Learning About Cistercians?

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TimothyH

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Posted in the Spirituality forum but got no traction. Posing here for a wider audience. Please forgive if it is misplaced.
I would like to learn more about the Cistercian monks, history, spirituality, etc., and have ordered the book, “The Cistercian Way” by by André Louf.

Can anyone recommend any other reading or sources of information?

Has anyone every heard of a series of books called the “Cistercian Studies Series”? There seems to be several hundred books in the series!

Has anyone read Praying with Benedict: Prayer in the Rule of St. Benedict?
cistercianpublications.org/Detail.aspx?ISBN=0879077905

Any and all comments warmly welcomed.

-Tim-
 
Tim,
I am a Catholicism Newbie and were talking like 3 weeks new. I to would like some books. Some neat new stuff I have seen was the Catholicism Series by Father Barron. Its on EWTN for the next few days. I highly recommend you check it out. You may also Youtube search wordonfire and you can here more from Father Barron on other subjects as well. A book i got recently was The Catholic Way by Bishop Donald W Wuerl which is a great simple read on various subjects. Hope this helps. I too would like to see some other reccomendations as well.👍
 
Since the demise of Our lady of Spring Bank in Wisconsin this past summer, it seems that the only remaining abbey of the O.Cist (not OCSO) in the US is Our Lady of Dallas. There is at least one other monastery (in NJ) but I don’t know which abbey is its motherhouse. I think there may also be one or two abbeys in Canada. OraLabora might have more information on that.
 
Have you read the Rule of St. Benedict yet? Good place to start!

Also if you don’t mind me asking: strict observance or common observance?
 
jmoneyideas said:
Tim,
I am a Catholicism Newbie and were talking like 3 weeks new. I to would like some books. Some neat new stuff I have seen was the Catholicism Series by Father Barron. Its on EWTN for the next few days. I highly recommend you check it out. You may also Youtube search wordonfire and you can here more from Father Barron on other subjects as well. A book i got recently was The Catholic Way by Bishop Donald W Wuerl which is a great simple read on various subjects. Hope this helps. I too would like to see some other reccomendations as well.👍
Click to expand...
Glad to see someone as new as me… Catholicism series has been captivating for me. I have to look into The Catholic Way as well. 😃 Thanks for the tip!
 
OraLabora said:
Have you read the Rule of St. Benedict yet? Good place to start!

Also if you don’t mind me asking: strict observance or common observance?
Click to expand...
Do not the strict observance go by the more popular name Trappists?
 
As others have suggested already, “Thomas” Merton was a prolific trappist author, although, some of his later work was very politically charged.
 
OraLabora said:
Have you read the Rule of St. Benedict yet? Good place to start!

Also if you don’t mind me asking: strict observance or common observance?
Click to expand...
I’m sure I don’t know the difference. The monastary I have visited is OSCO, so strict I guess. What is the difference?

I have read Seven Story Mountain, and No Man is an Island is one of the books in that small pile of books which never seems to stay on the bookshelf for more than a couple of months at a time. I have also read the rule.

Specific questions are about the life of Benedict - is there a good book biography? Also their vows - obedience, stability, ongoing conversion - this intrigues me in light of the Holywood steriotype of a nun or monk who vows chastity and poverty. The vow of stability is very interesting.

I have read The Way of Perfection (St. Therese) and Dark Night of the Soul, and understand a little about Carmelite spirituality, and just a bit of Ignatian spirituality, as well as Opus Dei’s approach. How do all of these and others differ from Cistercian/Benedictine spirituality? Is there a practical application of Benedictine spirituality for people living in the mondern, secular world?

These are just a few things on my mind.

-Tim-
 
Tim, Check out this website: cistercian.org/

Contact Our Lady of Dallas Monastery in Irving TX. It is located outside of Dallas near the DFW airport on Highway 114.

They are a community of 28 monks and they are truly amazing. If you ever want to witness and participate in a truly moving, spritual experience, attend 1st Friday Mass at the abbey church. It is an evening service at 7:30. They have a renouned Gregorian chant choir that is truly awesome. It is called the Collegium Cantorum.

The Cistercians are the real deal. You might also check out their 6:30 a.m. conventual weekday Mass, and the 6:00 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours. Their commitment to prayer and the Church is astounding - that’s the feeling you will get if you visit.
 
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