A few days ago I logged unto Fr. Ronald Rolheiser’s website
and the weekly reflection that he posts there.
The nice thing I like about the website is that if I miss a few weeks or
months the reflections are archived and they carry a title so if I am looking
for something on a particular topic as I was the other day all I have to do is
scroll down his list of reflections for the entire year. While I was reading some of Rolheiser’s
reflections it occurred to me that our choice of spiritual guides, writers that we are particularly fond of and
return to time and again to give insight to our inner life, can say quite a bit
about a person. Of course at various times in our life our spiritual guides can vary.
Sometimes it is a question of maturity, e.g. at 68 years old my focus,
also my questions, have changed from when I was in my early adult years; at
other times it is our ministry that introduces us to different authors, or a
class that peeks our curiosity about an author we have been introduced to in
the class.
Some of my favorite spiritual guides over the years have
been: Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., Joan
Chittister, OSB, Sue Monk Kidd, John O’Donohue, Michael Casey, OCSO, Joyce
Rupp, the Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton, OCSO, Marcus Borg, and Nan Merrill. As you have been reading this have you begun
thinking of who some of your spiritual
guides are or have been? The books
on your bookshelves might give you some ideas.
And what was it about their writings that was significant for you? If
you would like to share some of your authors with me I would love to hear from
you.
The picture above is of Thomas Merton’s hermitage at
Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky
Hélène Mercier, OSB
