Spiritual Masters For All Seasons

Every age needs figures of spiritual inspiration, but in times of recession and uncertainty they are essential in helping us to rise above despair and to search for God deep within ourselves. In this new book, Michael Ford invites four spiritual masters onto the same stage for the first time and shows how they speak, not only to our own times, but for all seasons. Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Anthony de Mello and John O'Donohue all died suddenly at the height of their fame as spiritual masters, but they continue to have immense followings. What was their secret and why do their legacies endure? Through unpublished interviews with some of the authors themselves, encounters with their friends, and reflections from readers who have been inspired by their writings, Michael Ford journeys across the United States and Europe to assess their place in the world of contemporary spirituality. He goes behind the scenes of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky to hear first hand from monks who were novices under Merton; visits Lambeth Palace in London to discover Merton's influence on the Archbishop of Canterbury; talks to people about how Nouwen, the proverbial wounded healer, helped them through depression because he had suffered himself; speaks to Jesuits who worked with de Mello in India and tries to find out how close the international storyteller came to Buddhism; and takes a walk with O'Donohue through landscapes in rural Ireland that feature in such books as Anam Cara and discusses the appeal of Celtic spirituality. Blending the spiritual with the journalistic, Michael Ford presents four unique writers as "Spiritual Masters for All Seasons." +

The author of America magazine's "The Word" column (2002-2005) uses images from classical and popular culture and draws parallels between the contemporary Christian and our Old and New Testament forebears to bring vividly to life the Word of God as proclaimed in the Lectionary readings for each week. Readers will be moved by the lyric richness of her language and her direct yet dignified style to engage the Word for all seasons and to ponder the challenging questions she poses. +

A well-known spiritual mentor shares some practical and theological insights for the deepening spiritual journey.

Are you in search of a road to reach the most sought-after destination of happiness, peace and contentment? If so, your search may end here. This handy guide gives a decisive direction to the destination ultimate. Everyday human problems are discussed with suggested solutions in eighteen chapters, divided into three sections. The glimpses of human life span are viewed within the backdrop of the Nature’s four seasons. Part A deals with the major engagements such as stages of growth, education, family, work, retirement and old age of an individual. Part B examines daily challenges of life such as fear, negative thoughts, reluctance to forgive, continuous stress, our inability to meditate and exploring solutions thereon. The topics of God, religion and spirituality, Simplicity and detachment, dangers of living in debt, health and happiness are discussed in depth. Part C vividly discusses interpersonal relations, technology, personal counselling, and women’s safety. The book, fortified with enduring wisdom of ages, serves as a distinct guidepost of life’s journey, to be read and preserved for generations. As the basic human problems everywhere are identical, its relevance is inter-generational and global. Future generation will find this as the saga of their legacy.

Meditations using ordinary language and every day experience to assist young people in developing a pattern of prayer, reflection, and daily meditation.

One of the best-kept secrets in the church is the story of the emergence of the Catholic laity from "pray, pay, and obey" passive spectators to men and women assuming their rightful roles in liturgy, ministry, and other church functions. This evolution is not merely a response to the ever dwindling number of priests and thus the need for others to assume these functions, but is primarily a recognition of the laity's call to serve through the sacrament of baptism in which they all share. In this well-researched book, Aurelie Hagstrom describes the emergence of the laity during the twentieth century and presents a compelling theology of the laity based on scripture, on a renewed understanding of the sacrament of baptism and, especially, on the great watershed in church thinking brought about by the Second Vatican Council. She assures Catholic lay persons that their everyday lives are the "stuff" by which they attain a holiness that is as valid as that lived by clergy and religious. Book jacket.

What is a spiritual master? Spiritual Masters of the World's Religions offers an important contribution to religious studies by addressing that question in the context of such themes as charismatic authority, role models, symbolism, and categories of religious perception. The book contains essays by scholar-practitioners on the topic of spiritual masters in Judaic, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist traditions. It provides a full spectrum of exemplars, including founders, spiritual masters who highlight cultural themes, and problematic figures of modern times. To define spiritual master, the work of Max Weber, Mircea Eliade, Daniel Gold, and Bruce Lincoln is referenced to provide a balanced notion that includes both religionist and reductionist perspectives. This book takes readers from the past spiritual masters to the future of masters of any sort, posing food for thought about the future of master-disciple relationships in an emerging age of egalitarian sentiments.

"There is a raft of books that talk about how young Catholics think, pray and believe. There are few that let those young Catholics speak for themselves. Kevin Meme and Jeffrey Joseph Guhin's vibrant new collection of essays by a talented and diverse group of young men and women goes a long way to answering the question of what the future of the Catholic Church will look like." from the Foreword by James Martin, SJ --Book Jacket.