Drawing on the wisdom of Pope Francis and the spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, austen Ivereigh has written a captivating spiritual guide for our turbulent age.

Designed as an eight-day Ignatian retreat, First Belong to God serves as a roadmap to deeper discipleship. It does this by focusing on the three foundational forms of belonging: to God, to creation, and to others.

Whether you're embarking on a solitary spiritual expedition or a journey with like-minded individuals, First Belong to God offers the next best thing to a personal retreat with Pope Francis: a full-soul immersion into his wisdom via the classic Jesuit retreat that shaped him profoundly.

About the Author
An Ignatian layman who has done the eight-day Exercises for many years, Dr Ivereigh is Fellow in Contemporary Church History at the Jesuit-run Campion Hall in the University of Oxford, and has been involved at different levels in the synod on synodality. First Belong to God is based on a retreat he gave to the British Province of the Jesuits in 2020. Ivereigh is the author of two renowned biographies of Pope Francis: The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope (Henry Holt / Picador 2014/15) and Wounded Shepherd: Francis and his Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church (Henry Holt, 2019). He also collaborated with Pope Francis on his vision for the post-Covid world, the New York Times bestseller Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future (Simon & Schuster).

Reviews

'an amazingly rich book, which everyone, both believers or doubtful, can benefit from reading with patience and pondering with care.'

* The Irish Catholic *

'offers insights into the priorities and teachings of the Pope, while exploring the wisdom of St Ignatius on which the Pope has drawn throughout his life.'

* Independent Catholic News *

'A well-designed guidebook with pragmatic instruction for spiritual retreats.'

* Kirkus Reviews *

'What Ivereigh has done here is to adapt this quintessential experience of Ignatian spirituality and make it accessible in an attractive format... a book to work with, [it] will repay judicious use'

* Church Times *

'... a wonderful aid to anyone keen to engage with what Pope Francis has been saying...a formidable and easy to use resource for parish and religious communities.'

* The Tablet *

'A wonderful tool for anybody who would like to do a retreat either individually or as part of a parish or community group'

* Faith Alive, Mid-West Radio *

Anyone who engages prayerfully with [this book] will surely find that their own outlook has been enlarged and enriched

* The Furrow *

Ivereigh gives us a beautiful series of exercises, based

on the Spiritual Exercises and inspired by Pope Francis, to help us rediscover

the freshness of grace and the way in which the incarnation continues in

our own lives.

* The Way *



Book Information
ISBN 9781788126694
Author Austen Ivereigh
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Messenger Publications
Publisher Messenger Publications