The Road Of Hope: A Gospel From Prison

Archbishop Van Thuans notes from prison are extraordinary. For thirteen years, his writings were smuggled out of his cell and circulated among Christians and non-Christians alike. People shared his messages to take up Van Thuans challenge that the Vietnamese people bring the Church into the world by their love for one another. He wrote, It would be so wonderful if God required us only to love him. However, he has chosen also to require the difficult obligation to love our neighbor. Van Thuan calls for a deep examination of conscience. You proclaim that all you do is for God and for the Church. Very well. But can you stand in his presence and honestly say that you are working completely for him? His directives are practical. Your time of prayer is your period of intimacy with God, who is your Father. It is a time for the heart, not the head. These 1,001 reflections are pearls of great price. If lived out, they will change your life.