The Wit and Wisdom of Mother Angelica

BOOK PICK: The Spiritual Wisdom of Mother Angelica

(photo: EWTN Publishing)

THE SPIRITUAL WISDOM OF MOTHER ANGELICA

By Mother Angelica

EWTN Publishing, 2018

Seven volumes, 2,085 pages; $89.95

EWTN Item: 80725

 


Mother Angelica was a treasury of wit and wisdom.

Now, all of her spiritual “gems” are gathered in one place, thanks to EWTN Publishing.

Each of the seven volumes overflows with the enduring wisdom and witty insights of EWTN’s foundress. The set brings together 49 of the “mini books” Mother wrote in the 1970s while in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Her signature style is evident in Praying With Mother Angelica; Mother Angelica on Christ and Our Lady; Mother Angelica on Suffering and Burnout; Mother Angelica’s Quick Guide to the Sacraments; Mother Angelica on Prayer & Living for the Kingdom; Mother Angelica on God, His Home and His Angels; and Mother Angelica’s Guide to Practical Holiness.

Remember how Mother Angelica always had her Bible at the ready and would have many lessons to share from Scripture?

These books highlight her knack for weaving Scripture into timely lessons, offering guidance that enlightens and inspires in countless ways. Take this one example from hundreds in Mother Angelica on Christ and Our Lady:

“If I strive for union with God, that union will manifest itself to my neighbor in many hidden ways. Jesus described this when he said, ‘If, therefore, your whole body is filled with light, and no trace of darkness, it will be light entirely, as when a light shines on you with its rays’ (Luke 11:36).”

“Those rays of God’s Love shining forth form a soul united to Him, affect every person that soul meets,” she continues. “… The soul itself may not be conscious of its effects on others, but its example of constancy, courage, faith and love shines out to others like the rays of the sun.”

In Mother Angelica on Christ and Our Lady, she well explains how Jesus changes seeking souls, too. “As a flower turns toward the sun seeking warmth,” she writes, “these sinners sought the One who could restore their innocence and purity. They were never disappointed. He would look at them with great love, and all the things that seemed so important to them would suddenly turn to straw. They knew they must change and follow Him.”

And she shows how holiness is attainable for everyone in daily life, such as this insight from Mother Angelica’s Quick Guide to the Sacraments: “Simple things like washing dishes, running a sweeper, driving to work, struggling to make a living, budgeting a small salary to meet big expenses — yes, these and all the other facets of life together have power hidden within them to make them holy. Married life is the ground of holiness; love is the seed planted by God.”

And don’t forget her take on St. Paul’s ode to love in 1 Corinthians 13 (in Mother Angelica on Prayer & Living for the Kingdom): “A humble love is ‘never rude or selfish,’ and yet,” she writes, “we seldom think of someone who is polite and generous to us, saying, ‘I love you.’”

In these volumes, Mother Angelica says to readers, page after page: “I love you.”

And in Mother Angelica’s Guide to Practical Holiness, she reminds readers where a Christian’s focus should be centered.

“Trusting in God is to place everything and everyone in his mercy and Providence with complete confidence,” she writes.

“Trusting in God is to have the assurance that our loving Father will take care of us and our loved ones.”

As she was also known to say: “We are all called to be great saints; don’t miss the opportunity.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to become a saint — or read these books.

Joseph Pronechen is a Register staff writer.