Imagine some personal hours face to face with Pope Benedict XVI, one of the greatest Catholic thinkers and spiritual writers of the twentieth century. In this slim volume, hundreds of short quotations and sayings taken from Benedict's papal writings, addresses, and homilies have been classified by the Christian virtues of which they speak, and then categorized according to the mysteries of the Rosary and the great themes of prayer, the Church, the Mass, the papacy, Sacred Scripture, the priesthood, and the saints. Praying with and reflecting on these spiritual gems, we feel the breadth and depth of their author's spiritual knowledge, experience, and ability to communicate a vibrant love of Jesus Christ, of the Catholic Faith, and of the people God has placed in our lives.

Pope Benedict's writings communicate an air of Christian authenticity arising from his deep and abiding relationship with Our Lord, and their clarity and precision serve as a faithful guide for those seeking to strengthen that relationship for themselves. Making time and space to cultivate our friendship with Christ will always be a challenge, but with this collection of Benedict's guiding insights in hand, we are better fortified to meet that challenge.