Carlo Carretto

“Carretto makes it look so natural to be a human being, to be a believer, and even to be a saint. He writes so simply and lovingly that one can almost avoid the rage of the prophet and the mind of the mystic, but not for long! Carlo Carretto rubs off on you.” –Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

Carlo Carretto (1910-1988) was a member of the Little Brothers of Jesus, the order inspired by the spirituality of Charles de Foucauld. Through his bestselling Letters from the Desert and more than a dozen other books, Carretto presented an ascetic, yet joy-filled spirituality that called to mind the spirit of his favorite saint, Francis of Assisi. Especially appealing to lay people, he showed that it was possible to live a contemplative life in the midst of the world. This selection from over a dozen books covers the spirituality of the desert, Carretto’s reflections on God, the church, prayer, engagement with the world, and the mystery of suffering and death.