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1. Please use this topic to share thoughts while reading, or that are not covered in other discussion questions.

I have an initial negative reaction to a work that uses numbers (7 this 5 that) or posits "stages" in one's spiritual journey since they never seem to match my experience.

Arrrgh.

I flew to Minneapolis today for my father's 90th birthday celebrations and left my copy of the book in my seat. I had notes in the book for a couple questions, one criticism and several quotes. I will try to recover what I can remember. And I've submitted a lost item claim. Hopefully, they'll find it and I'll have some way of getting my book back.

Oh no! Sorry to hear, John. I hope you're able to recover it. St. Anthony, find John's book please! (Although, whenever I've lost a book, I end up supposing that God wanted someone else to have it because they need it more at that time.)

I haven't heard so I will assume that's what happened. I will try not to assume that the cabin cleaners in Minneapolis tossed it in the trash.

At the end of stage 15, there is a long quote by Cardinal Journet, where, commenting the words in the Gospel Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them he says this:

There are... things he grants when we are gathered for and in the Eucharist and that he does not grant whenever two or three are gathered in his name, where there is simply the spiritual presence.

I can't see that this restrictive view of the Gospel words is justified by the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus.

Manuel wrote: "At the end of stage 15, there is a long quote by Cardinal Journet, where, commenting the words in the Gospel Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them he says this..."

There were a couple places in the book where his understanding of scripture raised my eyebrows. I marked them to check and confirm my recollection that he was taking some liberties to support his argument, but then left my book on the plane and don't have those notes.

In stage 23, a quote of St. Peter Julian Eymard says:

Above all, the soul is the object Jesus is aiming for in us. The body is but an antechamber...

Even though these are the words of a saint, I'd rather follow Joseph Ratzinger and say that the object Jesus is aiming for in us is our complete person, not just our soul.

many interesting insights and connections, e.g.
God commands them to sacrifice the very animals Egyptians considered gods.
movement from face-to-face to heart-to-heart
Peter's suggestion on the Mount of Transfiguration makes more sense if it was the Feast of Booths time!

Fire and blood are powerful images!

I don't believe Mary had a painless childbirth, even though pain does seem to be a consequence of Eve's disobedience. Why would God deprive Mary of that wonderful womanly experience of cooperating through purposeful labor in bringing new life into the world?

It's a stretch to say Jesus lowers himself more in the Blessed Sacrament than in the crucifixion.

In stage 29 I found this paragraph: No reason is indicated to justify the Lord’s preference [for Abel versus Cain]: it depends on his free will.

This seems to say that God's decision is arbitrary. Can this be a translator mistake, I wonder? I don't have the original French version, so I cannot verify.

Also, the Genesis text goes on to say that Cain's offer was not accepted because "Cain was not doing well" (If you do well, will you not be accepted?).

It's at least true that WE (readers of Scripture) can't be sure of God's reason, so it appears arbitrary to us. We can guess, but only by reading between the lines or extrapolating from what's there.

Jill wrote: "It's at least true that WE (readers of Scripture) can't be sure of God's reason, so it appears arbitrary to us. We can guess, but only by reading between the lines or extrapolating from what's there."

We also know that "God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7) And we know that God is good and just, though his justice is tempered by mercy (lucky for us). And as Manuel indicates, Genesis goes on to suggest Cain's problem: "If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?" It is not a legal indictment, but if we conclude that God is acting arbitrarily, shouldn't we consider that we've misread the text?

The text in fact suggests a reason for God's choice.

I have one comment about stage 31:

I understand that Racine is keen on spreading the weekly hour of adoration among as many people as possible. This is the reason he has written this book. But I find it excessive his assertion that one hour of adoration per month remains insufficient for letting this time of prayer transform us. And in the next paragraph he deprecates those who prefer to pray at home! I think he shouldn't be putting limits on what God can do with those who pray in whatever way for whatever reasons.

In stage 36 Racine says that if we go to nighttime adoration every week, our streets will be safer. He actually asserts that the rate of crime diminishes in the vicinity of a church where perpetual adoration has been instituted.

I'd like to see some confirmation of this assertion. Racine does not give it. On the other hand, this way of presenting the subject seems to me somewhat near to spiritual blackmail: "If you don't go to nighttime adoration, your streets will be less safe."

I' ve finished. This is my review:
/review/show...