Customer Reviews

The Fulfillment of All Desire

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I wish I could give this outstanding book a "10." The author weaves a sublimely beautiful tapestry on the spiritual life and man's search for God, guided by seven doctors of the Christian Church who were magnificently blessed from beyond the natural realm with overflowing gifts of wisdom and supernatural advice. The most profoundly moving sentence of this nearly 500-page book that exquisitely summarizes it can be found on page 229: "...we're all in desperate need of God, of His forgiveness, of His love, of His Holy Spirit, and all of us need to abandon our pride, admit our need, and come to the foot of the Cross to receive mercy and forgiveness. And we need to stay there." I have never read a truer or more touching description of the human condition.

Providing us abundant hope and consolation amid this valley of tears we call Earth is the incredible quote from St. John of the Cross on the 3rd page from the book's end: "In the first place it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more." This book is saturated with Scripture and the holy writings of seven of the greatest canonized saints in the history of the Church. It is a "keeper" to be read again and again. To ignore this book is to do yourself a great injustice. It is simply wonderful beyond words.

This book is a must-read for anyone truly interested in following the teachings of Jesus and in being His disciple. In a very accessible style, Ralph Martin presents the teachings of six of the greatest saints in Church history, who by their lives and writings have bequeathed to us a treasury of wisdom. It's amazing how clearly Mr. Martin plumbs the spiritual depths of the likes of St. John of the Cross, St Augustine, and St. Teresa of Avila, among others, in such a way as to make their writings both compelling and comforting at the same time.

That being said, I warn you; if you don't want to be challenged in the way you are living your Christian life, then this book is not for you. With its penetrating exploration of Scripture and saints' writings, I can honestly say that "The Fulfillment of All Desire" has haunted me in a bittersweet way.

To sum up, I'm glad Ralph Martin wrote it, and by the grace of God, I will continue to muster up the courage to study it and most of all, try to live it. I can do no less, for Jesus taught, " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness, for they shall have their fill."-Matt. 5:6

I am still reading this book - but I read a page or two - then rush to Amazon to order a copy for a friend who will love it; read another page or two or three - put it down, swooning a bit while running to the computer to order another copy for someone I know who will love it - at this rate I may never finish this book! But, this I know for certain - The Fulfillment of All Desire is going to be one of my favorite books of all time. It is already changing my life! I give it 10 stars so you must double my rating, Amazon!

Ralph Martin may have done his finest work and The Fulfullment of All Desire possibly will be his finest hour. This book does not just tell us what we need to do - and what we already know we need to do - it tells us how to do it!!! These Doctors of the Church have "been-there-and-back" and know how to help us find our way. As we listen and learn, we will begin to live the life of one with the Saintly Fulfillment of All Desire. Just order this book! I am working on "affection for sin" right now.

The Doctors are in! St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales (I am in his office), St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux. I have a message from one of these doctors and it is this: "In the first place it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more." That is from John of the Cross.

The subtitle of this book is A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints. Ralph Martin, a leader within the renewal movement, has taught on this subject in many different settings and in many different ways. In this book he examines seven of the 33 Doctors of the church and how their writings contribute to the understanding of a spiritual journey. These studies are done through the three stages of spiritual growth.

Those three stages are: the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way. These are also the three major sections in this book. Yet throughout, he draws heavily upon our seven Doctors: Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales, and St. Therese of Lisieux. This book is at least a third quotations, which takes us back to the source documents and draws out the spirituality of these saints to help us grow in our own lives.

The strength of this work is its accessible language; it is well written and opens up topics and authors that are not always approachable. Martin takes us on a journey through the saints and through our own spiritual lives. This book can be a roadmap that you use for spiritual growth, renewal, and to enrich your life - and through that the lives of those around you. Martin states: "What really holds us back from a wholehearted response to the call of Jesus, of Vatican II, of the repeated urgings of the Spirit, is not really the external circumstances of our lives, but the interior sluggishness of our hearts. We need to be clear that there will never be a better time or a better set of circumstances than now to respond wholeheartedly to the call to holiness. Who knows how much longer we'll be alive on this earth? We don't know how long we'll live or what the future holds. Now is the acceptable time. The very things we think are obstacles are the very means God is giving us to draw us to depend more deeply on Him." p.7 This book is designed to help overcome that internal sluggishness.

Martin then uses the three stages to examine the spiritual journey deeper into God. "Various attempts to classify the stages of spiritual growth have been made over the centuries. The predominant classification, used by a number of the Doctors we are drawing from and many other writers as well, is the three-stage division of purgative, illuminative, and unitive." p.11 Martin outlines how each stage has a number of characteristics and how the saints can help us move through each stage as we grow closer to God.

The drawback of this book is that if you have struggled with the original writings of these saints, there are so many quotes you will feel like you are reading them again. The strength is that Martin brings years of experience teaching and trying to learn from the saints and live out what he has learned. He will open them up to you in new and exciting ways.

This book will be a great pick for many reasons - first if you want to grow deeper in your spiritual life, second if you want to understand some of the Doctors of the church more, and finally if you have struggled with some of the mystics, this book will help you understand them more. This book will be a great addition to any Catholic library.

A differrent review of this book was published in The National Catholic Register January 14th 2007 as 'The Doctors Will See You'.

Second to none! This saintly leadership into holiness through lives of seven saints speaks to the very core of what God expects of all humans, to recognize the purpose for what God placed each and every person on the face of this earth to be. God desires us to love Him, will not force us, can exist without us, and yet guides us through the examples of others to serve Him in a capacity that we can all attain. The examples of prayerfullness are levels of deep communication with God and He with us.
You will find yourself in holiness in this book or it will find you at a depth that you can emerge to become more holy.

Ralph Martin took 10 years to write this book and it was intended to help him in his Christian walk. The effort has certainly paid off! I am currently on the chapter concerning prayer which is full of insight, wisdom and with practical steps to increase one's prayer life in effectiveness and depth. This is not to say that the preceeding chapters were not helpful; they have their contribution and corroborated much of what I have come to understand about the Christian walk, however each reader will find his or her own particular section which speaks to a special need or supplies insight. This is an owner's manual in operational Christianity which will be of great value in anyone's library.

The Fulfillment of All Desire is the one volume to have as a contemporary summary and practical application of what a living spirituality is all about.A well written, well researched compendium of teachers of the spiritual journey within the Catholic tradition.
Ralph Martin's work will come to be recognized as a modern classic within this genre.

This is one of the most helpful modern spiritual books that I have ever read. Through the words of some of the greatest Christian spiritual writers of all time Martin presents a clear roadmap for all those who seriously desire to grow in holiness. In giving the reader enough background on the lives of these saints, beautifully selected and organized quotes, and personal reflection, one sees the remarkable consistency in the spiritual journey. The lessons are as relevant today as they were centuries ago. Those who have already read (or attempted to read) any or all of the spiritual classics that Martin quotes extensively will ubdoubtedly find new inspiration and clarity through this book. Those who have not been previously exposed to these spiritual treasures have a special treat waiting for them- Birth and/or growth of a true desire to aim for the summit rather than being content with anything less. In this future classic, true to its title, one finds both the what and how of "The fulfillment of all desire".

Ralph Martin shows the reader the path to a rich prayer life through the eyes of the saints and modern day saints to be. Having read about the lives of some of the saints mentioned, Martin does a good job of choosing the key parts of their lives and experiences that create the best picture of a deepening relationship with God. There is much here for consideration and contemplation for those who seek to move closer to the Lord.

For all those who have the DESIRE to live a Holy life, I feel this book
will be the greatest asset for your journey.