If my correspondence is anything to go by, writes Benedictine artist and author Dom Hubert Van Zeller, the problem which men and women living in the world most want to discuss is that of how to handle the affections. The fruit of Dom Hubert’s experience as a spiritual director, these 42 short reflections are culled from his correspondence, and engage with questions surrounding the cultural upheaval which followed World War II, the first stages of the sexual revolution, and the modern world’s apathy towards God. Dom Hubert’s witty and incisive reflections draw on a varied and colourful array of sources, including Tacitus, Milton, Evelyn Waugh, and Saint Benedict, and address such topics as:

The almost-but-not-quite saint Purity, chastity, and understanding the opposite sex
Perseverance in prayer, faith, and work The point of Sacramental Marriage Simplicity in art, prayer, and everything
Two mistakes people make about sin (other than committing it) Why contemplative vocations are more frequent among women.

With insights that remain relevant today, Dom Hubert provides advice helpful for young and old, for the spiritually motivated and listless alike, in a short book which clearly presents the universal call to holiness.