Still fresh on my mind, Father Matthew Kelty has a book that deepened and broadened my take on forgiveness and mercy, and on learning to actually enjoy the process. My wife Martha and I read it nearly two decades ago, shortly after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

My Song Is of Mercy is as fresh today as it was then.

So I’ve decided to make it the second book I’m giving away. For those who’ve recently signed on, I began in January to give away monthly a book that meant something to us along this path.

Father Matthew Kelty at his finest

My Song Is of Mercy is not a how-to-forgive book. Rather, it’s a collection of Fr. Matthew’s homilies and sermons spanning nearly a quarter century from 1970 to 1993. When Martha and I read it, we laughed, we cried, we danced, and we sought forgiveness. It’s a prime reason why I call Fr. Matthew the Monk of Mercy.

The opening third of the book is a revised edition of the popular Flute Solo, Fr. Matthew’s reflections on his eight-year stay as a solitary, or hermit, in Papua New Guinea. He reflects back on that period as having been “…there long ago singing psalms on a hill by the sea on the north coast. One could have done worse. Praise God!”

The balance of the book is a compilation of 69 homilies and sermons. These talks cover a wide range of topics—from monastic architecture to the rising cost of a McDonald’s cup of coffee to Fr. Matthew barreling into town in a bright red convertible, monk’s habit flapping in the wind.

Here’s a sampling of titles:
~ The Pansy Sermon
~ Two Men Went Up to the Temple to Pray
~ Losers Get Prizes, Too
~ Knock Your Socks Off Christianity

If My Song Is of Mercy captures your fancy and you’d like to participate in this round of what I call Carlen’s Lotto, here are a few rules:

Anyone is eligible, whether you subscribe to my newsletter or not. Simply send an email to carlen@carlenmaddux.com between this Friday, February 26, and next Wednesday, March 2, by 11:59 PM EST. Indicate that you would like to be included in this month’s book giveaway. It will help me if you put in the subject line: BOOK GIVEAWAY.
One person—maybe you!—will be selected at random from those entering. I will send you a confirmation email on Thursday, March 3. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If I don’t hear back from you by then, someone else will be selected at random.
For more details, click Book Giveaway rules.

Thank you,
Carlen Maddux
www.carlenmaddux.com

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