Open Wide My Heart: A Journal of a Prayer Life

Just before she died of brain cancer in April 2020, Macrina Wiederkehr gifted her friend and coauthor Joyce Rupp with one of the many journals she kept over the years where she reflected on scripture and her own spirituality. Rupp writes in the foreword for Open Wide My Heart, “I observed certain currents of yearning and faithfulness that remained throughout the decades: a thirst for an ever-fuller relationship with the Holy One; a tremendous respect for scripture as an incentive for spiritual transformation; a recognition of not being all she hoped to be regarding her inner growth; and a continual return to a belief in her essential goodness.”

That is the essence of Open Wide My Heart, which pulls together two years of personal reflections by Wiederkehr, a beloved spiritual author, popular retreat leader, and Benedictine sister. These brief yet poignant writings serve as guideposts as you begin or deepen your scripture study and offer gentle direction for your faith and a better understanding of daily life.

Wiederkehr also shares nuggets of spiritual wisdom she gained in her reading, including

• experiencing God in the everyday;
• living fully present in the moment; and
• accepting the grace that comes from God, other people in your life, and the world around you.

 

Open Wide My Heart is an invitation to learn from a bestselling spiritual writer’s practice and witness her deeply meditative approach to scripture and life. In the process, you can grow in confidence in your own scripture reading.

Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB (1939-2020), was a spiritual guide, popular retreat facilitator, and author who made her home with the monastic community of St. Scholastica in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Benedictine traditions of deep listening to the word of God and hospitality toward all of life form the roots of her writing and retreat ministry. Wiederkehr is the bestselling author of ten books, including The Flowing Grace of Now, Seven Sacred Pauses, Behold Your Life, and The Circle of Life, which she coauthored with Joyce Rupp.

Joyce Rupp is well known for her work as a writer, retreat leader, and spiritual midwife. She serves as a consultant for the Boundless Compassion program. Rupp is the author of numerous bestselling books, including Praying Our Goodbyes, Open the Door, Return to the Root, Jesus, Friend of My Soul, and Jesus, Companion in My Suffering. Her award-winning books include Boundless Compassion, Fly While You Still Have Wings, and Anchors for the Soul. She is a member of the Servite (Servants of Mary) community.