Christ offers us himself in the liturgy. Unfortunately, we often don’t allow ourselves to fully accept this gift. We distance ourselves from the love of Christ by keeping our storms, our fears and sins, our sorrows and disappointments, hidden from God. To get past our resistance to spiritual intimacy, this book “encourages us to encounter Christ in our vulnerability, exploring places within which we fear or about which we are embarrassed.” (From Introduction)

In the Midst of Our Storms: Opening Ourselves to Christ in the Liturgy presents a Eucharistic spirituality that integrates each part of our lives. The method author Roc O’Connor, SJ, calls Liturgical Contemplative Practice, aids worshippers in becoming consciously present to the Real Presence. Through this method, believers discover how Word, gesture, and symbol guide them to encounter the Risen Christ and to journey to where the liturgy calls them. By bringing their resistances and vulnerabilities into their relationship with God, they become present not only to Christ but to those they are here to serve.

“A beautiful invitation into the riches of the liturgical life, presented in a way that will appeal to both presiders and congregants alike, and that will enable all the faithful to more fully, actively and consciously encounter Christ in worship and prayer. Highly recommended.”

—James Martin, SJ
Author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“You will need an open heart when you open this book. Roc O'Connor will guide you through the landscape of the liturgy and the terrain of the spirit. As shepherd and poet, he leads a journey that will lighten your cares and enlighten your prayers.”

—Paul Turner