The Grain of Wheat: Aphorisms

This volume is unique among the works of the great theologian and spiritual writer Hans Urs von Balthasar. This collection of short, personal reflections and aphorisms is the fruit of prayer and study over the course of his life on the central themes of the Christian spiritual life. Von Balthasar’s intimate, precise, yet poetic style, and the intensity of his contemplative vision invites every reader to meditate deeply on the fullness and dynamism of Christian truths in all their splendor. In addition to his own meditations, von Balthasar also includes quotes and thoughts from some 30 saints and spiritual writers including Augustine, Francis de Sales, John of the Cross, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Teresa of Ávila, Fénelon, Thérèse of Lisieux, and more. These rich, thought-provoking gems provide wonderful meditations for laity by one of the masters of the spiritual life.