{"product_id":"the-love-of-thousands","title":"The Love of Thousands","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it possible that angels, saints, and even our departed ancestors support and inspire us throughout our lives? How can we connect with them in a real way?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChristine Valters Paintner, popular spiritual writer and abbess of the online Abbey of the Arts, says these sacred beings are paving the way for our journey toward God’s love, even as we pass through a world rife with struggle, discord, and violence. In \u003cem\u003eThe Love of Thousands\u003c\/em\u003e, she helps us open up our spiritual imagination to encounter our heavenly helpers, allowing us to become everyday mystics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePaintner describes saints, angels, and our ancestors as sacred beings who surround us like concentric circles, watching over us with compassion and offering us spiritual guidance throughout our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Love of Thousands\u003c\/em\u003e, she guides us to see the ways these beings support us, from the care of our guardian angels, to the wisdom of the mystics, to the witness of our loved ones who have crossed the threshold to the light of God’s presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePaintner’s gentle guidance reveals that we can be inspired and sustained when we are open and attentive in exploring our connections to these holy companions walking alongside us. Transformed by the encounter, we can grow into the kinds of ancestors—part of the Communion of Saints—who offer spiritual support and wisdom to others in turn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout \u003cem\u003eThe Love of Thousands\u003c\/em\u003e, we are led to explore and better understand\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\t\u003cli\u003ethe teachings from scripture and tradition about the four archangels, the protection offered by our guardian angels, and what it might look like to wrestle with angels as Jacob did in the Old Testament;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\t\u003cli\u003ethe witness of the saints and mystics, with an exploration of how we are all called to be mystics;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\t\u003cli\u003ethe tradition of relics and the practice of pilgrimage;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\t\u003cli\u003ethe presence of our ancestors, inviting us first to claim the blessings of our family heritage and then to embrace grief and explore healing the wounds of our lineage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter includes a reflection, practice, meditation, and creative exercise that will help cultivate an ongoing relationship with angels, saints, and our ancestors. Paintner also suggests various ways to engage with this book to reflect more deeply on the spiritual content, such as reading it over the course of a year or with others as a form of spiritual pilgrimage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFind supporting materials, including a companion album, at abbeyofthearts.com.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ave Maria Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67640337334362,"sku":"1-932057-33-1","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0699\/1367\/3818\/files\/9781932057331.jpg?v=1791488454","url":"https:\/\/deaconstore.com\/products\/the-love-of-thousands","provider":"Deacon Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}