A Path of Prayer

A Path of Prayer: The Spiritual Exercises of the Order of St David

A Resource for Postulants and Members

Rooted in the Benedictine tradition and shaped by the ancient spirituality of the Celtic saints, A Path of Prayer is the comprehensive guide to the interior life for members of the Order of St David. Whether you are a postulant taking your first steps towards membership or a professed member seeking to deepen your commitment, this book offers practical, theologically grounded guidance for a life of prayer lived in the world.

The Order of St David is a dispersed secular institute: its members do not live in monasteries but in homes, parishes, and workplaces. This book exists precisely for that reality. Drawing on fifteen centuries of Benedictine wisdom, it shows how the great tradition of monastic prayer can be sustained and sustained faithfully in the midst of ordinary life, shaped by the motto of St David himself: Gwnewch y pethau bychain -- "Do the little things."

Across twenty chapters and six appendices, the book covers the full range of the Order's spiritual practices: the Liturgy of the Hours, lectio divina, mental prayer, contemplative prayer, the Rosary, the daily examen, prayer in community, and the integration of prayer and work. Each chapter offers clear teaching, practical guidance, and the wisdom of Scripture and the saints. Whether you are learning to pray Lauds and Vespers for the first time, or exploring the deeper waters of contemplation, A Path of Prayer meets you where you are and accompanies you further along the way.

This is not a book for the spiritually curious alone. It is a formation resource, a companion for the journey, and a manual for a way of life that is ancient in its roots and entirely suited to the present day.