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BOOK REVIEW The Fulfilment of all Desire By Ralph Martin £11.99 + p&p
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Karl Rahner, one of the great 20th century theologians once famously said, Christians of the 21st century would be mystics or they wouldn’t be Christians at all. Likewise John Paul II underlined the primacy of this call to personal holiness in his inspiring document “Novo Millennio Ineunte” in which he laid out his vision for the Church for the 3rd Millennium. In doing this he recommended as spiritual guides, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Catherine of Sienna and John of the Cross, because of their experience of prayer and their understanding of how the relationship with God can progress and grow. Baptism in the Spirit, as those who have experienced it know, is really just the beginning of the spiritual life. After the initial consolations of conversion, each one of us has the same struggle to keep faithful to God and to pray. One can have a faulty idea of the mystical life, thinking it is all about having amazing visions and locutions, whereas as the saints are quick to point out, it is rather about finding and seeing God in everything and doing His will rather than our own. The litmus test of holiness is not visions but growth in faith, hope and love and detachment from one’s own self-love and will. This book is a really useful aid to those who want to grow in holiness and need help with their prayer. It is not always possible to find a good spiritual director nearby but books like these can help us to keep on the right track spiritually and encourage us on the road to holiness by showing us the pitfalls along the way, and illuminating the goal at the end for those who persevere. Kristina Cooper - Goodnews Editor -
This book is easy to read and immediately engaging. From the moment I picked it up I found myself enjoying it - fascinated by the way Ralph Martin has chosen and collected together quotations from so many of the greatest Catholic spiritual writers, the wisdom of the Saints. I find myself regularly re-reading parts of it, and it has found a permanent place by my reading chair. I’ve already decided to buy a second copy to keep by my computer. This book should be an invaluable companion on everyone’s spiritual journey - for me it’s certainly a spiritual classic. Thank you, Ralph. Charles Whitehead - CCR Leader -
The Collected Works of St John of the Cross
Available from Goodnews Books 01582 - 57 10 11
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Ralph
Martin has been one of the key leaders of the CCR since its initiation
40 years ago, so it is always interesting to see what he is thinking,
writing and teaching about. For the last decade or so, his main interest
of study, reflection and prayer, has been the writings of the mystics.
His latest book, “The Fulfilment of All Desire” is the fruit
of this. Weighing in at 470 pages it is a comprehensive look at the
teaching and insights of seven of the Church’s greatest teachers
of the spiritual life, offering a kind of synthesis of their teaching.
These include John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux,
Catherine of Sienna, Bernard of Clairvaux, Augustine of Hippo and Francis
de Sales.