A Retreat for the Heart
The words of Psalm 10, verse 17 remind us about the importance of offering ourselves to God through our heart in prayer: “O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear.” In the ancient world, the heart was considered to be the center of the body. While they didn’t fully appreciate the physiological nature of the heart pumping blood, they did understand that it was the seat of the physical and spiritual life. To them, it was important because all of the thoughts, emotions, and desires originated from the heart. A recent book written by Robert J. McCarty, a renowned youth minister and former executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, called The Heart of a Disciple, published by Paulist Press, gives us an excellent way to think about our faith. The short book (only 114 pages) is a series of reflections about how hearts can be conformed to God’s. Each of the 15 chapters examines the he...
