Topic: The Release of the Spirit

[MsGuided]

Anyone ever read this by HH Pope Shenouda III?  The OCSA at my school will be reading this soon.  All I've heard is that it's a compilation of a bunch of writings or letters, I'm not sure.  Anyone have an opinion?  I don't get the chance to read much in school so I'm looking forward to this.

[MsGuided]

*ahem*  No one's read this?  :-";"xx

[Salpy]

I read it a while ago.  It was a bit disjointed.  Some chapters are more inspiring than others.-The chapters I absolutely loved were chapters 7 through 11.  I hope my edition is the same as yours.  Chapter seven is entitled "Know Yourself."  These contain some of the best teachings I have ever read regarding humility.  It's the sort of thing you get from the desert fathers.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

[Salpy]

Oops! I forgot to mention my favorite book by Pope Shenouda: Being With God. I read it during a rough period of my life and I felt spiritually renewed by it. It got me praying again after a long spiritual "dry spell" in which I had virtually stopped praying.

[Justin Kissel]

I found an online version which I will read after my wife goes to bed.

[MsGuided]

Thanks Salpy, while I haven't read much in the way of religious/Orthodox books, the desert fathers interest me so much from the little exposure I have from Letters from the Desert.  I will remember the other book you mentioned as well.

Paradosis, I found that website earlier as well.  I think I'll wait for the hard copy; the computer screen will be hurting my eyes after a couple pages But thanks!

[Stavro]

The book was written by His Holiness long before he entered monasticism, when he was an active Sunday School teacher. It is his first spiritual book, or publication, and I am not sure it was edited a lot afterwards. I absolutely loved it, but I must say that the English version is poorly translated and does not reflect the richness and spirituality of this book. But it introduced H.H. to the Coptic community.

Some of the books of H.H. are compilations of his weekly lecture, Wednesday's in the Grand Cathedral in Cairo or in the Theology School.