We all hurt in various ways--pain from childhood, unspoken fears, memories that remind us of loss--but Anthony Delisi, a Trappist chaplain, teacher, and retreat leader for nearly sixty years, shows us how to bring all of these to God as we learn to pray "in the cellar." This engaging guide to contemplative prayer will take you through the depths of what it really means to follow Jesus's instructions for prayer: "When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret." Fr. Delisi encourages us to accept Jesus' invitation to enter our interior cellar and in the darkness let our fears come to the surface. Along the way, he also shares his own experiences and reflections on his own journey toward discovering God's deepest healing, and love. This inviting and helpful book is for all of us who have had trouble praying because memories, family, loves, concerns--life!--gets in the way.

"I laughed and criedsometimes both in the same paragraphat Father Delisis naked honesty in facing his private fears...This book is good for everyone, regardless of whether one wants to expose fears to God for healing. Father Delisi, founder of the Lay Cistercian movement, has a masterful wit and even offers tidbits on growing tomatoes."

Marion Amberg

St. Anthony Messenger

January 9, 2006

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