This anthology provides some of the finest Christian verse written during the second millennium of Christianity.

Drawing from the poetry of generations of esteemed writers Gary Bouchard shows how poems often express the longings of the human heart as a kind of prayer. Emily Dickinson, Rev. Rowan Williams, Pope John Paul II, Christina Rossetti, Robert Frost, and Fr. Kilian McDonnell, OSB, among others, offer readers an inspiring path to reflect upon and pray with poetic verse. Arranged under six engaging themes, each selection uses the words of poets as vehicles to prompt “heaven in ordinary” or to praise like “exalted manna”; to find the right “paraphrase” for your own soul or maybe sense your “soul’s blood”; to muster up from your grief or anger “reversed thunder” or dare to articulate from your own personal anguish “Christ-side-piercing spear.”

A compelling exploration of the biblical foundations, contemplative practices, and spiritual path of Jesus himself—from the bestselling author of The Case for Jesus “What happens when a biblical theologian explores classic spirituality? This book. Pitre’s students have asked, Why have we never heard this before? The reader wonders the same.”—Dr. David Fagerberg, author of Liturgical Mysticism The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the three major forms of prayer and the three stages of spiritual growth that exist to bring them closer to God. In his most personal book yet, Brant Pitre, PhD, draws on the riches of the Bible, the words of Jesus, and the writings of mystics across the centuries to shed light on the mystery—and wonder—of the spiritual life. Starting with the age-old belief that the path of prayer is not only informative but transformative, Dr. Pitre explores • the scriptural roots of the major forms of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation • the purgative, illuminative, and unitive stages of spiritual growth • the spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving • the Jewish roots of the Lord’s Prayer • Lectio Divina: how to pray with the Bible • seven vices and their seven opposing virtues • the battle of prayer: how to deal with difficulty and distractions • the “dark night of the soul” in the Scriptures Full of sacred truths, contemplative insights, and practical steps, Introduction to the Spiritual Life is a biblical road map of the spiritual landscape that enables us to follow Jesus as our primary guide.

"Selected contributors include: Denise Levertov, Les Murray, Annie Dillard, Robert Fitzgerald, Paul Mariani, Dana Gioia, Bruce Bond, Pope John Paul II, Thomas Merton, as well as 55 other poets."--BOOK JACKET.

Belonging to Christ is a collection of poetry that shares the Catholic faith and experiences of a millennial woman in the twenty-first century as she journeys on the walk in holy cadence towards the beautiful gates of heaven.

"This booklet of poetry is as rewarding as it is challenging. To start with, it helps to know that much of the imagery stems from years of flying over the ice caps of Antarctica, but the energy propelling the reader comes from the mysticism of the saints and the Holy Spirit. The first reading (of this book) is merely an appetizer inviting the reader to return flights into ever-deeper prayer experiences. It is truly a work to be treasured and revisited often" (Most Reverend Robert J. Hermann, Bishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Saint Louis). "The technical brilliance of the poems, while stunning, is even less remarkable than their mystical and contemplative content. Each poem is like a carefully polished jewel that refracts light in unexpected and beautiful ways; to examine these gems slowly is to learn something of contemplation itself. Mr. Smith has produced a work that will surely inspire other poets to greater excellence and other souls to look on God and His creation with new eyes" (Sister Maria Battista, Order of Discalced Carmelites [OCD]).