Jon M. Sweeney is the associate publisher of Paraclete Press and the author of several books including Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis and Clare of Assisi and Born Again and Again. In this enlightening paperback, he continues his explorations as a Protestant of the spiritual and theological riches of the Catholic tradition. Here Sweeney focuses on 20 years of conversations with Cistercian and Benedictine monks in Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Georgia. The author models how we can practice hospitality toward spiritual paths other than our own. He reveals the wisdom that can come from listening, questing, and continuing a lively search for meaning.
Sweeney says that "the wisdom of contemporary, contemplative monasticism has been my greatest source of guidance for how to be a secular (non-monastic) Christian." On these pages, he probes the many layers of the contemplative life which Father Basil Pennington tells him means "to give yourself over completely to God and to others." The monks are gentle with Sweeney who admits they helped him square off against his intellectual faith troubles, lazy practices, unreal talk, and patterns of avoiding God. Sweeney notes, "Just as monks don't really have programs, they also don't make many promises, and it's frustrating." He recalls a conversation that brought this home for him:
"We can show you how to be quiet, how to listen, but only God can show you the other stuff," Father Ambrose told me long ago.
"What stuff?"
"You."
Sweeney talks with the monks about conversion, silence, solitude, work and play, unlearning ambition, originality, listening, simplicity, and contemplation. Here is a brief sampler of some of their insights:
• "Silence is the school of love where you meet your Creator." (Father Basil)
• "If God is everywhere, then why do we go looking for him?" (Father Basil)
• "No one else in the Church is given this gift of leisure like the Trappists are. For five or six hours a day we have nothing we have to do." (Father Luke)
• "This is the only real Christian truth: it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's love all the way down."(Father Ambrose)
