Never Alone

Now, with his Joshua books well established as bestselling classics of religious fiction, Fr. Joseph Girzone turns his hand back to nonfiction. He makes a clear distinction between a genuine intimacy with God and a mimicking spirituality of pious acts--like that of the Pharisees. In this easy-to-comprehend, but by no means simplistic book, Girzone uses Jesus' relationships with both God and others to define just what intimacy with God actually looks like. Pointing out that every spiritual journey is unique and that no one can manipulate the Holy Spirit, Girzone cautions his reader against trying to force anyone's journey to conform to preconceptions. He instead encourages the reader to embrace God and trust Him to lead according to His plan. Girzone speaks of many other subjects too--of forgiveness and of suffering, of the dangers of self-centered spirituality and, of course, of transformation to Christ's spirituality. Joshua readers who have long been attracted to Girzone will be well pleased. (Mar.)