Monks Receive Lenten Books
Lent Begins at Mepkin
Lent began with the distribution of ashes at a Mass celebrated by Father Kevin on Ash Wednesday. You can read Father Kevin’s homily here.
Saint Benedict, in his Rule for Monks, says that the life of the monk should be a continuous Lent. He suggested that during Lent, each monk should receive a book from the library, which would be read straight through. The tradition at Mepkin is that the Abbot distributes the books, which the monks themselves have chosen, at a Chapter on the evening before the first Sunday of Lent.
Abbot Stan, in keeping with this tradition, distributed to the monks these books:
Biblical Inspiration by Bruce Vawter
The Postmodern Life Cycle by Fredrich L. Schweitzer
Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris
Jerusalem Bible
Living the Lord’s Prayer by Albert Haase
Bernard of Clairvaux: Culte et Histoire by Adriaan Bredero
Mercy by Walter Kasper
Moral Reflections on the Book of Job (Vol.3) by Gregory the Great
The Grace of Living by Kathleen Dowling Singh
Fire of Mercy by Erasmo Levina-Merikakis
Forgotten Among the Lilies by Ronald Rolheiser
The Sign of Jonah by Thomas Merton
A Not So Unexciting Life-in Honor of Michael Casey, Carmel Posa, ed.
God So Loved the World, John Castelot
