God's Diary

You can read Penalosa's "God's Diary" in less than an afternoon. Yet it's the kind of book you really never want to finish reading, so splendid are its images of the extraordinary graces of everyday life, so profound are its insights into the Divine life that surrounds us, if only we would see. Immediately, this writer put me in mind of another great Catholic poet: Charles Peguy. Yet Penalosa works in shorter, more intense strokes of his pen, a diary kept by God, the Father of the universe, and of every soul. For those who labor under a misconception that the God proclaimed by Catholicism is a angry being just waiting to damn his creatures, this book will be something of a shock-and a much needed corrective. For those who believe, the freshness of the insights, the sheer joy in the goodness of creation, the splendor of the graces showered on every soul that seeks God, even in darkness or unbelief, will make this book a treasure to be reread many times over. I would also recommend this book to parents who have teenagers who are struggling to make their faith their own. Walker Percy once wrote that the problem with Christianity in the West is that it is so familiar we can't even see its radical, liberating truth. "God's Diary" presents that truth in the countless little wonders at our feet, and the eternal joys promised to us by our Creator. That old time religion will never look so new after reading this charming, wise, and even at times very witty book.

Through the artful translation of Alvaro de Silva, the heart of Penalosa is made clear in this powerful spiritual piece. Spanish is the passionate language of God, and de Silva brings this work to life in English. Absolutely a masterpiece.

a beautiful, extremely creative and poetic imagination wrote this book -- highly recommended!