"In August 2004, the parents of Lee Busabos '87 invited me to the annual dinner at their home in Bristol for the anniversary of Lee's death.  The guests agreed that there was a need for a book on the difficulties of loving our neighbor, comparable to the many excellent books on contemplation which have been published in the last 60 years, beginning with Difficulties in Mental Prayer by Eugene Boylan, OCSO.

"A few weeks later I mentioned this need at a meeting of the advisory board of New City Press, publishers of books on spirituality - at whose request I wrote my book on St. Benedict.

"A year later, Madeline Nugent asked me who might publish a biography she had been asked to write on Charles Lutz, a young New Englander with symptoms of sanctity who had been killed when struck by a car.  I suggested New City Press, and she called them.  Instead of the biography, they told her to write a book with me on the topic of love of one's neighbors, which they needed.

"So, the reason why Madeline and I wrote this book is because the publisher told us to!"