GAZE OF LOVE, A
Encountering God Within

Over the ages many authors have described the countless beautiful encounters with God that human beings have had in prayer. Within the Carmelite tradition, for example, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity all offer different expositions of their experiences, always sum-morning us to encounter God who dwells within our souls. Reading their works we are inclined to ask: But how exactly does someone develop an awareness of God within? Are there step one can take to make an encounter with the divine indwelling possible? What steps can be taken to prepare ourselves to receive what will always remain a very special gift of God? This book has three goals: The first is to make clear that all people are called to recognize that God abides in the center of their being. The second is to guide people on their spiritual journeys to pray to the Lord in a deep and meaningful way. And the third is to show how many authors confirm and clarify this call to every Christian. The book supports the guidance it offers by frequent references to Scripture and various classical writers, and it also draws on certain beautiful hymns that well reflect it contents.

About the Author: Shirley Sullivan, PhD, FRSC is the author of Praying the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius (ST PAULS/Alba House, 2008), A Companion to the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning and Evening Prayers (Catholic Book Publishing Co, 2004), and Transformed by Love: The Soul’s Journey to God in Teresa of Avila, Elizabeth of the Trinity and Mother Aloysius of the Blessed Sacrament (New City Press, 2002). She is an Emeritus Professor of Classics at the University of British Columbia, Canada where she has taught many courses on Christian spirituality. Most recently she has presented a course on the life of St. John of the Cross at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic College on that same campus.