Vespers
is comprised almost entirely* of writings of John of the Cross and
Teresa of Avila These writings run the gamut … with Night of Sense and The Transforming Union at either end of the spectrum
… joined at the center by candid (oft-times startling in their self-effacing nature) … "Teresian" counsel
for “Proficients.”
* “almost entirely”: as counterpoint, the practical and pragmatic reflections
of Dr. Gerald May (a practicing Psychiatrist) on the writings of John and Teresa - as they deal with The Dark Night of
the Soul - are injected where it seems necessary and / or relevant.
"Teresa
of Avila far exceeds all writers that preceded her
on the subject
of contemplation.
After St. Teresa,
the first place (for careful observation of
these matters)
belongs to John of the Cross.
Teresa and John
of the Cross are also greatly
superior to subsequent
authors,
who have been
satisfied to repeat them, with comments."
(Catholic Encyclopedia)
<<>>
The Editor relied heavily for syntheses
of the writings of John and Terasa on Thomas Dubay, S.M. and his masterpiece Fire Within (Ignatius Press
/ San Francisco). Between the Clouds, itself, synthesizes Dubay's synthesis!*
* e.g. pp. 175 - 197 of "Fire" (22 pages) are encapsulated
into four [lengthy] sentences.
From the jacket of Fire Within
we read: "This book is a goldmine for any Christian intent on making
progress in prayer. ... A work of art by a master of the spiritual
life." (Benedict Groeschel, Capuchin / Author, Spiriitual Passages)
<<>>
Compline’s
31 Hours are a blend of the wisdom* of Contemplative's from both past
and present. Here you will find shards and pieces of both the glory and
agony of a contemplative journey… transformed into mirror-words by which we might see ourselves
on the Journey.
*
often enough as "wisdom" translated / gleaned from the idiom of
developmental psychology, anthropology and physics.
Note:
Mystics / Contemplative's whose Epigrams have been used in Compline
(and. occasionally, Lauds and Vespers) range from Henri Nouwen to
Meister Eckhardt; Thomas Merton to Peter Damien; Bede Griffiths to
Thomas Keating.
Also:
Oliver Sacks, M.D.;
Richard Rohr, O.F.M.; Jung;
Abraham Joshua Heschel;
A. St. Espurey;
Doris Grumbach; Kabir;
Deng Ming-dao;
Hans Urs von Balthazar;
C.S. Lewis;
Denise
Carmody; Brother Roger of Taize;
Juan Jiminez; Stephen
Mitchell;
Rufus
Jones; Laurence Freeman, OSB;
Edith Stein (a.k.a. Sister Benedicta, O.S.B.);
R. Rohlheiser, O.M.I.; Francis Fenelon; Boehme;
Brother Lawrence; R. Waldo Emerson;
Contemplative Outreach (www.centeringprayer.com);
WCCM (www.wccm.org); Robert Raines
William MacNamara, OC.D.; Joseph Sandman;
Tagore; John Main, O.S.B.; Annie Dillard;
Karl Rahner, S.J.; Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J.
