Product Description

God offers every human being the gift of himself, promising to come and make his home in the hearts of all who love and obey him. Saints respond to this gift by giving their hearts wholeheartedly to God. In The Heart of a Saint, best-selling Catholic author Bert Ghezzi portrays ten heroes of the faith whose lives demonstrate how we can grow closer to God as we give our hearts to him. From Thérèse of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi to Dorothy Day and Pope John Paul II, the author paints a portrait of men and women taking on the heart of God in prayer, service, justice, and love of neighbor. Each chapter ends with suggestions for reflection, prayer, and action for growing in the particular spiritual quality exhibited by each saint. Ghezzi's engaging style as he tells these stories is both refreshing and inspirational.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #448489 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 182 pages

From Publishers Weekly
According to popular speaker and author Ghezzi, a saint is a woman or man who has a heart set on loving God above all. This attribute does not make these people superhuman, but it does make them good spiritual mentors for those who want to grow in holiness. Ghezzi does not draw solely from the wisdom of the usual suspects. Aelred of Rievaulx, Angela Merici and Jane de Chantal are more obscure, but no less holy, people who embraced a vocation to live for others in a variety of ways. Others mentioned include those not yet officially canonized as Catholic saints, such as Dorothy Day, and popes Paul VI and John Paul II. Ghezzi claims that each of these men and women can teach important virtues, including mercy, kindness, service and respect for the poor. Each chapter ends with a section called Think, Pray, and Act in which the author provides excellent points for reflection and action. By practicing these three disciplines, Ghezzi says, we can emulate the saints in understanding and responding to God's call. An excellent primer to the lives of these saints, this text would also be useful as a guide and discussion-starter for small church community groups. (Sept.)
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Customer Reviews

A Treasure and a Tool
As Dr. Ghezzi does so well, he brings to life 10 dynamic personalities of the Church and gives us the benefit of looking back on their lives to understand better how to live ours. Spiced with humor and incredibly candid, personal glimpses of these saints, you can't miss the deeper purpose of this book: self-examination and a personal growth in loving God in our everyday lives, no matter where we are. The questions for reflection are as deep and thought-provoking as the stories are enjoyable--yes, even fun--to read. The Heart of a Saint is a treasure of spiritual insights that is both pleasurable reading and a tool for our own spiritual growth. Thanks again, Dr. Ghezzi!

Down to Earth Inspiration
Ghezzi's books are always readable -- and thoroughly researched. "The Heart of a Saint" is a welcome addition to my library. It is tightly written and brilliantly organized: It gives Ghezzi's reasons for selecting each of the 10 persons in his book; his biographical background on the saints highlights what he is getting at -- these were human beings who lived life fully, struggled through trials, even crises of faith, and came out winners because of their faith in God; his suggestions for prayer and discussion questions will help many readers "own" the lessons of the saints.

I find it especially helpful that he put, side by side, Katharine Drexel and Dorothy Day. These 19th and 20th century saints both made big waves in society and in the Church. Their proximity in the book shows a progession of the same zeal for Christ and the people he loves so very much.

Ghezzi also includes John Paul II and his call to a New Evangelization. How could any book on saints be complete without this great man and without the very mission of the Church -- evangelization.

Bert Ghezzi, keep on writing!

Saints Alive!
As a protestant, I needed a little primer on sainthood. Ghezzi's accessible writing and transparent research brought these 10 saints alive to me and inspired me toward everyday holiness. I initially intended to read only a chapter at a time, but ended up not being able to put it down. Highly recommended.