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 Born in Egypt, Dom Hubert van Zeller (1905 – 1984) became Benedictine novitiate at the age of 19 and later entered the monastery of Downside Abbey in England. He was a sculptor, a world traveler, a writer of over 50 books of devotion, contemplation and occasionally fiction. He was also a philosopher. His sculptures can be viewed in churches and galleries in Europe and North America and his drawings and sketches evoked Evelyn Waugh to refer to him as “the Max Beerbohm of the cloister,” while another friend called him a “one man renaissance.” (end flap, The Mass in Other Words, 1965)
Dom van Zeller’s 60s era In Other Words series was not only very popular but it addressed topics like The Mass, Our Lady, Sanctity, Prayer, Suffering, Penance, Death, The Psalms, The Will of God, Catechism, Communion, and many other subjects and brought them to a level that was understandable and readable for the everyday person. His image is in a number of these books and it’s bit disconcerting, reminding one, perhaps, of the monk in The Name of the Rose who secreted away Aristotle’s tome and who would not smile. The image doesn’t fit with his writing but sits in stark opposition to it.
In his later writing, he finds Holiness for Housewives (reissue 1997). He borrows much from Brother Lawrence who talks about his own prayerful connection with God in the kitchen amid the clatter and clang of pots and pans. Brother Lawrence wrote about seeking – and finding a constant prayerful connectedness even through mundane tasks. Dom van Zeller echoes those remarks and shouts them again across the valley to the next hill of a new age. Holiness, he writes, isn’t about being better than or superior to someone else, it’s about being closer to God, a closeness that comes only through prayer, trust and obedience.
It is, perhaps, his writing about suffering as in Suffering in Other Words (1964) and Suffering: the Catholic Answer (2002) that he will be best remembered…for Catholics understand suffering in a way no other branch of Christian does in quite the same way. Protestants who can quote the Bible don’t understand, nor can Mormons on bicycles understand suffering; the true test of faith comes only when you are suffering. Will you still trust God then? In this book, Dom van Zeller attempts to prepare one for one’s sufferings before they occur by opening one’s spiritual eyes to them. “The Christian attitude to suffering”, as Father van Zeller says, is “to handle everything in this life, whether pleasurable or painful, in such a way that it becomes matter for the love of God.” (Suffering in Other Words endflap)
In Suffering: the Catholic Answer, he explores the Stations of the Cross and through them, works to help the reader through those dismal, dark and lonely times. Once understood, suffering needn’t put out the flame of joy. He shows how Mary’s compassion alleviated the suffering of others and how you can learn from her. He shows how you can accept the crosses you must bear with love and grace. Grace. Christ’s grace and passion on the cross is the greatest example of all and he uses that example to teach us how to hone our meaning to live, even when living is difficult. You’ll learn how not to give up or to be discouraged. You’ll learn to want to bear your own crosses and you’ll see your useful purposes in affecting the lives of others around you.
Fr. Van Zeller was also a gifted Old Testament scholar. Spirit of Penance, Path to God, the ideas of holiness and suffering are brought together. If the protestant wants to understand what penance is about, this is the book to read. In it, you’ll come to understand how to turn life’s challenges and hardships into new opportunities to grow closer to God. No, penance isn’t about learning self-flagellation techniques, it’s about prayer and adulation of our Lord and Savior. In this book, you’ll find out why Fr. van Zeller believes all Christians should practice penance every day as well as how you can choose the best means of penance for yourself. He also teaches how to avoid the spiritual pitfalls that can accompany this time-honored practice. Even if you’re not Catholic, give Dom van Zeller a read.
Dave Burrows
Dom Hubert van Zeller Titles |