Posted April 14, 2011 Book: Grace Abounds: A Call to Awaken and Renew Your Faith Author: Edith Prendergast, R.S.C. Ave Maria Press. Notre Dame, IN. 2011. Pp.110 An Excerpt from the Jacket: In Grace Abounds, Edith Prendergast, R.S.C. issues a clarion call to both conversion and renewal, inviting readers to enter more deeply into the mind and heart of Christ and to live as his messengers in the Church and the world. In a culture burdened by anxiety and fear, where human weakness and social sin tear at the fabric of every institution, Prendergast reminds her readers that each one has been given an amazing gift of faith, and she calls them to revitalize their commitment to others. An Excerpt from the Book: We relinquish our freedom when we cling to personal power, seek recognition, and are frightened of losing our good name. We become slaves to our own needs; we deny our very humanity; we forget who and whose we really are. Our hearts become two sizes too small. Setting out on this road to freedom is rarely easy; it involves a real struggle. To choose freedom is to know who we are, with all that is beautiful, authentic, and with all that is raveled and tattered in us. It is to acknowledge, in the words of Gandhi, “My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and talents and I lay them both at his feet.” It is to cherish values that fortify, to embrace them and cultivate them; it is to be anchored in a vision of wholeness and truth, open to newness and hope for a brighter future. This freedom that we seek is more than a release from our tombs or an escape from slavery. As Nelson Mandela once said, “freedom is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Our risen Christ wants desperately to reach into our dark and worn places, to invite, to entice, and if needs be, to pry us free. In the end, it is not our own strength or courage that will get us over these fearful cliffs that seem impossible to climb. Grace alone will lead us to the other side. Table of Contents: 1. Awake to grace 2. Incredible abundance 3. Clothed in love, summoned beyond 4. A gift overflowing, a world transformed 5. Lift your gaze, see anew! 6. Stand in the light 7. Step into freedom 8. Embrace and echo the Word 9. Steeped in mercy, balm for the world 10. Imaging love, empowering lives 11. Passion for justice 12. God’s liberating power 13. Bearer of hope, restoring spirit 14. Love unfolding, igniting our yes