Those seeking to deepen their spiritual lives by visiting monasteries rarely have enough time to absorb as much as they would like. In this book an experienced spiritual master provides an intensive directed retreat which relies heavily on the rich Cistercian spiritual tradition. Readers may read and digest at their own pace, savoring the author's contagious enthusiasm for the monastic way and the medieval monks who formed this distinctive contemplative tradition.

Robert Thomas, a monk of Sept-Fons from 1928 until his death in 2002, served as prior of his community, professor of...