Literatura Recomendada
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When we began to think about books we would recommend, we thought it best to prioritize and categorize the list. Originally, this list was compiled for those who are in a discernment process, but has since grown to include something for all of us. We recognize that God speaks to us in different ways; thus, we have listed books in order of importance (according to us) within four categories: “Modern Spirituality, The Classics, Theology, Inspirational Fiction and Non-Fiction.” Certainly, there are many other books that could be added to this list and we welcome anyone’s input concerning additional books on this list. It is easy to notice, we have focused on three writers: Ronald Rolheiser, Henri Nouwen, and Richard Rohr. While we have selected a few specific texts, anything they have written is worth reading. In the end, we simply wanted to provide a starting place for the spiritual growth of anyone discerning – on any level.
Most of the information below comes from the website of Barnes and Noble. This includes notes from the publisher and comments from the critics. In addition, we have tried to add our own thoughts below their comments.
MODERN SPIRITUALITY
The Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality
By Ronald Rolheiser
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Ronald Rolheiser makes sense of what is frequently a misunderstood word: spirituality. In posing the question "What is spirituality?" Father Rolheiser gets quickly to the heart of common difficulties with the subject, and shows through compelling anecdotes and personal examples how to channel that restlessness, that deep desire, into a healthy spirituality.
This book is for those searching to understand what Christian spirituality means and how to apply it to their own lives. Rolheiser explains the nonnegotiables—the importance of community worship, the imperatives surrounding social action, the centrality of the Incarnation, the sustenance of the spiritual life—and how spirituality necessarily impacts every aspect of human experience. At the core of this readable, deeply revealing book is an explanation of God and the Church in a world that more often than not doubts the credibility of both.
FROM THE CRITICS:
Publishers Weekly
"Spirituality is about what we do with our unrest... [it] is about what we do with that incurable desire, the madness that comes from the gods, within us." Rolheiser (Restless Heart) contends that the late 20th century is marked by a kind of spiritual restlessness, even though the spiritual landscape is littered with a variety of "spiritualities." He argues that there is richness in such spiritual diversity and plurality, but that many seekers lack direction in their spiritual search. Rolheiser develops a Christian spirituality that he believes offers some definite direction for seekers. At the heart of a healthy Christian spiritual life, he says, there must be four essentials: "private prayer and private morality; social justice; mellowness of heart and spirit; and community as a constitutive element of true worship." At the base of Christian spirituality, he notes, is the Incarnation of God in human flesh. If Christians can focus on the embodied character of their theology, then the four essentials of Christian spirituality become easier to embrace. In the latter half of the book, Rolheiser develops sketches of a spirituality of community (ecclesiology), a spirituality of sexuality and a spirituality of justice and peacemaking. We can sustain ourselves in the spiritual life, he notes, by being a mystic, sinning bravely, gathering ritually around the Word and breaking the bread, and worshipping and serving the right God. Rolheiser's program for Christian spirituality is reminiscent of the best work of Henri Nouwen and Daniel Berrigan. (July) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
Any book from Rolheiser is worth reading. His writing represents a healthy mix of the intellectual and anecdotal. He is the half-way point between Richard Rohr and Henri Nouwen. This book is a must read for anyone considering a life in the Church on any level.
Making All Things New
By Henri Nouwen
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
"During the past few years, various friends have asked me, 'What do you mean when you speak about the spiritual life?' Every time this question has come up, I have wished I had a small and simple book which could offer the beginning of a response. I still felt that there was a place for a text which could be read within a few hours and could not only explain what the spiritual life is but also create a desire to live it. This feeling caused me to write Making All Things New...
FROM THE BASILIAN:
This is classic Nouwen. For those not familiar with his style, it is very personal. He writes from and to the heart so much more than the head. He is solid, but emotional without being fluffy.
Weeds Among the Wheat
By Thomas Green
FROM THE PUBLISHER
With wisdom and common sense, Father Thomas Green engages the topic of spiritual discernment and shows that it is a function of an individual's personal relationship with God. Discernment, he says, is where prayer meets action.
Practice the Presence of God
By Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The Practice of the Presence of God consists of conversations, letters, and maxims on how we should live, with the idea of cultivating the sense of the presence of God in the soul and, indeed, in the world around us. We need this great spiritual classic now more than ever, when we are overwhelmed by the vastness of today's problems. We need to return to the simplicity of Brother Lawrence, whose "little way" lightens our burdens and rejoices the heart.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
The teachings of Brother Lawrence have always been popular, but recently have found their way into the modern day lives of working individuals through the teaching of Laurence Freeman. While there is a technique, there is no method to evaluate our awareness of the presence of God – it is what it is – a discipline. Very similar to centering prayer, Brother Lawrence focuses on stilling our souls, bodies and most difficult – our minds. No doubt, you could spend a lifetime reading this book and never achieve its “goals.”
Practicing the Power of Now
By Eckart Tolle
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Eckhart Tolle is emerging as one of today's most inspiring teachers. In The Power of Now, a #1 national bestseller, the author describes his transition from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. Tolle took another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques, and meditation theory but is also eminently practical. In The Power of Now he shows readers how to recognize themselves as the creators of their own pain, and how to have a pain-free existence by living fully in the present. Accessing the deepest self, the true self, can be learned, he says, by freeing ourselves from the conflicting, unreasonable demands of the mind and living present, fully, and intensely, in the Now.
FROM THE CRITICS:
AudioFile
The author shares ideas about personal integration with uncommon eloquence and a deep understanding of the human condition. Our true identity is in our moment-to-moment experiences rather than in our past or future. Concern about anything but the present is an unhealthy identification with the mind that can only cause pain and an illusion of control. Being totally aware of ourselves in each moment actually requires little effort or direction if we stop our thoughts long enough to find the pure consciousness that exists in the gaps between them. These ideas will be radical for most Westerners, but they are so smoothly elucidated that almost all seekers of inner truth will find something of value in the program. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine
FROM THE BASILIAN:
This book is quite similar in concept to Practicing the Presence of God; however, it does approach our ability to live in the “now” using a more intellectual and scientific method. It could best be summed up like this: Start with Brother Lawrence for the spiritual understanding, then turn to Tolle for the “how.”
Life of the Beloved
By Henri Nouwen
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This spiritual classic began as a simple request from one friend to another. Fred Bratman, a secular journalist and writer, asked friend and renowned author Henri Nouwen to write a book explaining the spiritual life in terms that he and his friends could understand, avoiding theology and technical language. "Speak to us about a vision larger than our changing perspectives and about a voice deeper than the clamorings of our mass media. Speak to us about something or someone greater than ourselves. Speak to us about... God." Nouwen's answer has become one of the most cherished books of our era. "All I want to say to you is, 'You are the Beloved.'" To know God, Nouwen writes, is to know that we are beloved -- beloved before our birth, beloved regardless of our successes and failures, and beloved even in the midst of great suffering and anguish.
FROM THE CRITICS:
AudioFile
What is our place in the world in God's eyes? How can we blend service and spiritual worship with the harshness of the everyday world? How can we, imperfect and each broken in our own way, feel beloved by the Almighty? Nouwen ponders these topics in an open letter to a troubled friend. Methodically, the former instructor at both Harvard and Yale walks us through analogies and insights that bring us to a place of feeling beloved. His comments on his final years serving as pastor to the mentally disabled of L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto serve as counterpoint to his theories. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
FROM THE BASILIAN:
Though Making All Things New is at the top of the Nouwen list, this is one of my favorites. Ever since I read this book, the word “Beloved” has special meaning for me. It is a beautiful story to remind us of who we are and who we can be if we allow God to work in us. Forget the pain relievers, this is book is the best medicine I can recommend for anyone struggling with the direction of their life.
The Return of the Prodigal Son
By Henri Nouwen
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The beloved spiritual writer meditates on the parable of the prodigal son's return — a powerful drama of fatherhood, filial duty, rivalry, and anger between brothers — and its enduring lessons for Christianity.
Opening to God
By Thomas Green
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Missionary-priest and educator, Father Thomas Green, draws on his cross-cultural experience, his acquaintance with the great spiritual figures of Church history, and his own life as a "pray-er" to instruct on the subject of prayer.
Simplicity
By Richard Rohr
ANNOTATION:
A powerful call to the simple joys of life by America's foremost Franciscan. Bestselling author Rohr's radically simple call is to dare to trust in God and to trust in life and what it brings you. Rohr doesn't endorse passivity but active trust, finding the balance between commitment in the world and the ability to let go in God.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The ancient call of Saint Francis to the simple life is sounded once again by America's foremost Franciscan, Richard Rohr, in Simplicity: The Art of Living.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
I am convinced Rohr is a modern day prophet. His words have the ability to cut right to the heart of the issues in our lives, society and Church. Though this text is highlighted, anything by Rohr is worth picking up. And while his writings seem endless, he is certainly best know as the “Tape Priest,” recording lectures, books and other topics on audio cassettes and CD’s. For anyone who has a hard time reading, or travels a lot in the car – Rohr can be a great place to start.
Letters to a Young Catholic
By George Weigel
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
What it means to live, believe, and see things as a Catholic, from the bestselling theologian and biographer of Pope John Paul II. In this remarkable tour of the Catholic world, George Weigel helps us understand how Catholicism fosters what Flannery O'Connor called "the habit of being." Taking the reader by the hand, Weigel embarks on a journey to Catholic landmarks as diverse as Chartres Cathedral and St. Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina; the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and G.K. Chesterton's favorite pub; the grave of a modern martyr in Warsaw, and the Sistine Chapel. Weaving together insights from history, literature, theology, and music, Weigel uses these touchstones to illuminate the beliefs that have shaped Catholicism for two thousand years. With clarity and conviction, Weigel examines the foundations of Catholic faith and explores the topics of grace, prayer, vocation, sin and forgiveness, suffering, and-most importantly-love. Putting a dramatic face on this invitation to Catholicism, Weigel introduces some of the figures who have shaped his faith and thought-Michelangelo and Fra Angelico; Evelyn Waugh and Cardinal John Henry Newman; Father Jerzy Popieuszko and Pope John Paul II; Edith Stein and Mother Teresa-as he also shares anecdotes from his own Catholic life. To a world that sometimes seems closed and claustrophobic, he suggests, Christian humanism offers a world with windows and doors-and a skylight. In these letters, George Weigel conveys the power of a faith that is at once personal and universal, timely and eternal. His book will inspire not only the young generation of Catholics whose World Youth Day celebrations have launched an era of renewal for the Church, but also the faithful, the doubtful, and the searchers of every age.
Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina
By Michael Casey
From the Publisher
This work offers a bold and engaging examination of the Western tradition of lectio divin, the contemplative approach to sacred writings, notably the Bible and the Spiritual classics.
My Life with the Saints
By Fr. James Martin, S.J.
Publishers Weekly
Martin, a Jesuit priest and associate editor of America magazine, takes a splendid idea and develops it masterfully by weaving stories from his life into those of his favorite saints. Leading off with St. Jude, whom he affectionately dubs "the saint of the sock drawer" (where his statue of the saint of impossible causes took up residence after the author entered high school), Martin relates how he discovered various "saints" and how each has affected his life. Thomas Merton, for example, influenced his decision to leave a corporate career for the priesthood, and John XXIII taught him how to live chastely as a member of a religious order. Both Merton and Jesuit Pedro Arrupe served as models for obedience to religious superiors even as Martin's own superiors instructed him to avoid certain controversial topics in writing this book. Martin's personal experiences of befriending saints provide convincing testimony as to their efficacy as role models. He draws a distinction, however, between the superstition that sometimes surrounds Catholics' reverence for the saints and true devotion to them. Despite a theme built on a particular facet of Catholic belief, Martin's animated style and wide-ranging experiences make this a book readers of diverse backgrounds will enjoy. (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
When a friend rcommended this book, my first response was, "Another saints book?" Don't get me wrong -- I love the saints; which is why I responded with this statement. I have read so many, after a while, there are only so many you can read. In response to my disdain, my friend asked me to trust her on this one -- this one is different. When I finally picked it up, it took no more than 10 pages and I was hooked. This one is different. As the review from Publishers Weekly writes, Martin is a great story-teller. This book really is a must read, no matter how well you might know these saints.
THE CLASSICS
Interior Castle
By Teresa of Avilia
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
One of the most celebrated works on mystical theology in existence, as timely today as when St. Teresa of Avila wrote it centuries ago, this is a treasury of unforgettable maxims on self-knowledge and fulfillment.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
In my own experience, I have often found many of the “classics” hard to relate to, but this is one that continues to speak to me each time I read it. St. Teresa seems to have a pulse on the extroverted, sensation-driven personality of so many of us. Her struggles and joys are as real today as they were then. In addition she blends the theology of our heads with the spirituality of our souls with the emotions of our heart.
Mere Christianity
By C.S. Lewis
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
"In 1943 England, when all hope was threatened by the inhumanity of war, C. S. Lewis was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. First heard as informal radio broadcasts, the lectures were then published as three books and subsequently combined as Mere Christianity. C. S. Lewis proves that "at the center of each there is something, or a Someone, who against all divergences of belief, all differences of temperament, all memories of mutual persecution, speaks with the same voice," rejecting the boundaries that divide Christianity's many denominations."--BOOK JACKET.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
No doubt, we all know C.S. Lewis from his popular series The Chronicles of Narnia, but I consider this his best work. Like Rohr, Nouwen and Rolhieser, it is hard to go wrong with anything written by C.S. Lewis.
Confessions
By St. Augustine
FROM OUR EDITORS:
By his own account, St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D.354-430) lived a life of sin until his conversion to Christianity at the age of 32. Twelve years later he gave a personal account of his search for truth in the Confessions. Augustine's life is especiallyappealing because it is the story of a great sinner who became a great saint, and greatness is all the more admirable if it is achieved against such odds. He paints such a black picture of his past that the reader might easily lose sight of the goodqualities which he most certinaly possessed. Augustine's decision to accept the Christian faith is the central point of the book. To do so he must examine his life and faith through the following progression: first, a confession of his own sin and error; second, a recognition of God's goodness and truth; thirdly, thanks and praise to God for His mercy. Augustine is led from confession of sin to confession of faith, and finally to confession of God's glory. After hearing the sermons of Ambrose, Augustine began a great internal struggle which led to his conversion in 387. The Confessions describes his conversion, shedding light on the questions that troubled him.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Augustine's Confessions is one of the most influential and most innovative works of Latin literature. Written in the author's early forties in the last years of the fourth century A.D. and during his first years as a bishop, they reflect on his life and on the activity of remembering and interpreting a life. Books I-IV are concerned with infancy and learning to talk, schooldays, sexual desire and adolescent rebellion, intense friendships and intellectual exploration. Augustine evolves and analyses his past with all the resources of the reading which shaped his mind: Virgil and Cicero, Neoplatonism and the Bible. This volume, which aims to be usable by students who are new to Augustine, alerts readers to the verbal echoes and allusions of Augustine's brilliant and varied Latin, and explains his theological and philosophical questioning of what God is and what it is to be human. The edition is intended for use by students and scholars of Latin literature, theology and Church history.
FROM THE CRITICS:
Library Journal
The latest volume in the series "Augustine for the Twenty-First Century," which will offer the first complete translation of all of Augustine's works into English, adds yet another vision of the Confessions to the many already available. The fourth-century bishop of Hippo in North Africa wrote this extended prayer, the first true autobiography, to confess his sins and God's goodness. It has been a standard of spiritual literature ever since. Boulding (Marked for Life, Abingdon, 1996), a Benedictine nun of Stanbrook Abbey, England, offers us a fine, smooth translation that is a pleasure to read. Hers is also the first English translation to use inclusive language. There is a complete index, which greatly enhances the usefulness of this particular volume. For all readers.Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, N.J.
Seven Story Mountain
By Thomas Merton
ANNOTATION:
The autobiography of a young man who led a worldly life and then at the age of 26, entered a Trappist monastery.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century. This edition contains an introduction by Merton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader by biographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders-the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. The Seven Storey Mountain has been a favorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire Booth Luce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-century since its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome has been published in over twenty languages and has touched millions of lives.
SYNOPSIS:
Fifty years after it was first published and thirty years after Thomas Merton's death, The Seven Storey Mountain is hailed as a classic autobiography of faith.
Journal of a Soul
By Pope John XXIII
From the Publisher
No other pope of this century has aroused so much interest and universal affection throughout the world as has Pope John XXIII. Journal of a Soul is an inspiring reading experience that records this pope's thoughts and traces his spiritual development from adolescence to the seminary to a career as a priest, a European papal diplomat, Patriarch of Venice, and finally Pope John XXIII. This Image Books edition features a biographical portrait of Pope John by his personal secretary, Monsignor Loris Capovilla. It also includes several of his most moving prayers, sixty brief thoughts and aphorisms, his "Rules for the Ascetic Life," many of his letters, even his last will and testament. Christians everywhere will welcome the reissue of "one of the most original, interesting, and inspiring revelations of intimate personal experiences ever written," which "ranks well with the classic spiritual autobiographies." (Critic) Journal of a Soul, the first ever such work from a Roman pontiff, opens new windows onto the soul of the man himself.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
The first time I read this book (yes, there has been more than one), it was the first time I was living with a Basilian community. I was still coming to grips with my identity as a religious and a future priest. Many times, it was almost more than I could handle. This book got me through one day at a time. I took comfort reading about a pope who struggled just like I did. And it is the reason why I still open the pages from time to time.
The Sabbath
By Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel
From the Publisher
Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an "architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time Judaism, he argues, is a religion of time: it finds meaning not in space and the material things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals."
FROM THE BASILIAN:
Rabbi Heschel is one of my true heros. He has a way of bringing us back down to earth when it comes to God. He has written many books, but this one really is a classic. Be prepared to be challenged about your own practice of the Sabbath and be ready to read it from time to time. We all forget, but Heschel reminds us what is really important.
THEOLOGY
Great Themes of Scripture (Two Books: Old Testament & New Testament)
By Richard Rohr
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
"You are about to set out on a great adventure." Richard Rohr told his original listeners when The Great Themes of Scripture talks were recorded for St. Anthony Messenger Press in 1973. "Today the Lord will give you something new. All you have to do is ... come before the Lord expecting and wanting something more than you already have." Now, more than 100,000 tapes later, these powerful, challenging, inspiring talks are available in print thanks to the professional and sensitive editing of Joseph Martos. Martos, who compares his collaboration with Rohr to that of Rodgers and Hammerstein, says: "If I would acknowledge that the words are often mine, I must always admit that the music is Richard's." This first volume, The Great Themes of Scripture: Old Testament, offers newcomers to the Hebrew Scriptures a "feel" for their overall religious themes. But for all readers this book uniquely sounds the call of the Lord and invites response in a way that will touch lives as deeply as the original talks.
A Life of Promise: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience
By Francis J. Moloney
FROM THE PREFACE OF A Life of Promise:
“In a major statement on the Religious Life, the Council Fathers at Vatican II insisted that one of the main criteria for the post-concilliar renewal of Religious was to be “the following of Christ as it is put before us in the Gospel” (Perfectae Caritatis, 2). However, they went further than a simple statement of fact; they insisted that this particular criterion “must be taken by all institutes as the supreme rule.” (idem). A Glance back over the past eighteen years since the closer of the Vatican Council would show that a great deal has been done to attend to the other criteria for renewal indicated by the Council Fathers: a genuine study, understanding and appreciation of the charism of each Religious family, and a healthily critical “understanding of Church” (idem). While we have not always been successful in our efforts in these areas, serious and sustained attempts have been made. These changes in dress, forms of government, apostolic involvement and attitudes to the role of the Religious in the Church are obvious, visible, results of such efforts. But what of “the supreme rule:” the following of Christ as it is put before us in the Gospel.”
FROM THE BASILIAN:
Moloney’s Text is not the first book that should be read, but it is the best attempt I have seen to provide a Biblical foundation for religious life. Moloney is quick to point out that everyone should be living a life of poverty, obedience, and chastity; which raises the question: What is so special about the life of vowed religious? It is a book that calls into question what we have always understood about the vows, yet values the tradition of the Church. However, this is not a light read; rather, Moloney dives deep into the roots of our theology as can only be read in the Gospels.
INSPIRATIONAL FICTION & NON-FICTION
The Fifth Mountain
By Paulo Coelho
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
A Struggle of the Spirit and a Search for the Truth. Written with the same masterful prose and clarity of vision that made The Alchemist an international phenomenon, The Fifth Mountain is Paulo Coelho's inspiring story of the Biblical prophet Elijah. In the ninth century B.C., the Phoenician princess Jezebel orders the execution of all the prophets who refuse to seek safety in the land of Zarephath, where the unexpectedly finds true love with a young widow. But this newfound rapture is to be cut short, and Elijah sees all of his hopes and dreams irrevocably erased as he is swept into a whirlwind of events that threatens his very existence. In what is truly a literary milestone, Coelho gives a quietly moving account of a man touched by the hand of God who must triumph over his frustrations in a soul-shattering trail of faith.
Library Journal:
This fascinating retelling of the biblical story of the prophet Elijah by Brazilian novelist Coelho is smoothly translated to read like a modern novel. The fleshed-out tale follows Elijah as he flees his homeland of Israel, where Jezebel, Phoenician wife of the king, had ordered the murder of all who reject the pagan god Baal, to Zarephath (Akbar). Elijah's spiritual crises continue after he is taken in by a widow and her son, following his direction from an angel, and ultimately falls in love with the widow. The movement of the novel comes from Elijah's introspective struggle with faith as he confronts his troubles, but the result is neither dull nor preachy and should find a niche among readers of popular fiction. -- Ann H. Fisher, Radford Public Library, Virginia
FROM THE BASILIAN:
Coelho is by far my favorite fictional spiritual writer. A Catholic from Brazil who turned to writing after losing a career in media communications, Coelho paints images on the pages as you read page after page. While some of his books tackle difficult social problems, his best work is of the “fictional” nature. Like so many other authors on this list – anything he has written is worth reading.
Tuesdays with Morrie
By Mitch Albom
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher. Someone older who understood you when you were young and searching, who helped you see the world as a more profound place, and gave you advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of your mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you? Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Tuesdays With Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift to the world.
FROM THE CRITICS:
Publishers Weekly
As a student at Brandeis University in the late 1970s, Albom was especially drawn to his sociology professor, Morris Schwartz. On graduation he vowed to keep in touch with him, which he failed to do until 1994, when he saw a segment about Schwartz on the TV program Nightline, and learned that he had just been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. By then a sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press and author of six books, including Fab Five, Albom was idled by the newspaper strike in the Motor City and so had the opportunity to visit Schwartz in Boston every week until the older man died. Their dialogue is the subject of this moving book in which Schwartz discourses on life, self-pity, regrets, aging, love and death, offering aphorisms about each e.g., "After you have wept and grieved for your physical losses, cherish the functions and the life you have left." Far from being awash in sentiment, the dying man retains a firm grasp on reality. An emotionally rich book and a deeply affecting memorial to a wise mentor, who was 79 when he died in 1995.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
The Gospel can be no clearer than it is in this story of life, death, and relationship. I consider this book my favorite book of all time; used it in my classroom, Church, and any where we people are trying to find the “meaning of life.” For those that don’t read much, the movie version with Jack Lemmon as Morrie is also quite good; but the book is so much better.
The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come. The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
After Tuesdays with Morrie, this is probably my second favorite book of all time. I have looked high and low to find another fable with even half as much beauty and direction, and come up short with every attempt. In my own journey, my openness to God and formal discernment began with this book; which seemed to penetrate every barrier I usually put up because I never expected it to have such an impact on my life.
The Gift of Peace
By John Cardinal Bernardin
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
In 1996, upon revealing that his cancer had come out of remission, John Cardinal Bernardin, then Archbishop of Chicago, assured the world of the inner peace he felt God had granted to him as he prepared for eternal life. One of the Cardinal's final acts was to compose this book of memoirs, not so much an autobiography as it is a montage of reflections to be shared, in hopes that everyone will one day understand and receive the spiritual peace of God.
FROM THE CRITICS:
Publishers Weekly
"This book is an important part of my preparation for dying and allowing others to share in that awesome experience," wrote Chicago's Cardinal Bernadin just days before his death last November. With transparent honesty, Bernadin recounts the traumatic events and emotions of his last three years: a false accusation of sexual misconduct, the grim diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, severe back and leg pain and fatal liver tumors. Yet suffering, for Bernadin, was not punishment but opportunity. "Through suffering we empty ourselves and are filled with God's grace and love," he writes. "We can begin to think of other people and their needs." In that spirit, he began a ministry to others with terminal illnesses, and his prayer list swelled to 700 names. In this gem of a book, reminiscent of the best of Henri Nouwen, Bernadin stresses the importance of regular prayer, the need for loving human relationships and the profound peace that comes from trusting God even in the worst of times.
The Gift of the Redbird
By Paula D'Arcy
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
When Paula D'Arcy lost her husband and baby in a car crash, she began an inner search for a faith that was stronger than fear. In Gift of the Red Bird she shares her remarkable spiritual adventure. Paula D'Arcy gives a very detailed description of her journey in search of God following a terrible tragedy in her personal life. The pilgrimage is long and filled with peaks and valleys. Paula is tested but she survives to write a remarkable tale of how she comes to know God in a deep and intimate way. The reader's enjoyment is enhanced by Paula's excellent writing. It also doesn't hurt if you like birds and the outdoor life.
FROM THE BASILIAN:
I discovered D’Arcy when I just began the novitiate. Paula seem to set the tone for this year – as she was struggling to let go of one life and discover another, so was I. As I read the lines, I could not help but feel the loss and struggle to find my own identity as she was – and yet, the great excitement and joy.
Sacred Threshold
By Paula D'Arcy
