David M. O'brien

There's a Beer in My Handbag: Unusual Thoughts About Everyday Faith David M. O'brien

So much of being Catholic has little to do with formal prayer or Mass or anything overtly religious. A good portion of living our faith is about how we respond to the challenges of everyday life. How do we draw on our relationship with God and the resources of our faith in crisis, confusion and loneliness, when faced with injustice, criticism or heartbreak? Faith, if it is to survive, must be relevant throughout all the seasons of our lives. Faith must be real every day, when life is exciting, when we are in chaos and even when life is predictable and ordinary. The witness of the Catholic tradition is that faith in Christ is all that and more. The key is to begin to see God in all things, great and small. That is the road to discovery. There we will encounter the holy as well as be confronted by great evil and sublime beauty. There we will find ourselves, beloved sons and daughters of God. A mix of wheat and weeds growing together, loved despite our limitations and invited into the great mission that is to be a saint in today?s world. "There's a Beer in My Handbag" takes you on a journey deeper into the mystery of yourself as you endeavor to find your place with God. One part retreat, two parts theology, three parts testimony, this collection of everyday reflections uncovers eternity at every turn. Whether stranded at an airport or attending Easter Mass in a cemetery, finding meaning in dirty diapers and dishes or contemplating the beauties of the Catholic world, Dave invites readers to see the presence of God everywhere. If you are on a spiritual journey, you will find a home in these pages. If you are seeking meaning and purpose, you will meet fellow companions on that same road. For those rooted in their identity and practice of the Catholic faith, you will be driven into deeper waters, stretched to consider the implications of the cross in your life. Regardless of where you are with God, the words of this book will leave little doubt in your mind that you are not alone. There are many who are asking the same questions, facing the same struggles and longing for the same intimacy with God. More than anything else though, there is Christ, who stands at the heart of every journey.