Just before she died of brain cancer in April 2020, Macrina Wiederkehr gifted her friend and coauthor Joyce Rupp with one of the many journals she kept over the years where she reflected on scripture and her own spirituality. Rupp writes in the foreword for Open Wide My Heart, I observed certain currents of yearning and faithfulness that remained throughout the decades: a thirst for an ever-fuller relationship with the Holy One; a tremendous respect for scripture as an incentive for spiritual transformation; a recognition of not being all she hoped to be regarding her inner growth; and a continual return to a belief in her essential goodness.

That is the essence of Open Wide My Heart, which pulls together two years of personal reflections by Wiederkehr, a beloved spiritual author, popular retreat leader, and Benedictine sister. These brief yet poignant writings serve as guideposts as you begin or deepen your scripture study and offer gentle direction for your faith and a better understanding of daily life.

Wiederkehr also shares nuggets of spiritual wisdom she gained in her reading, including

experiencing God in the everyday; living fully present in the moment; and accepting the grace that comes from God, other people in your life, and the world around you.

Open Wide My Heart is an invitation to learn from a bestselling spiritual writer’s practice and witness her deeply meditative approach to scripture and life. In the process, you can grow in confidence in your own scripture reading.