Reflections on a Dying Life

This is a charming, well written book on a basic question: What is the meaning of life? Father Burt answers this question in the context of his own life, drawing more general lessons from that particular example. Father Burt has not written one of those books that simply insists "Success in life is meaningless; think only of Heaven." Instead, he makes a different point in a different way. He uses an image of the world as an inn, or even a hospice, to make his point: Even though we are here only temporarily, we are meant to enjoy aspects of the world around us. It is not surprising that we are in no hurry to leave. Indeed, there is much beauty and love in the world around us. And he -- and we -- are not so bad after all. Father Burt illustrates his points with evocative chapters, one memorable chapter being "One Paw Short of Perfection." He gained insight into his own life watching a dog named Buck who had three legs but who had a great time walking through campus with his human masters. He was quite unconcerned about his imperfection. And we should not be too concerned about our imperfections either. In his examination of the meaning of life, Father Burt takes a Christian point of view for granted, but he does not assume anything particularly Catholic. After reading this book, you may feel the way that I do. I wish that I knew Father Burt. He is a very thoughtful philospher and priest. After reading this book, you'll know him a little.