Abide in the Heart of Christ

In Abide in the Heart of Christ, Rev. Joe Laramie, S.J., offers accessible wisdom from the foundations of Jesuit spirituality—St. Ignatius Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises—in a ten-day personal retreat that will help you encounter Christ, grow your relationship with him, and shape your heart.

Laramie is your guide through this accessible retreat into the heart of Jesus. Based on a structure and approach he developed as a retreat leader at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Laramie introduces you to classic themes of the Christian life, including sin, forgiveness, and creation.

This book also helps you learn how to use key scripture passages to reflect on your own experiences. Each reflection includes teachings from the Spiritual Exercises and offers examples from Laramie’s own life. Reflection questions and activities guide you in further contemplation to help you see what’s in your heart, encounter Christ in your daily life, and live more fully in his love each day.

Rev. Joseph W. Laramie, S.J., is a campus minister at St. Louis University, where he also earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in communications. He studied at Kenrick Glennon Seminary prior to joining the Jesuit novitiate. He studied graduate theology at Boston College, earning master of divinity and licentiate degrees. He was ordained a priest in 2011. Laramie’s ministry has included working with the homeless in Minnesota and Oregon and with hospital patients in Illinois. He taught at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado, and Rockhust High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and also worked as a missionary to Mayan villages in Belize. Laramie also served as a preacher and spiritual director at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. Laramie’s work has appeared on jesuits.org, The Jesuit Post, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the White House Jesuit Retreat blog, and SLU.edu. He has been a guest on Relevant Radio and EWTN radio.

“St. Ignatius never meant for the Exercises to be for Jesuits alone—this wisdom is meant for the whole church. Fr. Joe Laramie has made the genius of Ignatius available to all Catholics.”
Zac Davis
Associate editor at America Media and cohost of the podcast Jesuitical

“Fr. Laramie is your tour guide who takes you on a journey with Christ. Like a good tour guide, he leads you to a special place and then steps back and allows you to have your own experience.”
Rev. Mark Thibodeaux, S.J.
Author of Reimagining the Ignatian Examen

“An eminently simple and accessible yet profound way to build the habit of praying from the heart.”
Rev. Christopher Collins, S.J.
Author of Three Moments of the Day

“Fr. Joe Laramie’s Abide in the Heart of Christ is a beautiful introduction to St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises. I hope that those who long for a deeper dive into prayer will take up this accessible, user-friendly book with a pen and journal in hand in order to discover the ways that God invites us into greater life and love.”
Tim Muldoon
Author of The Ignatian Workout