“I read this and finally felt at peace”
by Esther Bentley, 86William Court, Bristol
THE WAY
by Josemaría EscriváI was 24 years old and bedridden with pleural tuberculosis. I’d recently given birth to my son John after a very difficult pregnancy but was too weak to even hold him. The illness was destroying my body and my spirits were so low that I began to lose hope. One day, I confided in my doctor that I was afraid I might die. She told me, very gently, not to be scared of dying and she lent me this book.
I wasn’t particularly interested, but started to read – and was soon unable to put it down. The Way was written by a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, who was canonised in 2002, and who believed that ordinary life can be a path to sanctity. The book spoke about being grateful for what you have and to focus on the good, not the bad. For the first time in months I felt at peace. By that Christmas I was able to get up and have dinner and four weeks later I was strong enough to care for John and have him christened.
I still love this book – it changed my perspective on life.
