Born from the Gaze of God: The Tibhirine Journal of a Martyr Monk

by Christophe Lebreton, Mette Louise Nygård (Translator), Edith Scholl (Translator)

Christophe Lebreton, aged forty-six, was the youngest of the seven Trappist monks assassinated in Algeria by terrorists in 1996. He was also the poet of the group. Anyone who was enthralled by the recent film Of Gods and Men should find in Brother Christophes Journal ample and deeply moving material for meditation on both the light and the darkness inherent in the human condition. The Journal begins in 1993, four months before the terrorists first visit to the monastery at Tibhirine, and it ends on 19 March 1996, just seven days before the monks abduction. Entry after entry touches readers both by its vivid sincerity and by the fresh and inventive quality of its poetic expression. Through these pages readers become privy to the daily events in the soul of a generous searcher after God under very trying conditions. His style is highly personal, playful, ardent, full of color and whimsy.

Genres: Spirituality

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 1999

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

This journal of Christophe Lebreton is written in a stream of consciousness style which makes it difficult to follow. He describes dreams, struggles with his faith, personality conflicts (especially with X) and his religious and philosophical thoughts. He quotes many philosophers, religious, and authors (many French). Some of these quotes are interesting and thought provoking. Some of his poetry is heartfelt and good. Towards the end, he seemed to be more focused and had an intimation of his martyrdom. He writes on July 25, 1995:
On this day I ask you for the grace to become a servant
and to give my life
here
as a ransom for PEACE
as a ransom for LIFE
Jesus draw me
into your joy
of crucified love.
Perhaps it's my desire for clarity and directness that make this work unpalatable to me. Nonetheless, I found parts of it illuminating and thought provoking.

[Elizabeth Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“it’s you, Father, who fill me with weakness and madness, with power: for the ordinariness of simple existence. Yesterday with Moussa, hoeing the onions.”

an incredible collection of intimate prayers, questions, musings…all thoroughly eucharistic and filled with desire for God and a longing for peace and a love for the place and people of Algeria. profound “theology” in the same breath as quotidian domesticity (perhaps the latter is where real theology really happens…)

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantástica lectura de cuaresma. No puedo explicar lo que significó este libro para mí. Simplemente demoledor. No solo por su historia personal, que acaba en el martirio sino también por la constancia y humanidad con la que se puede vislumbrar la trayectoria que lo lleva a Dios.

[Kathryn Hermes]

I read this book over a long period of time, little by little, an entry every day. I chose to read this book because I have always been attracted by the seven monks of Algiers who were murdered in the mid-90s. I have always felt a strong bond with them, but usually through the Abbot Christian. His Last Will and Testament was in the newspaper at the time of their martyrdom. In this letter to his family he forgave in advance the person who would kill him. This book Born from the Gaze of God, however, is the journal of the youngest monk: Christophe Libreton. It chronicles his spiritual journey of the last four years running up to their martyrdom. In these turbulent and insecure times, it is a powerful experience reading the spiritual journals of a monk who was right in the midst of the same troubles we are having now and seeing how he grew and loved through them. I can't recommend this book enough. Another great extra in the book are English translations of French spiritual writers of the time or which he was writing. These books are not translated into English so the only way to be blessed with their insight is through their translated inclusion in another book. Christophe is now my older brother in the faith as we walk through these sometimes scary times.