{"product_id":"fire-from-above-christian-contemplation-and-mystical-wisdom-9781622823352","title":"Fire from Above: Christian Contemplation and Mystical Wisdom","description":"\u003cp\u003eA humble prayer calls down fire from above, and as we learn to live a life rooted in prayer, this heavenly fire grows into a profound awareness of the presence of God. This is the deepest purpose of prayer, and making this journey is essential for reaching the heights of holiness for which we were made.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eFire From Above\u003c\/i\u003e, Dr. Anthony Lilles, Academic Dean at St. John's Seminary in California, shows you how to put your whole life in conversation with the Risen Lord within the Catholic tradition of spirituality. The wisdom of great saints and mystics will help you discover how to surrender your pride and appeal to God with humble trust, and how prayer addresses your deepest human needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr. Lilles then shows you how the mystery of prayer unfolds, and how God provides heroic levels of courage and deep internal resolve through humble and persevering devotion. You'll examine how spiritual battles and dryness in prayer are essential to reaching communion with God, including the dark night of the soul. In these remarkable pages, you'll also explore: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy finding time to pray is always possible and necessary even when life is busy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow the proper use of sacramentals can render the heart more vulnerable to God's saving power while protecting it from evil.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractical ways to confront self-deception and other challenges to contemplative prayer.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow forgiveness and bearing hardships are means for spiritual maturity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe indispensible role of Our Lady in the life of faith\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRead these pages, and you'll soon embark on the epic adventure which is the life of prayer, and you'll find encouragement to desire neither the goods nor the experiences of this world, but instead to pursue alone the Lord and His divine plan for your life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnthony Lilles is co-founder and Academic Dean of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation and also serves as the Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Theology at St. John's Seminary. He is a founding faculty member of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary where he was Academic Dean for nine years. Dr. Lilles has provided graduate level courses on a variety of topics including the Eucharist, the Sacraments of Healing, Church History, Spiritual Theology, Spiritual Direction and on various classics of Catholic Spirituality.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Sophia Institute Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50697433841938,"sku":"9781622823352","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_cf122e18-3b32-4c37-a834-dd3c2edb673a.jpg?v=1734301800","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/fire-from-above-christian-contemplation-and-mystical-wisdom-9781622823352","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}