AUTHOR: Anselm Grün, O.S.B.
PUBLISHER: Narcea (Colección Espiritualidad, 15ª edición, 2009)
BOOK SUMMARY
This book addresses the existential crisis that often arises between the ages of 40 and 50, understood as a profound opportunity for spiritual growth. Grün, a Benedictine monk and psychologist, reflects on how the discontent often experienced during this stage of life can be transformed into a “spiritual task” of self-knowledge, healing, and inner renewal.
Drawing on authors such as Johannes Tauler and Carl Jung, he suggests that this stage invites us to release commitments, rediscover our true vocation, and open ourselves to a new, more authentic identity.
KEY QUOTES
“It is strange to observe how people who have gladly embraced life… upon reaching forty, abandon their commitments. (…) This is not light reading but a radical confrontation.”
This quote invites us to transform crisis into a call to the depths of our being, to listen to what must be released and what is ready to be reborn.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VALUES OF THE DAF FOUNDATION
Within the framework of active compassion, awareness, transformation, and integral well-being, this book serves as a guide for reviewing one’s life from a place of spiritual responsibility. It is ideal for individuals in periods of deep introspection, including collaborators and beneficiaries of the Foundation who are going through times of change.
WHY WE RECOMMEND IT IN THE LITERARY CAFÉ
- It helps navigate the “midlife” stage with purpose, a time often marked by inner reordering.
- It integrates psychology and spirituality, offering clarity and support during life transitions.
- It is a valuable resource for those who live their vocation of service more fully and consciously.
GUIDE FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR SELF-DIALOGUE
After reading, we invite you to take a moment of silence and inner writing to answer with honesty and openness:
- Are there commitments, roles, or habits that need to be revisited or released?
- What part of myself have I stopped listening to over time?
- Reflect on talents, desires, intuitions, or paths not taken.
- What wounds or voids are surfacing more strongly at this stage of life?
- How could I view them with compassion, without judgment, and turn them into opportunities for healing?
- What does “spiritual maturity” mean to me?
- How can I embody a more authentic, personal, and free spirituality at this stage?
- What would I like to explore with greater courage and depth?
