Book Reviews and More: In Conversation With God Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January to March

In Conversation With God
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January to March
Francis Fernandez
Scepter Press
ISBN 9780906138519
ASIN B006DEP5X4

I have been a long-time fan of this series. But I absolutely love that it is now available in eBook format. There are a number of features in the eBooks that I consider an advantage over physical. I love highlighting when I read the eBook, I also like being able to select from a number of different colors. I use a different color each year I read. I also love that you can click on the link for a reference for a quote and jump to it, and also with one click jump back and keep reading. And with the eBook you can change the font, color, size to make it easier to read, and as someone with a dual form of Dyslexia this is my favorite feature of eBooks. Another great feature is using accessibility features on some mobile devices and some dedicated eReaders and use text to speech, and listen to the text.

This specific book, Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March, Has a number of meditations for different special feats. Each reading is roughly 6 pages long, and each days reading is separated into three sections, roughly equal in length most days. This volume has a two special series of meditations. The first is the Christian Unity Octave that runs from January 1st-18th. There are also meditations for the Seven Sunday's of Saint Joseph. Because of overlapping feasts there are a few days with more than one Meditation, or when one of those two special series overlap with other feats. The dated feasts span from January 1st Mary the Mother of God to March 25th which has two readings The Annunciation of the Lord and also The Vocation of Our Lady. In total we have 30 meditations in this volume, and while reading I highlighted numerous passages this year.I will share a few of those as samples of the writing in this book:

"Pertransivit benefaciendo ..., he went about doing good ... This is an appropriate summary of Christ's life on this earth. This should be the description of the life of every baptized person since our lives are subject to the influence of the Holy Spirit. This ought to be so in our daily work, in our times of rest, whenever we help other people in our family or community."

"Union with Christ is the foundation for unity among the faithful. We are all bound together and strengthened in the Mystical Body of Christ."

"Christ lives in heaven in a resurrected and glorified state. He also lives in his Church in a mysterious way. The Church is not merely a religious movement inspired by Christ's teachings. The Church is Jesus Christ. Christ is to be found in the Church."

"The faithful participate in the priestly mission of Christ when they lead lives centred on the Holy Mass. Yet their eucharistic participation is not limited to the duration of the liturgy or to liturgical celebrations alone. The principal field of activity for the laity lies in the realm of professional work, in the fulfilment of family and social duties."

"If we live our lives counting upon the help of God's grace, we will find ourselves able to overcome any defect or disappointment. The Lord is constantly calling to us to begin again, to convert our hearts, to walk in peace and joy along the divine ways of the earth. Like Saint Paul, we have to respond to the Lord's invitation. What shall I do, Lord? In what areas do you want me to struggle harder? In what ways do you want me to change my behaviour?"

"What shall I do, Lord? Let us ask this question from the depths of our hearts many times during the course of the day. Jesus will show us where our love has fallen short or has not deepened as God has wanted it."

"We know in our hearts that the faith is a great treasure. We have to use the means necessary to conserve the faith in ourselves and in those around us. We need to be humble. We have to be on guard that we do not catch the contagion. We have to be prudent with regard to what we read, what we watch, where we go. We should get guidance about films, television shows, books, magazines, etc. The faith is worth more than anything else we can imagine."

"Learn to join your poor offerings to those of Christ. Join your prayers with his prayers, your tears with his tears, your fasts with his fasts. In this way you will take something of little value and give it an infinite worth."

"We need to make God a participant in the thousand little moments of ordinary life. This can be done by the way in which we offer up our work, the manner in which we take our vacations, how we choose to rest. The Faith should penetrate all of our actions so as to enrich them and make them pleasing to God. We will find that this supernatural effort will help to make our activities more human."

"Saint Joseph is a great saint because he corresponded in a heroic way to the graces given to him. We should contemplate about how well we are corresponding to the grace in our own vocation in the middle of the world."

This was the fifth volume that I have finished in electronic format. It is highly unlikely that I will return to the physical ones. In fact if they did not have so much underlining and notes I would pass them on to someone else.

Across the 7 Volumes in this series; or 14 eBook volumes because each book is split in two there are over 450 meditations. There is a meditation for each day of the church calendar, Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, Eastertide and of course the 34 weeks of Ordinary time. There are also 2 volumes dedicated to special feats, specific feats, novenas, Saints, and holy days that fall on specific calendar days.

These books are incredible food for your spiritual life. Every time I read them, every day I am challenged, challenged to become a better version of myself, challenged to live more joy, more hope, more dedication. These books will change your life, and as you read them again and again you will only grow to appreciate them more.