Rhythm of Life – serie

Carmelite spirituality is a way of life that spells Freedom. Rooted in the experience of the desert mothers and fathers who sought God in solitude, it can accommodate many temperaments and approaches. The primary focus is on Finding the way of prayer that will bring you closest to God. This warm and engaging book introduces six great Carmelite Figures and their individual ways of prayer. Let Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, Brother Lawrence, Therese of Lisieux and others help you discover the pathway to authentic spiritual growth.

To look at our lives afresh and to find beauty in what has always seemed so ordinary, or hope in what has seemed lifeless and dead, is to experience true ecstasy. Teresa of Avila, a practical and down-to-earth spiritual guide, takes us on an exciting journey of discovery and shows us that heaven is literally on our doorstep.

For five centuries, Christianity in Britain was shaped by a distinctive and attractive blendof Celtic and Roman spirituality. Learned, cultured and gentle in its exercise of authoroty, this was a golden age which climaxed in the extraordinary flowering of religious devotion and creativity in the tenth century. The legacy of Anglo-Saxon spirituality is visible in many areas of our religious and political life today as its values permeated every area of life. Called to be Angels introduces us to the key figures of our Christian past: Pope Gregory, whose special love for the English people laid the foundation for the Church in England, Bede, Boniface, Cuthbert, Caedmon, Alcuin, Dunstn, Aelfric and others. This warm and inviting book opens the way for a spiritual home-coming and many will recognize in its pages that the Christian qualities they cherish belong to a splendid and ancient native tradition.

A Condition of Complete Simplicity offers a practical exploration of three essential keynotes of Franciscan spirituality - humility, love and joy - as they can be lived out in a world that is often characterised by violence, greed and religious conflict. This is our world, and it was also Francis' world - a furnace for forging the radical values of those who cast off possessions, status, security and everything that stood in their way of following Christ. Franciscan wisdom, with its emphasis on the upside-down values of the kingdom of God, has an urgent relevance for many of the problems we encounter today. Francis' turning away from his youthful ambitions inspires us to do battle with our false priorities and find our true vocation. His acknowledging of all creatures as his brothers and sisters challenges us to recognize the image of the Creator in every individual. His infectious love for all creation gives us cause for hope and rejoicing as we learn to find and reflect Christ's presence throughout his world.

For many Christians, the world equates with "worldliness" and it is to be avoided for fear of damage to their spiritual health. Celtic Christianity differs from this in that it sees in all creation the reflection of God's goodness and beauty which sin might mar, but can never destroy. This book explores the Celtic view of creation and each chapter focuses on an aspect of God revealed in creation to transform our view of created matter.

The world, the Church and our personal lives are full of conflict - opposing demands pull us in all directions. This book presents the wisdom of Benedict, which shows how ambiguity and uncertainty can be transformative and healing.