All Shall Be Well

 

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
—John 14:20

“And all shall be well!”
—Julian of Norwich

That is Easter. This is the journey of Lent: For 46 days we move through the shadows of our life so the light of Christ that opened a tomb will open our eyes to the realization that we are alive in Jesus, and thus in God, and in each other, and that all is truly well.

All Shall Be Well is an anthology of profound, personal reflections from cherished writers meant to nurture us and lift us up every day of the Lenten season and beyond.

The stories, images and insights are like candles to light our Lenten path. They begin with words by T.S. Eliot on the journey we start on Ash Wednesday, and they end with a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins on Easter’s great wonder:

In a flash, at a trumpet crash,
I am all at once what Christ is, since he was what I am, and
Thís Jack, joke, poor potsherd, patch, matchwood,
immortal diamond,
Is immortal diamond.In the pages in between, Paul Raushenbush shares why he loves Lent, Ernesto Cardenal guides us through the temptations in the wilderness, Phyllis Tickle celebrates “the luminous beauty that breaks out in spring,” Henri Nouwen turns us on to the joy of selflessness, Julia Alvarez takes us with Jesus on his way to the cross, Dorothy Day shows us why love is the measure, Leonardo Boff shows us how in pardoning we are pardoned, John Updike guarantees us that Jesus’ resurrection happened the way the Bible says it did, and 44 other poets, novelists and essayists break open the spiritual meanings of Lent and Easter with stories, epiphanies and other surprises.

Some of the other writers in the book are Pope Francis, Joyce Rupp, Rob Bell, Carlo Carretto, Ita Ford, James Martin, Mary Oliver, Pope John XXIII, Edwina Gateley, Thomas Merton and many other favorites.

My editorial colleagues James Keane and Doris Goodnough and I decided that the theme of the book would reflect the spirit of Pope Francis, would open readers’ hearts to the mercy of God, and be a positive and joyous experience, not a book of information but of inspiration. We searched for readings that leapt off pages with unexpected beauty and blessings. We hope they will for you, too.

Easter means no matter how blind we have been, through Jesus we still live in God and God in us, and all of us touch each other like sunbeams that are at one with the sun and each other (Acts 17:28). This is the atonement, the at-one-ment that sets us free.

St. Paul said it once and forever:
“I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Not death, not life, angels or demons, our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
Romans 8:38

What could be more beautiful?

To learn more about this book or to purchase, Please visit OrbisBooks.com