An
Incidental Priest
Will Leave You Wanting More to Read from Cardinal Johnson
An
Incidental Priest
is an eloquent, passionate book that discusses many of the difficult
questions faced by Catholics in these challenging times. As I read
it, I was reminded of the 1950’s TV homilies by the very popular
Catholic evangelist, Bishop Fulton Sheen that my father watched when
I was a child. So I was not surprised after reading An
Incidental Priest
for a while that its author Rutherford Cardinal Johnson quoted Bishop
Sheen in his chapter on Humility and Hypocrites. It seemed to me that
Cardinal Johnson had been channeling Bishop Sheen throughout An
Incidental Priest.
Both men
speak passionately and provocatively about the Church, its people and
how both relate to their contemporary worlds. The key words binding
these two Catholic evangelists are: passionate, provocative, and
contemporary. Yes, the issues affecting the Catholic Church today are
somewhat different because so much has happened in the Church and our
society since Bishop Sheen was with us; but, if you wonder what he
would say in his homilies today look no further than Cardinal Johnson
and his book An
Incidental Priest.
The
chapter titles summarize the larger topics but really just scratch
the surface of the rich discussion about what’s wrong with the
Church and society—Liberalism and secularism; and, what’s
right with the Church and society—its tenets and their
manifestations that are embodied in Christian charity. So get ready
to take a spiritual journey to learn about the book’s namesake,
charity, right/wrong, humility and hypocrites, the enemy, using your
talents to glorify God, the Mass, embracing our Christian natures,
happiness, our interdependence, and our greatest hope.
It is an
engaging, thought-provoking read that will leave you wanting more to
read from Cardinal Johnson. I highly recommend it. Five Stars.
ENGAGING
AND DEEPLY MEANINGFUL! An
Incidental Priest shows that if we work together we can create synergy where
the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, thus establishing harmony
in which we are more peaceful and happy...and no one is incidental. - Dan
Coberly, Former Senior Correspondent and Chief of Pacific Bureaus, Stars
& Stripes Daily Newspaper, Tokyo
AN
INSPIRED WORK! Cardinal
Johnson's insights and efforts to make this book useful to clergy and
laity alike are beyond description. His fruitful mind has given us a
true winner. -
Monsignor Harris Rowzie, O.P.
An
Incidental Priest, is about being one of
many people, but still making a difference and still making your life
count. The book talks about the concept of a priest, one of so many
in the Church over the past two thousand years, who is always there
for those who need him. This is the incidental priest, an archetype
for humble Christian service towards others, guiding the faithful on
their spiritual journeys. Though this incidental priest may be one of
many, he still serves a vital role in the world. Drawing from the
pastoral writings, sermons, and personal experiences of the author,
some of the most essential and difficult issues of modern society are
discussed, always cycling back to the incidental priest's example of
selfless service and love towards others. An
Incidental Priest strives for the idea of
what it means to live as a true Christian in modern society.
Rutherford
Cardinal Johnson is the Patriarch of the Anglican Rite Roman Catholic
Church and also holds a PhD in agricultural economics. He speaks and
writes extensively on economics and ethics and other key social
issues facing the world today.
