Description Ruth Burrows is the pen name of Sister Rachel, OCD, a nun in the Carmelite monastery in Quidenham, England, and the author of more than a dozen books on prayer and the mystical life. Describing the central theme that runs throughout her work, she writes: "God offers himself in total love to each one of us. Our part is to open our hearts to receive the gift." That theme is reflected in the writings assembled here.