Richard Rohr: Essential Teachings on Love

 Selected with an Introduction by Alicia von Stamwitz

“We do not wake up in this world calm and serene, having the luxury of choosing to act or not act. We wake up crying, on fire with desire, with madness. What we do with that madness is our spirituality.”—Ronald Rolheiser

Ronald Rolheiser, a Catholic priest and theologian, is one of the most popular and influential spiritual writers today. Through such bestselling books as The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire, as well as his syndicated column, “In Exile,” he has shown an ability to outline a healthy Christian spirituality that relates to the deep desires, anxieties, and hopes of ordinary people living in the world.  

This collection of his essential writings, which draws in large part on his columns, first outlines the “holy longing” that underlies all spirituality. He then outlines the elements of a “generative,” or fruitful spiritual life, including prayer, suffering and death, love and justice, faith and doubt.

Joelle Chase and Judy Traeger edited Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations, a free email from the Center for Action and Contemplation (cac.org).