Whereon to Stand: The Acts of the Apostles and Ourselves

The Reverend Father Daniel Berrigan, SJ, pacifist priest and poet, has not only at great self-sacrifice given us clear example of how to act nonviolently for God's peace and justice in an extremely inequitable, violent and warrior land (see for example Disarmed and Dangerous: The Radical Life and Times of Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Brothers in Religious Faith and Civil Disobedience, but he also has written several excellent works of Biblical exegesis, particularly of the Old Testament prophets no less courageous and integral than himself. For instance, the reader is strongly recommended the close contemplation of his great work in commentating the messianic prophet Isaiah: Spirit of Courage, Gift of Tears, as well as the ferocious prophet for peace and commitment to the Covenant Jeremiah: The World, the Wound of God. Please see as well his work on the rejected and despised Ezekiel: Vision in the Dust and his eponymous prophet Daniel: Under the Siege of the Divine. He has also written on the various movements of Genesis: Fair Beginnings, then Foul and Exodus: Let My People Go as well as several other sections of the Old Testament and its relevance to our disturbing and distracted times. Father Daniel Berrigan calls us home to action in God's Love and Peace. In this present volume in fact we find a rare instance of the Reverend Father Berrigan's close consideration and contemplation of the New Testament book, the Acts of the Apostles. In it we find how we as well may in our own disturbing day walk with the Apostles in the continuity of the Holy Spirit in our Pilgrimage to the Reign of God in peace and unity and justice. Each of the twenty four chapters here contains brief reflections along the way of peace, thoughts shared as we travel along the rugged road of reading together this text in reflection. The book is completed with an appendix of the Oxford University Press edition of the Acts of the Apostles; you may read along with whatever version you find most acceptable. The reverend Father Berrigan makes a very wise and thoughtful and humorous and elegant and gentle traveling companion full of epigram and insight, prayer andpraise, joy and peace. Read him, and then read the rest of him! And as Our Holy father Saint Benedict writes: May we all get there, all together.