Return to the Root
May 2022 —Reviewed by Jon M. Sweeney on Spirituality & Practice
Sister Joyce Rupp has long been one of our favorite spiritual teachers, of any religious tradition. She is a Catholic nun of the Servite Order, a noted hospice worker, and the author of many books. You can read much more about and from her here in her Living Spiritual Teacher profile.
The chapters of this book originated in the messages Rupp has written for many years in her monthly newsletters. She selected among those and expanded on them.
An introduction speaks of the inspiration she draws from Rumi and Sufi teacher Kabir Helminski on how to realize “the essential Self” on the way toward wholeness. Sister Joyce explains: “From my perspective, this essential Self that Rumi encourages us to join consists of the abiding love reflected in the heart of Christ, a divine wisdom residing at the core of every being.” With this generous, interreligious spirit she proceeds to reflect on subjects such as love, prayer, breath, elderhood, service, gratitude, and stillness.
Throughout the book, an emphasis is placed upon “rootedness and stillness” as essential for every person’s well-being. Rupp writes: “The content of this book aims to strengthen your inner rootedness, to draw forth that loving nourishment contained in the Taproot of your deepest self.” Return, she encourages the reader, “to the Root of your root.”
