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. "Richard Rohr is one of the great spiritual masters of our age. Of any age." --James Martin, SJ, author, Jesus: A Pilgrimage "What a treasure! Richard Rohr has meticulously and lovingly excavated the jewels from the Christian tradition and offers them in luminous handfuls to those of us from any and every (and no) religion, reconciling otherness, elevating consciousness and unlocking the gates of the heart." --Mirabai Starr, co-author, Mother of God Similar to Fire "This book is a wonderful testimony to the life and teachings of Richard Rohr, prophet, teacher and mystic, who has lived his Franciscan life 'at the edge of the inside.' By distilling the Gospel into the law of love, Richard has provided a healing balm for a wounded church, for those who have felt left out or shut out, or simply for those who are seeking a depth of spiritual meaning. Time and again his message is summed up in the simple truth: God is unconditional love." --Ilia Delio, OSF, Villanova University Ronald Rolheiser was born in Saskatchewan. A member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he was ordained in 1972 and received a doctorate from Louvain in 1983. He is the author sixteen books on spirituality, most notably The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire (both Image/Doubleday) and is popular as a speaker and retreat leader. He recently retired as President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. Joelle Chase and Judy Traeger edited Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations, a free email from the Center for Action and Contemplation (cac.org).