Listen With Your Heart: Spiritual Living with the Rule of St. Benedict

by M. Basil Pennington

For today's hungry Christians, teachings on the Rule of Saint Benedict by one of the twentieth century's best-loved Catholic writers.   “Benedict is saying, ‘Wake up! Open your eyes! Open your ears! Let the divine life and light invade you so that your life is filled with aspiration, joy and hope.’” –M. Basil Pennington   At Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, Georgia, Abbot Basil Pennington gave weekly talks to the monks on the Rule of Saint Benedict. Now, readers and listeners are able to sit and learn from one of the most important spiritual teachers of the last century. The talks have been lovingly transcribed and organized into book form, and they have also been exquisitely preserved on a single compact disk.     This ancient Rule, written in the sixth century, continues to be a guide for men and women wishing to live a Christian life. Beginning with the prologue, Abbot Basil reads and comments on selected passages, providing the monks with insights into applying them in daily living. He takes the Latin phrases from the Rule and translates them into wisdom for the journey. Using his own monastic experiences, Basil illustrates how the Rule is more than a guide – it is a way of life to be lived in love for Jesus Christ and in service to others.    The Listen With Your Heart Compact Disc  (double CD) is the recorded version of M. Basil Pennington giving nine of the talks from which the book is transcribed. 

Genres: Christianity, Spirituality, Religion

207 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Dom M. Basil Pennington O.C.S.O. (1931–2005) was a Trappist monk and priest. He was a leading Roman Catholic spiritual writer, speaker, teacher, and director.

Pennington was an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum where he obtained a licentiate in Theology in 1959.[1] He also earned a licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Pennington became known internationally as one of the major proponents of the Centering Prayer movement begun at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, during the 1970s.

Reviews

[Robin Wright Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over the past 8 or 9 months as a devotional. It has been very motivating, reassuring, and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book what talks about the fundamentals of who monks are, what they believe, their joy in life and how that fits with their St. Benedict's Rule. I found it informative and it put puzzle pieces into place for me in this time of Lent.