Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light

by Joan Chittister

Prayer book. Wisdom based meditations. From Abandonment to Zeal, this akphaabet of monastic values will help you to experience peace and love in the midst of life's pressures and problems.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Catholic, Religion, Christian

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Joan has fast become my favorite spiritual master. Her short but profound book on living a simple and contemplative life transcends religion. This is a must read for anyone who seeks the great in the nothing special.

[Erik Rådbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most precious little gem of contemplative book. Free from theology but full of light, and even though it uses the old Christian desert monks to lead into each chapter, it feels like a broader take on spirituality than strictly Christian. That said, I have my roots in Christianity, so might be a bit blindfolded.

All in all, uplifting and meditative stuff for anyone who every now and then wants to ask life questions will benefit from.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dailiness, in this illuminated alphabet of spiritual qualities, struck a chord with me: "day after day, to turn dailiness into time with God." So did Justice, Understanding, Work (related to Dailiness), and Xenophilia (love of strangers).

Thanks to Dan, my brother's father-in-law, for recommending and lending this book to me. He noted that Joan Chittester is one of the few women who have written on monastic values and contemplation.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exellent, insightful, wonderul...joan Chittister has amazing insight and is able to put spiritual insights sufficiently and in a way to be appkied to our modern way of living. Additionally, this book has shown me how religions or the spiritual patths while they are different are more alike at their core. I recommend this book for any and all seekers.

[Liz Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone just starting to dive more into a contemplative life, this was a sweet little introduction. Joan has given me new ways to look at life and all it's circumstances. She uses a beautiful language to describe each word in her "alphabet" of contemplative terms. Lovely, quick read with plenty insightful quotes that will be referred to again, I'm sure.

[Debra Waites · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful little book! Each chapter is based on a word corresponding to the letter of the English alphabet that illuminates a spiritual quality that monastics have typically attempted to live. Twenty six letters, twenty six practices. Fits nicely into a lunar calendar of practice. After a few years you have beautifully instilled characteristics to enable us to be decent human beings!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful meditation manual from Joan Chittister. Here, she shares teaching stories of the desert monastics and a brief reflection on that story. Written for contemplatives, this still makes a fine book for individual devotional study and for small groups.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one I borrowed and have now ordered as I'd like to have it to browse on a regular basis ( so often I've thought that and not done it, but with this one I just might).
So much wisdom to take in a gem at a time.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constant reminder that God is all around us in everything we do.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful guide to living a more contemplative life. Many statements provide much rich meditation.

[Br. Thanasi (Thomas) Stama · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pleasant spiritual book to read.

[Br. Anselm Philip King-Lowe, OSB]

Loved reading this book

[Congetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have owned this book for over 20 years and I finally read it. When I was younger, I was always interested in this topic. I also liked the play on words and the book cover because of illuminated books.

I am glad that I didn't read until now or I wouldn't have known how wrong this book is. Of course it is written for Catholics, so no Jesus only God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father (God) except through him. Paraphrasing John 14:6.

This book sounds so new age in many parts. In the Enlightenment section-no we are not one with the Universe (yes it was capitalized). No, Heaven is not here. A lot of wrong theology which is evident if you read the Bible and often. God expects us to know his Word which is the Bible and is Jesus.

Having said that, there is some truth to be found in this book. Most of the Beauty section was spot on.

I will keep the parts that are truth and show them in a journal as they are good reminders.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

There hasn’t been a Chittester book I haven’t devoured. She speaks to me in a way that brings me comfort, peace and healing. Her words inspire and challenge me. Being a contemplative in what I strive for. Some days I’m closer than others. She reminds me that peace comes from within as does my relationship with God. Neither is dependent on the chaos of the nation. Despite the challenges of living in our world at the moment, she teaches that love, peace, joy, and closeness to God are all possible and within me always. I just need to choose to focus on these attributes and be aware of their existence in my everyday life, despite its challenges.

[Natalie Linot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever recommended a book more before I’ve even finished it. So much goodness here…easy to read but still so many things that truly clocked me, in the best of ways. Joan is gentle and fierce and wonderful. I already know it’ll be a re-read!

“The contemplative sees the Creator in the gleam of the created.” ❤️‍🩹

[Linda M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by Joan Chittister offering many words of wisdom. One doesn't read this book straight through. I read a chapter a day during my prayer time. I would ponder on what the chapter was saying to me. I liked that it was an illumination of the Benedictine way of life. The chapters went from A to Z; Awareness to Zeal.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book chooses a theme for each letter of the alphabet, awareness, beauty, community, dailiness, enlightenment, faith, growth, humility, justice, kindness… The beginning of each section is very short story followed by ways to bring true meaning into your life. It focuses on the contemplatives and what we can do to understand not only God but our role in the universe. I loved this one!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book through three times. It is comforting and spiritually insightful as it illuminates the practice of the Divine Hours.