The Return to the Everyday with Colette Lafia

Colette Lafia is an award-winning writer, retreat leader, and spiritual director who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of the Spiritual Directors’ Institute at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, she also completed the Living School program in the Christian contemplative and mystical traditions. She is the author of The Divine Heart: Seven Ways to Live in God’s Love, which received a 2022 Nautilus Book Award, as well as Seeking Surrender: How My Friendship with a Trappist Monk Taught Me to Trust and Embrace Life, and Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others, named one of the best spiritual books of the year by Spirituality & Practice. As a contemplative teacher, Colette regularly gives retreats and workshops to an international audience both online and in person, and is a regular contributor to Gratefulness.org. In this episode, we speak with Colette about her latest book, Leaving the Shore: Experiencing Poetry as Prayer, out now from Monkfish Book Publishing. As we explore the relationship between reading and writing poetry and contemplative practice, Colette shares poems from the book along with prompts for guided mediation. We also discuss Colette’s work as a retreat leader and spiritual director, and the ways in which spiritual direction (or “accompaniment”) is emerging as a new ministerial form. See also:Colette’s website with information on books, workshops, and retreatsLeaving the Shore: Experiencing Poetry as Prayer at Monkfish Book Publishing Get full access to Tomorrow's American Catholic at www.tomorrowsamericancatholic.org/subscribe