By Deacon James Keating

Deacon James Keating's book affirms that the sharing of hearts is a necessary commitment in both marriage and prayer. If we can learn what the key elements to sharing the heart are and equally what the key elements to receiving the heart of another are, then we will know the greatest of intimacy in both prayer and marriage. The mingling of the love of spouse with and in the love of God is and has always been the foundation for a life of peace, creativity, and vibrancy, not to mention sanctity. In fact, we cannot even understand what marriage is unless we look at how Christ loved His Bride, the Church, till the end (Jn 13:1). For the baptized, Christ has joined His love for the Church to the Sacrament of Marriage and Marriage, to His love for the Church.

Each couple is called to allow Jesus to bring them into this great love of His. The couple is not supposed to do all the "work" of love; they are called to let Jesus gift them with His own spousal love. In other words, couples should let Jesus live His spousal love for the Church over again in their own love for one another. They do this by simply asking Him in prayer to do so and by sharing their needs and desires with Him. Marriage is not a "self-help" relationship; it is a deep partnership with Christ.

• Binding: Paperback
• Pages: 54

Deacon James Keating, PhD, is Director of Theological Formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF) at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Before joining IPF, he taught moral and spiritual theology for 13 years at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Keating has led more than 400 workshops on moral theology and spirituality nationwide. He regularly conducts retreats and parish missions. Some of his more than seventy essays on Christian Ethics and Spirituality have appeared in publications throughout the country.

He served as editor of the Josephinum Journal of Theology (1993-2006), and of the books from Paulist Press entitled, Spirituality and Moral Theology: Essays from a Pastoral Perspective (2000); Moral Theology: Fundamental Issues and New Directions (2004) and The Deacon Reader (2006; this book won first place in the Catholic Press Association awards). He has a weekly radio program addressing topics in Catholic spirituality and morality heard on KVSS, Omaha.

Dr. Keating has authored or edited 11 books and numerous articles in the field of moral and spiritual theology including The Way of Mystery: Eucharist and Moral Living (Paulist Press, 2006) and Pure Heart, Clear Conscience: Catholic Moral Life (Our Sunday Visitor Press, 1999, Re-issued by Liguori Press, 2003). He has new books forthcoming entitled, Resting on the Heart of Christ: The Mission and Spirituality of the Seminary Theologian; A Deacon's Retreat (Paulist Press); and Lessons My Dad Taught Me About the Priesthood (ed.)

Married to Marianne, they have three sons, Kristoffer, Jonathan and Liam, and a daughter, Ina. He was ordained a deacon in 2001 for the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio.