Customer Reviews

Song of the Sparrow: New Poems and Meditations

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This new work is an extension of Fr. Bodo's 1976 Song of the Sparrow, Meditations and Poems to Pray By, based largely on his experience as a seminary English teacher and spiritual director. The original material has been updated, particularly in terms of inclusive language, and entries covering the years 1979 to 2007 have been added.

Major themes of prayer, love, and writing are addressed through original poems and short meditations that include practical "tips" and personal observations. A sample tip recommends dividing our prayer period into saying a single Our Father and listening for the remaining time, "one of the best disciplines possible in learning to pray." In another section Fr. Bodo writes of the connection between prayer and action. We need not worry about our prayer, he explains, we need to worry about charity. "God's love for me in prayer is authenticated by my love for God in my neighbor."

Bodo, author of numerous books and articles, draws attention to the importance writing plays in his prayer life, yet his practices invite, rather than discourage, non-writers. For example, he describes sitting before a blank sheet of paper, sometimes for a very long time, awaiting words. Similarly, he points out, learning to pray involves "a time for staring and a time for waiting" in which we make ourselves available to God. He doesn't write a book, he says, he fills one page a day. The poetic version of that philosophy appears at the end of the new Song of Sparrows: The secret of life on the road / is not to get there before you're there / and not to live in the place you've left / while you're on the way.

I happened upon this book at a Franciscan academic meeting.And what a find!
I read a section or two everyday. I am middle aged and consider myself religious and Bodo writes in such a way that I am literally soothed every day from some of the worries of my day. The latter portion of the book is new to those who read the first edition.All the words are new to me and in reading over and over again, I find faith in my journey.
I recommend this book for a silent retreat where you can sit and contemplate what the words mean for you.

The book arrived much faster than I had anticipated, and I was thrilled when I opened it to see the excellant condition that it was in. Thank you.