Jessica Powers (1905-1988) entered the Carmel of the Mother of God in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1941. For forty-seven years, she lived a contemplative life of prayer and fasting, of community and sacrifice, indeed, a life of faith, hope, and love. Her Scotch-Irish background marked her with both humor and melancholy, but her heart was centered on the mystery of God. God graced Jessica Powers with a poetic heart. Year after year, her words captured various aspects of our human journey: birth and death, love and fear, sin and grace, joy and sorrow. Jessica Powers was a "noticer"; few things escaped her attentive mind and heart. Graced with an agile pen, she was able to transpose life's experiences into verses that have enriched thousands of people's lives. We all stand in need of models and mentors, of witnesses of gospel living and wise guides. Although she would never have claimed this title, Jessica Powers is a mentor. Through her insights and creative writings, she has left us a legacy of wisdom that can sustain us on life's long pilgrimage. Though a cloistered contemplative, now deceased some twenty years, she continues to teach us many things about the ways of God and the wonders of God's world.
"Bishop Morneau's wise and pithy meditations from twenty-one masters of the spiritual life will carry you through the day. You'll want it in your purse or pocket."
Dana Greene,
author of biographies of Evelyn Underhill, Maisie Ward and Denise Levertov
