Since the early centuries, Christians have held up the saints as models of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While the church officially recognizes a relatively small number of saints, the actual roster is infinitely wider. Blessed Among Us explores this eclectic "cloud of witnesses"-lay and religious, single and married, canonized and not, and even non-Christians whose faith and wisdom may illuminate our path. Brought to life in the evocative storytelling of Robert Ellsberg, they inspire the moral imagination and give witness to the myriad ways of holiness.

In two stories per day for a full calendar year, Ellsberg sketches figures from biblical times to the present age and from all corners of this world-ordinary figures whose extraordinary lives point to the new age in the world to come.

Blessed Among Us is drawn from Ellsberg's acclaimed column of the same name in Give Us This Day, a monthly resource for daily prayer published by Liturgical Press.


About the Author
Robert Ellsberg is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Orbis Books and the author of several award-winning books, including All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time; Blessed Among All Women; and The Saints' Guide to Happiness.

Reviews
"Every single day I read Robert Ellsberg's concise, fascinating, and inspiring lives of the saints in my copy of Give Us This Day. And every single day I am amazed by the astounding lives that have been lived out of love for Christ. Happily, many of these wonderful stories are now gathered together in this marvelous new book, which will guide you through the year with the help of these patrons and companions."
James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

"This delightful book reminds us how blessed we are, in every age, to have people of good faith who are called to love and serve people in need. They call us all to a greater purpose."
Kathleen Norris, author of The Cloister Walk and Acedia and Me

"The diversity of these holy men and women calls out my own gifts, and their total dedication alerts me to put my "yes" into motion for the day. Thank you for being a companion and inspiration for my faith journey!"
Carolyn Y. Woo, President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, and author of Working for a Better World

"This is not only a classic collection of lives of the saints but also an introduction to many un-canonized holy lives, producing such delightful juxtapositions as St. Nicholas and Mozart, St. Mary Magdalene and Albert Luthuli, St. Monica and Helder Camara. As a reader of Give Us This Day, from which these are drawn, I've enjoyed meeting new holy men and women and am now delighted to have them alongside traditional saints of the day. Thank you for this literary treat."
Christopher Jamison, OSB, Director of the National Office of Vocation, London, and author of Finding Sanctuary

"Saints are the living Word of God, the Word made flesh, but their biographies are often too encrusted within sentimentality and piety to serve as an inspiration for us. Ellsberg gives us their essence in this treasure of a book! Nobody writes better about the lives of the saints than Robert Ellsberg."
Ronald Rolheiser OMI, President of the Oblate School of Theology, and author of The Holy Longing and Sacred Fire

"It is a challenge to provide inspiration in a brief and daily format. Robert Ellsberg's writing does so, exposing us to numerous little-known saints, with a generous sprinkling of contemporary saintly lives, his signature contribution. This book is a keeper."
Pat Farrell, OSF, Past President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious




Book Information
ISBN 9780814647219
Author Robert Ellsberg
Format Hardback
Page Count 792
Imprint Liturgical Press
Publisher Liturgical Press
Weight(grams) 1049g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 51mm