Reverence

Magdalen Smith's book is a call to return to the simplest, hardest, most authentic dimensions of faith and vocation: to love generously, to give of oneself and one's time to any who ask for them, and to live with faith and hope in the God who comes among us ceaselessly as the vulnerable, unprotected stranger searching for home. There is no pretence here, but a fresh and frank witness that sings aloud and warms the heart. I defy anyone to read this book and not emerge a better, more hopeful human being. - Magdalen Smith is a valued source of spiritual insight on vocation and ministry. These reflections, rooted in the experience and identity of a parish priest, add to the wisdom of her earlier writing. Beautifully crafted, written with authenticity and integrity, each chapter offers stories of pastoral encounter and the inner responses of the priest to her everyday tasks. Magdalen has the distinctive voice of a woman in public ministry who is simultaneously an artist, parent, daughter, spouse and friend. This is wholesome food: nourishment for discipleship and ministry as life lived to the full, infused with all the costliness and fulfilment of priestly calling. - This honest book by Magdalen Smith should be required reading for all who are considering ordination. Magdalen writes from a place of deep personal awareness whilst at the same time an enthusiastic and curious desire to look and listen outward-to others, to creation, to human experience. Her infectious and down-to-earth faith will inspire, challenge and comfort in equal measure. It is a masterpiece. -