In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart -- The Journal of a Priest at Prayer Paperback – October 27, 2016

If you are looking for a book that will convict you and encourage you to appreciate the Eucharist more, this is it. Every page draws you in, and it almost feels like a love letter to the soul by Jesus Himself. The journal entries are structured in a way that Jesus is speaking to the priest, telling him the importance and beauty of Eucharistic adoration, the priesthood, the Mass, His saints, devotion to His Immaculate Mother, etc. From the moment I started reading this book, I couldn't put the book down. Every page was refreshing, eye-opening, and utterly intriguing. I started appreciating the Eucharist more, attending daily mass more often, and I looked forward to my weekly holy hour. As an avid book reader, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is arguably in my top five list of spiritual readings, along with "Imitation of Christ" and "He and I." Lastly, this book is easy to highlight since the pages are fairly thick.

In Christianity, the central core is the revelation that ‘The Infinite’, the ‘Wholly Other’; ‘That which cannot be named’; is revealed to us as a deeply personal loving God, In Jesus Christ. Many prefer Deism, an impersonal force who made the Universe, then left it alone. A relationship does not enter into the equation, nor any concept of love, obedience and humble service to the creator.Christians often forget the depth of God’s love as presented to us in Jesus Christ. He told his Apostles, and tells us today, “That to see me, is to see the Father”. It is a hard reality to grasp. It is for me. All the years as a monk I have struggled with this central mystery of Christ Jesus’s revelation of the Father’s love for each of us. It is because my heart is protected. I fear the pain that love brings, yet I seek to dive more deeply into it. So there is an inner contradiction that I experience that can only be healed by the grace of the Father’s burning love. There is a standing invitation to allow ourselves to be drawn into the eternal dance of the ‘Holy Trinity’, which will never be withdrawn from God’s side.The paradox to this is that in order to fully allow God’s love to embrace me, I have to grow in the understanding of my inner-self and the often not so beautiful aspect of that. I can be fearful, that leads to anger, which at bottom, anxiety is feeding it all. I am 69 years old and at this stage of my life, finally starting to open up and to trust in God love for me. It has taken many self-inflicted wounds, the experiencing of my own self-hatred, and alienation, that has slowly healed me.For in my darkest hour, when filled with my own misery and isolation, the light of God’s love has always broken through. I have accepted the fact that I am pursued by God, and that God will never let me go. Yet I am free and have had to make a choice to trust even when drowning in my own misery. For it is all lies, that I am beyond help, or healing, or mercy. We are all vessels of God’s love and each of us is called to allow Christ Jesus to incarnate in each of us. Our capacity to receive God’s love grows as we continue to grow in love and trust. When I pray I now feel my connection to every human being who are on their journey towards healing and deeper intimacy with God, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.In the book “In Sinu Jesu”, Jesus speaks to a Benedictine Monk of his love for each of us, and in a special way, for the priest, and how that love is manifested in his abiding presence in the Holy Eucharist. As a Catholic, I can take the reality of Christ Jesus’s Eucharistic presence for granted. This book can open up anyone’s heart to the infinite depth of God’s love for each of us, without exception.Karl Rahner stated that ‘private revelations’, are given to the church at different points in time because it is needed. It is not a new revelation but stated in terms that can be understood by people in certain eras. Today, love has seemed to have grown cold, or colder. So we need to be reminded of the Fathers infinite love for each of us.On Tuesday, January 26th, 20 10 (pg. 139) Jesus relayed this message to the Benedictine monk:“Do you not see how much I have been calling you to trust in me? Trust is the key that opens all the treasures of My merciful and infinitely loving Heart. I am touched by a single act of trust in My merciful love more than by a multitude of good works. The soul who trusts in Me allows Me to work freely in her life. The soul who trust Me, by that very fact removes the obstacles of pride and self-determination that impede My freedom of action. There is nothing I will not do for the soul who abandons herself to me in a simple act of trust”.Either ‘fear’ or ‘trust’ is growing in the soul. The more we love, fear will lessen. The opposite is also true. The more we believe ‘fear’, then ‘trust’ will weaken. Fear is a form of self-absorption, trust is letting go of being overly concerned about one’s self and seeking to grow deeper in intimacy with the beloved.As Christian we are called to be lovers, to show forth Christ infinite love for all. When that is forgotten, then fear, and anxiety, and anger will come to the fore. That is how we protect ourselves from others, we place barriers. It is only by the healing of our inner defenses, which we receive through Jesus Christ, that we can let go of fear. It is not something we can do on our own, yet we can make a free choice to trust and in that God’s healing love will flow through us.There is nothing that can stop God loving us, yet we can choose to turn our backs on that reality. Each day is a new beginning. Each moment even. For no matter where we find ourselves, there is always a way out through the merciful love of Christ Jesus. We stop being victims and can step forward in hope and faith and love. –Br.MD

This is the prayer journal, over several years, of an anonymous Benedictine Monk, relaying what God seemed to say to him in prayer. A few things are specific to a monks life, but most is relatable for everyone. It is very encouraging, leading us to let go and trust Our Lord, who shows himself so loving and forgiving, but also guiding. This book has been a blessing.

What if you can be like John the beloved and lean on Christ? What if you can hear Jesus' heartbeat & speak to your heart? What if Jesus tells you what to do, HOW HE WANTs to adored and how lonely he is waiting for your to come visit him?Powerful book. Reads like a diary/love letter/ dictum. Although this was written to instruct priests, Read for yourself since we are all called to be priest (to offer Him a sacrifice of praise) , prophet (to proclaim the gospe! I'm word and deed) and king (to rule or have dominion of His creation) by virtue of our baptism.Give your priest or bishop this. Read. Be inspired. Learn to love and adore the Eucharist like our entire being depended on Him because we truly do. How lonely Jesus is waiting in all the tabernacle of the world- shut, locked, put aside. When one falls in love deeply in Jesus, one will fall in love in His Sacramental Love in the Holy Eucharist. Not merely taking it every Sunday like driving while asleep on the wheel. But receive Jesus with great joy and anticipation way better that winning the lotto!!When one gets to that point of boundless love for Jesus in the Real Presence, the motions of genuflecting, bowing, adoring, modest dressing on Sunday when we meet Him, and praising Him in the tabernacle becomes one's nature with No hesitation or shame. They are not merely church "rules" or options to do but one will DO these out of infinite love for Jesus.I bet anyone who gets an audience with a queen or a princess or be invited to a wedding will dress appropriately, curtsey/bow to meet the honored person . (I mourn for Jesus to.see ppl dress like they are going to a picnic or a sports outing at Church). Don't you think Jesus deserves more respect than that ?? (love Him with all your soul, mind and heart)? At mass, we are actually celebrating the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB with unseen angels and saints among us with their unceasing love and adoration for Jesus. let' s celebrate His wedding.with Joy, modest garment, and our undivided attentio n (we do that in human weddings why not do the same for the Lamb?)This book will make you yearn for Jesus, adore Him THE WAY he tells YOU (like the monk that he summoned) and look at the HOLY EUCHARIST as truly the source and summit of our Catholic faith and not the "Bible alone." We Catholics like it both - liturgy of the Word & liturgy of the Eucharist!