In 1995 Mary Earle was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. When she was able
to return home, she still faced a long recovery. She had to stay in bed
most of the time, and eating was difficult some days. The busy life she
had always known was gone, and she had to begin again.
Like
others who suffer from serious or chronic conditions, Mary
Earle found that living with illness can require major
adjustments in life. Using St. Benedict's ancient Rule—his
way of ordering the life and days of religious communities—Beginning
Again teaches readers how to discern a rule of life that
helps them with changes in resting and activity levels,
with food restrictions, and requirements for medicine or
medical treatment. The ancient Benedictine concepts of
stability, obedience, and conversion can help anyone living
with illness, even those who are dying. Beginning
Again is a practical resource, written for those
who know little about St. Benedict and his Rule of Life,
with exercises to help readers discover how to live with
God at the center of their lives and illnesses. It is
useful for those living with illness, and for clergy,
counselors, and spiritual directors who care for them.
To
purchase a copy of Beginning
Again visit
amazon.com. This link is provided as a
service to explorefaith.org visitors and registered users.
 Mary
C. Earle is a spiritual
director, retreat leader, writer, and Episcopal
priest. She is the author of Broken Body, Healing
Spirit: Lectio Divina and Living with
Illness, and the co-author of Holy Companions:
Spiritual Practices from the Celtic Saints,
and her latest, Beginning
Again, all available from
Morehouse Publishing. She lives in San Antonio,
Texas. To
learn more
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