community of st. john

Hello, members of the Community of St. John. I'm writing this post in the hopes of reaching you. I often receive requests for information about the Johannesgemeinschaft (Community of St. John). I even receive requests about joining the community. I greatly admire the community founded by Balthasar and Speyr. The spirituality of it, which we find in Balthasar's important book Our Task, is deeply attractive.

Here's my request. Could someone from the Community of St. John please reach out to me so that I have a better way of directing inquires from this website about the Community of St. John?

I would be glad to point my readers who are interested in the community to you. Please reach out to me. Thank you.

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For those interested in the Community of St. John, here's what I know about them so far:

The formal rule and spirituality of the community can be found in the book Our Task written by Hans Urs von Balthasar.

The community follows von Speyr's deep desire for the community to not be yet another "institution" within the institution of the Church. Von Speyr did not want this secular institute to be another obvious alternative structure within the already multifacted structure of the Church. The community desires to serve the church and world in a hidden, non-self-referential way. This desire is a beautiful call, but it can make it difficult to learn about or even join the community.

As far as I can tell the central hub of the community is located in Basel, Switzerland attached to the Archive of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Adrienne von Speyr, which is run by members of the Community of St. John. Not too long ago, I had a blessed visit with members of the community at this archive. Right now, the best way to come into contact with the Community of St. John online would be through the "Contact" link on the Archive's website here.

If you are interested in experiencing the spirituality of Balthasar and Speyr, the Casa Balthasar is a beautiful community of vocational discernment in Rome. Their community life is gracious and profound. You can contact them here. I know that Rev. Jacques Servais, SJ, who leads the Casa, would be glad to speak with you.

Many religious communities have been touched by the spirituality of Balthasar and Speyr. One of them mentioned a few times on this website is called Points-Coeur, but there are others.

By the way, the Community of St. John (Johannesgemeinshaft), which was founded by Balthasar and Speyr, is different than the larger Dominican contemplative Community of St. John founded by Fr. Marie-Domonique Phillipe in 1975.

As always, I will continue to gather more information about the Community of St. John and present it here. Many people have been so impacted by Speyr's spirituality that they desire to commit to it in some formal, objective way. May God guide this desire in you. May we all be freely obedient to what God wants of us. Through the intercession of St. John, may we respond to love in love for love.

Update on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 9:41AM by Dr. Matthew Lewis Sutton

Ah, my good wife, God bless her, found this contact information for the Community of St. John in the United States at this website on secular institutes.

COMMUNITY OF ST. JOHN Women, Men, Priests

Founded: By Hans Urs von Balthasa and Adrienne von Speyr, 1945; approved as a secular institute of diocesan right, 2000.

Purpose: To penetrate the heart of the world, primarily through the professions, with the spirit of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and to return it to the true Logos, Jesus Christ.

Contact: Adrian Walker 247 8th Street, N. E. #2002 Washington, D.C. 2002 (202) 547-1380

iconographer of adrienne von speyr

The Catholic Iconographer, Fr. William McNichols, S.J., sent me the most beautiful hand-painted icon of Adrienne von Speyr. I hope you will visit his website www.fatherbill.org and consider purchasing one his glorious icons.

Here’s what I have learned about Adrienne von Speyr by praying with this icon.

* wisdom and light obtain a special maturity of radiance in Adrienne’s later years
* true joy comes from surrendering all out of compassion
* prayer includes others even when praying in solitude
* do not let go of the mission - there you will find your identity

More will come. This window into heaven has much to teach me. I hope you’ll visit the beautiful icons written by Fr. McNichols at www.fatherbill.org.

Thank you, Iconographer of Adrienne, for this generous gift. May God bless you and your work.

our faith is not our own

Adrienne von Speyr has a quite profound understanding of faith that overcomes the usually traps. For Adrienne, our faith is not our own, but is God’s own vision of himself shared with humanity.

“The gift the triune God gives to man in the grace of faith may indeed have a similarity to the reciprocal vision of the three Persons in God and to the incarnate Son’s vision of the Father, but it is the sort of seeing that befalls man in his pilgrim state; it is a relationship that God establishes on his own terms and gives to man, and at the same time allows the believer to give in return.” Adrienne von Speyr, Light and Images, pg. 39

Faith is our entrance into the triune vision of God as God sees his triune self. In this participatory realm of vision, room is created for response. We could call this response assent or even works, but all faith is within the sovereignty of God’s grace. So the assent or work is already within the realm of saving faith, which is already within the realm of God’s own vision of himself.

To see as God sees himself … this is faith and this faith is not our own.

e-adrienne - digital editions of adrienne's works

As you may not have realized, the digitial revolution has officially begun. The clear sign—Adrienne von Speyr’s books are now available on the Kindle. The texts available are Book of All Saints, Confession, The Boundless God, To the Heart of the Mystery of the Redemption, and The Christian State of Life. You can also find these e-books at Ignatius Press too. You will also find that Ignatius offers an audio book of Three Women and the Lord

NB: I receive no sponsorship from Amazon, Ignatius Press, or any other publisher of Adrienne von Speyr’s books. I intend to keep it that way. Mind you, no publisher has asked. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Happy e-reading your e-adrienne.

i submitted my book manuscript today

I submitted my book manuscript today. It is a comprehensive interpretation of Adrienne von Speyr’s vision of the Trinity. I focused instensely on the one critical thing in Adrienne’s thought. This one critical thing, her trinitarian mysticism, must be at the center of receiving what is true, good, and beautiful about her writings.

I will let you know the progress of the book manuscript as it advances through the publishing stages. You will know first when the book is available. Like you, I hope it will be published soon, but so many factors and the hard work of good people go into the process. It can take some time. Still, I will be waiting in hope.

And as I wait, please look for more frequent postings here at the best place on the web to learn about Adrienne von Speyr.