| When pilgrims stop by the abbey, where M. Basil Pennington was abbot, they have inevitably visited the nearby Hindu and Buddhist retreat centers. Citing the Hindu tradition of yoga and the Buddhist practice of meditation, they want to know what the Christian method of transformation is. To that, Pennington responds, one of the most ancient methods is lectio--hearing and meditating on the Word of God. In Seeking His Mind: 40 Meetings with Christ, Pennington reflects on forty sayings of Christ, offering readers a model for their own lectio. According to Pennington, best known for his book Centering Prayer (over 1,000,000 sold), the purpose of lectio is to enter fully and reverently into communion with God. Lectio requires giving up everything to God, and in return, receiving everything from him and living fully in the first great commandment, 'You shall love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole strength.' For the Christian faithful, Seeking His Mind will come as a wise and prayer-filled guide to deeper faith and transformation. For spiritual seekers, it will serve as an enlightening and heartfelt introduction to one of the most ancient spiritual practices in Western religion. Divided into forty readings, Seeking His Mind is an ideal book for Lent, with a reading for each day of the season. Seeking His Mind is the first title in a new series from Paraclete Press, A Voice from the Monastery. In this series, monastic writers share wisdom gained from a life devoted solely, radically to God--offering a glimpse of the cloistered life to those without the time, resources, or physical ability to step within the walls of a monastery. |
