Br. David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk for over six decades, distinguishes a "gratefulness" he treats as a chosen orientation from the easier "gratitude" that depends on circumstance. He talks with Krista Tippett about life inside a long catastrophe — the conversation aired during the first month of the COVID lockdowns — and about joy as "the happiness that doesn't depend on what happens".
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We’re in a season of renewal in the natural world and in spiritual traditions; both Easter and Passover this year are utterly transformed. It’s drawing us back to the wisdom of Br. David Steindl-Rast, who makes useful distinctions around experiences that are life-giving and resilience-making yet can feel absurd to speak of in a moment like this. A Benedictine monk for over 60 years, Steindl-Rast was formed by 20th-century catastrophes. He calls joy “the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” And his gratefulness is not an easy gratitude or thanksgiving — but a full-blooded, reality-based practice and choice.