Rating: 
Summary: A Pure Soul's Journal
Review: This journal ends with a dying priest's last words, "Grace is everywhere." Bernanos paints a picture of a young priest who has the gift of seeing into the murky souls of his lukewarm parishioners.The young priest is punished by the locals for his peculiar gift of compassion and insight into the pain of others. The conversations between the young priest and his disinterested, and at times spiteful, parishioners are given to the reader with such compassion. "It is just cause you're sad," says the spiteful young girl, "You're sad even when you smile. I think if I only knew why you was sad - I shouldn't be wicked no more." The young priest replies, "I'm sad because God isn't loved enough." And so this is the eventual fate of the priest, "Dear God, I give You all, willingly. But I don't know how to give, I just let them take." And the parishioners take all of a young priest who has too much love to feel anger for it. This is a story about how saintliness and love for God goes undetected and misunderstood by most of those around us. This young priest died when perceived as a eccentric drunk, but the reality is that the sickly priest is the only one who understands and embraces God's grace. A well-written fiction with a message that should appeal to all who seek an inward love of God.
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