The Soul's Slow Ripening

What does God want for your life? Christine Valters Paintner, bestselling Catholic author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, uses reflections, stories, guided activities, prayer experiences, and a variety of creative arts to help you patiently and attentively listen to God's invitation. Everyone wants to understand God's will for their lives. Christine Valters Paintner shares one of the most ancient paths to understanding from her study of monasticism and immersion into Celtic spirituality while living in Ireland. The Celtic way, which Paintner distills into twelve practices, offers discernment that focuses on the environment rather than the intellectual focus present in other forms of discernment. It allows for what Paintner calls the soul's slow ripening, coming into the fullness of our own sweetness before we pluck the fruit. Each chapter begins with a story of a particular Irish saint--some well-known like Patrick or Brigid, others less so, such as Ita and Ciaran--and then introduces a helpful practice for discernment that the saint's life illustrates. Paintner explores the call of dreams, the importance of thresholds, the practice of peregrination (wandering for the love of God), walking the rounds, learning by heart, soul friends, blessing each moment, and the wisdom of the landscape and the seasons. Readers are invited to explore these concepts through photography and writing. She invites us to contemplative walks with specific themes along with poetic writing prompts for expression. As you explore an alternate way of discerning a spiritual path--one which honors the moment-by-moment invitations and the soul's seasonal rhythms--you will discover that this book will help you become more aligned with creativity and wholeness.

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She earned a doctorate in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and achieved professional status as a registered expressive arts consultant and educator from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. Paintner is the author of many books on monasticism and creativity, including The Wisdom of the Body; The Eyes of the Heart; Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire; The Artist's Rule; The Soul of a Pilgrim; and Illuminating the Way. She leads pilgrimages in Ireland, Austria, and Germany and online retreats at her website AbbeyoftheArts.com, living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John.