SPIRITUAL READING RECOMMENDATIONS

I was fumbling around trying to wrap my mind around the “Nature of God” concept when I decided to look it up. Where would a broken-down, old Lay Cistercian temple of the Holy Spirit look to find out about what our heritage is? The answer surprised even me. It was the Catholic Catechism. https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church

The astounding thing I realized as I perused it is that it is an excellent spiritual reading book. It is readable, unlike the more scholarly Catholic Encyclopedia contained in https://www.newadvent.org/

https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html

Recommendations

• If you want to know about Christ and our heritage as Catholics, go to these sources, not some other attempts to say what it means to be Catholic.
• The primary function of the Church is to be a repository of authentic teachings from Christ to our day. Christ gave authority to the Apostles to interpret what is authentic and what is heresy. Where would you find such documents?
• It takes work to discover the way, what the truth is, and live the life based on that way and truth. Lay Cistercian practices and charisms, based on Cistercian interpretations of the Rule of St. Benedict as promulgated by policies and practices, provide me with the spiritual ground floor to seek Christ daily.

Read Psalm 34 and reflect on its wisdom.

1Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech,^* who drove him out and he went away.

I

2I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall be always in my mouth.^a

3My soul will glory in the LORD;

let the poor hear and be glad.

4Magnify the LORD with me;

and let us exalt his name together.

II

5I sought the LORD, and he answered me,

delivered me from all my fears.

6Look to him and be radiant,

and your faces may not blush for shame.

7This poor one cried out and the LORD heard,

and from all his distress he saved him.

8The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and he saves them.^b

9Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him.^c

10Fear the LORD, you his holy ones;

nothing is lacking to those who fear him.^d

11The rich grow poor and go hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

III

12Come, children,^* listen to me;^e

I will teach you fear of the LORD.

13Who is the man who delights in life,^f

who loves to see the good days?

14Keep your tongue from evil,

your lips from speaking lies.

15Turn from evil and do good;^g

seek peace and pursue it.

16The eyes of the LORD are directed toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

17The LORD’s face is against evildoers

to wipe out their memory from the earth.

18The righteous cry out, the LORD hears

and he rescues them from all their afflictions.

19The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,

saves those whose spirit is crushed.

20Many are the troubles of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him from them all.

21He watches over all his bones;

not one of them shall be broken.ⁱ

22Evil will slay the wicked;

those who hate the righteous are condemned.

23The LORD is the redeemer of the souls of his servants;

and none are condemned who take refuge in him.