A Year with the Mystics by phenomenal journalist Kathryn Jean Lopez is a tour de force of spiritual works. This seminal work includes a mystical reflection, questions for pondering, and a closing prayer for each day of the year. The mystics quoted represent a Who's Who of the Saintly world...from St. Catherine of Siena to St. Bernard of Clairvaux to modern favorites such as Pope St. John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
The book is brimming with spiritual wisdom, covering many different facets of life--from knowing oneself as a beloved child of God to obstacles to "holy boldness."
Consider these words of Pope St. John Paul II, taken from his inaugural homily in 1978:
"So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair. We ask you therefore, we beg you with humility and trust, let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life."
A Year with the Mystics is a wonderful resource for an at-home retreat, daily spiritual reading, or a gift for someone in need of encouragement. It is, quite simply, one of the best spiritual works I have had the privilege to read this year.
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