Spiritual Canon by Bishop Seraphim is a short guide to the Orthodox spiritual rule of life, for every Christian who wants their prayers and spiritual practices to come from the heart, not just from habit.
The spiritual canon is a broad subject. It is not limited to the canonical prayers, the Lord's Prayer or even prostrations (metanias). Nor is it only reading the Bible and spiritual books, or keeping the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist. It goes deeper than all of these.
We should not be concerned only with the outward side of the spiritual canon, such as counting how many times we prayed or how well we recited. What matters more is the spirit in which we carry out our spiritual practices.
Bishop Seraphim offers clear guidelines for building and keeping a spiritual rule that leads to real growth. His teaching will help beginners set up a sound rule of prayer, and help those who have kept one for years renew its spirit.
The book is useful for individuals, for confession fathers and their spiritual children, and for youth and adult meetings. As the author prays, may our Lord enlighten us and give us His grace to keep these rules, and may the Holy Spirit guide us in our spiritual walk all the days of our lives.