Greater CincinnatiSpiritual Directors BOOK SHARING 2012

Hildegard of Bingen / Matthew Fox Namaste Publishing, 2012.

This book is brand new. It is very accessible.

Fox links Hildegard to Mary Oliver, Howard Thurman, Einstein, Dorothee Soelle and Clarissa Pinkola Estes of "Women who Run with the Wolves" fame. He also sees Hildegard as a Eco-Warrior and one who was intimately connected to the Cosmic Christ. With Hildegard's new elevations to sainthood and doctor of the church, Fox asks: "Is Hildegard a Trojan Horse Entering the Gates of the Vatican?".

The Appendix lists several spiritual practices that are in the Spirit of Hildegard.

Member sharing: Mooydeen Frees

RADICAL ACCEPTANCE: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha

By Tara Brach Bantam Books 2003

In this book the author states: ”Believing that something is wrong with us is a deep and tenacious suffering.”This suffering emerges in crippling self-judgments and conflicts in our relationships, in addictions and perfectionism, in loneliness and overwork. Radical Acceptance offers a path to freedom through teachingswhich are alive with personal stories, fresh interpretations of Buddhist tales and guided meditations.It shows us how to live fully every precious moment of our lives.

Member Sharing: Carol Brenner SC

There Is A God, There Is No God By John Kirvan; Sorin Books, 2003

This is an excellent book for those who face a time on their spiritual journey where they are called to abandon a clear, certain path and embrace uncertainty and darkness.

Strongly recommended by M. Basil Pennington

Submitted by Anne Flanagan,SNDdeN

To Believe in Jesus By Ruth Burrows, OCD; Hidden Spring, 2010
As the author says, these pages are an attempt to draw out what faith in Jesus really means, how rare it is, how it is acquitted, how it grows and eventually flowers in perfect union or transformation into him.

It is a profoundly beautiful book.

Submitted by Anne Flanagan,SNDdeN

The Four Things That Matter Most – A Book About Living

By: Ira Byock, MD Free Press 2004

This book provides a clear path to emotional wellness & a conscious way of living. Byock teaches the reader four simple phrases and how to practice them. These four phrases affirm life & help us navigate through all the personal difficulties of life in a manner of grace & integrity. Through a wide range of inspiring life situations, Byrock leads the reader through a process of emotional healing and into the experience of living in wholeness.

Member sharing: Mary Jo Blankemeyer

Travelling Light – Your Journey to Wholeness

By: Daniel J. O’Leary, The Columba Press 2001

This book is a 31-day retreat to help the reader deepen their life, live more freely, and be happier through the written word, reflection, & praxis. By journeying on this retreat, a sense of spiritual and psychological health & balance can be achieved. In our current world, we are bombarded with negativity and a feeling that no matter what we do, it’s not good enough. This book enables the reader to come to their “center” and once again be grounded in order to reclaim their spiritual self.

Member sharing: Mary Jo Blankemeyer

Wrestling With Our Inner Angels

By: Nancy Kehoe, Jossey Bass 2009

This is a wonderful book, written by a Roman Catholic nun/clinical psychologist, which sheds light on ministering in the mental health field. Kehoe uses her own experiences through seven different scenarios to convey to the reader how the spiritual connects to the psychological & how this connection can lead to greater support, meaning, & healing. Member sharing: Mary Jo Blankemeyer

God the What? What Our Metaphors for God Reveal about Our Beliefs in God

By Carolyn Jane Bohler, Skylight Paths publishing 2008

This book challenges us to look at God within many different metaphors. It helps us understand our own and others metaphors for God . The author links these metaphors to our life experiences. In opening ourselves to new metaphors we can begin to expand our understanding of God and how God works in the world. The author’s approach to such a diversity of God metaphors helps us relate to other’s understanding of God and how and why we are all invested in our God metaphors.

Member sharing: Patricia Le Bar Plogmann

OPEN THE DOOR A Journey to the True Self

By Joyce Rupp Sorin Books 2008

Using the powerful symbol of doors as symbols for spiritual growth Joyce Rupp leads the reader to a deeper understanding of the true and authentic self. It is designed as a six week process with a reflection for each day of the week.This book is not new and this is not the first time I’ve used it but it has been fresh and offered new insights used with others.

Member sharing: Maureen Heverin,SC

Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary

by Marcus Borg, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006

This book is written for the director or directee who wants to deepen his/her knowledge and love of the historical, or pre-Easter, Jesus. As the title suggests, it emphasizes Jesus as a revolutionary, one concerned with justice and peace and a kingdom to celebrate these. Another Borg book worth reading is Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.

Member Sharing: Virginia Ann Froehle

LANDSCAPES OF PRAYER Finding God in Your World and Your Life

By Margaret Silf Lion Hudson 2011

The author reminds us of the power of landscape. She writes “Our photo albums bulge with memories of landscapes we have loved. Just to browse these memories evokes whole stories about ourselves and our lives and our world.” Margaret reminds us that prayer has its own kind of landscapes. This book invites us to wander through some of the landscapes of our soul and as we do so, we may discover ever-deeper layers of the story God is weaving in our live and world. Margaret reflects on: garden, mountain, seashore, forest, river, jungle, desert, cave and night sky.

Member sharing: Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN

The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault, Shambala: Boston, 2008

Cynthia Bourgeault portrays Jesus in the Eastern traditions in which he most probably lived and from which he spoke. Many of his sayings are discussed in what they really meant in the Eastern tradition, meanings far more profound than the way they are traditionally translated. Cynthia gives a deeper interpretation of Jesus’s life and sayings.

Reviewed by Marilyn Kaiser

EARTH Saints and Heroes Publication of Loretto Earth Network

People are always inspired by the lives and actions of people just like us who have seen a need and worked together to bring about change. The Loretto Earth Network chose 24 Earth Saints/Heros from a very long list…with the hope that surely a mentor could be found to inspire the director / directee through life. Among those chosen: Annie Dillard, Wangari Maathal, Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, Dorothy Stang, Tich Nhat Hanh, Tomas Merton, Thomas Berry, Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold Teihard de Chardin, John Muir, Julian of Norwich and Hildegard of Bingen…. A brief overview of their life plus quotes from their own works are provided. So applicable to Earth / Eco Spirituality.

Member sharing: Pat Marie Bernard,SC