Fairacres Publication 28 Julian of Norwich: Four Studies to Commemorate the Sixth Centenary of the Revelations of Divine Love This book of four essays, first published in 1973, provides an introduction and companion to the study of the fourteenth-century ‘Revelations of Divine Love’ by Julian of Norwich. The meaning of the Revelations for those who are living a contemplative life today is explored through reflections on Julian’s place in English literature and the tradition of Christian prayer.
Fairacres Publications 129 The life of St Therese of Lisieux was short, uneventful, and entirely hidden. Yet her ‘Little Way’ demonstrates that obedience to the precepts of the gospel and faithful following of Jesus, practised for the sake of love alone, is fruitful far beyond the limits of time and place. Sister Eileen Mary avoids the sentimental image of Saint Therese which has sometimes been presented and instead attempts to uncover Therese’s true greatness. Her ‘Little Way’ is shown to be paradoxically great, and accessible to all, whatever their circumstances.
Fairacres Publications 179 The way of life of the fourth-century Desert Fathers, with its emphasis on solitude, silence and unceasing prayer, has inspired many modern spiritual writers. Why do the Desert Fathers have so much to say to us? To answer this question, Sister Benedicta presents some of the best and most illuminating stories and sayings from the desert. Readers will find spiritual wisdom, along with sharp humour and startling insight into human nature.
Fairacres Publication 193 This is a book about the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving as we meet them in the teaching of St Augustine of Hippo. He is generally acclaimed as someone who has had enormous influence on Christian theology and much has been written about him by scholars. However, apart from a number of translations of the Confessions, few of his writings are accessible to the ordinary reader, even though, as Bishop of Hippo, he constantly wrote and preached for his people. The first part of this book presents Augustine’s teaching on three central practices of Christian living—prayer, fasting and almsgiving—with reference to his sermons and his commentaries on the Psalms. The second part places it alongside some recent authors who demonstrate how this triad continues to be of value to Christians today. Although it has been conceived as a Lent book, this text provides a reflective introduction to these ways of Christian living in whatever season of the Church’s year a reader picks it up.
Fairacres Publications 130 In these addresses, the expectations – true and false – of newly-ordained clergy are identified. Stressing the need for constant thanksgiving as the bedrock of a pastor’s life, the author examines the role of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, in providing practical and spiritual support to ministry.
Fairacres Publications 207 This book contains four papers read at a conference held on 2-3 February 2023 to mark 650 years of Revelations of Divine Love. They show the breadth and reach of Julian's inspiration in today's world, from personal issues such as impatience and despair (Mother Hilary Crupi) to the great questions of climate change and biodiversity loss (Bishop Graham Usher). The essays also examine the place of compassion in today's increasingly cruel world (Sister Elizabeth Ruth Obbard) and what the monastic tradition as it is lived today might reveal about Julian presence (Father Colin).
Fairacres Publications 62 Saint Anselm (1033–1109) was abbot of the Norman monastery of Bec, and later Archbishop of Canterbury under William Rufus and Henry I. In this short study of one of the most original thinkers of the earlier Middle Ages, Sister Benedicta discusses the relationship between Anselm’s scholarship and his life as a monk, showing how the one grew naturally out of the other. Anselm’s understanding of the inter-connections of reason and faith, thought and prayer, which can be traced throughout his writings, both theological and devotional, remains significant for Christian scholarship in any age. At the same time he was one of the most attractive, loving and compassionate of men. Simplicity, humanity and gentleness are joined in Anselm to the clear and sane mind of a great scholar.
Fairacres Publications 219 Anger, revenge, evildoing, bitterness, aggression and recrimination seem to be everywhere in the world. Through writers and thinkers ranging from the early Fathers of the Church to the modern day, this book examines how we can understand and govern ourselves and our passions; how we can hold back from giving in to the temptations of anger and a desire for revenge, and how we can understand and forgive those passions in others and in ourselves.
Fairacres Publications 151 Sister Benedicta gives an illuminating account of the Synod of Whitby 664 AD, held to discuss the date on which Easter should be celebrated. The Synod has been presented as a clash between Irish and Roman missionaries representing two different kinds of Christianity, yet the two traditions mingled with no clear-cut nationalistic divisions. All participants were agreed upon the centrality of Easter as the feast of the Resurrection, and through looking together towards Jesus as the risen Lord, they resolved their difficulties.
Fairacres Publications 199 Through writing gathered over a lifetime of meditation on doors as ways into the understanding and fulfilment of a Christian life, Sister Raphael SLG guides us gently to an understanding that every aspect of life can be a door into the Love of God, and an opportunity for prayer, reflection and spiritual growth. This is a collection of thoughts and quotations for every situation, for everyone who is looking for a sympathetic and thoughtful support for their daily spiritual life, or for a series of meditations to use on retreat.
Fairacres Publications 217 In his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the Venerable Bede (673–735) recorded not simply the biographies of the early saints of Britain, but the stories and myths about them, deliberately passed down from those who knew them, describing the impact they had on those close to them. Bede gave a very full account of Alban, despite the chronological distance separating them, but his sources for information about St Cuthbert were those who had known the saint personally, giving Bede’s account considerable authority. His texts are first-rate hagiographies, providing us with compelling prose images of the enduring power of genuine, selfless holiness in the early church. From Bede and other sources, Sister Benedicta is able to paint a picture of the spirituality of these two saints who are so crucial to understanding early Christianity in Britain.
For those who study St Anselm, his prayers provide an intimate personal introduction to his thinking and his spirituality. For Anselm, who never considered himself a teacher of prayer, his prayers were simply personal devotions that he occasionally shared with others to encourage them to develop their own devotional style. Anselm would probably have been surprised to discover not only how widely his words were disseminated, but also the ways in which their translation and interpretation changed over the centuries. This brief study, by one of the leading scholars of early monastic life and thought, examines Anselm’s prayers as models and inspiration for mystics, saints and writers up to the present day.
Fairacres Publications 106 Sometimes the message of optimism and hope of the fourteenth-century writer Julian of Norwich is understood rather superficially. Two lectures, given at her Shrine in Norwich, which can assist our understanding of her theology are reproduced here. Kenneth Leech shows how Julian can help us to recover a sense of the goodness of creation, and he challenges superficial interpretations of her saying that ‘all shall be well’. Sister Benedicta reconsiders Julian in the light of the solitary tradition and contemporary medieval documents, suggesting that Julian may have been a widow who had borne a child.
Fairacres Publications 178 The heart of monastic prayer is based in the psalms. In these essays, Sister Benedicta Ward examines the origin and development of the use of the Psalter in the daily worship of monks. She demonstrates that the traditional description of this activity as Opus Dei should be understood as God’s work in us, not our ‘work’ of prayer. The Psalter offers both monk and non-monk prayers of great intimacy and, in the context of the Offices, a way to reorder our understanding of time. She presents ‘an example of the possibility of a unity of life and prayer here and now in time’. This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the literature on monastic history and spirituality and the Christian life of prayer.
Fairacres Publications 129 The life of St Therese of Lisieux was short, uneventful, and entirely hidden. Yet her ‘Little Way’ demonstrates that obedience to the precepts of the gospel and faithful following of Jesus, practised for the sake of love alone, is fruitful far beyond the limits of time and place. Sister Eileen Mary avoids the sentimental image of Saint Therese which has sometimes been presented and instead attempts to uncover Therese’s true greatness. Her ‘Little Way’ is shown to be paradoxically great, and accessible to all, whatever their circumstances.
Fairacres Publication 28 Julian of Norwich: Four Studies to Commemorate the Sixth Centenary of the Revelations of Divine Love This book of four essays, first published in 1973, provides an introduction and companion to the study of the fourteenth-century ‘Revelations of Divine Love’ by Julian of Norwich. The meaning of the Revelations for those who are living a contemplative life today is explored through reflections on Julian’s place in English literature and the tradition of Christian prayer.
Fairacres Publications 155 Essentially a shy person, Sister Jane was nonetheless a born leader with a great gift for spiritual accompaniment. This selection of her writings reveals not only her spiritual wisdom but also her great capacity for friendship and understanding, her down-to-earth sense of humour and fun, and her ability to meet people where they were, making them feel special.
Fairacres Publications 130 In these addresses, the expectations – true and false – of newly-ordained clergy are identified. Stressing the need for constant thanksgiving as the bedrock of a pastor’s life, the author examines the role of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, in providing practical and spiritual support to ministry.
Fairacres Publications 151 Sister Benedicta gives an illuminating account of the Synod of Whitby 664 AD, held to discuss the date on which Easter should be celebrated. The Synod has been presented as a clash between Irish and Roman missionaries representing two different kinds of Christianity, yet the two traditions mingled with no clear-cut nationalistic divisions. All participants were agreed upon the centrality of Easter as the feast of the Resurrection, and through looking together towards Jesus as the risen Lord, they resolved their difficulties.
Fairacres Publications 179 The way of life of the fourth-century Desert Fathers, with its emphasis on solitude, silence and unceasing prayer, has inspired many modern spiritual writers. Why do the Desert Fathers have so much to say to us? To answer this question, Sister Benedicta presents some of the best and most illuminating stories and sayings from the desert. Readers will find spiritual wisdom, along with sharp humour and startling insight into human nature.
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