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I loved this book as it suits my temperament completely. In my world I opted out of the hurly burly of work life, aged forty, to look deeply into silence with its core values. Silence is a complete world in itself.
Silence has greatness simply because it is. It is, and that is its greatness, pure existence. There is no beginning to silence and no end: it seems to have its origins in the time when everything was still pure. In this gentle and inspiring book, John Lane creates the silence he longs for with the beauty of his words and the weight & poise of his thoughts. He evokes several spiritual traditions & many remarkable writers & mystics for whom silence was not just golden but platinum. ‘The Spirit of Silence’ is for those who wish to look beyond the speed & superficiality of our modern lifestyle to find depth & spiritual space in their lives. Thank you John Lane & Peninsula library. Peninsula. Lib 40, Chelsea Green Publ. Coy, White River Junction, Vermont, 2006.
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Joan Chittister manages to capture the essence, import & meaning of rituals that are common to monasticism & in many ways to us all. They are an invitation to families & parishes, to individuals & to groups everywhere, to make the mundane meaningful again. “Never assume that you can always tell the difference between darkness & light as some of the most penetrating insights we ever experience come out of the deepest darkness.” ‘Silence is another form of sound.’ It is the sound that introduces us to ourselves: to what we’re really thinking to what we’re really feeling, to what we really fear. Out of these sounds comes the resurrection of the self. And - “If we pray consciously we will some day, become an unconscious prayer”. She tells of the importance of naming - “Naming is a Holy act. It confers uniqueness on a person; it brings character into existence.”
Peninsula Parish 882, Sheed & Ward, Oxford, UK. 2003. “The Comic Book Bible” written by Bob Suggs & colouring by Christopher ‘ScribbleBoy’ Gray.13/3/2026 Children are naturally attracted to picture books, that’s why ‘ The comic book Bible’ is the perfect Bible story book for children aged 8-12. Clever comic style illustrations bring Bible stories to life with humour, snappy dialogue & spiritual truths. Young people won’t be able to stop reading and best of all the book will plant seeds of interest in reading and studying God’s words.
‘The Comic Book Bible’ is a great start & since the Bible is the most read book of all time, it will help nourish a love of reading in general. Thank you Peninsula library for shelving this book, a book for all ages. peninsula library number 1065 This is the story of one woman’s life in living dialogue with the one God.
Biblical verses are taken and, with careful illustration and free verse, they are described further. A woman of prayer, a woman of faith, a woman of confidence, this is the Miryam (Mary) of Nazareth described in Ann Johnson’s vivid contemporary portrait of the mother of Jesus. This book was was first published over 20 yrs ago, the new edition of this spiritual classic we discover that these strengths were part of Miryam - long before the angel asked for her cooperation in God’s plan of salvation. Ann Johnson’s imaginative & stirring use of the magnificat prayer form presents a fresh & appealing view of Mary, the God-bearer & woman for all times. Thank you Ann Johnson & Peninsula library for shelving this book. Iona lib 684, 1984 Ave Maria Press Inc. This is a very helpful book on prayer, the irrelevance and relevance of prayer ie.- discernment, techniques of prayer, purification of the soul, the ways of prayer for beginners and prayer beyond the beginnings. Thomas Green is the author of 8 books on the spiritual life and is an internationally recognised writer, teacher & mentor. He has served for 35 yrs at San Jose Seminary in Manila where he is spiritual director and professor of Philosophy & Pastoral theology. Many people ask “What is prayer”, ‘WIll it help me, how do you pray’ & this book makes the exercises, techniques & reflections of the great spiritual writers like Ignatius, Teresa & John of the Cross - attractive & intelligible to people who need God, seek God and are asking how to communicate with him”.
Thank you Thomas Green, thank you Peninsula library for shelving this useful book. Peninsula library.876, 1977, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana This is a wonderful book, so much so, when I finished it, I started again at the beginning.
To go on Pilgrimage is a good but narrow thing. As Bill Manhire says in his closing ‘ let the road closing line be the opening line.’ Catherina van Bohemen is a teacher, writer & reviewer who walked the ‘Camino’ and wrote about the experience. She walked 20 odd kilometers a day at least, often in severe conditions. Walking in searing rain which chills you to your bones, meeting savage dogs, sharing wonderful & heartening times with fellow pilgrims with whom one might not share a common language but discovers the bonds of true friendship. Many many thanks Catherine and the IIML crew who encouraged the writing. And thank you Iona library. Peninsula parish, 1033, The Cuba Press, Wgtn 6441 NZ, 2020. This lovely little book is a real souvenir of the saintly life of Suzanne Aubert.
Coming from a village near Lyons & from a wealthy & aristocratic family, she died in 1926, aged 91 & her funeral was one of the largest Wellington had ever seen. The book is lovingly illustrated by photos and paintings - one by the late Joanna Paul dated 1990 of the Convent at Jerusalem. It is a book of hope to be treasured by our library and I suggest you read it, and receive its loving blessing, and perhaps visit her grave at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion in Island Bay - the Home she founded. Many blessings. Thank you for the honour of this read and thank you peninsula library. National Library of NZ 1992., Publisher Daphne Brasell, Thornton, Wellington. This woman is very devout and a born adventurer in the faith. Following a vision, she steadfastly stuck to her path planning a detailed journey, to fulfill her vision. The traditional Celtic blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand, holds true and her meticulous planning heralds her faith. Born in Rawene hospital during the Depression, Bawden followed a deeply personal 50 year spiritual journey. It commences with a call to the island of Iona and ends with preparation for a celebration of the first Christian service to the Maori people in NZ’s Bay of Islands. The 7 month pilgrimage through special Christian sites of Britain, Europe & America in the 60s is portrayed with sensitive insights & emphasis on the healing ministry. Patricia Bawden died in 2023 in Kerikeri. This is a story of faith told with passion. May she rest in peace. Thank you Iona library for shelving this book. Peninsula library 1015, Daystar Bks ltd, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, NZ 2014.
This book consists of 2 series of articles written for Denis’s devotional contributions to a British weekly. A difficult task to write as his publisher asked Denis to write on the bases of the devotional life in such a way that it would be understood by everybody and especially by those unused to material on spirituality. However, I found this book enlightening and helpful. Divided into chapters on silence, the need for, the salvation, love resting, means of grace & the Grace of Man. Another chapter is devoted to the way of meditation and gives practical guidence. The second part is devoted to the fruit of the spirit, the source of the miracle of grace that leads to grace. There are brief sketches on each of the fruits of the spirit. A great book, much appreciated in this busy world where people rarely get time to stop and LISTEN. Thank you Iona library & Denis Duncan. Maybe you’ll have time to stop and listen this holiday season.
Iona parish 752, Arthur James ltd.,Evesham London, 1980. |
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