Overview

""A dose of grace for parents"" This short easy-to-read book shows the simplicity of leading a contemplative life outside the monastery. What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart--a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God's. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world to provide for contemplation and reflection. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries -- we too can find spiritual peace and grace at home. In ten brief and powerful chapters, Fr. Ron explores how monastery life can apply to those who don't live in a cloister: Monasticism and Family Life The Domestic Monastery Real Friendship Lessons from the Monastic Cell Ritual for Sustaining Prayer Tensions within Spirituality A Spirituality of Parenting Spirituality and the Seasons of Our Lives The Sacredness of Time Life's Key Question Our home, our duties and routines, our relationships, and the way we use our time, are the monasteries of our lives. It is through these practices that we build our relationship with God, that we find opportunities for contemplation, and deserts for reflection. In this beautiful little book Ronald Rolheiser turns on its head the idea that religious life is the preserve of monks and nuns. Our cloisters are the walls of our home and our work, the streets we walk, and the people with whom we share our lives. The domestic is the monastic.

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9781640606708

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If ever there was a time when a book like Fr. Ronald Rolheiser's Domestic Monastery was needed, that time is now. With schools closed and many people telecommuting, our domestic churches have become the centers of our world like never before. Parents like me, long removed from the housebound days with very little children, will re-familiarize themselves with what it's like to be at home with our families: no school, no sports, no rehearsals, no trips to the movie theater. I was greeted cheerfully last Friday by my 18-year-old son (my youngest), who'd just learned that he probably won't be back in school until after Easter: So who's ready to spend the next four weeks with ME? Domestic Monastery, a mystical yet down-to-earth look at the spirituality of being a parent, will encourage and uplift parents at any stage in their parenting journey. Rolheiser emphasizes that there is nothing lesser-than about being a parent, as opposed to being a priest or religious. Instead, he compares the life of a parent to that of a monastic, drawing parallels that focus especially on the self-abandonment necessary in love. Spiritual writers and mystics such as St. John of the Cross provide wisdom, Rolheiser asserts, that is valuable to parents as well as cloistered religious. This little book invites parents to contemplate and appreciate their particular vocation in a new and deeper way. It will also whet the reader's appetite for digging into the works of mystical writers. Domestic Monastery is only 89 pages long, but it took me longer to read than I'd expected. That's because I kept stopping to meditate on a phrase or sentence more deeply. This is a book that a reader can keep coming back to: once you've read it all the way through, keep it handy so you can revisit the pages with quotes. They are excellent journal prompts or prayer starters. Br. Mickey McGrath, OSFS, created the painting of the Holy Family that graces the cover of this book. It is striking that there are four figures in this painting: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Holy Spirit. What a beautiful representation of the Family that is the example for all families! If you or someone you know are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your time, energy, and love that being a parent requires, Domestic Monastery will help you put your situation in perspective in a comforting and engaging way. --Barbara Szyszkiewicz, CatholicMom.com

"""If ever there was a time when a book like Fr. Ronald Rolheiser's Domestic Monastery was needed, that time is now. Domestic Monastery, a mystical yet down-to-earth look at the spirituality of being a parent, will encourage and uplift parents at any stage in their parenting journey. Rolheiser emphasizes that there is nothing ""lesser-than"" about being a parent, as opposed to being a priest or religious. Instead, he compares the life of a parent to that of a monastic, drawing parallels that focus especially on the self-abandonment necessary in love. If you or someone you know are feeling overwhelmed by the demands of your time, energy, and love that being a parent requires, Domestic Monastery will help you put your situation in perspective in a comforting and engaging way."" --Barbara Szyszkiewicz, CatholicMom.com"

Author Information

Rev. Ron Rolheiser, OMI, is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He is a theologian, professor, award-winning author, and serves as president of the Oblate School of Theology. A specialist in the fields of spirituality and systematic theology, and a New York Times bestselling author, Fr. Ron writes a weekly column that is featured in more than 70 newspapers worldwide. He is the author of many books, including bestsellers The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire, as well as The Restless Heart, Forgotten Amongst the Lilies, Bruised and Wounded, and Domestic Monastery. He holds Bachelor's degrees from the University of Ottawa and Newman Theological College Edmonton and Master's degrees from the University of San Francisco and University of Louvain, Belgium along with a PhD/STD from the University of Louvain. Apart from his academic knowledge in systematic theology and philosophy, he has become a popular speaker in contemporary spirituality and religion and the secular world.

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