The Way to Christ, by Pope John Paul II

I had started reading this a few weeks ago, reading a chapter or two every couple of days, and finished this last night.

A quick summary:  The book is divided into two sections, and each section represents a different retreat in which the Pope spoke.  Each section is divided into different chapters, each about a different topic.

I enjoyed this book.  The chapters talked about topics such as God is person, conversion, prayer, and love.  The retreats seem to have been for students, so there is also one chapter specifically for female students, and one specifically for male students.  I thought it was a good book to use for devotional reading, since the chapters are short and make you think about different topics.

This is the first time I have read anything by Pope John Paul II, and I certainly plan to read more.  Here are some excerpts I liked:

"Maybe the greatest obstacle for us in our relationship with God, who is Creator, is the fact that he is invisible, and we wish he were the object of direct experience.  However, it is easy to realize that if he were the object of direct experience and were visible, he would not be God.  God cannot be visible.  Matter is visible.  The body is visible and we know that it is not God; it is destroyed, dies, changes, dissolves.  It is subject to time, whereas God is eternity.  He is above time and knows no beginning and no end.  God is outside the concepts of beginning and end; they do not refer to him, but they are found in the world of created things; beginning and end are found in me.  He is invisible, and this is something very special.  However, if I look within myself and reflect on myself for a moment I can say that to a significant degree I too am invisible.  The visible aspect of myself, which can be perceived by the senses, is only a part of me; we might describe it as the outer person, whereas the inner person is invisible.  So the inner person, who is invisible, cannot be in conflict with God, who is also invisible."  (p.11)

"God is Person.  Only the encounter with that Person who is God provides us, or our self, with the sense of the absolute importance of life." (p.12)

"Following Christ also means following yourself.  Christ does not tear you away from yourselves.  He does not diminish or nullify the personhood of any of us.  He enriches us if we truly desire to join him and shoulder the responsibility we have in common with all humanity: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations."  The Kingdom of God is something which involves everybody, and this is why every man who seeks the Kingdom of God finds himself." (p.58)

"Why do you pray?  Because I know that God exists, and because I am always seeking God...I pray because I believe.  What does believing mean?  Believing means bearing Jesus Christ's witness within ourselves." (p.83)