"Let go and let God." This popular phrase captures the essence of Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade's 18th century treatise on trust, Abandonment to Divine Providence. Do you doubt? Do you suffer? Are you anxious about the trials of life? Father de Caussade offers the one sure solution to any spiritual difficulty: abandon yourself entirely to God by embracing the duties of your station in life. With wisdom and gentleness he teaches how to practice complete submission to the will of God in every situation, whether we are beginners or seasoned travelers on the way of perfection. True abandonment, he explains, is a trusting, peaceful, and childlike surrender to the guidance of grace.

Fr. Caussade's Abandonment to Divine Providence is a book for all those who, in the words of St. Benedict, "Truly seek God". Fr. Caussade's spiritual teaching was derived from two extremely pure sources, St. Francis de Sales and St. John of the Cross. Another source of influence on Caussade were his penitents, the Nuns of the Visitation. Fr. Caussade effectively synthesizes both Salesian and Carmelite traditions in this book, which comprises his letters and dialogues on prayer. Fr. Caussade refers to the Salesian teaching of self-abandonment and simplicity, and the Carmelite emphasis on grace as a dynamic force that enlightens and cleanses the soul. When speaking of death to self, he refers to "abandonment" "trust" and "acquiescence". He impresses upon the reader that abandonment may be taught and practiced by repeated acts. It is the duty of every Christian to acquire this virtue.