And You Will Find Rest: What God Does in Prayer

by Fr. Wayne Sattler

The Dark Night, by St. John of the Cross, and The Interior Castle, by St. Teresa of Avila, are the guides Father Wayne Sattler uses to explore the path of prayer leading to contemplation. On his own path, which eventually led to discerning a call to live as a diocesan hermit, Father Sattler began to more deeply appreciate the sound guidance of these two saints for understanding ‘what God does in prayer.’ For six years, he lived in a one-room cabin on an abandoned farmstead in rural North Dakota. Here, the material on this book was undertaken. Delving deeply into the works of these 16th century Carmelites, Father Sattler leads the reader through the intricate pathways leading to contemplative prayer, which he writes, “marks that point in prayer when what is being experienced is no longer merely the activity of man, but the pure activity of God.” Father Sattler has given numerous retreats and classes on contemplative prayer, and has often been requested to write a book that shares these insights with a wider audience. After returning to active diocesan priesthood in 2013, Father Sattler has pursued the completion of this work, which he hopes will offer clarity to this often-misunderstood subject. Father Sattler today serves as pastor of Saint Anne Catholic Church in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Genres: Catholic, Religion

Hardcover

Published May 1, 2020

Reviews

[Hyapatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing work of writing. This book is a bit "advanced" or may be difficult to understand or intimidating to the beginner Christian. However, it is the christian in those beginning stages who need this most. And that's almost everyone. Father Sattler, through his 6 years isolation, explains who God is, who we are, what sin and evil is, what the interior battle is, and how to live out our earthly lives in preparation for our eternal lives. Most importantly, he explains what prayer truly is, how to pray, and how to abandon self and align your will to only the Will of God. St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross are the patron saints that greatly assist him in this writing this work.

This book is a treasure, a deep study, and the content in this book alone can be contemplated on for a lifetime. I highly recommend to all Christians.

[Fr. Brisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approachable overview of St. Teresa and St. John’s doctrine on the development of the spiritual life

I found the text simple yet profound. Fr. Sattler opens the teachings of the two Spanish spiritual masters with eloquence and grounds the doctrine using helpful anecdotes and examples.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not for “beginners.” I’m nothing if not a lifelong work in progress myself and I found it something that needed to be read in small doses. It’s a great book, very thought provoking, but complex and could easily be read multiple times to get the full depth and breadth.

[Elisabeth Schmitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely needed to be at the right point in my spiritual life to really get a lot out of this book. But Fr. Sattler breaks down Interior Castles and The Dark Night in a relatable and digestible way that really gives you an understanding and desire to dive into contemplative prayer. This is one I will be reaching for many times in the foreseeable future.