Called to Life [Paperback]

Jacques Philippe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 2009

How do I find fulfillment in life? How do I obtain happiness? How do I fully become a man or woman? Despite a multitude of self-help books in recent years, these eternal questions have become increasingly urgent in today's directionless world.

Author Jacques Philippe provides some answers. In his new book, Called to Life, he explains that a complete and fulfilled life is much more assured when we stop trying to chart our own course, when we realize that we are essentially creatures called by God. He goes on to describe where and how these calls take place: the events of life, the Word of God in Scripture, and interior motions of the Holy Spirit. Learning to recognize and follow these calls is what leads to a happy and full life.

Called to Life includes a special section on how to read Sacred Scripture prayerfully (Lectio Divina), making this a timely source of inspiration and guidance following the recommendations of Pope Benedict XVI and the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Scepter Publishers (March 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159417069X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594170690
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With over 400,000 copies sold in 18 languages, Fr. Jacques Philippe's writings on themes such as prayer, interior freedom, and peace of heart have become classics of modern Catholic spirituality.

Jacques Philippe was born into a Christian family on March 12, 1947 in Lorraine, France. After studying mathematics in college, he spent several years teaching and doing scientific research. In 1976, he met the then recently-founded Community of the Beatitudes and answered the Lord's call to follow Him through this vocation (see below for more information on the Community of the Beatitudes). He then spent several years in Jerusalem and Nazareth immersing himself in the study of Hebrew and the Jewish roots of Christianity. In 1981, he traveled to Rome to study theology and canon law and also began his work as a spiritual director, working in the formation of priests and seminarians of the Community. In 1994, he returned to France, where he assumed various responsibilities including spiritual direction, the development of training in the Community, and participation in its General Council. He has also preached retreats regularly in France and abroad and has consolidated his principal retreat themes into five books on spirituality. In recent years, he has devoted himself primarily to spiritual direction, preaching retreats, and working for the development of the Community in Asia and Oceania, where he travels frequently.

Communaute des Beatitudes is an international association of the faithful of Pontifical Right founded in France in 1973. The Community of the Beatitudes gathers faithful from all states of life (married or unmarried lay people, seminarians, priests, permanent deacons, men and women consecrated in celibacy) who wish to conform as closely as possible to the model of the early Christian community through the common life, the sharing of goods, voluntary poverty and an intense sacramental and liturgical life. The members of the Community, which has a contemplative vocation based on Carmelite spirituality, are actively engaged in the service of the poor and the proclamation of the Gospel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Living the Call June 23, 2009

By Kevin M. Kambo

Format:Paperback

This, really, is a delightful book. It is not long; it is not an esoteric tract on theological minutiae. It is, instead, a simple yet challenging and direct explanation about how to find happiness in life, or better yet an explanation that Happiness is in a Person who is looking for us, and calling us to Himself. It is written with the grace and warmth of someone who has devoted his life to living his calling and thus there is not the least impression of buzzwords, pyschobabble or fabrication but instead it brims with joy, insight and love. Philippe deals with a startling array of topics (meaning of life, prayer, obedience and authority, freedom, authentic self-love, need for self-giving, lectio divina, struggles and aridity etc.) in a short volume that serves as a wonderful primer to living one's life to the full. Five stars!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn to be better at being March 22, 2010

By Steven R. McEvoy TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Rev. Jacques Philippe is a priest of the Community of the Beatitudes. He was ordained in 1985 and preaches retreats in France and around the world. He has written several books, most now available in English translations from Scepter Publishers. I was first introduced to Fr. Philippe's books about 4 years ago while on retreat. That first book of his I read, Time With God is available in a few different translations. I have now read them all. I find his writing sublime and soothing to the spirit. His words are often gentle and persuasive and yet always stir up a desire for spiritual growth and improvement. His books, though to some extent read like self-help books that are a dime a dozen in bookstores today, have a much greater depth and more lasting impact. This may be due in part to his years as a spiritual director, and his life and devotion to learning as a priest, but for the largest part from his examples it is obvious that he lives it. These truths have become evident to him and as such he reveals what God the father through the Holy Spirit has taught him. The other thing that attracts me to his writings is that he does not have an exclusively Roman Catholic focus; he knows his books can be of use to others, and because of his breadth of learning he draws upon many non-catholic examples, including Etty Hillesum and from Coptic or orthodox traditions.

This book Called to Life is his latest to be made available in English. I just finished reading it while on retreat and found that it spoke to exactly where I am at. Rather than rave about how great his book is I will leave you with numerous quotes that impacted me upon reading the book this first time.

"I shall insist that any call from God is a call to life. Our first vocation is to live, and a call cannot be from God unless it leads us to live in a more intense and beautiful way, engaging human life as it is with more confidence, in all aspects: physical, psychological, emotional, intellectual and spiritual." p.4

"To be called is fundamental to the human condition." p.5

"I take my stand in the Christian camp, but I believe the following reflections have something to say to any person of good will." p.6

"Openness to God's calls frees us from pride. It sweeps aside the attitude of self-sufficiency, the pretence that one is the sole master of one's life. In its place comes dependency, availability to another, humility and confident submission." p.12

"Every authentic vocation is a calling to live ever more fully." p.24

"Live! I want you to Live! Here is the first and the most fundamental call to us from God." p.26

"We are called to undertake self-improvement, to open ourselves to the work of grace, to have such confidence of God that we no longer need to calculate or be on guard, but can be capable of love in all circumstances. Thus God's word draws us little by little from our human wisdom to the Wisdom of God." p.38

"The only remedy for this wound to human consciousness is the sense of our filiation, the discovery of our divine parentage." p.52

"Reading Scripture is taking a risk: that we will be asked to reorder our lives or told things we don't want to hear. We do not work on the Bible. It works on us." p.54

"Any understanding of the word should be reasonable - not narrowly rationalistic, but open to mystery, enlightened by faith, and in harmony with the teaching of the Church." p.55

"A good definition of freedom is: the capacity to live each situation positively, not being crushed, but of finding the way of belief and a more authentic life. This is the glorious freedom of the children of God that Christ acquired for us by his death and resurrection." p.58

"I have often observed that people in difficult situations who come to terms with their inability to understand everything and begin to ask what God wants of them here and now receive enlightenment little by little." p.61

"In problematic circumstances, progress lies in hearing the calls that are being addressed to us. 'Shema Israel, Listen Israel!' One must pass from 'What do I want from life?' to 'What does life want from me?' or, sometimes from 'What do I expect from those around me?' to 'What do those around me expect of me?' Whatever the words this conversion is always necessary and always fruitful." p.63

"But despite the vast diversity, the calls we receive are always in the end invitations to believe, hope or love." p.66

"And sometimes the priority has to be self-love: consenting to one's fragility and frailty, accepting oneself, ceasing to blame oneself. We must be attentive to the Spirit's call and discern his priorities at each particular point in our lives." p.73

His writings remind me of C.S. Lewis's spiritual works - they are short, concise and very penetrating. I can only hope that the sample of quotes above intrigues you enough to pick up this book and see where Fr. Philippe can take you on your spiritual journey.

Other Books By Fr. Jacques Philippe
Called to Life - Scepter
Searching for and Maintaining Peace - St Paul's Alba House
Time For God - Pauline Books and Media
Time For God - SinagTala
Time For God - Scepter
Interior Freedom - Scepter
In the School of the Holy Spirit - Scepter
I Choose to be Free: the Power of Faith Hope & Charity (a different edition of Interior Freedom) - Sinag Tala

(These are all his books I have been able to find in English; if you know of any others or how to get them, let me know please.)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED THIS!!!!!! GO AHEAD AND BUY! November 2, 2012

By Bibers Violin

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book rocked. I read it in one day as I couldn't put it down! I didn't expect that. I started t highlight but then laughed when it appeared that the entire book was yellow! Haha.

I will be back as there is much to just read and chew on!!! He really did an excellent job & I am so happy I found this & purchased! It's not only like "self-help" but ENTIRELY Catholic (Christian)....no New Age.

If you are reading this, I think you were "called to buy" haha It is good, seriously.