Description

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Centered on prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality seeks to awaken in its practitioners an intense thirst for an immediate and direct experience of God, from which can grow a deep and loving friendship with Him.

Most fully developed by St. John of the Cross (d. 1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582) and then further enriched by St. Th r se of Lisieux (d. 1897), Carmelite spirituality flourishes in solitude and silence, nurtured by quieting external noise and turning away from interior distractions.

Not at all limited to persons in monastic or convent life, Carmelite spirituality is meant for all who yearn for a deeper and sustained union with God. That is, it is meant for you.

In this illuminating book, the Swedish Carmelite Cardinal Anders Arborelius shows you how, by praying, sacrificing, and meditating in your own particular circumstances, as the great Carmelite saints did in theirs, you, too, can awaken to the sweet presence of God within you and grow ever more eager to hurry toward Him in your daily pilgrimage toward eternity.

With the help of good Cardinal Arborelius and these enlightening pages, you'll learn:

• Why true silence is necessary if you are ever to be transformed by the Word of God

• How to access -- or create for yourself -- such a transforming silence

• Why temptations are an essential part of every living spiritual life

• How, even amid tasks and temptations, you can recognize the enduring presence of Christ in your life

• How, if you ask with sincerity, the Holy Spirit will rush to your aid as you advance step by step toward an abiding intimacy with Jesus and with God the Father

About the Author

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Alice von Hildebrand was born in 1923 in Belgium and came to America in 1940. In 1949 she earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Fordham University. There she met and studied under philosopher and anti-Nazi exile Dr. Dietrich von Hildebrand, whom she married. In 1947, Alice was hired as the first woman to teach philosophy at Hunter College (CUNY) in New York City. She has given hundreds of lectures throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. With Dietrich von Hildebrand, she collaborated on a number of major works, including The Art of Living. Alice von Hildebrand currently has in preparation numerous other works, including books on wisdom, widowhood, feminism, C.S. Lewis, Kierkegaard, and Plato.