Awakening Love: An Ignatian Retreat with the Song of Songs

by Fr. Gregory Cleveland, OMV

The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the Song of Songs are spiritual masterpieces that have changed countless lives and intrigued saints throughout the ages. Now, for the first time ever, these two treasures are joined in a unique book that will open your heart and soul to God’s personal love for you. Whether you are making a retreat, want to grow closer to God, or are simply looking for spiritual reading to nourish your spirit, these pages will awaken a new awareness of God’s love in your heart!

Paperback: $22.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

 

“A great book is like a tree that offers shade to anyone who needs it. Awakening Love is such a tree. I am confident that many people will find their longing for the Lord met by the Lord’s even greater thirst for them—and their soul will be stretched to infinite horizons.” — from the foreword by Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, author of Beginning Contemplative Prayer and Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach
“Fr. Cleveland was my novice master. He taught me the Ignatian way of prayer, led my thirty day retreat, and prepared me to give my life to God as a religious. Reading his new book, I see that while he is no longer my novice master, he’s still the master. His rich reflections and powerful culling of sources in the spirit of St. Ignatius will awaken a deep love for the Lord.” — Father Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
Awakening Love beautifully marries the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola to the biblical Song of Songs in a comprehensive do-it-yourself retreat format. It’s perfect for busy people seeking a deeper relationship with God.” — Dr. Mary Amore, Executive Director of Mayslake Ministries 
 Awakening Love brings us back to the core truth of all time: Jesus is the greatest good in our lives. Writing with insight, passion, and pastoral verve, Fr. Cleveland shows us how to respond to God’s gift with total self-giving that is both appropriate and supremely joyful.” — Father Peter John Cameron, O.P., Editor-in-Chief, MAGNIFICAT 
 “Fr. Cleveland draws upon an extensive array of saints, Church Fathers, literary figures, and contemporary authors to portray the life of prayer and spiritual growth.  In a pressured world that ‘lives too fast’ (Thoreau), Awakening Love offers a path toward spiritual depth and a renewed relationship with God.” — Father Timothy Gallagher, OMV, author of Discernment of Spirits, an Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fr. Gregory Cleveland, OMV, was ordained a priest with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary in 1995. His first assignment was to St. Andrew’s Parish in Avenel, New Jersey, where he worked especially with the poor, disabled and imprisoned, completing an M.Div. in Theology and an M.A. in Spiritual Theology. He obtained certification in spiritual direction from the Center for Spiritual Development in New York City and returned to Boston to work seven years in seminary formation, as Rector and Novice Master. For seventeen years, Fr. Greg served as Executive Director of the Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality in Denver, Colorado, where he offered spiritual guidance and retreats, as well as spiritual director training.  He is currently a Retreat Master at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat and Spirituality Center in Venice, Florida.  Fr. Greg is the author of Awakening Love: an Ignatian Retreat with the Song of Songs (Pauline Books and Media, Boston, 2017), and Beholding Beauty: Mary and the Song of Songs, (Pauline Books and Media, Boston, 2020), both finalists for the Excellence in Publishing Award by the Association of Catholic Publishers, as well as Beloved Lover, Priesthood in the Song of Songs (En Route Books and Media, St. Louis, 2023).

 

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