Way of Holy Joy: Selected Writings of Sofia Cavalletti, a compilation of writings by the co-founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, focuses on the spiritual life of the child. With the exception of one, these have not previously been published in English. As the title suggests, these essays shine a light on an often overlooked spiritual reality: the joy that is found in the relationship between God and the Child.

A scholar of Hebrew Scriptures and co-founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Cavalletti devoted 50 years to observing children as they encountered God in the Bible, in the Liturgy, and in the sacraments. Her appreciation of the child's response, coupled with her own theological insights, provides the reader with a fresh yet profound understanding of why Jesus tells us that we must become like little children if we want to enter the Kingdom of God. The titles of two of the essays, "The Child as Parable" and "The Child as Peace," convey something of this significance.

Sofia Cavalletti is most readily associated with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, an approach to the spiritual formation of children that she developed with Gianna Gobbi and to which she gave her unflagging energy and attention even into her 90s. She also sought to share the fruits of this work through her writing. The essays included in this volume, which is being published shortly after her death in August 2011, also reflect her involvement with the wider church community, including her work on the relationship between the Catholic and Jewish faiths. Those interested in children's spirituality will find these essays a source of inspiration and insight. Perhaps more importantly, all who seek to live out their baptismal calling as Christians will benefit from meditating on these reflections. One of the most important, though perhaps unintended, effects of Cavalletti's work has been its impact on adults. By focusing on what is most essential, what is at the heart of faith-a relationship with a Person-many have discovered for themselves this "way of holy joy."

Translated by Patricia Coulter