Benedictine Spirituality

St Benedict, the Father of Western Monks, teaches that there are Twelve Degrees or Steps of Humility. This little book explores each of these steps, prayerfully seeking out their meaning and proposing practical ways in which they can be reached and lived out in day to day life.

Saint Benedict's fifth-century guide to humility offers the antidote to the
epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the
language of The Rule by Saint Benedict is medieval, and its
most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this
ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people?

With candor,
humor, and a unique approach to classical art, Father Augustine, a high school
teacher and coach, breaks down Saint Benedict's method into twelve pithy steps
for finding inner peace in a way that can be applied to anyone's life.

Drawing upon his own life experiences, both before and after becoming a
Benedictine monk, the author explains every step, illustrating each chapter with
color reproductions of sacred art that he has embellished with comic flourishes.
The winsome combination is sure to keep readers from taking themselves too
seriously--which is already a first step on the path to humility.

Father Augustine Wetta reaches back into monastic history to answer one of the most critical questions facing young people today: "How do I make up my mind?" With his characteristic wit and novel approach to classical art, Father Augustine looks to the wisdom of the Desert Fathers to unearth an ancient and highly efficient method for resolving life's most pressing dilemmas--even in the midst of distractions, temptations, and disruptions.

Profoundly Biblical and astonishingly practical, these trailblazing saints laid the foundations of Christian discernment by combining their genius for interpreting Scripture with their uncompromising search for the truth. Their patience and remarkable sense of humor gave their words a practicality that speaks as clearly today as it did in the third century. In three steps, each broken down into three parts, the Desert Fathers will teach you how to make decisions in a way that is peaceful, joyful, focused, realistic, and open to the ever-prodding finger of God.

As he did in his best-selling Humility Rules, Father Wetta illustrates each chapter with color reproductions of famous works of art that he has embellished with comic flourishes. He provides a discernment worksheet to help anyone with making a difficult decision.