Words for the Inner Life - Softcover

Bianchi, Enzo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 2895072787 ISBN 13: 9782895072782

Publisher: Novalis Press (CN), 2002

Synopsis

In the early centuries of Christianity, wise elders were often asked by young monks or visitors to monasteries, "Father, give me a word." They were asking for a word of instruction that would help them walk in the footsteps of the Lord. A word of life that was drawn from everyday life and that was able to give meaning to it. A word originating form outside of themselves but able to descend into each seeker's heart.

Words for the Inner Life is a modern spiritual master's collection of such "words for life." They name the realities of the Spirit; by giving each a name, Brother Enzo tells us, we take a first step towards knowing that which we name.

Brother Enzo's reflections and explorations centre on such key words as Hope, Listening, Waiting, Fasting, Solitude, Communication, and in many guises: Prayer. These reflections come from his lifelong struggle to "remain open to the guidance of our lives, and to the otherness that overturns our carefully made plans."

There is a constant that has accompanied Brother Enzo on his journey in Christian spirituality - the conviction that our life has a meaning. "It is not our task to invent that meaning or determine it, but simply to discover it present and active in us and around us. Once we have recognized it, we are given the freedom to welcome it."

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

We are bombarded by millions of words in our daily lives - through newspapers, television, books, magazines, advertising, the Internet and more. There are so many words, we sometimes feel we can no longer take them all in.

In Words for the Inner Life, Brother Enzo Bianchi, in the tradition of the fourth-century desert fathers but with references to contemporary culture, offers us words to help us walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Words like Listening. Patience. Prayer. Forgiveness. Illness. Silence. Hope.

Through brief yet powerful reflections on each word, he lights the way along the inner spiritual jouney, offering encouragement, inspiration, faith and guidance for those who are searching for wisdom in an increasingly fast-paced world.

About the Author:

In 1968 at the age of 23, Brother Enzo Bianchi founded an ecumenical monastic community in Bose, Italy. His goal, as a Catholic committed to living a vowed life, was to create a welcoming place where people of different traditions and experiences could live lives of prayer and withness together. The community is now home to men and women, a mix of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, celibate, married, and even family members. Since 1968, Enzo Bianchi has become an important spokesperson on issues of ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue. His books have been translated into several languages.

About this edition

• Publisher: Novalis Press (CN)
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 2895072787
• ISBN 13: 9782895072782
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 215