Strangers to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the Rule of Saint Benedict (Voices from the Monastery) Paperback – Import, 1 September 2013

Great books for those who pursue a christian consacrated life

Michael Casey's text is a simple, prayerful work which provides an excellent insight into the virtues and trials of the Benedictine, particularly through his experience thereof as a Cistercian monk. In each section, he considers how the virtues inculcated in the community life work toward that building of St. Benedict's "school for the service of the Lord." The work does not attempt to outline these values in a vocation-independent way as though he were giving advice to lay people about how they should live according to the lessons of Benedict. Instead, he plainly lays forth the wisdom he has gained in his years of living as a sign of Faith as a Cistercian, shining for all to see and internalize in this experience. (To me, this is a very positive element and a humble admission of the role of each vocation as a beacon of the experienced Light of Christ instead of being a spotlight which one shines upon another as a single dictum.) This frankness, as well as the text's simplicity (without being simple-minded) radiates the experiences of the values which drive back to the vows of stability, obedience, and conversion to the monastic life. I suggest it to all who would like to sit and listen to a quiet, humble voice from within the monastery.

Without exception I have found the books by Michael Casey, osco to be outstanding when it comes to Benedictine formation. His teaching in all of his books, including this one, has been and continues to be profoundly influential in my own Benedictine journey. This particular book is exactly as the title suggests .... Reflections on the beliefs and values of the Rule of St. Benedict. Fr. Michael teaches practical application of The Rule, not only for those of us who are intentionally seeking to live our lives according to Benedict's direction, but for anyone simply seeking to live a quality and meaningful life that will make a difference in this world. I highly recommend this book, as I do all of Michael Casey's books. It's the next best thing to sitting under his teaching as a Novice Master in community.

This book is not a gloss of monastic life like so many others. Fr. Michael Casey has written about his struggles and those of others who devote their lives to following the Rules of St. Benedict. For me, I felt it must have been the struggle of those early followers of Christ, and how they must have worked to create a cohesive community of Jesus' followers, and how we have drifted away from that. An excellent read for those who desire a deeper Christian life style.

Have not finished reading this yet, but it is hard to put down. There is so much in it to ponder and pray about. I do like Brother Michael Casey's writing style and his in-depth views of many subjects, and especially how they relate to us as lay-people as well. A really good book.