Anonymous
I discovered the work through my father. He had read the four volumes and sent me the first one. I consumed the whole volume, could not put it down, and asked for the other three.
I have read all four volumes 10, 12, 15 times in the past 30 years. Each time I begin to read them, I see something totally different that I didn’t see before. Now I’m on probably number 16 or 17, and it’s like going to an old friend. From losing children to miscarriages, to celebrating weddings, to going to funerals, our Lord, through these volumes, wrapped me up in His love. I am friends with so many of the people in our Lord’s life that the Gospel doesn’t address. Saint Simon the Zealot was my favorite apostle. Elisha, who lost so many sons, is a favorite. I ask Judas Iscariot’s mother to pray for my wayward son to come back to the Sacraments. I could go on and on.
The volumes fill in the gaps and address all five of our senses. I agree with a priest that the Gospel is enough, but when you’ve been given a gift to fill in between the lines of the Gospel writers, why wouldn’t you embrace it? We’re sensual, relational people. The volumes provide relationship and address our five senses, bringing the Gospel readings alive more than they ever could have been without it.
Reading these books for the last three decades has made me realize that you can plant the seeds about these volumes with people, but you can’t bring on their acceptance. We are held accountable to plant the seed about the volumes, but we are certainly not the ones to make it grow within our loved ones.
I wish the priests who say the Gospel is enough would actually read part of the volumes before advising.