To Follow You, Light of Life: Spiritual Exercises Preached before John Paul II at the Vatican

A little more than a year before his death, Pope John Paul II gathered his closest aides for an extended retreat at the Vatican. During this retreat Bruno Forte offered a series of meditations revolving around Jesus’ words in John 8:12: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Now translated by David Glenday and collected in this lovely book, these meditations draw us into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and orient us toward the mission of the Church. A master of thoughtful questioning, Forte shepherds his readers through the classic Ignatian spiritual exercises: a day of purification, a day of illumination, and three days of reflection on Easter, the church, and mission. Each day includes four meditations, two reflecting on the day’s theme followed by two careful considerations of scriptural texts. Forte concludes his meditations with questions that provoke deeper reflection on our own faith journeys. Thoughtful, insightful, and nurturing, Forte’s book has much wisdom to offer all Christians who desire to follow more closely the “Light of life.” This book includes a forward by Pope John Paul II.