After 28 years in the religious life, Martin L. Smith left the monastic path. ‘….I took my leave of it for good and found myself for the first time facing the challenge of finding my own way. No one was shaping my life for me: now to find my own bearings, in a new life and a new city, with possibilities yet unknown …’ The reflections and musings in Compass and Stars are designed to help readers find their bearings in the life of the spirit today. With humour and pastoral sensitivity Martin L. Smith reveals the staleness and oppressive nature of many of our spiritual practices at a time when, more than ever, we need to stand back and let the fresh winds of the Spirit blow in our lives. From the spirituality of shopping to social justice, vocational discernment and channel surfing, the reflections in this book are designed to delight and make us think.