Easter in Ordinary

This fine book, An Alley in Chicago: The Life and Legacy of Monsignor John Egan , tells an important story of the Church in Chicago before, during, and after the Second Vatican Council through the life and experience of one of the city's more notable inhabitants, Jack Egan. (An earlier, 1991 edition is available for free here .) Simply put, I loved this bittersweet book. Jack Egan , a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, led a life that is difficult to summarize: priest, pastor, community organizer, and activist are but a few words. A teacher once told me, "To tell me who you are, tell me who your friends are." This book, populated by Egan's many friends, tells us a lot about who he was. Many of the names were known to me, certain names were people whom I had met, and a select number of them are people that I have known well, and a few are still with us. The story is bittersweet for three reasons: first, for those recalled in the book who have gone on to their et...

Written prior to his death on November 11, 2013, Dark Light of Love was the 23rd book by Fr. John S. Dunne, C.S.C. Personally, Fr. Dunne was a teacher, a mentor, a spiritual guide, and a friend. (See also my post: Journey of the Heart's Desire: The Heart Comes Home .) When I returned from Chile, amid great personal distress, to begin a time of healing and a search for my next steps, this book was one of a handful that accompanied me. Reading the work brought Fr. Dunne's voice back to me, and I appreciated him accompanying me, through this work, amid a difficult period. John, to be less formal, wrote his books a paragraph a day. Each morning, he would write one paragraph and the first sentence of the next paragraph. His prayer and heartfelt reflection would lead him the next morning to write the subsequent paragraph and first sentence. I lived with him two summers as he wrote. Like clockwork, he would take a sabbatical to write every fourth year, even if he did not need it ...