The Ladder of Monks: A Letter on the Contemplative Life and Twelve Meditations

Guigo II was a 12th-century Carthusian monk, the ninth prior of the Grande Chartreuse. This is the classic work on lectio divina, a way of incorporating sacred reading in prayer. While not a how-to manual, this little book outlines four steps in lectio divina: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Guigo also provides an easily-understood rationale for this way of prayer. This English translation is by the editors of the critical Latin-French edition in the Sources Chretiennes series.