Two Sundays ago, I had the privilege of preaching at First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield, NJ. It was Consecration Sunday, when members submit their tithing pledges for the year ahead. Pastor Marvin Lindsay had invited me to preach on gratitude and/or generosity, and said I could choose my own readings. (What a treat!)
I selected Proverbs 3:1-10 (“Trust in the Lord all your heart…”) and Mark 6:45-52 (Jesus walks on water), and titled my sermon “The Parable of the Basset Hound” after my of my nephew-dogs, Hank. Here’s the pivot point of the lesson:
“I am sure that every person in this room is grateful for God’s many blessings in our lives. But the question is: Does our gratitude for what God did yesterday inspire trust for what God will do tomorrow, or do we just panic all over again like a pack of church-going Basset Hounds?”
‘Tis the season for curated book lists! Here’s my quirky, second annual contribution, with just two rules: I have to 1) know the author and 2) like the book. (And I can’t just have mentioned it in my Thankful Thursday posts, though there were a lot of great reads in there!)
If you’re shopping online (I’m looking at you, Cyber Monday), I beg of you,get not your books on Amazon. Local independent bookstores need our December dollars! If you don’t have one near you, try Bookshop.org, where you can indicate which local indie your purchase will support, or Barnes & Noble, a bona fide brick-and-mortar chain.
And if you want to gift any of my books for Christmas (including Finding God Along the Way) just email me and I’ll move heaven and earth to get personalized, signed copies to you or your chosen recipients.
Okay, here’s the 2024 edition of Books I Love by People I Love (or at least like and esteem a whole lot), alpha by author:
From Broken to Brilliant: How to Live a Brilliantly Resilient Life, by Mary Fran Bontempo When you are racing to respond to one of life’s many crises, Mary Fran Bontempo has your back. This book—published on Kindle today—is a “go bag” of useful strategies: nuggets culled from her own hard-earned experience and the wisdom of more than two dozen podcast guests. Delivered in her characteristic sassy style (she puts the “smart” in “smart ass”), the book also includes practical reflection questions to help you apply each insight to your own life. It’s a master class in getting a grip while remaining endlessly kind to yourself! GIFT THIS TO anyone at whom life has thrown a serious curveball.
The Mystics Would Like a Word: Six Women Who Met God and Found a Spirituality for Today, by Shannon K. Evans By day, Shannon Evans is the culture and spirituality editor at the National Catholic Reporter; she’s also the author of three books and is one of my Ignatian Creators Summit pals. Here she has taken six mystics whose stories we may only think we know and paired them with searingly honest tales of her own life and our contemporary culture. The result is both riveting and thought-provoking. GIFT THIS TO anyone who likes their spirituality generously seasoned with sass.
Domestic Violence Awareness: Listen for the Whispers of Abuse, by Jennifer Gardella How do you tell the difference between a jerk and an abuser? This is the topic that Dr. Jennifer Gardella tackles in her eye-opening book. Rooted in her own story but determined not to stop there, Jen’s mission is to “empower victims and their support systems to recognize signs of abuse beyond broken bones and bruises, and then learn how to provide support.” GIFT THIS TO anyone who harbors concerns about a loved one but is perplexed about what to do next.
Redeeming Power: Exercising the Gift as God Intended / 12 Lessons for Catholics Who Lead, by Ann Garrido One of the things I often say about Ann Garrido is that she has a keen sense of what needs redeeming (see Redeeming Conflict and Redeeming Administration). In her third book in the series, she addresses the hard reality that leadership confers power, and power can be used hurtfully. As a remedy, Ann gives us a dozen strategies for the healthy and holy use of power, as well as twelve role models to follow. GIFT THIS TO anyone who finds themselves uncomfortably “in charge,” especially in a church setting.
The Dry Cleaner’s Three Stories, by Betsy Hudson I’ve never had a comic book on my list before, and I may never again, but this is too sweet not to share. Betsy’s a fellow pilgrim from the Ignatian Camino. Her delightful little book tells the true story of her husband’s long flight delay spent—quite unexpectedly—in the company of their dry cleaner, Max, and the profound lessons Charlie encountered in the three true stories Max shared. “Because you never know when someone will tell you something that captivates, entertains, and maybe even changes you.” GIFT THIS TO anyone who enjoys a meaningful bit of cross-cultural whimsy.
MicroShifts: Transforming Your Life One Step at a Time, by Gary Jansen Gary Jansen is an award-winning author, speaker, and editor (Loyola Press), but I know him best as someone I was fortunate to connect with during the last Ignatian Creators Summit. In this gem of a book, he explores the topic of personal transformation: why it’s so difficult, how we get in our own way, and things we can do to (gradually, sustainably) create the changes we desire. GIFT THIS TO: Anyone who could use a dose of practical inspiration in their stocking.
This Little Light: Lessons in Living from Sister Thea Bowman, by Bro. Mickey McGrath OSFS With his usual flair for storytelling, artist Mickey McGrath illuminates the life of Servant of God Thea Bowman (one of the “Saintly Six” Black Catholics whose cause for canonization is under consideration). Through twelve paintings, he weaves her story of faith and hope with his unfolding personal and artistic growth, giving us all a little more light to see by. GIFT THIS TO anyone who needs to remember, “It doesn’t matter if you’re scared; just keep on steppin’!”
The End of Ending, by Josh Noem Another Ignatian Creators Summit friend, Josh Noem is Editorial Director at Ave Maria Press whose other hats include blogger and novelist. The End of Ending is one of those rare novels that treats religion as a normal part of everyday life (true for so many people, but rarely seen in fiction). When I complemented him on that, Josh said that he wanted the book to be about “the lived experience of confronting despair, grief, injustice—and experiencing something gratuitous on the other side.” GIFT THIS TO fans of belief,beer, baseball or—better yet—all three!
Homework Success for Children with ADHD: A Family-School Intervention Program, by Thomas J. Power, James L. Karustis, and Dina F. Habboushe Okay, you caught me. I have not read this book—because this is not a topic I’ve ever had to think about. But Jim Karustis played a brief but pivotal role in my journey from shy English major to campus ministry-immersed theology major, so I owe him a lot! And apparently this is a very good book and I did actually purchase it, so if anyone would like it please let me know and I’ll pop it in the mail. GIFT THIS TO any educator or parent of young children for whom “homework has become a frustrating battle nobody wins.”
The Missing, by Ben Tanzer The Missing is narrated in the alternating voices of parents whose teenage daughter has vanished. Through this technique, Ben Tanzer deftly weaves the characters’ paths together even as their emotional trajectories are spinning apart. Ben was the publicist for my first two books; I know that he’s a good guy and a great dad. But here’s the writing challenge he set for himself: explore a crisis in which the protagonists make decisions he NEVER would make. I spent a lot of time yelling “Nooooo!” as I read, but ended up applauding Ben’s swell writing chops, and the creative leap required to get inside the heads of characters who keep taking dead wrong turns in their relationship. GIFT THIS TO anyone who’d enjoy a literary deep dive into some truly dark stuff.
I have been enjoying your weekly emails since my friend Rob McChesney brought them to my attention last summer. You have such a deft touch, using small, potent images—a pile of Legos, a burnt pot, a smoke detector—to lead the reader to a moment of spiritual insight. They are like the best kind of daily Mass homilies!
It isn’t often that we get such a clear date stamp on the beginning of a friendship. But since emails are one of the few things I hoard (over 26K in the inbox and counting), I was able to find this gem. I’d been following Eric Clayton’s weekly emails on behalf of the Jesuit Conference (where he is Deputy Director of Communications) since the pandemic summer of 2020, but it wasn’t until the following May that I worked up the nerve to email him, complimenting his writing and sharing my own. Despite obvious demographic differences (he’s a father of young children, for starters), our mutual delight in mining the events of everyday life for spiritual truths led to the discovery of many other shared experiences and enthusiasms.
Eric A. Clayton
Eric is one of the most faithfully prolific writers I know. Those weekly columns keep coming, always using a simple image to unlock a spiritual insight. In 2022, they finally got a name: “Now Discern This.” (You can see them all and sign up here.) He also has a robust presence on Substack, where his “Story Scraps” cover all sorts of topics, including short fiction.
And then there are the books. In 2022, he published Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith, about which I said (among other things), “Using the lens of storytelling, Clayton helps each reader mine the riches of their own story, connecting them with the one great story of God as experienced through saints and strangers, grandmothers and toddlers, ordinary life and extraordinary dreams.” This year saw My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars, which I confess sits on my shelf unread because I feel a compulsion to watch all nine movies first—in order. (If he’d published a book on the spirituality of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, or LOTR, I’d have downed it by now.) This week, I preordered his latest, Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads Us to Healing and Wholeness, coming in May 2025. Three books in four years; way to go, Eric!
Our mutual delight in mining the events of everyday life for spiritual truths led to the discovery of many other shared enthusiasms.
Eric has been so helpful in linking me to the wider Jesuit world: posting on the Conference website my article about the Ignatian Volunteer Corps; interviewing me on the AMDG Podcast, and inviting me to write for their Advent series for the last three years. (BONUS: click here to sign up for the new series, “Waiting and Wassailing: Daily Advent Meditations on Story and Song,” coming December 1 to an email near you.)
The most life-changing connection, however, was when Eric welcomed me to the Jesuit Media Lab’sIgnatian Creators Summit. During the last two summer gatherings, I’ve formed friendships with so many people who are using their manifold gifts—in writing, art, theater, film, photography, music, podcasting, and more—in the spirit of St. Ignatius, for the greater glory of God. (It was at the first of these Summits that I finally met Eric in person; at the second, I learned what a wicked-competitive card player he is!)
Here’s what Eric had to say about Finding God Along the Way: Filled with warmth, humor and a voracious eye for detail, Finding God Along the Way is Christine Eberle’s invitation to each of us to embark on our own inner pilgrimage. Along the way, Eberle promises to help us discover God in places both surprising and familiar. While we can’t all hop a flight to Spain, we can all journey deeper and deeper into our own selves, into those hidden recesses of our very souls, where God waits with delight. By inviting us into key scenes from her own Ignatian pilgrimage, Eberle masterfully weaves stories that both transport us to the land of St. Ignatius while also keeping us grounded in the spiritual reality of our own present lives. If you’re looking for an adventure into the soul, this is your book.
For a kindred spirit whose talent and productivity are equally matched by his kindness, generosity, and humor, I am truly grateful!
As I prepared to walk the Ignatian Camino—knowing I was planning on writing about it—I tried not to read many other Camino memoirs. I wanted to reach my own insights, free from the risk of parroting someone else’s. I made an exception, however, for Irish Jesuit Brendan McManus’ marvelous work, The Way to Manresa: Discoveries Along the Ignatian Camino.I’m so glad I did!
Brendan McManus, SJ
The book narrates the experience of a priest who had walked the Camino as a young man and set out to do it again after an exhausting stint of suicide-bereavement ministry. His hopes were thwarted when he fell and sustained a serious injury on the second morning of his solo journey. He pressed on (with the approval of a medical center) for several days until pain forced him to abandon the walk. He used public transportation to visit highlights of the Way before returning home, where the search for answers continued.
While it may be hard to imagine getting a whole book out of a pilgrimage cut off at the knees (no pun intended) on Day Two, McManus’ account of the spiritual wrestling match brought on by pain and disappointment makes this a worthwhile read for anyone dealing with an unexpected and unwelcome turn of events.
McManus’ account of the spiritual wrestling match brought on by pain and disappointment makes this a worthwhile read for anyone dealing with an unexpected and unwelcome turn of events.
I later learned that Fr. McManus is a prolific author, and that most of his books have to do with the “other” Camino—the famous one, the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James). He is currently based at the Manresa Spirituality Center in Dublin, but spends time each summer back in Spain, supporting other pilgrims through the Camino Companions program.
His latest book, co-written with Katherine O’Flynn, FCJ, is called Living the Camino Back Home: Ignatian Tips for Keeping the Camino Spirit Alive. Publication date is December 5, but if you’re free tomorrow afternoon (Friday, November 15, 2:00 Eastern) you can see McManus in conversation during a live book launch event. I just registered (at no cost) and hope you will too!
Brendan McManus could not have been kinder or more encouraging when I reached out to him about my book. Here’s what he said:
Christine has done a wonderful job of distilling the essence of pilgrimage and integrating Ignatian Spirituality into a wonderfully engaging narrative. With a lovely light touch she manages to capture the daily struggles and challenges (bags, beds and blisters!) that make for the essential inner journey that mirrors the outer journey in Ignatian Spain. This book beautifully illustrates Ignatian themes of trust, freedom and listening to the Spirit. A great Ignatian pilgrim read!
For this living witness that “everything has the potential to call forth a deepening of our life in God” (a la Ignatius), I am truly grateful.
The route that Ignatius took from Loyola to Manresa has existed for 502 years now, but the Ignatian Camino in its present form would not exist without the extraordinary commitment of Fr. José Luis Iriberri, Director of the Office of the Ignatian Camino. In addition to organizing and physically leading trips spring through fall each year, he has co-authored (with Chris Lowney) two Camino books: On the Ignatian Way and Guide to the Ignatian Camino. And now, you can see him for yourself—along with many of the places featured in my book—in a 90-minute YouTube documentary that premiered this summer!
Fr. José, on the Way!
A quick word search of my manuscript reveals that I mention him more than 150 times in 187 pages; clearly, he was an integral part of the experience! Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 43: “In Praise of Our Fearless Leader.”
Perhaps the shortest and most accurate thing I can say about José Luis Iriberri, SJ, is that he is a true son of Ignatius. (He even looks like the saint, being of Basque descent and cultivating a bit of an Ignatian beard!) He is intimately familiar with the path Iñigo traversed, pointing out churches where he worshipped, buildings where he conducted business, and hostels where he might have stayed.
It is one thing to know about Ignatius, however, and quite another to know Ignatius and to model one’s life after him. That is the experience of traveling with this man: the sense of being in the company of one of Ignatius’s close companions as he guided us through both the outer and inner landscape of the Camino. He was our spiritual guide, in every sense of the term.
Backpack on, walking stick in hand, he moved like a mountain goat, lightly, over any kind of terrain, knowing every twist and turn of those hundreds of miles—most of which he had marked by hand. But he also knew the contours of our hearts, watching us carefully, listening closely to what we said and didn’t say, reading our faces, and offering sage observations. He knew when to encourage a flagging pilgrim, when to offer a bit of respite, when to break the tension with a droll remark, and when to put his foot down if someone’s ambitions exceeded their abilities. Though he could grow exasperated with our ridiculousness, he was completely attentive and caring the moment someone manifested a genuine need.
José’s helpfulness has continued since our return. When the first draft of my manuscript was complete, I sent it to him for fact-checking. Just a few days later, I received the electronic document back, marked up in red ink in his own hand. He caught many errors—from place names I’d gotten wrong to bits of Spanish history I’d misunderstood—which I gratefully corrected. (He also inserted comments like “Oh I don’t think I said that” and “the walk didn’t really take that long,” which I took under advisement.) He’s even helped with the audiobook: when I discovered a bunch of words in Euskara and Catalan that I wasn’t sure how to pronounce, I sent him a list and he read it into a voice memo for me! The book is so much better for his attentive care, as I was better for his attentive care along the Way.
The book is so much better for his attentive care, as I was better for his attentive care along the Way.
He also shared these kind words: Christine catches the spirit of the pilgrimage, living the full experience in her own body and soul and bringing an open mind to both the obstacles and wonders that pilgrims may encounter along the Way. This book will help you to understand the gifts that you would find walking freely in Spain, following the steps of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a saint who lived five hundred years ago but experienced a transformation that is most needed in our twenty-first century.
For this walking example of loving God with one’s whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, I am truly grateful.
Christine Marie Eberle 