The Better Part: Four Volume Set

This book is great for anyone who wants to either move their prayer up to a new level or give their prayer life a jump-start. The 4 sections of Christ the Lord, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Friend, and Christ in my Life are great for giving very different perspectives to the Gospel readings. These sections all focus on the one passage, yet bring out how Christ relates to you personally in 4 different ways. In addition, you can focus your study either in order of the Gospel passages as they fall in the Bible, or follow the readings through a specific theme or read them according to the Liturgical Calendar. There are 19 specific themes or topics of study that you can use to focus your study and prayer life. I am glad that I ordered this book. I am working through specific topics with a friend and we are using it as a Bible Study. You can use it as spiratual meditation and reflection on your own as easy as you can use it with a group or a friend for Bible Study. The only thing I wish it had was an Old Testament reflection also.

I had lots of excuses as to why I wasn't going to like this. (why list them all?) After reading the introduction on *how* to do a meditation, and after learning that a meditation is NOT spiritual reading, I decided to give it a try. Not only are the meditation guides among the best (if not THE best) I've ever come across, the book is laid out in very helpful ways. Gospel readings are numbered and a handy table helps you find the gospel reading of the day. Verse numbers are omitted (again, I thought I wouldn't like that, but I do). Ribbon bookmark is included (and hard to lose). Flaps open up to help with the outline for a meditation (concentrate, consider, converse, commit) So- what more can I say? I've used this every week now for 4 weeks and I see myself continuing to use it every day- indefinitely.

Written in Fr. Bartunek's practical, readable style, The Better Part brings the practice of mental prayer within reach in two ways: first, introducing the reader to a simple step-by-step methodology for meditating on the Gospel; and second, by providing a total of 303 meditations based on distinct Gospel passages. In other words, Father Bartunek teaches us how to fish and then gives us the fishing rod and the bait, all in one book. Each meditation is about three pages long and looks at a specific Gospel passage from four points of view: Christ the Lord, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Friend, and Christ in My Life. Each subsection has its own specific purpose: * The "Christ the Lord" sections help the reader to see Christ as the Lord and Master, and as a model for our own attitudes and actions. * The "Christ the Teacher" sections give solid Catholic doctrine to enlighten the mind with lessons drawn from the Gospel passage at hand. * The "Christ the Friend" sections give a more intimate, affective perspective on Christ, looking at him not through the mind or will alone, but through the heart. * The subsections entitled "Christ in My Life" take

Fr. John Bartunek once again steps to the plate and knocks it out of the park! This book "The Better Part" is a tremendous resource for individual or group study. Have you ever been stumped by something you read in the Gospels? If so, this book will clear up the matter and breaks it down into several easy to comprehend sections and viewpoints. Highly recommended !!

The path to holiness is not a primrose path. It is a daily battle, a daily carrying of the cross. Prayer, especially in the form of intimate daily conversations with Christ is sadly one of the most neglected weapons available to us in this battle. The Better Part equips Christians with the resources they need to, "set of into the deep" to enter into a personal, intimate conversation with Christ. Father Bartunek Begins his book with a short prayer primer, an exposition of the basics of Christian prayer that is worth the price of the book by itself. The rest of the book contains guided meditations on the Gospels with a liberal sprinkling of quotes from the Doctors and Fathers of the Church. The book contains the entire text off all four Gospels taken from the Jerusalem Bible (an excellent and very approachable translation). Each unit is meant as a stepping off point. While reading and reflecting on each unit would be of great benefit to anyone, using them as a starting point for your own conversation with Christ is the ultimate goal. These meditations are not of the fluffy, vague, feel-good variety that has sadly become too common these days. Father Bartunek offers deep and meaningful meditations from four aspects of our relationship with Christ: Christ the Lord, Christ the Teacher, Christ the Friend, and Christ in my life. By using the principles of concentration, consideration, conversation and commitment, each meditation should lead one to an experience of Christ's presence and a firm, concrete commitment to better imitate him. The price of the book is not cheap, but neither is the book itself. The paper and binding is of the highest quality, meant to stand up to daily handling for years. The font is easy on the eyes and a quality ribbon is sewn into the binding so you never have to lose your place. Father Bartunek has rendered an invaluable service to Christians everywhere. If I could have only one book (other than the Bible and Catechism) this would be it without question.