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Come and See: The Monastic Way for Today by Abbot Brendan Freeman. Forward by Father Michael Casey, OCSO. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. Cistercian Publications, Monastic Wisdom Series number 22. 2010. USD $19.95. ISBN 978-0-87907-954-3(e-book),ISBN 978-0-87907-022-9.

Another book on monastic life, but this one is different. This abbot of 30 years from New Melleray, IOWA is not doing a commentary, but providing a window. Authentic insight comes from living it, but the abbot interprets the life for the members with his on-going chapter talks.

This collection is not at random. The chapters are clustered for instructive catechesis: he says of himself, "what I have tried to do is to articulate some essential elements of the monastic experience. This is not easy, since we are so close to our own experience. It is hard to stand aside and put into words what you are feeling." p. xvi

Since there is a monk's desire in each of us these instructions are universal. Chapter one is a presentation of the origins of the Benedictine/Cistercian Order. Chapter two covers special events, like vows, jubilees. Chapter three is about the difficulties with living alone and living in community. Chapters four and five is about essential values like silence, liturgy, and our interior cell. In this section Abbot Brendan does some in-depth teachings about formation, obstacles and humility.

His section on Mary covers all the feasts of Mary but not in a superficial overview, but from an inner appreciation that can only come from years of devotion and an experience of Mary's presence in his life.

The book concludes with some poetic prose about a monk on his way to vigils at 3:15 am. Again, what makes this book special is that Abbot Brendan does this not just on retreat or when he's inclined to go apart and pray awhile, but every morning.

"...Now is the time to move beyond any intrusion of my heart....In stages, I visit all my faculties, just to greet them, and ask them to be silent for a little while. I silence my memory, my imagination, even my intellect and will. Finally, I come to an awareness of my naked being, stripped of all my faculties except my very presence before God. Here I give myself away and disappear into God...."

I'll not quote the end of the book so that you, the reader can enjoy it yourself.