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A Place Apart: Monastic Prayer and Practice for Everyone
This book demonstrates how the peace and serenity found inside an abbey can be achieved despite the hustle and bustle of today's outside world. A leading American spiritual writer and Trappist monk, Father M. Basil Pennington shows how, step by step, the spirituality of monasticism can be adapted for use in daily life.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
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About the author
M. Basil Pennington
101 books24 followersDom 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 27, 2025
A decent depiction of how one can create some of the intentionality of monastic life in everyday.
November 1, 2016
There's some excellent stuff in here! The first half of the book was quite good, with suggestions about prayer, stillness, fasting, and lectio divina (divine reading). The rest of the book has many great quotes, but it was much harder to get through.
Here are a few of the great quotes I captured:
What we can do now to bring about his kingdom of justice is to cooperate in the establishment of justice in that portion of his kingdom over which we have some immediate control: ourselves. Let us begin the pursuit of justice and peace by cleaning up our own lives and establishing peace within our own hearts. 17
“The fascination of trifles obscures the good,” says the Wise Man. It is difficult in the midst of much doing and seeing to keep alive and present to the deepest reality, to the really real. And so the monk goes apart… 28
Monks realize well that when the consciousness of one person is raised, the whole of humanity is raised; when the quality of life of one improves, all improve. Or, to put it in another, more biblical, way, the increased health and vitality of any one cell vitalizes the whole Body of Christ. 38
In the silence, whether we listen to the creation around us, the words of revelation, or the deepest stirrings of our own hearts, we begin to perceive another voice, one that is too often lost in the static of life. It is no use saying: ”Speak, Lord, your servant wants to hear,” if We never risk the silence to listen. 48
Saint Leo the great(+461), sharing the voice of the Fathers of the Church, told us that Mary in becoming the mother of the Head (taking up the Pauline theology of the Mystical Body of Christ) mothered also all his members. 54
Martin Buber as described for basic virtues cultivated by the Hasidim to overcome the separation of the sacred and secular. . . . St. Benedict spoke of them as truly seeking God, zeal for a humble way of life, zeal for obedience, and zeal for the opus of God. Buber catalogues them as kavana (single-mindedness), shiflut (humility), avada (service), and hitlahavut (fire of ecstasy). 129
We can make a practice of letting go of unnecessary negative thoughts and feelings (our prayer word– a quick flight to the center, while the thought is allowed to float away– can be used to advantage in this) and cultivating joyful, positive ones. 132
Benedict and Bernard and the other true monastic peacemakers of history have been effective because they have acted from a deep source of peace within themselves, dating a context for peace. This is the contribution a Christian man or woman of peace can make. 152
Here are a few of the great quotes I captured:
What we can do now to bring about his kingdom of justice is to cooperate in the establishment of justice in that portion of his kingdom over which we have some immediate control: ourselves. Let us begin the pursuit of justice and peace by cleaning up our own lives and establishing peace within our own hearts. 17
“The fascination of trifles obscures the good,” says the Wise Man. It is difficult in the midst of much doing and seeing to keep alive and present to the deepest reality, to the really real. And so the monk goes apart… 28
Monks realize well that when the consciousness of one person is raised, the whole of humanity is raised; when the quality of life of one improves, all improve. Or, to put it in another, more biblical, way, the increased health and vitality of any one cell vitalizes the whole Body of Christ. 38
In the silence, whether we listen to the creation around us, the words of revelation, or the deepest stirrings of our own hearts, we begin to perceive another voice, one that is too often lost in the static of life. It is no use saying: ”Speak, Lord, your servant wants to hear,” if We never risk the silence to listen. 48
Saint Leo the great(+461), sharing the voice of the Fathers of the Church, told us that Mary in becoming the mother of the Head (taking up the Pauline theology of the Mystical Body of Christ) mothered also all his members. 54
Martin Buber as described for basic virtues cultivated by the Hasidim to overcome the separation of the sacred and secular. . . . St. Benedict spoke of them as truly seeking God, zeal for a humble way of life, zeal for obedience, and zeal for the opus of God. Buber catalogues them as kavana (single-mindedness), shiflut (humility), avada (service), and hitlahavut (fire of ecstasy). 129
We can make a practice of letting go of unnecessary negative thoughts and feelings (our prayer word– a quick flight to the center, while the thought is allowed to float away– can be used to advantage in this) and cultivating joyful, positive ones. 132
Benedict and Bernard and the other true monastic peacemakers of history have been effective because they have acted from a deep source of peace within themselves, dating a context for peace. This is the contribution a Christian man or woman of peace can make. 152
March 22, 2011
Pennington! Need to learn how to be more contemplative, ummm, maybe because it will slow down the outside world and help you realize God is IN you:)? Pennington is for you! And so are a lot of the other Catholic contemplatives. Check Renovare.com (Richard Foster's site) for suggested reading lists.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews