There is a particular aspect of [St. Benedict's] spirituality, which today I would particularly like to underline. Benedict did not found a monastic institution oriented primarily to the evangelization of barbarian peoples, as other great missionary monks of the time, but indicated to his followers that the fundamental, and even more, the sole objective of existence is the search for God: "Quaerere Deum."
He knew, however, that when the believer enters into a profound relationship with God he cannot be content with living in a mediocre way, with a minimalist ethic and superficial religiosity. In this light, one understands better the expression that Benedict took from St. Cyprian and that is summarized in his Rule (IV, 21) -- the monks' program of life: "Nihil amori Christi praeponere." "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ."
On St. Benedict of Norcia: "Prefer Nothing to the Love of Christ" translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered before praying the midday Angelus with some 40,000 tourists and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. July 10, 2005.
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Jesus of Nazareth (Doubleday, 2007)“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —Benedict XVI
In his first book written as Benedict XVI, the pope seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and incites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.
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What at first sight seems merely affectionate and light-hearted turns out to be very comprehensive and quite scholarly. All of his works published as cardinal and pope are listed here, often with highlights of the texts included or links to where they can be purchased. A timeline of the principal doctrinal decisions and documents taken from 1981-2005 provides a rather fascinating cameo of recent catholic history. But you can't leave without visiting the shop, selling 'papist' baseball caps and "the cafeteria is closed" steins!
FAITH Magazine ("A guide to Catholic digital resources on the World Wide Web") July - August 2005