Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary : Ancient Wisdom for Today's World (Cistercian Studies) [Paperback]

Tomas Spidlik (Author, Editor), Paul Drake (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Cistercian Studies | Publication Date: June 1994

Second only to Scripture as the staple of monastic lectio divina, the insights of the Fathers draw Christians to the essentials of the faith and its practice in daily life. By presenting a passage for meditation each day, this volume offers an introduction both to the Fathers and to lectio. It speaks not only to the seeker but to those who guide others along the paths of the spirit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Nuggets mined from the Fathers of the Church for meditative readings' -- 8th Day Books

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Italian, Greek, Latin

Product Details

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: Cistercian Pubns (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879073489
• ISBN-13: 978-0879073480
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reading from the Church Fathers for Every Day of the Year, January 9, 2006

By 

William Cooper Bailey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary : Ancient Wisdom for Today's World (Cistercian Studies) (Paperback)

This book was originally published as Breviario Monastico by Tomás Spidlík in Italian in 1971. There is a brief biography of Cardinal Spidlik on http://www.centroaletti.com/en/e-spidlik.htm . The Italian original I think is out of print.

Sometimes one wishes to give a friend a present, but wonders what one should give. This small but meaty book from Cistercian Publications could be the answer. For a start, it is not a Breviary (in the English sense, although it is a Breviario, in the Italian sense of a compact work), but actually a collection of short passages - one for each day of the year - from the major Early Church Fathers, those great Christians from the early centuries, who by their lives, examples and writings were not only an inspiration to their contemporaries, but whose wisdom is still in print and valued today.

They are all here: Basil the Great, Augustine, Clement of Alexandria, Isaac of Nineveh, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great and many more and ideal for lectio divina. You don't know who these people are, what lectio divina is, or why one should bother? No problem. William of Saint Thierry (one of the early founders of the Cistercians) takes a page to explain to you what lectio divina is, and how to do it to advance your spiritual life, there are potted biographies of a paragraph on each of all the authors quoted. Dr. Spidlik, for 38 years the Spiritual Director of Nepomuceno Seminary, and an accomplished broadcaster and author, provides a clear and concise introduction.

As Fr. Spidlik puts it in his introduction "[The Fathers'] spiritual wisdom has penetrated the Word with a joyful labour in which they were united head with heart, thought and actual experience". His wish is "that every reader may rediscover that the thought and the witness of the Fathers is in his or her blood, as they are in the blood of the whole Church. .. That every reader may be referred by the Fathers back to the Bible. They are simply the shoulders of giants onto which we can climb to gain a deeper perception of the Old and New Testaments. In the end, human words .. will pass away .. all that will remain in the sight of the Father will be the Eternal Word, the glorified Christ, and [us] transfigured into Alleluias".

A word of caution though. Although the readings are short, they are not suitable for speed reading. Closer perhaps to the Desert Father who decided to read the Psalter. He was so entranced by Psalm 1 verse 1, that he spent the next 10 years pondering it, before finally dragging himself on to the yet greater richness of verse 2. He died before he reached the end.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Primer on the Fathers, November 23, 2006

By 

Michael Dubruiel "annunciations.wordpress.com" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary : Ancient Wisdom for Today's World (Cistercian Studies) (Paperback)

The selections are excellent and thought provoking--sure to lead you to want to explore the original works quoted. This is a great book for those who wish to grow in their relationship with Christ. It is very practical and would make a great gift for any Christian.