This self-guided retreat created by Lonni Collins Pratt, a Catholic laywoman and Father Daniel Homan, a Benedictine monk for nearly 40 years, is based on the rule of St. Benedict written in the sixth century. The authors define a rule as "a set of principles and actions around which we organize our lives." They are convinced that the values, habits, guidelines, and goals for spiritual development pioneered by the father of Western monasticism are very relevant to our times.
Pratt and Homan rightly interpret the rule of St. Benedict as wisdom literature. One of the key practices is listening — being open to our experiences and attentive to the presence of the Spirit in everyday life. Work, according to St. Benedict, is a holy endeavor and living in community with others is an opportunity to polish character. Here stability is seen as a virtue: "Hikers in the Tarryall region of Colorado are advised that if they become lost while in the vast wilderness, they should stay where they are and stop wandering. Hunker down and wait to be found. Stability calls us to believe that if we stay where we are, God will find us."
Pratt and Homan affirm other Benedictine values such as reverence, perseverance, hospitality, joy, service, and humility. They believe that these spiritual practices can bring balance into our wobbly and frantic lives.