Listen My Son

St. Benedict for Fathers

“Perhaps the greatest need in the human heart is the need for life to have meaning….Meaning flows from relationships and the vocation of the Christian parent is to develop first one’s relationship to God, and then the loving relationships within the family. In the face of extraordinary pressures, nurturing the vocation of parenthood requires energy and discipline….” –From the introduction For centuries The Rule of St. Benedict has provided guidance for many monastic communities. In recent years, individuals outside the monastery also have discovered the merit in living according the Benedict’s ideals. Now, Dwight Longenecker takes Benedict one step further, and uses the Rule to help men become better parents. Just as the abbot of a monastic community reads Benedict’s Rule for guidance, Longenecker says, so, too, can men read the Rule to help them guide the family. Listen, My Son (the opening words of Benedict’s Rule) breaks the Rule into small daily portions and provides commentary specifically geared to help men be better husbands and parents. Without underestimating the emotional, spiritual, and physical demands of fatherhood, Longenecker also holds up the joys of developing a strong bond with God—one that nurtures the individual man, and that provides him with the ability to grow himself and his family in faithfulness, service, and love.