Those familiar with the music of Dan Schutte are in for a great treat here. As in his music, he deals with themes of longing and desire for God, the hungers of the human heart, unfulfilled human hopes and dreams, and the profound happiness of finding ones home in God. The exercises here are loosely based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the goal is the same for both: to draw readers into a personal, living, and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The language is simple and prayerful and invites one to experience God at a new level, the level of simple contemplation. This kind of prayer fully involves both the mind and the heart, and it draws upon the power of imagination and our human feelings to fully experience the message of the gospel stories.

Each of these 30 exercises provides preparation for prayer, a brief reflection, guidelines for entering the Scripture passage, and a beautiful closing prayer. Topics include being more generous with God, beauty as a door to God, walking in God's presence, seeing Jesus more clearly, becoming whole, and responding to our gospel call. These beautiful prayers can be used throughout the liturgical year with parish staff, RCIA teams, catechists and teachers, inter-generational prayer groups, and by individuals seeking a deeper prayer life.

Author: Dan Schutte

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