Customer Reviews

Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers And Teachers: The Relentless Widow, Year C

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John Shea's excellent guide to the Year C Sunday Gospels is marked by the author's training as a theologian and his gifts as an author and storyteller. Although the title identifies the audience as Christian preachers and teachers, this resource is a must-have for all who wish to delve deeper into the Sunday gospels.

The section for each Sunday is headed by the Lectionary title, gospel references to both the Revised Roman and Revised Common lectionaries, and a lesson title. The content is presented as spiritual commentary and teaching. For example, the Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Proper 11; Luke 10:38-42) is titled "Integrating Mary and Martha." The setting is familiar to most Christians: Jesus visits the home of Martha, in the role of hostess, and Mary, who is characterized as a contemplative. In the spiritual commentary, Shea provides a number of insights that expand on the reading. He notes that while Christians often see Martha and Mary as opposites, the real task is to discover their proper relationship. The Lord does not share Martha's view that the solution to her heavy workload is for Mary to get up from the Lord's feet and lend a hand. Instead the Lord sees Martha's anxiety and distraction as the problem.

In the teaching section for this gospel, Shea names the lesson: "The interiorly realized love of God is the energy and creativity of the outer action of loving the neighbor." He enriches the teaching with similar lessons in other gospels, Sufi literature, and the Hindu religion, then brings the message into the here and now. When we wake up to the revelation that all things exist and are suffused by divine life, he writes, "we simultaneously wake up to our identity as Mary-Martha."

Jack Shea has the unique gift of understanding. Due to this gift, Shea can plunge us into the deep spiritual truths of the gospels. Situations in the bible, symbols, or actions that could only have been taken at face value are unpacked and illuminated so that we can digest them. Beyond just understanding, my sense is that this book (and the others in the series) were written not only for spiritual insights, but more importantly to help illuminate the path of how we can transform, starting with our heart.

I highly recommend this to the preacher, priest, or congregant who is looking for a deeper understanding and the willingness to allow oneself to be transformed from within by the gospels.

I think Anne Lamott's quote, "I do not understand the mystery of grace--only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us." applies to this book. This book has the power to pick one up and take one to a new place.

This third book of a set of three explaining the gospels of Year C is informative and one well worth reading. As usual, Shea points out important facts that would otherwise be missed by those of us who are less informed about how to apply what was being said at that time to ouur current lives. This book is an excellent resource for anyone giving a reflection or homily on the gospels of Year C.

John Shea is the first author I turn to for Gospel sharing, preaching or teaching. In this (1 of 4) each week he makes the Gospel of Luke come alive and have meaning in lives. To John Shea I have a grateful heart. Rev. Margaretmary Staller