Here are briefs on two books that share with us lessons for living our spirituality in everyday life. We suggest you read them a little bit at a time and then spend some minutes reflecting on what God is saying to you. Above all, enjoy your journey through these easy-to-read books.
I WILL SERVE — Reflections and Inspirations
By Jaime L. Cardinal Sin (Anvil Publishing, Inc., C2009)
Life is for service. Every breath that we take is a gift from God. Every gift is a task. God’s gift is our task. Every gift of life is a call to serve. With these words, the late Cardinal Jaime Sin begins this collection of the fruits of his prayers and reflections touching on a rainbow of themes that practically cover all the aspects of Christian life in the Philippines today.
“I Will Serve” is his life motto. He shares with us 25 inspired reflections that mirror his 25 years as Archbishop of Manila. During those turbulent times he gave his best to serve the flock entrusted to him not only through his challenging words in the pulpit and the sanctuaries but even more through his call to action in the streets, in the workplace, in the slums, even in the halls of political leadership.
THE GENTLE ART OF BLESSING
By Pierre Pradervand (St Pauls, Mumbai. C2003)
This provoking and interesting book is the fruit of a spiritual experience that profoundly marked the life of the author and enabled him to discover the deep meaning of the act of “blessing”. Far from being simply a ritual that punctuates religious ceremonies, the practice of blessing rests on spiritual laws that each one of us can discover so that we may live better, live more fully.
The author makes two significant discoveries. Firstly, that it is useless attempting to transform the social, political, and economic structures if one does not also transform people’s hearts. Secondly, that either spirituality is lived in everyday life, in the most mundane of circumstances, or it has no reason to exist at all.
And so it is that the book shows how, whether at the office or at the factory, while gardening or washing the car, in business, in married life or in religion, whilst doing the dishes or the laundry, when in suffering or in joy, the very act of blessing brings not only the recipient of the blessing as well as the one giving or praying a blessing, much needed grace and solace in every sphere of life. Not only does blessing enable one to see everyday life through open eyes and hearts, the act of blessing also heals one spiritually, emotionally, and physically. He advocates the blessing of oneself as a necessary practice of self-transformation and source of spiritual joy and growth.
