Now Available!
BUY NOWPractical Insights
Discover a deeper and more fulfilling prayer life
A Closer Relationship
An inner closeness and intimacy with God is available to each and every one of us
A New Perspective
Learn to trust the promises that God has given us and transform your perspective
Written to guide you deeper...
This book is for all those longing for a friend to guide them in practical and real ways, to a deeper and more fulfilling prayer life.
The Inner Chapel: Embracing the Promises of God guides you in entering your inner chapel, a sacred space within us where God resides, through prayer and Ignatian spirituality practices.
The Inner Chapel will help you look at your life and acknowledge all the ways God was and is a part of it. At the end of each chapter, you are guided into entering the inner chapel as well as reflecting on related Scripture. Inner closeness to God is available to all.
Spiritual Growth is Like Stepping in the Ocean
Our relationship with God in prayer reminds me of watching my children on the beach. Our prayer lives begin with us on the sandy shore with Jesus at our side, just thrilled to be with us. He is there whether or not we are aware that He longs to be in relationship with us. At some point, we perceive His presence. I can imagine Him standing with us on the beach, pointing into the ocean of endless possibilities of our relationship with God and asking us, “Are you ready to go into the waters? Do you want to go deeper?”
Even though Jesus is right there with us, pointing the way, it is also as if the ocean of spiritual possibility beckons us to enter, awakening in us that same desire to put out into the deep, as it does my kids when they swim.
Suffering Makes Us Compassionate
Read the full review and excerpt here.
This promise of a companion in our suffering does not end with the darkness of Good Friday and Jesus’ death. This promise of companionship continues even if our lives linger in Holy Saturday for a long time when we find ourselves stuck between our loss and the hope of new life.
New life does come. One sign of new life that comes after suffering is that we become more loving, more faithful, more generous, and more compassionate. St. Ignatius says, “There are truths that can be discovered only through suffering or from the critical vantage point of extreme situations.” I can honestly say that there are truths I learned through suffering that—while I do not want to go through such pain again—I consider great gifts of understanding, for which I am grateful.
What people are saying…
Listen to Becky on Podcasts
Becky & Anita Lustrea talk about The Inner Chapel and finding a way to a life of hope on Faithful Conversations
Becky and Tony discuss stillness, prayer, and more on Christopher Closeup with Tony Rossi on Sirius XM
Becky shares insight into contemplative prayer & Ignatian Spirituality on Off the Shelf with the Catholic Book Blogger
Becky talks suffering and The Inner Chapel on The God Show with Pat McMahon
Read about The Inner Chapel
Inner Chapel Author Interview on My Little Catholic Home
Discover a Deeper Prayer Life in the New Book The Inner Chapel from the Jesuits USA Midwest Province
Becky explains what the inner chapel is to her on IgnatianSpirituality.com
Becky and Boppy, Becky’s grandfather, offer a rich understanding of Ignatian spirituality through the stories of our everyday lives. Becky invites us to discover the many God moments that are real, tangible and present as we go about our routine activities at work or home or at play.She helps us get in touch with our own inner chapel – thus the appropriate title of the book. Becky’s many stories… We are both cook and teacher, we dip into the ocean differently, we turn helping our children ride a bike into a story of reflection and ministry, to name a few, bring us to a deeper understanding that we are called to a spiritual and sacramental awareness that surrounds us… We only have to notice it! Becky offers awesome practical tools and examples of how to best long for God as God longs for us. What a joy to “fill my spiritual tank” because of Becky‘s insights in The Inner Chapel.
I am constantly busy, overwhelmed with all sorts of to-do lists and tasks that often stretch me beyond my limits. In the midst of that craziness, this book seems like exactly what the doctor ordered. This book has helped me to find God speaking with me from within my very soul… often the place I forget to look for grace and peace (as I am always searching for it externally).
I also enjoyed the fact that, in the second half of the book, Becky gets at what Jesus is trying to say to us… and I found echoes of countless spiritual teachers in her words of wisdom, especially St. Ignatius of Loyola (and his companion and Jesuit brother, Pope Francis) who help us to hear God speaking them to us. These lessons are so incredible: so simple and obvious but also so profound and central to who we are… you need to rest, you are safe, you belong, you are never alone, you are loved, you are forgiven, and so on.
If you need to take a much-needed break, this is the medicine you’ve been looking for. I loved this book and I think others will too.
Additional Resources
Loyola Press & I have put together some great FREE resources for you. From a discussion guide to prayer resources like videos and audio reflections, we want to help The Inner Chapel come alive for you and your group.
Books, Mugs & Bundles
Celebrate the launch of the book with a new gorgeous “Going to my inner chapel” mug or get the mug bundled with one or both of Becky’s books.
Living and Leading in the Deep – It Takes a Village
It Takes A Village: Forming Community to Found A New Ministry Becky Eldredge does me a great honor considering me a midwife for Ignatian Ministries. A midwife is one who accompanies a woman during and after pregnancy, present during labor and delivery, to help her...
Living and Leading in the Deep – Community
Community – And every day the Lord added to their numbers As we have discerned all of the various aspects and desires we were holding for Ignatian Ministries over the past year, community has always been an integral part, or a “cornerstone” of the ministry. Our desire...
Living and Leading in the Deep – Offering the Living Water
At the well Jesus met the woman who was thirsty. We can all identify with the busyness and thirst experienced by the woman at the well (John 4: 5-30). She was likely busy with tasks to complete, like gathering water, and all of the other tasks and labors required for...