In her new book Praying Through Pain: A Scripture Based Journey, award-winning author and renowned spiritual director Barbara Lee offers readers a way to work through the turmoil of suffering and loss by incorporating the Ignatian tradition of praying with Scripture.
Lee is known for her ministry to the aging, and while Praying Through Pain is relevant to the older reader, pain can impact anyone at any time. Plus, pain is a personal experience and can be physical, emotional, or mental.
Lee herself is no stranger to pain but underscores that what she’s offering is neither a trite assortment of advice nor a cookie-cutter approach. “No one, least of all an author of a book on prayer, knows how you feel,” says Lee. “Well-meaning platitudes such as ‘Be patient,’ or ‘Offer it up’ are no help and can make you feel worse.”
Instead, she highlights the stories of people in the Bible who experienced pain, fear, anger, grief, and other emotions that can resonate with readers today. “Putting yourself in the position of someone who has had similar feelings can help you find the grace in whatever you are experiencing,” says Lee.
Praying Through Pain provides readers with a unique combination of Scripture and Ignatian spirituality, including a chapter on the daily Examen, as well as on the Ignatian principle of discernment.
Readers can explore the book through the table of contents, finding topics and themes that are important to them on any given day. Additionally, Praying Through Pain offers mini-prayers, words, and phrases that can be used when everything else is just too difficult.
About the Author
Barbara Lee is a spiritual director with a ministry to the aging. She is a retired attorney, a former US magistrate judge, and a long-serving member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps. She is the author of God Isn’t Finished with Me Yet and Answering God’s Call.
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