Father Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus (1894-1967), a Carmelite
priest and founder of the Institute of Our Lady of Life, is the author of the spiritual
masterpiece I Want to See God (Fides, 1955) which has sold 100,000 copies in six
languages, Under the Torrent of His Love: Therese of Lisieux, a Spiritual Genius (Alba
House, 1995) which is in its fourth printing, and Where the Spirit Breathes (Alba House, 1998).
About the Authors: Roselyne Deglaire, professor of Philosophy, and Joelle Guichard, professor of Pedagogy, are members of the Institute of Notre-Dame de Vie founded by Father Marie-Eugene who knew him personally. They are living witnesses to the validity of his teaching.
Reviews
Catechesis is a graced encounter with Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Its supernatural origins and ends are rooted in the Mystery of Christ. Silent prayer is the place where catechists encounter the mystery of divine, personal Love, the Mystery of God. In a sense, catechists teach Mystery from within Mystery -- 'deep calling to deep,' from Mystery to Mystery. This book is a must for rooting the catechist's prayer life within divine Mystery.
This wonderful little volume outlines a fifteen-day journey into silent prayer. The presentations draw from the vast teachings on silent prayer and the spiritual life given by Fr. Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus (1894-1967), founder of the Secular Institute, Notre-Dame de Vie ('Our Lady of Life') in Venasque, France.
Silent prayer is where we learn to allow the Holy Spirit to open us up to being loved by God and to the discovery of God's absolute joy, delight and pleasure in loving us. God's freedom to love us and our freedom to allow Him to Love us are joined in silent prayer. It is in silent prayer that we learn to allow God to love us, as much as He wants, as much as we can receive. This experience is at the wellsprings of divine Life. The 'locus' of this school of the Holy Spirit is our 'hidden soul' where nuptial union with God is actualized at baptism. Here is where our heart's deepest conditional longings, sufferings, desolations, discouragements and darkness are met with God's unconditional, eternal longings to give Himself to us, of pouring His endless love into the very structure of our being.
The progression is quite evangelical, Trinitarian. The first day is on the Father's intent to Love us completely. Divine Love is the magnet which draws us into and sustains us within silent prayer. Day two is about Jesus, who brings the Father's Divine Love. We discover the Father's love as we search for Jesus within our heart. That search is grace enacted, the work of the Holy Spirit who leads us to encounter Christ. Day three teaches the 'progressive interiorization' towards God who lives within as the 'locus' of the school of the Holy Dpirit. Days 4-12 outline our response to this work of the Spirit -- the offering of our prayer as a gift to the Father. Days 13-14 teach how we participate in the divine Mystery. The final Day (15) teaches us how Mary accompanies us in this journey to God.
This book could be read as a fifteen-day 'in-the-world' retreat. Busy people cannot take a two-week silent or directed retreat. However, praying through this small but powerful volume over the course of, say, six months will have its most favourable effect on us. If the catechist must be rooted in Mystery in order to speak from and about it, learning to allow God to Love us completely will surely ground us in that Mystery. This book is a simple but effective guide to that end. --Stephen F. Miletic in the Oct-Dec 2009 issue of The Sower
Prayer: In this little book, Fifteen Days of Prayer, Fr. Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus shares the fruit of his own personal experience and day by day, for fifteen days, shows what it means to take prayer seriously so that readers or anyone can truly begin to grow in knowledge, love and awareness of the presence of Christ who lives within everyone. Father Marie-Eugene (Henri Grialou, Carmelite, 1894-1967) was a life-long student of St. Therese of Lisieux and her Little Way, and personally knew her blood sisters. His responsibilities in the heart of the Carmelite Order, his mission as founder of Notre-Dame de Vie, his countless contacts with other cultures have contributed to make Father Marie-Eugene a contemplative apostle who continues to lead men and women to God today. Authors Roselyne Deglaire, professor of Philosophy, and Joelle Guichard, professor of Pedagogy, are members of the Institute of Notre-Dame de Vie. --Crux of the News, June 22, 2009
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