In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year

This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year as well as volume 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings depending on if we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can be read all as a lump or part in the morning, midday and evening. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year. "We have a duty to rest. Resting in order to serve God and other people better. We should learn to rest. If we can avoid becoming totally exhausted we should not fail to do so. God wants us to look after our health, and to know how to recover our strength. It is part of the fifth commandment. We need to rest in order to be fit, to restore lost energy, and so that our work may be all the more effective. Above all, we need it so as to serve God and other people better." Francis Fernandez In Conversation With God Volume #3 p.217 "For this reason asking advice about reading is an important part of the virtue of prudence, very especially if it is a question of theological or philosophical books, which can radically affect our formation and even our faith itself. How important it is to be right about books! It is still more important to consult our spiritual director about books specifically destined to aid the formation of our soul." Francis Fernandez In Conversation With God - Volume #3 p.117 Are but two samplings of what I have already copied out into my journal this year. There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7, unfortunately the earlier volumes indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject, and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.

The book has daily readings that refer to the daily gospel passage, which is based on the liturgical year of the Catholic church. The readings are in the form of an essay, which typically expand on the theme of the gospel reading. As you read, you will want to have your Bible at hand to refer to the Gospel passage. The essays usually have references to the writings of other Christian authors, which the reader can use for future reference to expand on the ideas presented in the essay. The daily readings, though brief, are generally several pages long, and take about fifteen minutes to read. The book is an excellent supplement to daily Bible reading. I enjoy having it to stimulate my thoughts on different topics of spirituality and Christianity. Although the book is written to correspond with the readings in the Catholic Liturgical year, but it can be a useful guide for any Christian.

For those seriously seeking to grow in holiness and bring some order to their daily prayer life, I strongly recommend this series. Drawing upon Sacred Scripture, the writings of the saints, and his own life experiences, the author brings together three daily meditations (about five to ten minutes each) that center around the Scripture readings of the Mass that day. Imparted in these meditations are knowledge of the faith, advice on how to pray more fervently, and a clear understanding of virtue and its importance. It also inspires us to serve God faithfully. A good Catholic answer to the latest Protestant craze over "The Purpose Driven Life".

This book is one volume of seven books titled "In Conversation with God". Their contents follow the complete liturgical year, that contain daily readings following the daily (and Sunday) Masses, plus solemnities and feasts of the saints. They are updated for today's culture, still full of writings from our favorite saints, quotes from the bible, Church documents, also quotes by Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. I don't believe another series can be this good. I have been reading them for six years. They are very fruitful for anyone's spiritual life, no matter what their vocation. Priests have been known to use theses to help them with their homilies. I find them useful for answering questions people ask me or that I seek out myself, as they have a great index of both subjects and quotations. They are a spiritual treasure!