Sister Mary Baruch loves the Office of Compline and relishes how it ushers in the Great Silence of the night . . . a time to reflect on the events of the day, or the week, or the year, or even one’s whole life.
Those who know her can reflect with her on her Jewish childhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan; her coming to know the Lord, becoming a Catholic, and five years later, becoming a cloistered Dominican nun in Brooklyn Heights, New York. We’ve met her family, her friends, her sisters in community; and we’ve met her fears, her compulsions, her struggles to live a life of faith, hope, and love. Her life is not over, but there is a transition from the ambitions and work of her early years and mid-life crisis to a “completion”, a compline of sorts, which continues her pilgrimage into Great Silence. The spiritual battle continues, for the forces of Evil confront her in herself; in those whom she loves; in the sins of others for whom she prays and offers penance, within and outside the monastery itself. The years are 2005 to 2007. She likes to end her day after Compline, sitting in her rocker in her cell, praying and writing and telling the Lord all about everything.
Fr. Jacob Restrick, O.P., is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph. He served for over a decade as chaplain to communities of contemplative Dominican nuns.
When I started Sister Mary Baruch I didn't know what to expect, but I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't wait to get back to it when I did. It is an endearing tale, lovingly and artfully told.
--Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.
Sister Mary Baruch shows how ordinary struggles become the stuff of a divine life of grace. Through the imaginative eyes of Sr. Mary Baruch, Fr. Jacob has given us a look into the mystery of the Dominican cloistered nun and captured the intersection of the human with the divine.
--Fr. Basil Cole, O.P., Professor of Moral Theology, Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.
I would thoroughly encourage anyone to read this book. It is truly an abundant presentation of monastic life yesterday and today. We had the opportunity of having Fr. Jacob as our chaplain for six years, and during his homilies at Mass we heard many of the stories that make up the foundation of this book. Once you start reading this book, you won’t be able to put it down, believe me!
--Sr. Theresa Marie, O.P., Monastery of the Mother of God, West Springfield, MA
Such a blessing, this book. Fr. Jacob is a gifted storyteller who can be hilariously funny and yet pierce the heart. His years of experience as a monastery chaplain give him authentic insights into the trials and the profundity of cloistered life, and he skillfully balances a story of delightful simplicity with profound insights into human nature and the mystery of the monastic life.
--Sr. Mary Dominic, O.P., Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, Buffalo, NY
