Spiritual Literature

In this book, Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) examines what effect the truths we can learn about Jesus from Scripture and from the tradition set forth by the early Church fathers have for our own spiritual life. What does the prayer of Jesus mean for our own prayer? What does Jesus’ relationship to God the Father mean for our relationship to Him? In addition to such theological investigations, Cardinal Ratzinger also includes meditations and reflections on the person of Jesus and the mystery of His life, death, and resurrection that are meant to enrich the reader’s spiritual life, drawing him deeper into a relationship with Christ. Lent is the perfect time to get more acquainted with the Lord, and Cardinal Ratzinger’s book provides a way to do so that is both objectively truthful and personally fruitful.

Providence College’s very own Rev. Kevin Robb, O.P., remarked in a recent homily that, "Lent is not for God to notice us, but for us to notice God." The sacrifices and penances we take on are not a test of willpower, but open up space in our lives and redirect us from our normal distractions toward a deeper focus on the Lord. This is also the purpose of contemplative prayer, which Fr. Ronald Rolheiser makes accessible in his book. He makes the claim that we live in an age so busy, pragmatic, and self-focused that even among those who profess a faith, "our everyday consciousness contains little or no awareness of God" because our culture isn’t equipped for such a sense of God’s existence. The remedy for this dry emptiness is contemplative prayer, which opens the heart to receive God’s gifts in gratitude, to notice the workings of His Providence, and to wonder at the world with childlike awe. Fr. Rolheiser’s book gives examples of different manifestations of contemplative prayer in history, along with guidelines for developing one’s own practice.

When this book of Mother Teresa’s personal writings was first published there was some controversy, as a few public figures argued that the often pained thoughts of this holy woman were indicative that Bl. Teresa did not truly believe the faith she professed. But a reading of the full work shows the writings of a woman deeply in love with Christ—a woman whose faith was both the motivation and the sustenance for her works of charity and mercy even in the midst of personal agony. Her life and spirituality teach us an important truth for the 40 days of Lent, and shared by Christ in His own Passion: that we can always trust in God’s presence and faithfulness to us, both when we sense Him and when we feel alone.