Oy gevalt, here’s some spiritual reading

Last updated on: March 4, 2016 at 12:34 pm by Leah Libresco

Oy gevalt, here’s some spiritual reading 2016-03-04T12:34:28-05:00 Leah Libresco

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

two books

I’m tuckered out from liveblogging last night’s debate for work, so no quick takes this week. Instead, I’d like to send you over to Catherine Addington’s tumblr for an excellent reflection on the Transfiguration. Here’s the part that really struck me. (The quoted bit is from St. Francis de Sales, the next bit is from Catherine).

Let me remark first of all that in eternal felicity we will know each other, since in this little spark of it which the Savior gave to His Apostles He willed that they recognize Moses and Elias, whom they had never seen.

I love this image of heaven: the way we look at our friends and just know them, thatrecognition we have when we see people we love, that soul-sight for lack of a better word, that’s going to be our relationship with everyone. It’s an expansive love, one that stems from loving God the creator, and seeing Him all around. I love that this is hiding in this Gospel on the Transfiguration, a glory that can seem so overwhelming and distant. God takes the time to let us know that His glory provides the light by which we can see everyone, that heaven makes us most ourselves, so that people can recognize us in all our particularity without ever having seen us before.

And just because it was a kind of draining night, if anyone else is in the mood for spiritual reading, I wanted to mention that I have been finding Armchair Mystic: Easing Into Contemplative Prayer (my lent reading) pretty fruitful.

And my two default recommendations to anyone are The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J. M. Nouwen and The Presence of God by Fr. Anselm Moynihan, O.P.

They’re both short (so they don’t scare you off of starting) and beautifully written — the kind of thing where it’s good to read a chapter (or even part of one) and then just sit with it for a bit. They both did a lot for me to help me approach loving God rather than just thinking about God: the intellectual proposition.

And A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken is one more you might want to add to your stack — it’s a spiritual memoir of growing into a deeper love for his wife and for God.

What have you particularly loved?

Reviews/Recommendations

Previous Post

February 22, 2016

Pinning down *which* error is made in this adultery advice

Next Post

March 10, 2016 Stats & Chat about the primaries with In The Arena

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 7 Quick Takes Apologetics Atheism Book Conversion Debate Tactics Debates Epistemology/Philosophy Housekeeping Ideological Turing Test Marriage Morality in Practice Parsing Catholicism Possibly Heretical Radio Reviews/Recommendations Sequence Index Spiritual Practice Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: In Mark, Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, which angered the Pharisees.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE