your desires for other's possessions. Refrain from taking to much time 'for yourself' because, instead of reviving energy, idle time can easily kill your industriousness, perpetuating spiritual sloth. Therefore, study and be quiet" (INST. 10.21) (126)
"Without a rhythm between work and prayer, opportunities to give up become many and the will to go on is difficult to sustain" (127).
"...manual labor breaks through consciousness, gives one initial distance from spiritual practices, and frees the mind from thinking so that unthinking can occur" (129).
"WORK IS A BACK DOOR TO PURE PRAYER...Prayer is work and work is prayer" (130).
"[Serving others] becomes a double grace, giving as Christ and receiving as Christ" (132).
"Christ asks us to put our head on his heart and let him carry our burdens" (136).
"...to take credit for the good in my soul is to usurp the presence of the Holy Spirit" (142).
"If I am to renounce my former way of life and my thoughts that lead to the afflictions, then I must check all my thoughts all the time. This is not with GRIT AND GUTS but with GRACE AND GRATITUDE" (151).
"Thoughts are neither good nor bad; they just are" (155).
"Other sins oppose other men, but pride takes on God" (164).
"I must see things as only for my use, not as possessions. All is gift" (169).
"First, we must renounce our former way of life and move closer to our heart's desire, toward the interior life. Second, we must do the inner work (of asceticism) by renouncing our mindless thoughts...Third, we must renounce our own images of God so that we can enter into contemplation of God as God" (xvii-xviii).
"Between 415 and 425 we know he [John Cassian] wrote his wonderfully ingenious collection: the teachings of thousands of solitaries of the early Christian era who lived in the deserts of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine" (xix).
"...let go of thoughts that are not toward prayer" (xx).
"While we are not our thoughts, we can direct our thoughts toward our heart's desire God. This is called prayer" (1).
"The wisdom of a later tradition, made popular by St. Hugh, taught that this LECTIO DIVINA has three books: the book of nature, the book of experience, and the book of Scripture" (4).
"We can redirect or thoughts. We do this by noticing our thoughts rather than thinking our thoughts. When thinking pauses we are at peace" (8).
"Discernment is our ability to do the right deed with the right intention or motivation" (8).
"Silence will teach us everything" (12).
"The I-thought in free-fall tends to serve the ego" (14-15).
"A solitary cup of morning coffee takes on sacramental dimensions in the dawn" (21).
"...three moderations...to eat at the right time, to eat "enough," to eat what is served" (28).
"All harsh voices in your mind are not of God" (52).
Jesus Prayer: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner" (54).
"God is closer to us than we are to ourselves" (77).
"When I am angry, both my own soul and that of another person are equally inaccessible" (85).
"God can communicate directly to my soul without thought. This is contemplation" (90).
"...prayer happens in this silence because God is beyond thoughts and images. Purity of heart is simply a clear mind without thoughts" (91).
"I can't love and hate during worship" (100 - 101).
"...just as I am not my thoughts, neither am I my moods and feelings. Thoughts, feelings and moods come and go" (113).
"Know that silence vanishes when chatter enters. Silence includes a rule of charity" (126).
"Take pains to be quiet. Do your own business. Work with your own hands. Work honestly for those who are in need. Check your desires for other's possessions. Refrain from taking to much time 'for yourself' because, instead of reviving energy, idle time can easily kill your industriousness, perpetuating spiritual sloth. Therefore, study and be quiet" (INST. 10.21) (126)
"Without a rhythm between work and prayer, opportunities to give up become many and the will to go on is difficult to sustain" (127).
"...manual labor breaks through consciousness, gives one initial distance from spiritual practices, and frees the mind from thinking so that unthinking can occur" (129).
"WORK IS A BACK DOOR TO PURE PRAYER...Prayer is work and work is prayer" (130).
"[Serving others] becomes a double grace, giving as Christ and receiving as Christ" (132).
"Christ asks us to put our head on his heart and let him carry our burdens" (136).
"...to take credit for the good in my soul is to usurp the presence of the Holy Spirit" (142).
"If I am to renounce my former way of life and my thoughts that lead to the afflictions, then I must check all my thoughts all the time. This is not with GRIT AND GUTS but with GRACE AND GRATITUDE" (151).
"Thoughts are neither good nor bad; they just are" (155).
"Other sins oppose other men, but pride takes on God" (164).
"I must see things as only for my use, not as possessions. All is gift" (169).
October 21, 2023
Upgrading my review to 5 stars after I have YET AGAIN come back to it to re-read some sections. And it’s happened over and over through the years that I come back to re-read parts of it. Cassian really had profound insight into the human psyche. And it’s so useful to get his insights at times where certain mind states colour and dominate experience.
April 27, 2026
An interesting and compassionate outline for gaining control over the progression of "bad thoughts." Helpful insights from Cassian, Evagrius, and the Desert Mothers and Fathers, as well as a few more contemporary sources. Writing style was easy to follow for the most part, but often repetitive and circular.
January 19, 2018
Excellent book on Cassian and the spiritual life. Few books get it or make it as practical and approachable as this one.
May 13, 2021
This edition is a bit dated (1998) with the increase in technology, some of her statements on thoughts in contemplative prayer seem archaic. If there is a latter edition, read that one.
July 12, 2021
Spirituality of St John Cassian. Contemplative prayer.
October 12, 2025
This book was recommended to me by someone I highly respect. However, it was not faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. It was one of the very few books in my life that I threw away.
September 11, 2009
Funk draws on the list of the eight thoughts which provided the basis for the medieval Seven Deadly Sins. By exploring the eight thoughts she advocates that progress in the Spiritual life consists of, at least in part, learning to discipline and purge your thought life of competing temptations and desires, so that you can devote yourself more fully to God.
September 19, 2015
A thoughtful (pun-intended) and meditative work on the eight thoughts (later reduced to seven capital sins) in the work of Cassian and Evagrius Ponticus. Not only does it describe the thoughts but also suggests ways to respond to them, A very helpful work which I will need to return to.
April 30, 2016
An introduction to the way mental vices can erode the spiritual life. The writer comes out of the Benedictine monastic tradition, but that tradition can help orient the self in ways that are not always related to God but to the dimensions of the person that promotes wholeness and gentleness.
July 14, 2014
excellent book on thoughts and spiritual development.
January 2, 2017
Interesting but truly based towards the monastic. A little less monastic over tones would have given the content a wider understanding and value. Still, a valuable read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews