In Seeking Life: The Baptismal Invitation of the Rule of St. Benedict, renowned author Esther de Waal returns to the Rule of Saint Benedict—the inspiration for Seeking God, her classic book published twenty-five years ago. Here, she focuses on the prologue to the Rule and shows how it contains the clues we need to both understand and live by the vows made at our baptism. Baptism is so fundamental to our Christian identity that many congregations renew their baptismal promises each year on Easter. Yet how well do we understand the spirit and depth of those vows? How much do they shape our daily lives? Parts of the Rule of Saint Benedict are believed to be based on addresses given to those about to be—or who had recently been—baptized; they are a practical guide to "choosing the road that leads to life." With her characteristic insight and wisdom, Esther de Waal draws out enduring spiritual teaching on how to live when reborn "of water and the spirit." Seeking Life is destined to be another classic from the noted author Esther de Waal. Here she offers a refreshing, yet theologically solid, reflection on the Sacrament of Baptism and the rites and rituals leading up to this event during Easter Vigil.Catholic Library World Seeking Life is a marvelous book. Whether it be used as spiritual reading or explicitly in preparation for the renewal of the Baptismal Covenant at the Easter Vigil, Seeking Life offers a rich resource on the meaning of Christian identity.Anglican Theological Review Seeking Life is a wonderful tool for meditation on Easter, baptism, and Benedictine monasticism. De Waal reflects on various phrases of the Prologue in conjunction with baptism—the first words of the Prologue are ‘Listen my son,’ calling us to listen to God who speaks through the Bible, the Word of God, and through the superiors and others.Sooner Catholic First-time readers will find a meditative essay that takes them into the mystery of baptism and discipleship, as it is celebrated in the Triduum liturgy. To accomplish these goals, de Waal ably reaches back into the classic Christian catechesis for catechumens, revealing a depth and breadth of reading and synthesis of theological ideas. Along the way, she presents a sacramental vision of Christian life that embraces the whole person through all the senses." "There's a prayer from the early church--`O God, make us truly alive!' Esther de Waal's book is a beautiful descant on this ancient prayer. At a time when both the church and the culture seem to be bereft of memory, the perspective of a rigorous historian who is also a committed pilgrim comes as water in the desert. This book is, indeed, `a deep look at the deep past.' The sacrament of baptism seen through the lens of the Prologue to the Rule of St. Benedict becomes a prism through which we can recover a joyful and generous anthropology. The reader will find in these pages a spirit celebrating an immense and intelligent charity--a charity which rescues us from the entanglements of our own narrow and ultimately joyless psycho-drama. This book, which includes a deeply valuable anthology, will help the church recover its memory and thus revive a heart-centered spirituality for which the world longs." Esther de Waal is one of today's most celebrated spiritual writers. Seeking God, her classic book on the relevance of the Rule of Saint Benedict, has opened up the riches of the monastic tradition to readers throughout the world for almost twenty-five years. Greatly in demand as a speaker and retreat leader, she lives in Herefordshire, UK.