68. Travelers Along the Way by Benedict J. Groeschel

Travelers Along the Way: The Men and Women Who Shaped My Life by Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.


Pages: 159
Ages: 18+
Finished: Mar. 16, 2011
First Published: Oct. 15, 2010
Publisher: Servant Books
Genre: memoir, biography, christian, Catholic
Rating: 4/5


First sentence:

For the believer life is a journey, a road laid out for us by the providence of God and guided by the divine law and the teaching of Christ.

Acquired: This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Travelers Along the Way . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy memoirs and taking a peek inside a Franciscan's life at the people he admired sounded like an inspiring read.

Benedict Groeschel is a Franciscan Friar, has been for more than fifty years now. He is also a psychologist, has written many non-fiction books for Catholics and has his own show on EWTN, the Catholic Network. In this book Father Benedict introduces us to only a sampling of the people who have made an impact on him as he has traveled this journey we call life. It is a collection of vignettes about these people as he tells us brief biographies of these individuals but also about himself as he tells the stories of how he met them and how he feels they affected him in a lasting way. Most of the people discussed are Catholics, but not all. There was his lifelong friend the Presbyterian minister Rev. Dr. Linn Creighton, the Jewish tailor he knew his entire childhood who told him on the day he left for the monastery, "Be a good boy" and there was the young man who shot himself with Fr. Benedict standing outside his apartment door. Among others.

From the Catholics discussed, most obviously are of the Religious themselves, but only a handful are well-known personages such as Mother Angelica, Mother Theresa and Cardinal Terrance Cooke. The others are lesser known on a world wide stage though certainly held in high regard by those around them. Aside from the Religious Fr. Benedict also includes lay people such as Judge William P. Clark, publishers Frank Sheed and Maisie Ward, nurse Ruby Davis and Karen Killilea. The book starts with the story of his second grade teacher, Sister Teresa Maria and ends with powerful words from a 90 year old Cardinal weeks before he died.

A truly enjoyable book. Full of inspirational stories, some serious, some not-so serious. All are told with a sense of humour, the author has an ability to laugh at himself and with others telling great stories from the past dating from the 1950s up to the present day. The author has crossed paths with saints who were the must humble and awe-inducing one can have the privilege to ever meet and he has seen the face of Jesus in unexpected persons. A very enjoyable book to read. One you can read a chapter a two and then pick up again at any time. I liked Fr. Benedict's voice and tone and will take a look at his other books in the future.