Books

All Shall be Well

The Spirituality of Julian of Norwich for Today

Author: Robert Llewelyn

This practical and thought-provoking guide to Christian contemplative prayer and combines exposition and interpretation of two great spiritual classics with reflections on particular insights and their development. It relates these insights to those found in teachings as far apart as Jung and Zen Buddhism, while not losing sight of the great tradition of prayer and contemplation to which Julian belonged.

Befriending Silence

Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality

Author: Carl McColman

Steeped in chant and silence, grounded in down-to-earth work and service, and immersed in the mystical wisdom of teachers ancient (Bernard of Clairvaux) and modern (Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating), the beautifully humble path of Cistercian spirituality has for centuries made monasteries places of retreat and renewal. McColman draws on experience as a Lay Cistercian to provide insight into how the tradition is relevant to contemporary issues and spiritual practice, along with helpful exercises for anyone who wishes to make Cistercian spirituality their own.

The Grief Walk

Losing, Grieving and Journeying on to Something New

Author: Alister G. Hendery

Grieving and loss are universal experiences, but how you experience grief is unique to you. In his ministry, Alister has found that models of the stages of grief are unhelpful, as is the idea of closure. Instead, he gives you permission to work through your grief in the ways, and at the times, that are helpful to you.

Dementia

Hope on a Difficult Journey

Author: Dr Adrian Treloar

Dementia can be a difficult journey for patients and carers alike. Dr Treloar, an old-age psychiatrist specialising in the care of people with dementia, explains dementia from a medical viewpoint. He provides practical advice and guidance for friends and carers of people with dementia. Looking through the lens of the Catholic faith, he then discusses good spiritual care – something which is often overlooked. This book offers real hope and practical ideas for all those caring for people with dementia.

The Spirit of Simplicity

Author: Jean-Baptiste Chautard, OCSO

translated and annotated by Thomas Merton “We need simplicity now more than ever. This lost classic of Trappist spirituality united the voices of two of the great Catholic writers of the twentieth century. It reveals how simplicity is an essential quality of a holy life. While written for monks, it is – like The Rule of St Benedict – filled with wisdom for all. Read it slowly and prayerfully.” (Carl McColman, author of Befriending Silence)

The Practice of Spiritual Direction

Authors: William A Barry & William J Connolly

A classic work in bringing people closer to God. Fathers Barry and Connolly see the work of spiritual direction as helping people to develop their relationship with God. In thinking and practice they have absorbed the insights of modern psychotherapy but have not been absorbed by them. This highly practical book reflects the authors’ experience at the Centre for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where spiritual direction is available and where directors are trained.