Athirst for God

Auteur

Michael Casey, OCSO, is a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey (Australia). He holds a degree in Scripture at Leuven and a doctorate from Melbourne College of Divinity for a study of desire for God in the writings of Bernard of Clairvaux. In recent decades he has been engaged in exploring different aspects of monastic spirituality, writing, and giving conferences throughout the English-speaking monastic world. His books include The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Prologue of Benedict's Rule (Liturgical Press, 2011) and Seventy-Four Tools for Good Living: Reflections on the Fourth Chapter of Benedict's Rule (Liturgical Press, 2014).

Texte du rabat

The Bible is the monk's book. The thought and teaching of St Bernard of Clairvaux was so saturated with Scripture that the reader often cannot decide where the Bible ends and Bernard begins. From direct quotations to fine allusions, Bernard assumed that his readers were as familiar with the Bible as he was himself. It is therefore no wonder that Bernard chose a book of the Bible, the Song of Songs, as a vehicle for expressing his deepest and most personal longing for God, his striving for 'full knowledge, clear vision, a strong bond of union, a relationship which cannot be broken apart, and perfect likeness'. Michael Casey, a Cistercian monk in Australia, writes from the same tradition that formed St Bernard. His study of the background and teaching of 'the last of the Fathers' provides insights into the saint's works and gives them contemporary meaning.