Joan Chittister is a Benedictine Sister who has written more than 35 books and is widely acknowledged as a visionary Catholic leader and teacher. She is one of our Living Spiritual Teachers. This volume is another in Thomas Nelson's The Ancient Practices series. Joan Chittister presents the church year as the spiritual adventure that it is, filled with dramatic events, dynamic characters, and vibrant emotions. She writes with passion and honesty about the sacredness of the liturgical seasons, including the feast and fast days.

For the author and many committed Christians, the liturgical life is not a relic from the past that has no relevance to our lives today. Chittister puts it this way:

"The liturgical year is the calendar of the spiritual life, the epicenter of the soul's progress through time. It punctuates our civic year with the mystery of who we are really meant to become. . . . It reminds us of roots deeper than time and stronger than tribe."

Those with glad hearts and fervent souls see worship as a natural response to the grace of God. Chittister covers Sundays (a day for holy leisure), Advent (the human experience of waiting), Christmas (the coming of the light), Lent (a symphony in three parts), Pentecost (the day of unmitigated joy), Ordinary Time (focusing on the fine art of living the Christian life), the Sanctoral cycle (saints, heroes, and models from a holy past), and Marian feasts (pondering being a vehicle for Divine presence). Thanks to Chittister's insightful and inspiring perspective, you will see how the rhythms of the church year can teach your soul to dance once again.