Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice [Paperback]

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2009

Whether you are surrounded by the peaceful tranquility of an empty chapel or the anxiety driven mad dash of the New York City rush hour, God is always there. He's there in the stillness. He's there in the chaos. Our call is to seek Him, find Him, and serve Him. As Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan knows only too well the many faces of Christ. Known for his devotion, dedication, and sense of humor, Dolan uses Doers of the Word to share a unique combination of simplicity, practicality, and guidance to give our faith a daily dose of meaning and application. No matter our agenda for the day or the week, Dolan masterfully combines insightful commentary and personal stories with snippets of Church history, lives of the saints, and Catholic teaching to inspire holiness through the daily details of ordinary life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan is the former rector of the North American College in Rome and author of numerous books including To Whom Shall We Go and the best-selling hardcover edition Priests for the Third Millennium (Our Sunday Visitor). St. Peter's question, To whom shall we go? (John 6:68), is his episcopal motto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (October 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592766390
• ISBN-13: 978-1592766390
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Inspirational

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding gift idea - for yourself, too!, November 16, 2009

By 

K. Hansen (Western New York State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice (Paperback)

I was very excited to have the opportunity to read the recently published Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. Solidly Catholic, delightfully touching, inspirational and always pointing to Christ all describe this collection of essays written by Archbishop Dolan. In the Preface, His Excellency shares that he wrote the essays while in the chapel of his residence. Each essay is followed by a brief paragraph of instruction or prayer pertaining to the essay. Some of the essays are only one page long and others span a few pages. The book is broken into seven chapters with the topics of: My Lord and My God, Signs of Faith, In the Year of the Lord, We Are the Branches, The Communion of Saints, Our Mother and Workers in the Vineyard.

I will share with you two of the essays that touched me most. In one, His Excellency shares that a priest friend of his was Pastor of a very wealthy parish. They had plenty of cash pouring into the collections and the buildings were very lavish. One Sunday, he surprised his parishioners with the announcement that he was going to ask for a transfer to another parish. He said that it was obvious he was not needed. Ouch.

"You don't need me here," he explained as the people gasped. "Like Jesus, I came to call sinners. And apparently, we have none here. I've heard maybe a half-dozen confessions since I got here six months ago. You're obviously all saints; I came to serve sinners. You don't need me."

In another, he relates a story about two couples he had been praying for. One couple had five boys, and one of the children was profoundly handicapped. They found out that another child was expected and that child would have Down's Syndrome. They prayerfully decided that they would give the child to another couple through adoption because they were already struggling to care for the one child with great needs. Enter the other couple, who were unable to have children biologically. What followed in the story he shared will bring tears to even the hardest heart. You'll have to read the book to find out how this one ends.

This is THE perfect gift for any Catholic you need to find something for. Though theologically sound, this book is not strictly for the Catechist. Certainly, the religious education teacher would love it, but think also about a Catholic who may be having struggles. Perhaps their state in life has taken their focus off of Christ and the book could serve as a mini retreat. Busy parents who have little time to read anything but bedtime stories would love the book. The book can be read in five minute spurts and may even be used as a daily devotional. Buy yourself a gift. I cannot recommend this book more highly. If you know me personally, I'll be happy to let you borrow it - but woe to the person who fails to return it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy read and a well-written book. Definitely recommend!, January 10, 2010

By 

A reader (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice (Paperback)

I recently started reading Fr. Dolan's blog and found his posts showed him to be a highly intelligent, humorous, and compassionate man. This book reflects the same. In some ways, his writing reminds me of Max Lucado; the essays open with a story and then drive home a lesson (or reminder) that we need to hear. Lucado, I think, takes the longer route; Dolan is more direct, but not jarring. The writings also reveal that Fr. Dolan, who certainly is a learned man, very much understands the "real world" issues among Catholics today. In fact, I was a little startled to read how clearly he understands what critics and Catholics alike are thinking. He certainly is tuned in. I, for one, find that comforting. Fr. Dolan may only be one man and can only do so much, but he is the kind of leader I can respect. I may have missed him in Milwaukee, but am glad he's my Archbishop here in NYC. Carry on, sir.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doers of the Word, November 9, 2009

By 

H. Roy Buck "Bean Counter" (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice (Paperback)

Found the short exerpts from the book very insightful and has proved valuable in my daily prayer and meditations. Alos used one excerpt in putting together a prayer service for a meeting