Praying with Benedict

Praying with Benedict explores the spirituality of the monastic tradition and draws out the essence of a way of praying that embraces the whole of the Christian's life. Korneel Vermeiren begins by examining the spirituality of the early monastic tradition from the fourth to the sixth centuries. He looks at the central place of prayer in the Rule of St Benedict and the tradition of continuous prayer, exploring the teaching of such formative figures as Basil the Great. He then reflects on the Benedictine precept: 'nothing is to be preferred to the work of God'. Praying with Benedict looks in practical terms at the how, when, and where of prayer; at bodily postures, various types of prayer, and the importance of emotional and spiritual readiness. Finally, the place of the Eucharist in the life of prayer is discussed with reference to Benedict's teaching and the Eucharistic practices of pre-Benedictine monasticism. This book offers a clear presentation of monastic spirituality and opens it to persons outside monastery walls. It links St Benedict's teaching to earlier spiritual traditions and shows how various elements of monastic life complement each other. Common prayer, reading, personal prayer, and the Eucharist are not isolated from one another or from daily life, but are integral and essential elements of living in the spirit of St Benedict.