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The Voices of the Saints: A Year of Readings [Paperback]

Bert Ghezzi (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)


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Book Description

August 20, 2002
The inspiring stories of 365 holy men and women-from the best known to some of the most obscure-come to life in an engaging collection of biographical profiles, quotations from the saints themselves, meditations, and prayers.

Voices of the Saints opens with an instruction from Saint Philip Neri: "The best preparation for prayer is to read the lives of the saints, not from mere curiosity, but quietly and with recollection a little at a time. And to pause whenever you feel your heart touched with devotion."

With these words of faith and wisdom as his guiding principle, Bert Ghezzi presents the lives of such familiar and beloved saints as Saint Peter and Saint Catherine of Siena; Saint Jerome and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux; of humble, little-known figures like Felix of Nola, Pelagia the Penitent, and Leonard of Port Maurice; and of sainted men and women associated with a particular place, including Margaret of Scotland, Rose of Lima, Elizabeth Ann Seton, and Junípero Serra.  In lively profiles written for contemporary readers, Ghezzi chronicles their journeys of faith and their contributions to the vitality of the Church.  The voices of the saints resound throughout the book, in quotations drawn from their own writings, the works of biographers, and the recollections of witnesses.

Readers can use Voices of the Saints in several different ways.  Organized alphabetically, it serves as a helpful, easy-to-use dictionary.  It also features a day-by-day numbering system, ideal for daily readings; notations at the end of each entry, enabling the exploration of the lives in historical order; an index that highlights particular themes (including the intriguing "Porcupine Saints"), and a calendar of saints' days.  A fascinating look at disparate and unusual lives-each one a rich source of illumination, inspiration, encouragement, and motivation-along with prayers and meditations, Voices of the Saints is a valuable companion for members of Catholic, Episcopal, and other traditional churches, and an enlightening introduction to the saints for general readers.


From the Hardcover edition.


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Voices of the Saints: A Year of Readings by Bert Ghezzi begins with an epigraph drawn from the writings of St. Philip Neri: "The best preparation for prayer is to read the lives of the saints, not from mere curiosity, but quietly and with recollection a little at a time. And to pause whenever you feel your heart touched with devotion." Ghezzi's devotional has a fluid structure that will nourish any aspect of a reader's prayer life. Scores of short profiles of the saints (including familiar characters such as St. Peter and obscure saints such as Pelagia the Penitent) are deftly cross-referenced and indexed so that readers may pursue topical interests ("Angels," "Doubt," "Forgiveness," "Avant-Garde Saints") or explore the personal and historical connections among the saints. The readings are also numbered 1 through 365, for readers who prefer the discipline of a daily devotional (in this regard, The Voices of the Saints follows closely but not exhaustively the feast days of the Catholic liturgical calendar). Ghezzi's brief lives of the saints are complemented by well-chosen prayers and meditations drawn from the saints' writings. This book is a fine preparation for prayer, offering much to give the faithful reader pause. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Advance praise for Voices of the Saints:

"If you are a 'saint watcher' this is the book for you, with a totally new arrangement permitting one to look up themes and calendars as well as the names of saints. This represents a unique step forward in biographies of the saints.  The quotations supplied are also fascinating and worthwhile for meditation.  A book to keep where you make your daily meditations."  
-Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR  author of The Journey Toward God


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 816 pages
  • Publisher: Image (August 20, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385491824
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385491822
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.8 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,319,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bert Ghezzi, who holds a PhD in history from the University of Notre Dame, is a popular columnist, speaker, and author who has written 18 books, including Voices of the Saints, Mystics & Miracles, The Sign of the Cross, Keeping Your Kids Catholic, and Sacred Passages. He is currently an acquisitions editor for Our Sunday Visitor. He and his wife reside in Winter Park, Florida.

 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Superlative Work, January 22, 2001
By 
Anthony P. Patti, J.D. (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews
I am immensely impressed with Voices of the Saints, which I began reading on January 1 of this year. I have been reading the lives of the Saints by various authors and publishers, including Butler, every day for the past two decades of my life, but I can wholeheartedly proclaim that this book is by far the best, bar none. Most of the renditions I have read paint the Saints with hard to reach (and even harder to obtain) halos, like Blessed Fra Angelico paintings set to words. Bert Ghezzi's account brings the Saints to life--to ordinary human life, with all of its foibles, struggles, and in the end for them...victory. The truly human element in each of these literary portraits, which is brought home by the well-chosen quotations, makes each Saint a true inspiration to the "bumbling their way through" masses like me. His comments on each Saint are insightful and inspired, the writing and research are scholarly yet approachable, and the organization of the book (which allows one to read it by any one of three logical methods) makes this an immensely satisfying book to read. My wife and I look forward to delving into it each day, as Bert Ghezzi invites us to share the lot of the Saints in Light!
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Past Worlds for this Present Day, November 16, 2000
By 
Nancy M. Sabbag (Jacksonville Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
Reading "Voices of the Saints" is like taking a nostalgic trip back into history with a personal tour guide and meeting some of the most colorful and heroic personalities who ever lived. Bert Ghezzi recreates the lives and character of the saints so vividly I felt I were meeting each saint in the flesh. Ghezzi places the saints in their native settings and skillfully reconstructs their worlds through the sights, sounds, and political and religious sensitivities of their times. I especially liked the quotes and writings in the saint's own "voices," providing relevant glimpses of their joys, hardships and aspirations through their own passionate hearts and keen intellects. More than just a digest, this book opens a door to a close association with each saint that intrigues, touches and teaches. Sitting down with "Voices" creates a way to know these grand and holy people in intimate ways not otherwise possible. Pass this one down. Worthwhile, for years to come.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars SAINTS ALIVE!, October 9, 2000
By 
Ben Benjamin (Ypsilanti, MI USA) - See all my reviews
I am a convert to Catholicism and therefore I did not grow up knowing about many of the saints of the Church. This book is helping to acquaint myself to the richness and wisdom of these holy men and women of God in a way that is refreshing and easy to understand.

Bert's style of mixing various quotes from the saints' writings with a short story of their situation is especially inspiring and leads to quality time of reflection. In addition, I enjoy the various "road maps" within the book allowing me several options for reading.

Great job, Mr. Ghezzi! When's the sequel coming out?

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