Archbishop Dolan Reveals the Extraordinary in the Ordinary Faith-lessons of Life

Metro Catholic – February 21, 2010

HUNTINGTON, Indiana (February 21, 2010) – How should people make sense of daily events – even catastrophes – as part of God’s plan? How do common annoyances, chance meetings – even sudden unemployment, devastating natural disasters or heart-wrenching losses – fit into His purpose? They certainly do, but it’s often impossible to see how and why.

In an effort to provide inspiration and insight for interpreting God’s message in every day life, New York’s Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan shares his personal reflections and observations to challenge us all.

In Doers of the Word: Putting Your Faith Into Practice (128 pp, Our Sunday Visitor), Archbishop Dolan compiled over one hundred real life stories that show readers how to bridge their Catholic faith with what they confront, and how they affect others. It is a collection of his personal reflections connecting daily observations and events with the beauty and mystery of God’s message in every circumstance.

The reader will recognize his own daily struggles as he embarks on a private journey with the Archbishop – looking at situations like handling an abrasive email, explaining a difficult Church teaching to someone, understanding the ‘seasons’ of one’s life, persevering through mundane routine, bolstering those who’ve become discouraged, even embracing personal ‘crosses’ and sufferings. Doers of the Word is filled with many familiar occurrences which can play an integral part in the perfect Will of God.

“There are times that shattering change occurs in our lives,” says Archbishop Dolan. “But at the deepest level of reality and meaning, we can discover a firm foundation – an “unmoved mover” – an immutable base resting on a loving, caring, omniscient, omnipotent, providential God,” he says.

Archbishop Dolan wrote the reflections during his own prayer time over the past several years, and they can help people embrace God amid the calm, even calamity, of their lives. The book is simple, practical and humorous enough to digest in a single reading – yet can inspire anyone to see the extraordinary in each day.

Despite life’s mysteries, twists and turns, it “maintains a constant identity, a reliable rooting in the Lord, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow,” says Archbishop Dolan.

Former rector of the North American College in Rome, Archbishop Dolan was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as shepherd of the New York Archdiocese in February, 2009.

Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics worldwide through its publishing, offertory and communication services. Established in 1912 by a local parish priest, Our Sunday Visitor has grown into the nation’s largest supplier of offering envelopes, parish and diocesan mailings, books, periodicals, curriculum, address management, and stewardship services. Our Sunday Visitor is a not-for-profit organization, returning a portion of net earnings back to the Catholic community through the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. For more information, visit www.osv.com.