Having read and studied with several books of Christine Valters Paintner over the years, I anticipated the release of her most recent work with excitement and a bit trepidation—eager for the opportunity to learn about connecting with the unseen beings of the world and yet concerned the book would be a repetition of previously suggested exercises connected to new topics. The Love of Thousands, however, has put any hesitation to rest. The topical material is new and the creative explorations are a mixture of contemporary and traditional exercises to support one’s communion with the multitudes of unseen beings around us. The book far exceeded my expectations. In this most recent work, Christine Valters Paintner presents a gift to the world designed to assist readers in cultivating relationships with beings of the unseen world. Roughly a quarter of the book is dedicated to the connecting with angels, a quarter to connecting saints and mystics and half to connecting with ancestors. Throughout the book, the reader can sense the author’s passion for the topic and a spiritual maturity that creates a desire to join in the journey with her. Grounded in Christianity, Paintner also draws parallels from other monotheistic religions and spiritual traditions to make the material accessible and relevant to readers outside of the Christian world. The author shares her own stories of connection with angels, saints and ancestors, woven with a solid foundation of wisdom pulled from both ancient and modern texts. This manner of writing gives the reader confidence to trust the guidance offered in the book as well as validate the reader’s own experiences with the multitudes beyond the physical realm. Characteristic of Paintner’s other study books, she uses a pattern in each chapter that begins with background material on the subject and suggested practices inviting the reader to open the door and cross the threshold into their own depths and spiritual journey. This opening is followed by a guided meditation and idea for creatively exploring the topic. Each chapter ends with a blessing. Thus, within every chapter the individual reader can engage the material at whatever level is comfortable, from a cursory review to an extended journey of discovery. This books lends itself to personal use or as a guide for group study. I highly recommend The Love of Thousands.

Christine’s latest book, “The Love of Thousands,” couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for me. The gentle way that she leads one through this retreat in book form is such a blessing. As with other books she has written, “The Love of Thousands” is something to be immersed in. Each chapter invites the reader to explore each topic through the lens of personal stories, art, reflection, and poetry. Christine sets the stage by sharing her own story/journey with the Ancestors while inviting the reader to come along side with their own story. My dad passed away on July 8th, 2023 and he was the last of my wife and my parents. Dementia had been robbing him (and me in return) of his own story yet in the midst of the muddled stories he told, kernels of truth came through. I will be revising what Christine has written as my own journey of mourning and seeking continues. This is certainly a book to savor and to come back to again and again.

The Love of Thousands leads readers through a heart felt exploration of archangels, guardian angels, saints, mystics, and presence of ancestors as active parts of our lives if we are willing to open ourselves to their presence. She explores and explains how they can be active guides in our lives as we travel our individual journey towards God.
Each chapter Paintner does a beautiful job of introducing the topic, grounding her words in quotes from Scripture, saints and mystics. She then offers opportunities to reflect, meditate, practice and creatively explore. These experiential opportunities are key to integrating what is learned into real life application.
 
This is not a book to read in one or even two sittings. This is a book to sit with, meander through each chapter, go deep with each opportunity to reflect and practice. A chapter a week would afford the opportunity to truly immerse yourself into the depth of the opportunity and begin to recognize how your are held and guided by so many.
This is a book I will return to again and again!

Christine's latest book, "The Love of Thousands," is not a book to read from cover to cover in one sitting or even several sittings. Perhaps dipping into the wisdom of its pages one chapter at a time is best. Sections on Angels and then Saints come first in the book so we learn how to call on these safe, wise and loving beings to help us before heading into the loving healing work of our ancestral lineage, where not all of our ancestors beyond the veil might be healed. Each section of Angels, Saints, and Ancestors has detailed researched knowledge made easily accessible and understood by Christine's personal stories and experience, which she shares freely with us. At the end of each chapter, there is a practical suggestion, a meditation to try, and a blessing to savour. "The Love of Thousands" has been written from deep experience and offers invaluable wisdom for the healing of our life's journey.

Integrating Exercises

The outstanding element that makes this book so valuable to readers is its opportunities for integration. Each chapter offers four embodied applications to help us explore the contents and root them in our own sacred experiences and mystical encounters. These multimodal applications invite Practice, Meditation, Creative Exploration, and Blessing – each being a practical exercise for engaging with the chapter’s specific theme and invitations.

The Abbess’s loving concern for her readers’ needs is evident throughout. The book’s humane pacing offers an abundance of distilled wisdom that never overwhelms our capacity to attend to the particulars that shimmer for us. Without overload, the generous offerings invite us to stretch beyond our habitual boundary-markers. In the expansive space that opens, we learn how to engage with angels, saints, and ancestors.

Such engagements serve to root our developing holiness in the realities of everyday life, and thus empower our service to the world.