Spiritual Direction According to St. Paul of the Cross

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding introduction to spiritual direction
Review: The late Passionist Bennet Kelley left this gem of a book which integrates contemporary interest in spiritual direction with writings from the letters of Saint Paul of the Cross, who directed many folk in various stations of life. I came to the book because of my interest in the saint and because of the relative paucity of published material in the United States about him. I found a book rich in encouragement, practical advice, and suggestions well within reach of ordinary Christians.

Paul's understanding of the challenge of family life is a particular boost -- speaking across almost 300 years in this book, it is clear that he "gets it" and tailors his recommendations accordingly. Throughout the entire book, Fr Kelley never allows the reader to lose sight of the great compassion of this saint and of his great practicality. Accordingly, this is a book to which I return time and again. It never fails to uplift, to challenge, to renew my faith.