The Rule of Saint Benedict begins with a striking single-word instruction: “Listen.”

At Christian Brothers High School, I spend much of my time listening to both students and colleagues in classrooms and during meetings. The care with which we listen enables us to build up our community and to learn together. This video is a little peek into such a community.

While this is all beautiful, Benedict asks us to go further and clarifies that the greatest listening is done with the ears of the heart. When we do this, we automatically slow down, take time to reflect on what is truly important, choose our words with care, and speak only when it strengthens the bonds of community. In this way, we can seek God with honesty as we look again at our own life journey, with all its beginnings, interruptions, detours, and new starts.

Listening with the ears of the heart reveals the subtle ways God moves in our lives. Instead of forcing us to stand on our heads, this book challenges us to completely reconsider how we see the world. When we look at life through humility and community—deeply shaped by God’s love—the world turns upside down and reveals what truly matters.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s post! I will talk about some interesting Latin terms you will find on the book’s copyright page. It’s an article you won’t want to miss!

We are thrilled to give you early access! Enjoy our special week-long pre-sale. Details below.

---

The Upside-Down Kingdom explores the fourth-century Rule of the Benedictine Monastics and shows how it still matters in our digital world. The Rule celebrates its 1500th birthday in the next three years, and while many have reflected on the Rule before, this book stands out by focusing on Mount Angel Abbey in the Pacific Northwest. Through my own stories, I invite you to join me on the hilltop that has shaped my heart to be more compassionate and loving.

These short stories introduce you to the people and place etched into my heart, offering a close look at how the ancient Rule can shape our daily lives and help us build a life guided by community and service.

Early Praise

“It is gratifying for me to be able to endorse this meditation on the Rule of St. Benedict by an oblate of our monastery. Through his long association with our community, Manolito has let himself be formed in his married and professional life by the spirit of St. Benedict. He shares that here in ways that will help others to live by the same spirit in whatever way of life they seek to follow Christ.”

Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, Abbot, Mount Angel Abbey

“This book is an invitation to step away from the busyness of life and enter into both a deeply personal and refreshingly universal reflection on the Rule of St. Benedict at Mount Angel Abbey. The text brings the Abbey to life, utilizes the engaging framework of personal memoir to experience the daily monastic rhythm of prayer and work, while concurrently offering contemporary meditations on the Rule. A beautiful and engaging read.”

Myrna Keough, Professor and Director of Sacred Music, Mount Angel Seminary

Pick up your copy and find new wisdom, a fresh take on an ancient Rule, and see how it can still shape the heart of anyone open to faith.

---

Reserve Your Copy

The exclusive pre-sale is open for a very short time. Secure your spot before the doors close on Saturday, August 29 at 12:00 PM.

---