I’m grateful to my Jesuit Media Lab friend Alli Bobzien for pitching and writing this beautiful review of Finding God Along the Way, which just posted in Today’s American Catholic. I’ve never had a book reviewed before! Two others may be pending, but props to Alli for being first across the finish line.
You can read more of her wonderful writing at The Pondering Heart.
This is my second time as a guest on Finding Favorites (here’s the first), and I must say that Leah Jones is a fabulous interviewer, for two reasons you’ll discover when you listen:
1) She walks me through the whole pilgrimage (no pun intended), asking great questions about the logistical and emotional aspects of our month-long adventure. I did not have any of those questions in advance, but quickly realized I could count on Leah to take the lead, allowing me to be fully present. (A very pilgrim-y experience!)
2) She brings her whole self to the conversation, from her Jewish faith to her cancer diagnosis. Even though I’ve only spoken with Leah twice in my life, recording the podcast felt like sliding into a diner booth with an old friend, skipping the superficial chit-chat and diving right into what really matters.
So, slide on into that booth with us and enjoy!
P.S., While you’re on Finding Favorites, see who else Leah Jones has interviewed; the conversation with her former rabbi was quite delightful.)
My gosh, did I have fun with this one. Fr. Brendan McManus’ The Way to Manresa helped prepare my heart for pilgrimage, and his newest gem, Living the Camino Back Home, is a filled with good advice for how to sustain one’s pilgrim heart. (Also, he kindly blurbed my book; what a guy!)
We shared stories and insights in a rich hour’s conversation with talented interviewer Eric Clayton. (That hour was preceded by almost half an hour of tech troubles, which may be why we sound so comfortable with one another!)
You can play straight from the image below, or visit the AMDG show notes for more information about the podcast and Fr. McManus’ books. (And while you’re there, you can check out the many other awesome AMDG episodes.) Enjoy!
When I returned from the Ignatian Camino, my challenge was to transform a personal experience of pilgrimage into a book that could touch the hearts of people who might never be able to walk away from their life for a month. Now that Finding God Along the Way is out in the world, a new challenge has arisen: transforming words on a page into living, interactive retreat experiences.
I can’t think of a more hospitable place to begin than the Cranaleith Spiritual Center, where last Saturday I led a morning retreat called “The Long Pilgrimage to Justice.” Moved by a spectrum of concerns, ten souls braved the cold to gather in a sunny room and ground themselves for the work ahead. Together, we considered how the metaphor of pilgrimage could allow us to keep our goal on the horizon while staying deeply present to what is right in front of us. Drawing on wisdom from the Ignatian Camino, we discussed finding our “one thing,” taking the next step, redefining failure, and equipping ourselves spiritually.
My favorite part came near the end. Thoughout the morning, I’d been sharing snippets that speak to me—Scripture verses, songs, poems, quotes, etc. Finally, I read a passage from Chapter Sixteen of my book, “It’s in There,” and invited people to share what they carry in their own “go-bag” of inspiration.
The responses began as slowly as an afternoon snowfall, but each offering encouraged the next until the room was blanketed by consolation. It was such a joy to hear people ask one another, “Wait, who was that author?” “What was the name of that song ?” “Tell me that website again!” Phones came out so folks could look things up; pens came out so we could write them down.
One gentleman shared a reflection from Unfolding Light that captured the spirit of the day. It began: Hope is not anticipation of a certain outcome, but trusting goodness. Though the world around us abounds in hateful rhetoric right now—with even people on “our side” (whichever side that may be) delighting in mean memes and zinging caricatures—it was refreshing to remember how much goodness dwells in people’s hearts and memory banks.
Hope is not anticipation of a certain outcome, but trusting goodness.
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
It made me realize that, just as January is a month in which many of us return to a healthier diet after the excesses of the holiday season, so is this a time to be careful about our mental consumption. What we read, watch, and listen to has a profound effect on our spiritual health. Let’s resolve to choose wisely!
Excerpt from Chapter Sixteen, “It’s in There”
“I know we’re supposed to be praying during the first two hours of every walk. Does repeatedly taking the name of the Lord in vain count?”
I cracked this joke at the end of a particularly pressured segment of hiking, but I wasn’t actually swearing my way across Spain. The only truth in that snarky remark was the word “repeatedly.” When the pace or terrain overwhelmed my ability to pray deeply (by which I mean conversationally, meditatively, or imaginatively), I took comfort in repeating words and phrases lodged in my memory.
It began during that long ascent to Arantzazu. Knowing that we were going to “visit” the Blessed Mother, I was thrown back to one of my mom’s favorite prayers, the Memorare. As I grew more exhausted by the climb, I resorted to repeating the last sentence like a mantra, in cadence with my steps: O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Gradually, other words emerged from the deep. Once upon a time, I’d memorized a few prayers in Spanish, so I was able to pass a satisfying hour trying to drag those beloved lines out of the mental vault. Later, I challenged myself to piece together all four verses of Tagore’s “Friends Whom I Knew Not,” which I’d quoted extensively in my book Finding God Abiding. In both cases, something about the combination of meaningful words and mental exercise sustained me for quite a while.
Various Scripture passages joined the parade of words in my head. Walking through the mountains, I recalled the beginning of Psalm 121: “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence shall come my help.” On another day, I clung to St. Peter’s incredulous exclamation after Jesus asked if he wanted to jump ship like other faint-hearted followers: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.” Mile after mile, the rhythmic “Lord, to whom shall we go?” reminded me that there was nowhere I’d rather be.
Certain hymns also provided prayerful refuge. Gospel songs such as “Guide My Feet” and “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” encouraged me to press on. The sight of a little dead bird evoked “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” assuring me that I was not alone. Even though such repetitive prayer isn’t ordinarily my style, I’m grateful to have had access to such richness under duress.
In the age of smartphones, the ability to “look anything up” is both a gift and a curse. Though vast amounts of information are there at our fingertips, the convenience discourages committing things to memory. But even if I’d had cell service in the Cantabrian mountains, what would I have done—pulled out my phone and said, “Hey Siri: What’s a good prayer, poem, Scripture, or song for when you’ve climbed higher than you would have thought possible but still have an impossible distance to go?” (Okay, I just tried it, and got a link to “30 Prayers to Give You Peace of Mind When You Need It Most,” but there’s no way I could have flipped through them without dropping my phone or dropping out of the pack!)
Back in the late 80s, a series of Prego spaghetti sauce commercials featured the slogan “It’s in there!” (All the ingredients a home cook could want, right in one convenient jar.) Prego is Italian for “You’re welcome,” so perhaps that’s God’s response as I offer thanks for all the heartening words that dwell in my memory banks and offer themselves as needed. “Prego!”
I am grateful to my friend Alli Bobzien (whom I met during the amazingly generative “Ignatian Creators Summit” offered by the Jesuit Media Lab last summer) for offering me a guest spot on her Substack, The Pondering Heart.
In it, I dive into my long-standing gripe about tomorrow’s Gospel and how I finally got my heart around it.
While you’re on Alli’s site, be sure to poke around and read some of her own beautiful writing. My favorites among recent posts are “The Heart of the Fire” and “The Inkeeper’s Daughter.” The first is a poem and the second a dive into historical/biblical fiction, but both are gorgeous!
Click the image below to read on . . .
My book is in the wild, so you know what that means . . . It’s podcast season! I’m grateful to my friend Mary Fran Bontempo for being first out of the gate with this fun conversation. Click the image below to listen.
Note: Mary Fran’s latest book, From Broken to Brilliant, made my 2024 list of Books I Love by People I Love. Check it out!
Just before Christmas, the Catholic Faith Network interviewed me about my forthcoming book. While I’m always happy to talk about Finding God Along the Way, maintaining “eye contact” with the red dot at the top of my screen as instructed was challenging! How’d I do?
‘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.
Part of the Thankful Thursday Series
5/28/21, 8:06 p.m.
Dear Eric,
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 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’s Ignatian 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!
Part of the Thankful Thursday Series
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!
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.
Christine Marie Eberle 