Cloister Talks

Learning from My Friends the Monks

by: Jon M. Sweeney

• Format

  E-Book

  ISBN

  9781441204264

  Pub. Date

  May 2009

  SRP

  $12.99

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About

Come along as author Jon M. Sweeney sits in the warm October sun talking with Father Luke or enjoys a December afternoon in the monastery with Father Ambrose.

In Cloister Talks, Sweeney offers a rare glimpse into his decades-long friendships with monks and shares the wisdom and insight for everyday living he has gained along the way. The contemplative monasticism Sweeney practiced with these monks has been the greatest source of guidance in his journey of faith, and here he shares it with poignant honesty.

Sweeney's conversations with monks engage various universal areas of life, including life, death, love, work, play, and spirituality. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of this ancient way of Christianity, a much needed antidote to the hurry of contemporary life.

EXCERPT
Ambrose has such an interesting mind. When he talks it's as if he's painting the circles on a target, beginning at the outer ones. "If I had to give you one piece of advice it would be this: Don't look for sudden enlightenment. People call them ah-ha moments; don't worry about those. I know that you may feel your time is wasted here if you haven't had enough ah-has, but I assure you it won't be."

"So what should I be doing?" I asked him, feeling confused.

"When you finally quiet down enough you'll begin to hear the divine voice.

"Don't walk around looking for moments of enlightened insight," Ambrose continued. "For one thing, we're not that smart!" He laughed. "Instead, you should walk around praying. Sit in the church before dawn, praying. Or just shut your mouth for a few days. Listen to the talks given by the retreat master, if you like. Just sit. Try your best to stop thinking."

It sounded too easy to me. I told him that.

"What I'm suggesting is much harder than you might think. You'll see."

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Endorsements

"If you ever wondered what a monk's life might be like, if you don't mind looking into a mirror to see the craziness of life in our culture, if you think you might splurge and go deeper with God, Sweeney shares his cloistered, very human, and wise friends with us as companions along the way."--James C. Howell, author of The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray

"In this poignant, richly nuanced book, Sweeney gives us our best record yet of the sweet tension between the cloister and the world that, like a leitmotif, sings always within those of us who yearn for both."--Phyllis Tickle, The Divine Hours

"Jon Sweeny has written a book that doesn't tell us what he knows, but speaks the silence of men who know God in a life of prayer. Cloister Talks is a contemplative conversation inviting us to know ourselves in the deep, deep love of the One by whom we're already known."--Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author of New Monasticism

"Sweeney invites the reader to join him in conversations with monks he has known over the past twenty years (much like the 'conferences' ancient monks recorded for posterity). Along the way he not only subtly informs about the past history and practices of monasticism, but he breaks the stereotypes many have of contemporary monks while sharing their deep wisdom that has helped him along his journey. And it is refreshing that Sweeney so honestly reveals his struggles to practice what he has learned from these Cistercians. This will be a very encouraging book for those who want to glean insights from monks for everyday life outside the cloister and need permission to fail from time to time in implementing what they have learned."--Dennis Okholm, author of Monk Habits for Everyday People

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Reviews

"Sweeney has written an account of his visits to a number of Cistercians and Benedictines, who gradually draw him closer to the experience of contemplation, to 'be quiet, sit down, and listen.'. . . Reaching well beyond Catholic readership, this will be valuable to the thoughtful reader, Christian and non-Christian."--Graham Christian, Library Journal (starred review)

"Jon Sweeney captures the poetic and practical nature of the monastic life in his segmented memoir Cloister Talks. . . . I recommend this book . . . to those that want to take a leisurely stroll through the teachings of monks filtered through the lens of one man's spiritual journey."--EverdayLiturgy.com

"In this enlightening paperback, [Sweeney] continues his explorations as a Protestant of the spiritual and theological riches of the Catholic tradition. . . . The author models how we can practice hospitality toward spiritual paths other than our own."--Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, spiritualityandpractice.com

"If you ever have wondered what it's like to be a monk, Cloister Talks is for you."--Lois Sibley, Episcopal Life

"Although the author is presumably explaining himself and his monastic interests to Protestants, his book would be profitable reading for Roman Catholics who know little or nothing about monasticism or Benedictine spirituality. There are also numerous sidebars in the book explaining monastic terms and periods of monastic history. . . . Cloister Talks: Learning from My Friends the Monks is an engaging little book."--Benet Tvedten, OSB, American Benedictine Review