When we think about the lives of the saints, we can easily forget that they were people just like us–with all the same struggles, temptations, joys, and sorrows we experience in life. They were not born saints; they became saints. And in the course of their journeys through life, other people helped them become the people that God wanted them to be. A Sheltering Tree offers stories of faith, fidelity, and friendship from both Christian and non-Christian writers that explore the importance of...
The well known Austrian poet and spiritual writer, Rainer Maria Rilke encouraged his young friend not to be a «waster of sorrows,» but to use them in a positive way as a means to help him grow in holiness. And isn't this the challenge for all of us? Everyone has sorrows in life. The important question is: what can we do with them so that we don't waste them? Whether our sorrows are personal or communal, how can we share our mutual vulnerability so that we can connect with others in...
In St. Teresa of Avila's classic spiritual book Interior Castle she describes a difficult period of time in her spiritual journey when she said, «When I think of myself, I feel like a bird with a broken wing.» When I left the monastery thirty-eight years ago, this was exactly how I felt. I Was Gone Long Before I Left is the story about my interior struggle to leave the monastery after living this lifestyle for over twenty-five years. It explores the reasons why I went to the monastery, why...
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a man who sought to integrate life and holiness. He believed that the spiritual life needed to be lived in an active and dynamic way, touching a person's fundamental attitudes and actions. Although Newman rejected the title of spiritual director as such, it is obvious from his correspondence that directing others through various facets of the Christian life was one of his dominant concerns. Surprisingly, comparatively little has been written about...
Abraham Joshua Heschel said that, «We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we have the answers.» He believed that to be a Christian is not to be a person who knows all the answers but one who «lives in the part of the self where the question is constantly being born.» Most of us don't think very much about our questions. In our culture, we are accustomed to being able to find out answers to nearly any question just by typing it into Google search or asking Siri. But...
The English writer G. K. Chesterton once wrote: «Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace.» These reflections are the author's effort, as an older father, to pass on to his daughter, with grace, what he believes is truly important in life. When his daughter was young, he used to tell her that his constant prayer was to live long enough so that «I can get you raised!» Thankfully, that prayer has been answered. But parenting is a...
