▁anyone ▁had ▁something ▁they ▁wanted ▁to ▁talk ▁about — a ▁question ▁about ▁prayer , ▁a ▁problem , ▁a ▁special ▁joy ▁or ▁sorrow — they ▁could ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁pou st in ik . ▁ ▁The ▁pou st in ik ▁is ▁one ▁who ▁list ens , ▁and ▁shares ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁Christ ▁with ▁all ▁whom ▁he ▁enc oun ters , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁cup ▁of ▁tea ▁or ▁some ▁food ; ▁whatever ▁he ▁has ▁he ▁shares , ▁as ▁God ▁has ▁shared ▁all ▁with ▁him . ▁ ▁Catherine ▁D oh ert y ▁The ▁pou st in ia ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁spiritual ity ▁by ▁the ▁Catholic ▁social ▁activ ist ▁Catherine ▁D oh ert y ▁in ▁her ▁best - s elling ▁book ▁P oust in ia : ▁Christian ▁Spirit ual ity ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁for ▁Western ▁Man ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁ ▁Although ▁origin ating ▁with ▁ancient ▁starts y ▁( wise ▁Russian ▁el ders , ▁s g . ▁st are ts ), ▁D oh ert y ' s ▁popular ▁book ▁made ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁pou st in ia ▁accessible ▁to ▁modern ▁Western ▁people . ▁In ▁it , ▁she ▁describes ▁the ▁pou st in ia ▁as ▁" an ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁desert , ▁a ▁lon ely ▁place , ▁a ▁silent ▁place , ▁where ▁one ▁can ▁lift ▁the ▁two ▁arms ▁of ▁prayer ▁and ▁pen ance ▁to ▁God ▁in ▁at on ement , ▁inter cess ion , ▁re par ation ▁for ▁one ' s ▁s ins ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁one ' s ▁brothers