Joan Chittister Backlist Bundle

Pack containing three of Joan Chittister's previous bestsellers: Breath of the Soul, God's Tender Mercy and Songs of the Heart.

Breath of the Soul: Reflections on Prayer

This simple little book from a great spiritual giant attends to what we human beings are most inclined to forget; preparing for and engaging in prayer. It is an examination of what we ourselves must bring to the discipline of prayer- whatever form it takes-in order to make prayer authentic and real, a deep and profound part of our lives.

God's Tender Mercy: Reflections on Forgiveness

Sister Joan Chittister is a bestselling author for a very good reason. She takes difficult and even mysterious concepts and 'breaks them open' for us. Here she tackles the virture of mercy and its connection to forgiveness. She challenges us to stop judging, accusing, and criticising those we label 'sinners' and to see ourselves in their number. She invites us to be realistic about our own actions before we 'throw that first stone' at another. This is spiritual reading at its very best.

Chittister taps into the contemporary global mood in which minorities are being condemned, harassed and persecuted. Instead of leading the cause of love and respect for all, many conservative Christian churches are failing to demonstrate love, understanding and compassion.

In her discussion of guilt and conscience, Chittister commends both as healthy aspects of human responsibility. She also writes about the power of forgiveness to free us from the burden of anger: 'What I refuse to forgive continues to harm me. It consumes my heart, poisons my mind, drains my energies and cements my soul.' Forgiveness does not tolerate revenge and that is a lesson that is slowly becoming appreciated.

In the closing chapter of this profoundly prophetic book, Chittister calls us to the spiritual practices of weeping and healing. Of the first, she comments, 'Weeping is a very life-giving thing. It wizens the soul of the individual and it sounds alarms in society. The Book of Ecclesiastes may be nowhere more correct than here. There is definitely a time for weeping. If we do not weep on the personal level, we shall never understand other human beings.'

The spiritual practice of weeping softens our hearts and opens us to the suffering of others and it blesses us with a keen sense that we are all flawed creatures in the same world. Chittister concludes that we cannot heal ourselves by clinging to our wounds. And neither can we contribute to the repairing of the world without practicing forgiveness again and again.

Songs of the Heart: Reflections on the Psalms

Who but Sr Joan Chittister could break open the psalms in such fresh and piercingly tender ways! Her 'soul points' and 'wisdom stories' are unforgettable, both contemporary and timeless.

In this simple and profound book, Sr Joan offers poignant and challenging reflections on twenty-five psalms, each offering a spiritual oasis away from the stresses of a world that demands more than the human soul can sometimes bear.

She believes that the psalms, all pieces of poetry and music, have rich meaning for people today. Her hope is that readers will find new meaning here and then make songs of their own.


Special price of $44.95 (RRP $53.85)