‘The Joy of God’

by Sr Mary David Totah

This is a practical and joyful invitation to see monastic life in its fullness—each chapter addresses challenges every monk and nun encounters in the cloister: growth, darkness, love, and freedom.

The Joy of God is a collection of teachings, notes, and conferences by Sr Mary David Totah, a Benedictine nun of St Cecilia’s Abbey. Enduring a painful battle with cancer, her sisters compiled her astute writings after her death. Of her, they write: “She was a great lover of life and lived it to the full; that is why she was able to get so much out of it.”

Sr Mary David describes the monastic journey as one of growth in transparency, allowing God to mould us. She writes: “For transfiguration to take place, we need to become more and more transparent before God […] since transparency does not look for glory from men but for the glory that comes from God.”