Jon M. Sweeney
@jonmsweeney
Author of many books: ‘Experiencing God’, ‘The Complete Francis of Assisi’, ‘Meister Eckhart's Book of the Heart’…etc. Vermonter. Catholic married to Recon rabbi.
Thomas Merton once wrote to D.T. Suzuki, "Speaking as a monk and not a writer, I am much happier with 'emptiness' when I do not have to talk about it."
One of those moments when you receive a used book in the mail, and you think, I owned this book 20 years ago but I sold it to pay for my daughter‘s piano lessons. Is it possible that this is the same copy come back to me again?
Today’s find. 1920s (n.d.) Nelson reprint of the Maurice Hewlett classic about Richard the Lionheart. Almost impossible to find books of this era, and in this series, in jackets. 🧥 📕
"the soul becomes what it loves" from “Meister Eckhart’s Book of Secrets.”🙏📘❤️
Bernini's famous sculpture leaves out an important detail. Look at the book in her hands, in this representation. Teresa's ecstasy is about what can happen when you read. "Saint Teresa of Avila" by J. W. Baumgartner, 1724-61, British Museum, London
This is where I was 8 years ago today: at the grave of soon to be St. Nicholas Black Elk.
Secondhand booksellers will call this "Moroccan leather" but it's actually goatskin. Called Moroccan because that was where Europeans sourced it, but Moroccans often sourced it from Nigeria & elsewhere. This leather was prized for gloves (soft) & because it showed design well on books.
When love holds us like a hook (from ‘Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart’)
Can someone explain to me what it is that I have found, here? There is no title page or copyright page. This is how it begins.
Eckhart at his therapeutical best. From “Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart”
I love the old Image Books, and miss the days when religion was popular enough to justify mass market paperback editions.
St. Benedict’s Rule instructed young monks to read “in a low voice” while doing their reading in order to build their memory stores. Until the modern era, spiritual reading meant speaking the words aloud. I talk about this and many other things in my book that publishes December 1. @stmartinspress
I don’t like fireworks, or hot dogs. But for July 4th let me share with you this powerful recent St. Francis of Assisi art. Artist: Arthur Boyd, Australian, d. 1999. Lithographs, black ink on paper. a) St. Francis being beaten by his father b) St. Francis and Rufino preaching naked in Assisi
Rousseau’s impact on Thoreau was immense. Just one of many topics we will discuss in an upcoming e-course on Thoreau and spirituality next month at Spirituality & Practice.
Volume up! For those who don’t live with a cat, first, I’m sorry, but second, here’s Martin purring for 10 seconds to calm you down.
Watching bluebirds and goldfinches this morning from the porch with my morning coffee. #gratitude
Our first peaches, cherries, and pear on recently planted fruit trees.
Has anyone else noticed how quiet Assisi seems to be this year—a Franciscan Jubilee year? I took this video last week in the middle of the afternoon.
Perhaps you’d like to stop working for a few minutes and play with me?