Wellsprings Books Community

by Thomas H. Green, SJ

For over thirty years, Opening to God has de-mystified prayer for countless thousands. This direct and appealing guide explains what prayer is all about, then turns to the techniques that ready the soul to encounter God. Jesuit missionary and spiritual director Thomas Green, S.J. banishes stodgy assumptions about spiritual life that is fed by the practice of prayer. A must-have resource, both for beginners and practiced ‘pray-ers’ who want to cultivate a more meaningful prayer experience.

Recommendation:

In this book, Thomas Green lays the foundation of what prayer is really about, and how we might be able to pray in truth and in spirit; opening our eyes not only to God and his Creation, but also to ourselves. Highly recommended to all seeking to deepen their prayer lives! Many of us pray, but are we really praying?

Opening to God

Available at Wellsprings for S$9.90

by Gerard W. Hughes, SJ

Jesus said: ”The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” This book has only one purpose: to suggest ways of finding the treasure in what we may consider a most unlikely field – ourselves. It is a guide book to the inner journey in which we are all engaged and has much to say to those who have a love/hate relationship with the Church to which they belong or once belonged.

Recommendation:

As the description above relates, this book is designed as a guidebook for a journey – a journey that moves progressively inwards. Though twelve engaging chapters, Gerard Hughes takes the reader deeper and deeper into a spiritual journey that seeks out the ultimate treasure – Christ himself. At the end of each chapter are exercises designed to help the reader in his or her own journey towards a deeper spiritual awareness and relationship with God.

God of Surprises

Available at Wellsprings for S$6.90

by Margaret Silf; Foreword by Gerard W. Hughes, SJ

Landmarks help us to find ourselves when we think we are lost. When we don’t know where to begin, they give us a starting point. When we think we know where we are, they give us confidence to keep going. And if we think we have arrived, they remind us that there is always something more, somewhere beyond.

This is a book of landmarks for the heart’s journey. Written out of the author’s own prayer and lived experience, and inspired by her practical explorations of the insight of St Ignatius Loyola, it opens up questions which concern us all. How can we recognise God’s ceaseless action in our lives and begin to discern his will? What does ‘fallenness’ mean for us today? How can we live true to ourselves and make decisions in freedom? How we do penetrate our deepest desires and become free of the lesser attachments that obstruct them? Big questions – but as Margaret Silf shows, there are clues to be discovered in every moment and situation: at home, at work, in the garden, in the market, in the bath!

Landmarks will help us discover and deepen our own individual journeys. Written for both groups and individuals, it is illustrated with drawings and diagrams, and contains exercises and suggestions for prayer and reflection. Be warned, however. Landmarks are not for armchair pilgrims. They are for the People of the Way.

Recommendation:

Margaret Silf’s “guidebook” to deeper prayer and spiritual life prompts and informs the reader with its calm and personal voice; the book also colourfully illustrates its intentions and advice via sketches and useful and easy-to-understand metaphors. Silf herself constantly refers to Scripture throughout the book, drawing from the wisdom and stories of the Bible in order to illustrate and explain our own experiences with God and prayer. A book that is enjoyable and accessible, while retaining profound spiritual wisdom. Recommended for all!

Landmarks: An Ignatian Journey

Available at Wellsprings for S$29.90

by Ilia Delio, O.S.F.

Masterfully written and intensely enlightening, Franciscan Prayer could very well be considered the essential handbook for all those seeking to pray and live the Franciscan way. With exquisite execution, Franciscan theologian Ilia Delio clearly outlines what it means to pray as a Franciscan. Through her experience as a discalced Carmelite nun and then her transformation into Franciscan scholar, Sister Delio brings to light the “contemplative,” “cosmic” and “evangelizing” aspects of Franciscan prayer. Everyone, says Delio, seems to know about Francis’ life, his miracles, his devotion to evangelization and his dedication to living a simple and humble life, yet few know about his prayer life, which seemed, over the centuries, to get lost in the paper shuffle between theologians, followers and historical biographers.

It is through Clare of Assisi, Delio asserts, that we have insights into the Franciscan path of prayer. “Clare provides the ‘road-map’ of prayer for evangelical life . . . she was able to do this because she lived under monastic rule while ardently desiring evangelical life.” Through Clare’s letters and actions, we find the rudiments of Franciscan prayer: ”Gaze-Consider-Contemplate-Imitate.” Delio also uses the insights of Saint Bonaventure as well as Saint Francis to fully show the meaning and purpose of prayer in the Franciscan tradition.

Recommendation:

From its very first pages, Sr. Delio explains how Franciscan prayer emerges from the Franciscan understanding of God and Creation. Franciscan prayer – according to Delio, for example – is dynamic, because it is about participating in the mystical body of Christ, who is according to Franciscan theology, inseparable from the Trinity; hence, to pray in the Franciscan tradition is to enter into the mystery of the Trinity itself, and to live in the Trinity is to live in relationships of love, relationships which are indeed, dynamic. This book is highly recommended for those who are interested in knowing about and cultivating a Franciscan tradition of prayer.

Franciscan Prayer

Available at Wellsprings for S$25.90

by M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O.

The practice of prayer and meditation in modern Western Christianity is rooted in the Eastern traditions of early Church prayer as well as the wisdom of early Church fathers. In Centering Prayer, M. Basil Pennington, the author of the highly acclaimed Daily We Touch Him, returns to these roots, offering contemporary Christians a new approach to ancient prayer forms.

Pennington combines the best of the Eastern spiritual exercises (such as the Jesus Prayer) with a spirituality for today’s world. Addressing the obstacles that discourage people from praying well, he explains how to relax for prayer, how to listen to and be directed by the Other, and how to handle the pain and distractions that can stifle attempts to communicate with God. Centering Prayer has sold more than a quarter million copies since it was first published in 1982. In this eminently practical book, simple, inspiring instructions will help readers find the comfort and the guidance they seek through prayer.

Recommendation:

In this book, Basil Pennington brings to us a form of prayer practised by those in the monastic life throughout Western Christianity. Briefly explaining its historical roots in the Desert Fathers of the early Eastern Church in Syria and Egypt, Pennington goes on to explain Centering Prayer while guiding readers with practical steps and advice on taking their first steps towards this. Practical advice for any form of prayer, this book guides you into learning how to still you heart and mind in a world of distractions. Recommended for all.

Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form

Available at Wellsprings for S$23.90

by Thomas Dubay, S.M.

Fr. Thomas Dubay spends a number of months every year giving conferences and retreats to religious, particularly the contemplative Carmelites. This book is the fruit of many years of his study and experience in spiritual direction, and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer – St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila – and the teaching of Sacred Scripture.

But the writings of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross, which Fr. Dubay has synthesized, are not only for contemplatives. These teachings are based on the Gospel imperative of personal prayer and the call to holiness and they are meant for every Christian. Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life, written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time and based on the writings of two of the greatest mystical doctors of the Church.

“This book is a gold mine for any Christian intent on making progress in prayer. Any reader who appreciates the relevance of the spiritual in these troubled times will find Fire Within difficult to put down. A work of art by a master of the spiritual life.”

- Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., author of Arise from Darkness

Recommendation:

In comparison to the other books recommended here, Fr. Dubay’s book takes it’s place in the heavyweight category of spiritual writing. A book that draws upon the Gospel, the writings of two great mystics and Doctors of the Church, as well as Fr Dubay’s own experiences in spiritual direction, the reader can expect to encounter passages exploring topics of detachment, summits, contemplation, locutions and visions within these profound pages. Fr. Dubay’s exquisite use of expression in prose illuminates these passages for the advanced reader and pray-er. A work of a world-class spiritual director, it is recommended for advanced readers and those interested in the area of prayer and spiritual direction.

Fire Within: St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, and the Gospel on Prayer

Available at Wellsprings for S$35.90