Henri Nouwen believed in praying with his eyes open by gazing at icons, an act that touches at the core of Eastern spirituality. “Icons,” he says, “are created for the sole purpose of offering access, through the gate of the invisible, to the mystery of the invisible. Icons are painted to lead us into the inner room of prayer and bring us closer to the heart of God.”

In Behold the Beauty of the Lord, Nouwen’s meditations on four Russian icons invite readers to view icons as holy places, not as decorations. He urges readers to enter these holy places, making them their own, and to ultimately see for themselves the beauty of the Lord.