Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart

I have had Father Jacques Philippe's books recommended to me on a number of occasions and by a number of different people. I have picked up the four I can find that are available in English. The title of this book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, just grabbed my attention and had to be read first. The subtitle of this book is: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart, yet for a small book of 110 pages, it really packs a lot of punch. This book was so good I have already put it back on my pile of books to be read. I know that I cannot glean all the great stuff from it in just one reading. For who in this hectic crazy world would not like a simple tool to help them find peace and to keep it once they have found it? This book will help you do just that. It is one I will add to my all time favorite list! Here are some sample quotes from the book: "The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us." P.5 "Because only this peace of heart truly liberates us from ourselves, increases our sensitivity to others, and renders us available to our fellow man." P.7 "It is that Christian life is a combat, a war without mercy." P.8 "Every Christian must be thoroughly convinced that his spiritual life can in no way be viewed as the quiet unfolding of an inconsequential life without any problems; rather it must be viewed as the scene of a constant and sometimes painful battle, which will not end until death - a struggle against evil, temptation and the sin that is in him. ... And this combat is, correctly viewed, the place of our purification, of our spiritual growth, where we learn to know ourselves in our weakness and to know God in His infinite mercy." P.9 "One of the dominant aspects of spiritual combat is the struggle on the plane of thoughts." P.13 Then the second section lists and goes over the causes of our loss of peace and how to regain it. There are some great tools for the spiritual life in this section. The third section in this book is a series of quotes and excerpts from a number of Saints on the process of searching for peace, and on how to maintain that peace. These saints are: * Juan de Bonilla * Francis de Sales * Teresa of Avila * Marie of the Incarnation * Francious-Marie-Jacob Libermann * Padre Pio These extended quotes will support and expand upon the information in the first two sections of this book. This book is a must for anyone who really wants to grow deeper in their walk with God and in living in the peace that Jesus Christ promised to his followers. Other Books By Fr. Jacques Philippe Searching for and Maintaining Peace Time For God Interior Freedom In the School of the Holy Spirit Choose to be Free: the Power of Faith Hope & Charity (A different edition of Interior Freedom) (These are all his books I have been able to find in English; if you know of any others or how to get them let me know p

This is a great little book and I recommend it to everyone, Catholic and protestant alike. It is a very practical guide with some nice quotes from the Bible, Saints and the authors own advice. It is about, you guessed it, searching for and maintaining peace. It is fairly short, 100 pages, in fact it is more of a glorified pamphlet than a book but still a great read. I'm finding that I am moving through it very slowly because I stop and think and pray and re-read so many parts of this book. I think I'll make this an annual thing to read it as it has very valuable advice in it.

This is a great book. I got it for a Spiritual Theology class. The class is more of a formative class than most - hence this book I highly reccomend. It's an easy read and great for adoration. It wil chanllenge you and confirm you but most importantly it will bring you closer to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. God Bless and good reading!

This work is a gathering of practical suggestions and selected quotations organized in order to help the reader to find how to get peace and make it growing. It addresses all kind of situations everyone is involved in her/his busy life and could be a cause of struggling and loosing peace. In addition to offer excellent spiritual readings, it is a masterpiece of literacy for its own style and for the many quotations of selected authors it presents. It helps believers and non believers to reflect on their own beahavior and get confidence in what they are supposed to address right now. Besides, it helps to leave away the past (that does not subsist any more) and to be confident in the future (that does not exist yet) to address peacefully actual tasks. Somehow I would include it among the best wotk both of psychology and spirituality. I dare to suggest this reading to students and teachers, not the ones only in philosophy and theology, but even in methodology and science: I would suggest to read the book to know how to fix their heart before configurating their head with studies, method of work, business organization, speed reading and memorizing systemes. I know people who read it once and then continue to keep it to consult it again and again. every page is comforting, helpful, and give you peace.

Who wants to lead a more peaceful life? I think most everyone does, and Father Jacques Philippe does a wonderful job explaining the great importance peace has in the role of being a Christian. He also clearly writes about how to develop peace, what prevents us from having peace, and how to remedy those problems. This is an excellent and very readable handbook on developing true peace, the peace Jesus wants us to have. It makes a great book for meditation. I highly recommend this book because it gives the reader insight into the peace we have through the Cross, a peace from God that is developed and exists with our suffering, not a passing imitation. Peace be with you!