Tessa Bielecki

"Tessas deep intimacy with Teresa of Avila . . . creates an invitational space for readers of any tradition (or none) to enter into their own transformational relationship with the wild woman of Avila."Mirabai Starr. This fresh, upbeat, and deftly profound book joyfully reconnects the fullness of our lives and the depth of our prayer. Much more than yet another book about a great saint who once was, it actually rekindles something of St. Teresas outrageous spiritual impulse for contemporary readers, particularly those who describe themselves as "spiritual, not religious." Tessa Bielecki is the author of several books on St. Teresa of Avila, as well as a former Abbess."

A Christian classic on cultivating intimacy with God through life's everyday tasks. This enduring classic of devotion consists of the letters and recorded conversations of a simple seventeenth-century lay brother who, through the most ordinary of activities, was able to achieve a profound intimacy with God. At any moment and in any circumstance, he taught, we can "practice the presence of God"--by thinking on Him, loving Him, and offering up our daily tasks as acts of worship. This volume also includes Brother Lawrence's "Spiritual Maxims," a summary of his teachings in the form of short aphorisms and sayings.

Imagine a quiet Advent sitting beside a crackling fire preparing for a festive and sacred Twelve Days of Christmas. The authors take you there and beyond. There's something for everyone: young or old, whether you go to church or not. The tone is mystical and down-to-earth. Poetry, illustrations and essays, rituals and blessings, prayers and practical advice, even book, music and movie reviews help you celebrate a soulful season of glad songs, from the dark stillness of Advent through Christmas, the New Year and Epiphany, on to the welcome light of a candle on a cold February night.

This book is a lucid introduction to the life and writings of St. Teresa of Avila, with special emphasis on what makes Teresa a model for contemporary men and women. Teresa was a highly erotic woman, brilliant administrator, consumate diplomat, faithful lover, and an insightful observer of the human condition.