A Monastic Year: Reflections from a Monastery [Hardcover]

Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1996

Arranged by season, following the liturgical year, simple and gentle thoughts for living are communicated. Provides inspirations for everyday living based on monastic principles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; First printing/Full number line edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087833923X
• ISBN-13: 978-0878339235
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,697 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful expose of the liturgical year, May 5, 1998

By 

Steven Keller (Fairview Heights, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Monastic Year: Reflections from a Monastery (Hardcover)

Brother's book is simply a beautiful expose of the liturgical year. He presents meditations and short readings on all major feasts and seasons of the year in a clear, thought-provoking manner. Anyone wishing material for meditation will love this volume. Brother's prose is so exquisite that it is a joy to read. Taylor publishing have done a great job with this book -- it is small, hardbound and easy to hold in the hand; the binding reminds me of the good-ole days when books were bound for a lifetime. Classic woodcuts are used to illustrate the text. This book makes a wonderful gift.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting, inspirational, wise, and deep, April 11, 2001

By 

C. Henry (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Monastic Year: Reflections from a Monastery (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully written, small book about the circle of the seasons in an American monastery, as viewed through the lens of the Catholic calendar of holy days. Beyond the lovely, heartfelt descriptions of the monastic joys and rigors of each holiday, Brother D'Avila-Latourrette (also the author of some fabulous cook books) includes personal musings on the meanings and origins of each of the high holy days, fascinating and little-known tidbits of information on the lives of the saints and the origins of the holidays, as well as some refreshingly broad-minded thoughts on the state of modern Christianity. While this book might have a more immediate impact on Catholic readers, I myself, a non-Catholic and an only vaguely Christian-oriented reader (my bias is more towards Buddhist thought) have found this book moving, inspirational, uplifting, and a joy to read and to re-read. This book is an act of generosity and love, offering great insight into Christian mysticism and faith. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple, informative, and moving exposition of Benedictine life, September 5, 2009

By 

min-bee (Nyack, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Monastic Year: Reflections from a Monastery (Paperback)

Written by Brother Victor, whose bestselling cookbooks are well known, this book provides a clear exposition of the aspects of Benedictine life, with glimpses into the author's own experience at Our Lady of the Resurrection Monastery. The hardcover book is well made, with nice linecut drawings, similar to those in Brother's cookbooks. (I haven't seen the paperback.) People attracted to books such as "The Cloister Walk" that popularize Benedictine life would probably enjoy and benefit from Brother's book. It is the kind of book one can savor, dipping into the text over and over. This book is definitely a keeper.