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Saint Paul: Called to Conversion: A Seven-Day Retreat

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With this retreat on the letters of Paul, Ronald Witherup hopes to help readers discover "a wonderful roadmap for a rich spiritual journey." He introduces Paul as the most prominent personality of the New Testament, apart from Jesus himself, and reminds us that Paul is responsible for 13 of the 27 New Testament books. The author, a professor of sacred Scripture, encourages us to look beyond commonly expressed obstacles to reading Paul's letters--too philosophical, too abstract, too harsh--to see the Paul who wrote for real people with real problems and questions. "He could be bold and demanding but he could also be gentle and supportive," Witherup writes. "He can be forceful, yes, but he can also be tender and compassionate. He can be obscure and almost incomprehensive at times, but he can also be direct and quite clear about what being a Christian is all about." Conversion is the theme of this retreat. Paul's letters are the primary source of reflection, and Witherup presents them in ways that "speak directly to you in your life today."

Each session opens with an introduction--perhaps a psalm, an excerpt from a book or play, or a personal story--that brings the chosen topic into focus. Next is an original opening prayer followed by examination of Scripture passages related to the topic. The sessions close with reflection activities, prayer, and notes on sources. Witherup combines these elements to best advantage, producing a coherent whole. For example, the session on praying without ceasing begins with a short quote on prayer by William Shakespeare. The body of the session features eight points that summarize Paul's understanding of prayer based on his letters. Reflection activities include two readings from Paul's letters and an invitation to consider asking others to pray for us.

This resource is an ideal retreat for individuals or groups, easily adaptable for bible study and faith formation programs.

Our Small Church Community is using this book as a resource reviewing about a chapter per week. Though we allow about 30 minutes to this, time often goes over. We had intended to complete the book in seven weeks, but will now extend the discussion into next year. We are pleased with the text, the reflections, the searching questions all leading to meaningful discussion.

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Raul Nestor A. Ancheta