cover image Lift Your Sails

Lift Your Sails

Laurence Freeman, Vincent Dwyer, Vincent Dwyer O. C. S. O.. Continuum, $16.95 (190pp) ISBN 978-0-8264-1139-6

First published in 1987, this edition, greatly revised to include material on the history of spirituality, continues to speak to spiritual seekers. The author--a monk, priest, and scholar--is experienced in spiritual discipline, and he presents reliable instruction. Dwyer discusses his own spiritual journey within the context of the Catholic Church, particularly addressing the challenges of Vatican II. However, he uses his own story as a means of communicating concepts that all Christians can apply. He also draws on his scholarship, quoting and recommending works as diverse as the anonymous 14th-century spiritual classic The Cloud of Unknowing, C.S. Lewis's The Four Loves and Vatican publications. He discusses the invitation that Christ extends for a full life, the qualities one must develop to follow Christ's way and the spiritual practices that equip one for the pilgrimage. Dwyer encourages use of this book as lectio divina, ""divine reading,"" used to promote meditation and prayer. For anyone desiring to confront the challenge of spiritual growth, Dwyer has provided a solid book worth reading. (May)