Called to Be Holy

I am happy to recomment this book - in fact I urge people to procure it and use it if you are anxious to seriously tackle advancement in the Spiritual Life. It is down to earth in its advice to pursue the virtues in daily living. I have recommended it to a number of people, particularly the young for whom I am a Spiritual Director. Without exception they have found it very helpful. I consider it a "must" for those who are seeking a deeper spirituality in their everyday life. I see it as eminently suitable lay people and religious alike.

In this book Archbishop Dolan presents short chapters on necessities for a healthy spiritual life. He reflects on humility, on patience, on Penance and many others. Each chapter is peppered with illustrations from his own ministry, from the lives of the saints and from the experiences of seminarians he encountered when he was rector of the North American College in Rome. Many also include beautiful prayers from saints and other figures in the Church. This is certainly a nourishing read, a good aid to evaluate your spiritual life and make sure its on track, or a good incentive and guide to help you get back on track.

If there is any book which I would not think twice to read AGAIN, it is this book. Those who know me, know that most of my work and study has been in apologetics. After all, it was apologetics which took me out of Catholicism, into atheism, back to Christianity, into anti-Catholicism, and finally back into the Roman Catholic Church. The reason is simple, why apologetics is very important: That is, our relationship with God stands on two pillars, one of which is often overlooked. Our Christian identity depends on both faith and reason. I spent so long learning the logical foundations of the Catholic faith (and still continue to do so today), but I forgot to balance this with the development of my faith. If there is a book which will help you to do this, I think this book is a great first step. The ancient philosophers lived by it, and the modern day philosophers abhor it. But, the faith message which Jesus taught us, is virtue, in the service of others. This is life's true love, service to God, and service to our brothers and sisters. Hence the saying: you cannot serve two masters, God and money. Archbishop Dolan takes us into his reflections, from his experience in catechesis and as a shepherd of the flock, through topics such as: Faith; Hope; Humility; Love and Chastity; Human Formation; Patience; Penance; Joy; Obedience; and Devotion to Our Lady. Excellent stories. One of which, in the Penance chapter, literally drove me to tears, as the story was just so meaningful and beautiful. Truly, the man whose story was told, is a saint of God. We are all called to be saints. Though we always seem to fall short of such a title, it is always something to strive for. St. Therese's faith was not as "legendary" as say St. Joan of Arc, but her faith was simple, and lived out to its maximum potential, every day. That's all we are asked to do. Make the best of what we have, and see if we can magnify it exponentially- for the benifit of others. I think this book can help us to do that. God Bless, Laurence

This is a terrific book! Archbishop Dolan is brilliant and insightful.

This book is a collection of chapters taken directly from Mgr Dolan's "Priests of the Third Millenium"! I would recommand you buy this (excellent) book instead. Of course, this one is shorter and edited for lay people.