An experienced Jesuit retreat giver offers an antidote to a world that's overfilled with noise, ceaseless activity, too many words: a simple and sympathetic guide to quiet contemplative prayer.

We live in an age of bombardment of the senses, ceaselessly assaulted by traffic noise, canned music, the ubiquitous waiting-room TV, coworkers' conversations. Even those treasured moments of quiet prayer time before worship have been snatched from us by conversations all around us in the church. The sanity solution? Contemplative prayer. Throw away the script, the shuffling through prayer books for just the "right" words, and accept the fact that God simply wants you to gaze at him while he directs his loving gaze at you. No words, no formulas--just loving, attentive presence. Franz Jalics, SJ, shows you how. His simple, practical book is filled with fine insights and a realistic sense of present-day people and their concerns. Questions at the end of each brief chapter invite you to relate your life experience to the kind of prayer he wants to teach you. +