Pre-order info! (oh, and some other pretty big news)
Saint Rafael Arnáiz: The Collected Works is coming to you on March 15, 2022
Dear friends of St. Rafael,
At long last, you can finally pre-order Saint Rafael Arnáiz: The Collected Works from Cistercian Publications! Pre-orders tell the publisher how many copies to print, so they’re really helpful to raise the profile of a particular book. You can also order review or exam copies for potential use at your publication or in your classroom. But most importantly, everyone is welcome to mark down March 15, 2022 as the publication date (read: SAVE THE DATE FOR A PARTY OF SOME KIND).
I can’t believe it’s finally here! I’m looking over proofs of the complete text this month, and it’s incredibly beautiful. No spoilers, but you can check out the cover on Liturgical Press’s page for the book. Isn’t it beautiful? I love the image they chose for the cover, which is a holy card designed by Rafael. His caption at the bottom reads “Incola ego sum in terra” (“I am a stranger and pilgrim on earth,” Psalm 118:19). Sending it to his brother Leopoldo, he wrote:
Whether we like it or not, we are indeed pilgrims. Why seek our permanent place here? Like the little monk in the drawing, let us look at the world in which foolish people place their hopes, where they wage their wars and greedily hide their miserable, perishable treasures . . .
How fortunate, brother, are those who truly consider themselves foreigners in this world and dream only of God and their true homeland . . . Their lives will consist of serene peace, for peace is only to be found in detached hearts . . . They will work with their eyes fixed on God, and their work will be blessed. They will deal with human beings, and their dealings will be grounded in charity . . .
#207, letter to Leopoldo Arnáiz Barón, Easter Sunday 1938
Gotta love it.
The other big news around here is that I recently started religious formation myself! I arrived here at the Daughters of St. Paul convent in Saint Louis, Missouri just last week, and am so grateful to God to be here. Please pray for me and for my fellow candidate, Paz, as we embark on this journey together.
I am so grateful to all you friends of St. Rafael for your encouragement and enthusiasm over the course of this project. Prayers are even more welcome than pre-orders, tbh. But either way, have at it!!!
In Christ,
Catherine