Seeking the Beloved: A Prayer Journey with St. John of the Cross

by Wayne Simsic

Overview

Prayer is not just time set aside for God or the use of certain techniques-it is primarily an intimate relationship with God the Beloved. If we hunger for a prayer that is deeper than words and that we can bring to every part of our lives, no matter what we are doing, then we can turn to St. John of the Cross as our guide. Retreat master and author Wayne Simsic insists that while it's easy to write off this saint as an otherworldly ascetic and mystic, he was actually a down-to-earth and wise administrator, poet, and artist whose writings have great relevance for us today. In this book, Simsic helps readers discover the gift of contemplative prayer as unfolded by this Carmelite saint, whose longing for a deep intimacy and union with God can become our longing as well.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593252014
Publisher:	Word Among Us Press, The
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Pages:	146
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 10

1 Longing for Love 27

Seek God by Day 29

Begin with Experience 32

The Breath of Life 36

The Meaning of Love 38

The Spiritual Canticle 40

Faith and Love: The Blind Person's Guide 43

2 The Redirection of Our Desires 47

Make a Choice 49

Like Little Children 51

The Ascent 53

Mount Carmel 57

Finding Rest 61

Walking with God 65

3 Drawn to Christ 68

Christ as Gift 70

Friendship with Christ 73

Sharing Our Lives with Christ 74

Suffering with Jesus 77

Water of Life 80

4 From Meditation to Contemplation 86

No Longer a Child 88

A Love Story 90

Loving Attention 94

The Challenge of Dry Prayer 96

Growing in Self-Knowledge 100

The Need for Spiritual Guidance 102

5 Walking in Darkness 107

Introduction to a Dark Path 109

Walking an Unknown Road 111

Where is God? 114

The Pain of the Dark Night 116

Cries in the Night 119

6 Trusting This Holy Darkness 122

Learning to Wait Patiently 124

Guided into Solitude 127

Practicing Love 131

The Garden of Love 133

Suggested Reading 139

Endnotes 141