Reading for Discernment

Recommendations from the Prior and the Novice Director

Discerning a call to religious life is not primarily an intellectual exercise. It is a slow work of prayer, listening, and learning to notice what gives life and what does not.

The following books are those we most often recommend to people who are beginning to explore questions of vocation, monastic life, and commitment. They are not a required reading list, nor a pathway to decision-making. They are offered as companions — to be read slowly, prayerfully, and without hurry.

You do not need to read everything. One book, read well, is often enough.

A word of reassurance.

Not every book on religious life will be helpful for every person or every stage. Some texts are written from specific traditions, contexts, or expectations that may not reflect your own circumstances or calling.

If reading increases anxiety, pressure, or a sense of inadequacy, it is wise to pause. Discernment is supported by prayer, conversation, and lived experience, not by accumulation of information.

Reading should clarify desire, not replace listening.

Silence and Honey Cakes,

Rowan Williams

A wise and demanding introduction to the spirituality of the Desert Fathers, written with clarity and depth. This book helps readers understand silence, patience, and the slow formation of the heart as central to Christian discipleship.

Music of Silence: A Sacred Journey Through the Hours of the Day,

Brother David Steindl-Rast OSB & Sharon Lebell

A rich reflection on silence, prayer, and the daily rhythms that shape interior life. This is not a strictly monastic book, but for someone discerning vocation, it opens the heart toward the inner logic of a life shaped by prayer and presence.

Strangers to the City,

Michael Casey OCSO

A profound reflection on monastic life as faithful presence rather than escape from the world. Casey writes honestly about perseverance, restlessness, and desire, making this especially helpful for serious discernment.

Abbot Extraordinary: A Memoir of Aelred Carlyle,

Peter F. Anson

A memoir of Aelred Carlyle, an early Anglican monk and founder of an Anglican Benedictine community — useful for people exploring monastic history and vocational imagination.

The Joy of God: Collected Writings,

Sr. Mary David Totah OSB

A prayerful collection of writings by a Benedictine nun of St Cecilia’s Abbey. These reflections are rooted in Scripture, liturgy, and lived monastic experience, and speak quietly but powerfully of joy, fidelity, and love of God.

The Cloister Walk,

Kathleen Norris

Norris reflects with wit, honesty, and depth on how monastic rhythms inform ordinary life — perfect for someone wondering how a monastic heart might shape daily living.