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The Reflections of Abba Zosimas: Monk of the Palestinian Desert
Fairacres Publications 145 Translated into English for the first time by John Chryssavgis, these Reflections present, with great simplicity, the day-to-day teaching and example of one of the great sixth-century eremitical Fathers of the Palestinian desert. For Abba Zosimas, obedience to the gospel implies a radical disposition of love for the neighbour in every thought, word and action. This is the key to freedom and joy.
Exploring Silence
Fairacres Publications 170 Wendy Robinson explores the place of silence in contemplative prayer, and the difficulty of subduing our constant internal chatter in order to reach a place of stillness. She draws on various sources of wisdom, including the teaching of Martin Buber and her own experience of Quaker and Orthodox practice.
Solitude and Communion: Papers on the Hermit Life
Fairacres Publications 176 These essays were first published to mark the revival of the hermit life in the Church. Prepared for a meeting of solitaries at St David’s in Wales in 1975, both their historical and contemporary content continue to speak to and encourage those called to the eremitic life. For anyone who doubts its validity, they give a compelling and lucid explanation of this way of following Christ. The love of God shines through them; all readers may sense something of the attractive power of that love, whether or not they aspire to such a life. The contributors include Canon A. M. Allchin, Dom Andre Louf OCSO, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, Father Roland Walls, Sister Benedicta Ward SLG and Mother Mary Clare SLG.
Encountering the Depths
Mother Mary Clare explores the art of spiritual living through a natural and open--though traditional--approach, unlocking the largely forgotten secrets of emptiness, listening, silence, surrender, joy and service.
The Wisdom of Saint Isaac the Syrian
Fairacres Publications 128 In recent decades there has been a notable renewal of interest in St Isaac the Syrian, a seventh-century master of the ascetic life. This selection of short sayings is part of Dr Brock’s work on a fuller, long-neglected manuscript which he is making available to English readers. Each sentence holds the mind steadily in the light of a truth about the spiritual life. St Isaac’s vivid images drawn directly from nature, husbandry and general human experience speak for themselves and draw us to penitence and prayer.
Monastic Vocation
Fairacres Publications 200 We truly follow a Christian vocation when we hear the call of God in our lives and obey it. This can be a profoundly troubling decision to make, particularly in our largely secular society. In essays written by those living their vocations, this book describes aspects of modern contemplative monastic life, and examines questions that might be asked when considering whether to “surrender the social life” and follow God’s call.
The Spiritual Wisdom of the Syriac Book of Steps
Fairacres Publications 171 The anonymous fourth-century Syriac author of the Book of Steps wrote to and about his local Christian community. It is a manual of Christian living written before monasticism had taken its traditional shape. However, the distinction between the duties and expectations of ‘the Perfect’ and ‘the Upright’ hint at a development towards monastic life. Robert Kitchen points out that the text has always had trouble getting noticed; to put this teaching into a modern context he summarizes the content of its thirty chapters, and gives a short commentary on a core passage from each one.
Julian Reconsidered
Fairacres Publications 106 Sometimes the message of optimism and hope of the fourteenth-century writer Julian of Norwich is understood rather superficially. Two lectures, given at her Shrine in Norwich, which can assist our understanding of her theology are reproduced here. Kenneth Leech shows how Julian can help us to recover a sense of the goodness of creation, and he challenges superficial interpretations of her saying that ‘all shall be well’. Sister Benedicta reconsiders Julian in the light of the solitary tradition and contemporary medieval documents, suggesting that Julian may have been a widow who had borne a child.
Lazarus, Come Out
This study by Bonnie Thurston regards the text from the perspective of a play in three acts with seven scenes, each focusing on one of the dramatis personae. It introduces the traditional Orthodox theology of the icon of the raising of Lazarus to illumine the text. Each Act closes with questions for prayer and pondering, making the monograph useful for a self-directed retreat. Of special liturgical interest in the Church’s preparation for Holy Week, this passage of Scripture is a timeless challenge to awaken us to awareness and aliveness. We are encouraged to leave behind what is dead and to respond to Christ’s call to liberation
Mixed Life
Fairacres Publications 138 Walter Hilton (c.1343-96) offers clear and practical advice for Christians trying to balance their duty towards others with a drawing towards prayer and contemplation. He says that there is no fixed order of priority in these things, and Christ himself gives us the supreme example of the ‘mixed life’. A fresh translation into modern English.
