Keeping Hope by Michel Quoist

Keeping Hope by Michel Quoist

The prayers of Michel Quoist are not prayers in the usual sense, but meditations on life. Beginning with seemingly ordinary events, suddenly the light of faith is thrown on some part of our everyday existence.

Set against the roads, offices and high-rise buildings that frame our modern world, this collection of practical prayers and meditations penetrates the heart of human experience.

Whether celebrating the small victories of each day or offering support as we struggle with universal themes - among them self-acceptance, loneliness, despair, ageing, loss and grief - Quoist's prayers encourage us to celebrate and harness the tools and talents we have at our disposal to make the best of what we have.

Reviews:

'Michel Quoist sold millions of books in 27 different languages because of that ability to make prayer possible for the less contemplative among us' Fr. Brian D'Arcy, Sunday World

'To those long familiar with Quoist's writing - and those who are new to him - this book may prove a landmark in the spiritual lives of many in a new century and a new millennium' - Peter Costello, The Irish Catholic

Michel Quoist was born on June 18, 1918, in Le Havre, France. His Catholic household, who came from a working-class family, was also active in the Young Christian Workers movement. Michel's father, however, died while he was only 14 years old, and he was forced to work. He attended the seminary in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1947 at the monastery of Saint-Oeun in Normandy. He was especially passionate in ministering to young people in his work as a chaplain and a writer.

He established a method of inquiry after completing Advanced Studies at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences and working as a researcher and practitioner. He was frequently seen and heard on French television and radio. In 1997, Father Michel Quoist died at Le Havre.