Centering Prayer profoundly many people affected has from all walks of life. Carl Arico, who was introduced to Centering Prayer in 1975 by William Meninger at the Trappist Monastery in Spencer, Massachusetts, is no exception. "It had a profound influence on my life -- on my priesthood and my whole being, " he writes. "I attended an intensive retreat with Thomas Keating in 1983 and soon became involved with the beginnings of Contemplative Outreach -- a resource center for those dedicated to the practice of Centering Prayer." This book is the outcome of more than 20 years of experience with Centering Prayer. Father Arico explores the fundamental practice of Centering Prayer, and how it impacts on one's life, providing the practitioner with a historical foundation, balance, insight, a degree of humor, and peace of mind.

A the taste of silence t the youthful age of nineteen Bieke Vandekerckhove was diagnosed with ALS (a degenerative neurological disease, aka Lou Gehrig's disease). Unexpectedly, three years later her disease went into remission and, even though partially paralyzed, she has lived with ALS now for more than twenty years. In twenty-seven short chapters, written at various points in her life, the author shares her search for meaning and strength. Much to her own surprise, she found both in the stillness of contemplation, in the richness of silence. The practice of Benedictine spirituality and Zen meditation became, as she says, the two lungs through which she breathes. Along the way of her painful but illuminating journey, she shares insights learned from artists of all stripes, whether poets, painters, sculptors, or moviemakers, and from great contemplatives and thinkers. The result is a work that offers a deep trove of spiritual wisdom for every reader, whether affl icted with debilitating illness or in perfect health.

The balance of power in a marriage shifts, with shocking consequences. An elderly woman recounts a chilling childhood memory on the family farm. A taxi driver with a missing wife reveals unexpected skills. An inherited painting brings an eerily troubling legacy.Subtle, compelling and unsettling, Amanda O'Callaghan's stories work at the edges of the sayable, through secrets, erasures and glimpsed moments of disclosure. They shimmer with unspoken histories and characters who have a &‘taste for silence'

Like John Wesley or Jean Pierre de Caussade before him, Catholic priest Arico provides the devout with a model and method for the attainment of a deeper spirituality; unlike them, he feels free to draw wisdom not only from Christian and ancient models but also from Sufism and Thomas Merton to show us how 'God is calling us from our tombs' to the experience of 'divine union.' Arico's spirituality and warmth are profound, and his guide shall be well received by most Christian readers.—Library Journal

A personal and cultural exploration of silence and its value in our lives—“[an] artful book, mixing autobiography, travel writing, meditation, and essay” (Independent, UK). In her late forties, after a noisy upbringing as one of six children and adulthood as a vocal feminist and mother, Sara Maitland found herself living alone in the country and, to her surprise, falling in love with silence. In this fascinating, intelligent, and beautifully written book, Maitland describes how she began to explore this new love, spending periods of silence in the Sinai desert, the Scottish hills, and a remote cottage on the Isle of Skye. Maitland also delves deep into the rich cultural history of silence, exploring its significance in fairy tale and myth, its importance to the Western and Eastern religious traditions, and its use in psychoanalysis and artistic expression. Her story culminates in her building a hermitage on an isolated moor in Galloway. “Her book is probably unique in its subject, and timely, because good, healing silence is becoming hard to find, and we may not know we need it” (Guardian, UK).

"The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives--even the Emperor himself--against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe starts down a path that can only end in fire"--Publisher marketing.

An introduction to the nature and benefits of silence as a new spiritual reality that can lead to self-awareness and healing in our chaotic, fast-paced world With its beautifully rich prose, Robert Sardello's newest book invites us to experience silence as a companion presence—a creative heart-felt experience that renews, restores, and deepens the body's response to the internal and external world. Drawing on images and ideas from the Trials of St. Anthony, anthroposophy, depth psychology, and phenomenology, the book delves deeply into the subtleties of silence, exploring the phenomenon as a source of wholeness and revitalization. Sharing his own insights from years of experience in spiritual psychology, Sardello takes us on an inner journey beyond the chaotic noise of the ego to a place of inner communion and self-healing. Silence opens our eyes to the importance of cultivating the nurturing aspects of silence in our personal relationships and enables us to awaken the inner currents of spirituality that ultimately lead to a path of universal compassion, service, and healing.