An Eclectic Almanac for the Faithful: People, Places, and Events that Shape Us

You are not alone. A dazzling cloud of witnesses hovers nearby to encourage and remind us that God uses real people - ancestors of the spirit or ""saints"" - to achieve the divine purpose in surprising ways every day. This is a ""saints book"" like no other. W.Paul Jones regains the biblical idea of sainthood - God works through baffled, blemished people and events to bring news of joy, creativity and awe to a world in pain. An Eclectic Almanac for the Faithful is an exuberant month-by-month guide, describing saints ancient and modern in short, lively summaries. But Jones stretches beyond official church saints to include personalities from the world of contemporary politics and the arts. Gods hand is at work in the life of Martin Luther King Jr., George Orwell, Mahalia Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, George Frederich Handel, Anne Frank, Tecumseh, Thomas Merton and Maggie Kuhn, co-founder of the Gray Panthers. Jones goes even further, listing spirit-shaking events, some somber, others playful - Earth Day, the Oklahoma City bombing, global warming, April Fools Day. No human endeavor or sorrow is beyond the reach of God. Each days roster ends in a prayer of passion and zest. One declares: ""God, put me to your will, rank me with whom you will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal."" His eclectic collection includes space to write down the names of mentors and luminaries in your own life. Enjoy this rousing roll call of heroes, who are blessed by a God who specializes, Jones says, in making us instruments of the divine vision ""in spite of ourselves.