All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Witnesses for Our Time. - book reviews

National Catholic Reporter, Nov 7, 1997

by Robert Ellsberg (Crossroad Publishing, 576 pages, $39.95 hardcover/$19.95 paperback): Butler's Lives of the Saints this is not. Butler, of course, took his cue from the official Vatican rolls of holy men and women, whereas Ellsberg (the publisher of Orbis Books) takes a wider view. The result is an intriguing blend of "official" saints such as Augustine and Brigid of Ireland, yet-to-be-processed candidates for a halo such as Oscar Romero and Dorothy Day,.

prophets from outside the Christian tradition such as Gandhi and Anne Frank, and artists of such note as Flannery O'Connor and Mozart. Obviously, a deeply ecumenical vision is at work here. Moreover, Ellsberg's roster balances individual piety with concern for social justice, orthodoxy with exploration, and intellectual accomplishment with personal simplicity. The format, which offers a different life story for each day, is an invitation to savoring the book throughout the year. And indeed that is what this wonderfully rich, inspiring book deserves. Savor it, drink it in, and let yourself be transformed Butler's tastes in sanctity notwithstanding, Ellsberg reminds us that there are many paths to holiness for those willing to take the trip.