Margaret Silf

Inner Compass offers a practical guide to greater self-knowledge and spiritual awareness through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Close to the Heart opens up a world of imaginative yet simple ways to approach individual prayer. Going on Retreat is a valuable resource for anyone considering a retreat experience.

An Invitation to Ignatian Spirituality

Inner Compass

Landmarks

The Other Side of Chaos gives us the courage to trust God when life is breaking down and to see our messes not as something to be rescued from, but as something that will help us break through to a place where God makes all things new. Discover a new way to navigate chaos and to find meaning in the messes of life.

Breaking Through When Life Is Breaking Down

The Other Side of Chaos

Guided by Ignatian principles, this book looks at techniques for prayer, ways of focusing prayer, problems in prayer and ways of moving on.

Adventuring Into Prayer

Taste and See

There are many books that explore actual, physical, sacred space and pilgrimage sites. This is a different kind of book. It introduces seven traditional 'sacred spaces' but then leads readers into a deeper reflection on what such 'sacred space' means in our own lives and experience. The various sacred spaces explored are: the Celtic Cross; the infinite knot; hilltops; wells and springs; causeways and bridges; thresholds and burial grounds; and boundaries. In each chapter, the author introduces a 'sacred space' as the main theme and then illustrates this by associating it with a particular stage of life and a particular sacramental experience. The ideas are then brought together by means of a scripture story.

Stations on a Celtic Way

Sacred Spaces

"Her spare prose a mute rebuke to the anecdotal loquaciousness of many self-help books on the spiritual life, Silf aims to help her readers craft thoughtful decisions in a world in which options seem endless and decisions pressing"--Publishers Weekly.

A Spiritual Guide to Making Life's Decisions

Wise Choices

Just Call Me Lopez is a recipient of the QED Seal, which stands for Quality, Excellence, Design for ebooks and applications and a PIA (Publishing Innovation Awards) finalist. What do we have in common with a man from the sixteenth century—or even more so, a saint from the sixteenth century? Probably a lot more than you think. St. Ignatius of Loyola wasn’t always the heroic and holy figure that you hear about today; he was a flawed, fallible, and relatable man named Íñigo Lopez. In Just Call Me Lopez, a twenty-first-century woman, Rachel, meets the man who becomes the saint, and both are transformed by their unlikely friendship and series of thought-provoking conversations. Their worlds literally collide when Rachel is struck by a hit-and-run driver, and Lopez is there to help her. They realize that this chance accident is actually an act of God that allows Rachel and Lopez, through the medium of their friendship, to come to terms with their personal struggles. Lopez shares his life with Rachel, describing the obstacles he faces during his unbelievable conversion from a womanizing soldier to a man of God. While Rachel keeps mostly silent about her personal struggles, she observes and is astounded by Lopez’s metamorphosis from mess to mystic. Rachel finally faces her troubling situation, and Lopez gently guides her through the process of discernment to make a difficult, but inspired, life choice. Just Call Me Lopez helps us realize that our very human faults and imperfect behavior do not prevent us from receiving God’s grace; rather, knowing our weaknesses and giving ourselves over to the Holy Spirit can create a new way for us to live.

Getting to the Heart of Ignatius Loyola

Just Call Me Lopez

Is your spiritual journey more like a trudge? Does the Church hinder more than it helps? Here is a warm, welcoming and realistic guide from an immensely popular author for all who may be feeling spiritually jaded. Whatever our circumstances, Companions of Christ shows us how to embark on a journey of the heart, starting wherever we happen to be and however fit or unfit for the journey we may feel. With the help of practical spiritual exercises throughout, Margaret Silf shows us how to keep faith despite the odds. This can be a major breakthrough for beginners and seasoned Christians alike, it includes practical teaching on great Ignatian themes: imaginative scriptural meditation, spiritual discernment, detachment and practical praying.

Ignatian Spirituality for Everyday Living

Companions of Christ

First Place, Inspirational category ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards, 2012 From satisfying work to sudden unemployment. From a happy marriage to a hurtful divorce. From caring for the kids to caring for an aging parent. These are just a few of the countless ways that life hurls us into the chaos of change, where our certainties are shaken and our faith may even begin to falter. But what if we saw the chaos—the “mess”—of our lives not as something to fear or eschew, but as something to be embraced? In The Other Side of Chaos, best-selling author Margaret Silf looks closely at the subject of chaos—and the intrinsic transition it brings—through the lens of Christian spirituality. Through Scripture stories and verses, personal accounts, and other anecdotes, Silf helps us develop an authentic “spirituality of transition” that leads us to live out life’s changes constructively, creatively, and confidently. Ultimately, The Other Side of Chaos gives us the courage to trust God when life is breaking down and to see our messes not as something to be rescued from, but as something that will help us break through to a place where God makes all things new.

10th Anniversary Edition Whatever path you’re on, God is there to guide you . . . Anyone seeking to deepen his or her relationship with God will greatly benefit from Inner Compass, Margaret Silf’s dynamic presentation of the profound insights of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. While reflective, the work exudes a congenial, practical outlook and a thoroughly modern sensibility. As Silf points out, the book “grew out of questions rather than certainty, discovery rather than doctrine, the experience of everyday living rather than academic study.” This tenth-anniversary edition of the acclaimed Inner Compass features a new introduction and personal invitation to the reader, plus a significantly expanded resource section. Devoted followers of Ignatian spirituality and spiritual seekers alike will find that wherever life has led them, Inner Compass offers renewed direction and purpose and helps them recognize the will of God within their own hearts.

Are you bogged down in your spiritual journey? Does church seem to hinder more than it helps? Here is a welcoming and realistic guide for all who may be feeling spiritually jaded. Whatever your circumstances, Companions of Christ will show you how to embark on a journey of the heart, starting wherever you happen to be and no matter how unfit for the journey you may feel. In Companions of Christ popular British writer Margaret Silf unearths the gold mine of spiritual wisdom to be found in the legacy of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Ignatian spirituality sets out an engagingly down-to-earth vision of connecting with God in everyday life. Neither a recipe for a privatized spiritual life nor an agenda imposed by someone else, the Ignatian vision is centered on companionship, which means literally to "share bread" with another. It latches onto God's presence in stories, in other people, in the created universe, and even in God's apparent absence. Perfect for those whose faith in God or patience with the church is flagging, Companions of Christ contains very practical teaching on great Ignatian themes -- imaginative scriptural meditation, spiritual discernment, and honest prayer. Incorporating helpful spiritual exercises throughout, Silf shows both tentative and seasoned believers how to keep faith despite the odds.

A fascinating and wide-ranging anthology of wisdom stories from different cultures all over the world and different time periods This vivid and varied collection of stories is gathered together by an experienced and well-respected author and speaker from a wide range of time periods and cultures around the world. Stories can be a powerful means of communication; each of these stories has a spiritual message at its heart, meaning that they can be read at many different levels and enjoyed by all. They are ideal for personal use and will also be a valuable resource for church leaders and school teachers. Divided into eight thematic sections, underlying story topics include: The Created Universe; Human Relationships; Rites of Passage; A World in Pieces; Suffering, Healing, Growth; The Journey to the True Self; The Road to Transformation; and The Dream Fulfilled.

One Hundred Wisdom Stories from Around the World

This fascinating book brings together wisdom from around the world and through the ages. Sources include the Bible, new science and new cosmology, native spirituality, folk stories, natural history, poetry and commentary on life situations by wise people (e.g. Desmond Tutu and Kahlil Gibran). Themes include: * Original wisdom (the wisdom that makes possible the universe we know) * Natural wisdom (the wisdom in the created world) * Native wisdom (the wisdom expressed in all human traditions from the earliest stages of our human journey) * Life wisdom (practical wisdom we gather and pass on) * Desert wisdom (wisdom we gather in the dark times) * Guiding wisdom (the wisdom that gives us direction) * Unfolding wisdom (the wisdom unfolding around us that reveals that we don't have all the answers). The Way of Wisdom will appeal to all those searching for a deeper meaning and sense of connectedness in their lives.

The Way of Wisdom

British author and retreat director Margaret Silf develops the image of life as a sea voyage to shed new light on the spiritual journey. The art of sailing life's waters is explored with this delightful self-guided retreat. Silf uses seven aspects of sailing to explore the spiritual life: the boat, the cargo, setting sail, navigating uncharted waters, the perils of the deep, being adrift, and dropping anchor. Her creative use of scripture, reflection questions, journal starters, and real-life seafaring wisdom enables readers to reflect on their experience with fresh insight. This gentle spiritual guidebook unites ancient spiritual practices with contemporary experience in a compassionate, enlightening manner that Christians of all faiths will appreciate.

A Spiritual Guidebook to the Heart and Soul

At Sea with God

Wisdom for life's journey from around the world

In Simple Faith, author Margaret Silf encourages us to rethink many of the teachings on faith that end up holding us back from experiencing the joy and freedom that a simple faith offers. In short but compelling chapters, Silf provides answers to many important questions of faith: Does life really have meaning? Why do bad things happen to good people? For all who struggle with conventional religion, Simple Faith is a simple way to help them draw closer to the Divine and find life-changing meaning in a new kind of faith. "

Margaret Silf

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