POCKET RETREAT

from

A  JESUS  BREVIARY  (see below)         

     This short retreat is drawn from the eight sets of 31 scripture passages in A Jesus Breviary offered for meditation on the Jesus story. Pocket Retreat is an introduction to prayer following the monastic practice of Lectio Divina and the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, including 27 selections from A Jesus Breviary, a description of Lectio Divina, and all eight lists of scripture passages for prayer: Hebrew Scripture readings on the love of God, Jesus Incarnate, Jesus Miracles, Jesus Parables, Jesus Sayings, the Paschal Mystery, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian Life.

ISBN  978-1-937081-63-8

2023, paperback, 4" X 6", eight 31-day sections, 45 pages, $9.95

A  JESUS  BREVIARY          

(All Eight Volumes, formerly published separately)

     A Jesus Breviary is full of meditation renderings of scripture passages on the love of God, the person of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Christian life. A "breviary" is a portable prayerbook, usually with psalms, canticles, songs, scripture readings, and prayers. This volume is a compilation of a series:

     31 Days of God's Love-Call is from Hebrew scriptures to help sit with God saying "I love you" for as long as we can stand it.

     31 Days of Jesus Incarnate is about that man who lived in the first third of what we now call the first century in Nazareth near the Sea of Galilee, who we also know as the Son of God, Christ the Anointed One, Savior, Redeemer, Risen Lord, and a host of other names. The great stories of Jesus are rendered for meditation in the present tense.

     In 31 Days of Jesus Miracles, the Son of God shows forth the divine dynamic power in signs opening minds and hearts and souls and strength.

     31 Days of Jesus Parables gives the major teaching stories of Jesus that invite us into meditation.

     31 Days of Jesus Sayings are short collections of the sayings of Jesus from the Sunday gospel readings in the three year cycle. 31 Days of Jesus' Paschal Mystery tells of the full gift of the self of Jesus in his scandalous cross, showing through his death and resurrection full Easter joy.

     31 Days of the Holy Spirit has passages on the Holy Breath from Isaiah and the New Testament.

     31 Days on the Christian Life are timeless readings from letters attributed to Saints Peter, Paul, John, and James.

     The volume includes an introductory prayer for each of the eight sections and a rendering of the Principle and Foundation of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The arrangement is suitable for a retreat following the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius or for daily prayer similar to the hours of monastic prayer.

ISBN  978-1-937081-40-9

2015, paperback, 4.4" X 7", eight 31-day sections, 339 pages, $14.95

31  DAYS  of  GOD'S  LOVE-CALL

What do you hear when you read God's word in the Bible? I hear a very long love letter. The Bible as a whole can be read in this simple message from God: I made you, I know you, and I love you. This can be a message of great consolation. If I am aware of not living as if God loves me, it can nudge as a challenge, not to be better to earn God's love, but a reminder of my desire to live a fidelity response to God's complete love for me. It has been an honor to journey with many good folks in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in At-Home Retreats and in spiritual direction. The first part of the exercises is to sit with intention in the reality of God's provision and love. This means letting God say and repeat, I love you. These 31 "Old Testament" passages rendered here without commentary can help let this message sink into one's being. Though most of them are psalms and canticles to sing to God, as scripture they are also meant to be read as part of God's revelation; so whether the words are addressed to God, to someone else, or to the reader, we can hear them as God's love letter to us. The ancient way of listening to God in lectio divina can be as simple as choosing a word or phrase or image from the passage, sitting with it perhaps without thinking about it, and breathing to listen.

All God's Blessings,

Steve Wolf

ISBN  978-1-937081-46-1

4" x 6", 2016, 45 pages, $8.95

     See in the IDJC BOOKSTORE            go to barnesandnoble.com

31  DAYS  of  JESUS  SAYINGS

This is a collection of 180 fragments attributed to Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that one parish priest has found helpful in praying while walking in the woods or on a treadmill or other torture device or driving here and there or rocking in a chair like a hungry old bear. They can be meditated on as if a vitamin, choosing one from five or so to breathe with through the day, as a way to meet Jesus, on the search for a healing word of consolation or a challenge from the Savior, as a doorway into the gospel context of a saying that intrigues, in the ongoing search for the gospel account or parable that is "the gospel within the gospel" for a particular Christian, with extra time on one's hands a way to sit with those "hard" sayings of Jesus, as a way to begin a dialogue with the Risen Christ, a way to admit the desire to be a student-disciple of the Master Teacher, or looking to listen in patient anticipation of being surprised by God.

ISBN  978-1-937081-47-8

4" x 6", 2013, 35 pages, $8.95

     See in the IDJC BOOKSTORE            go to barnesandnoble.com