David Garick, editor of The Catholic Times (Diocese of Columbus, Ohio)
Rich Maffeo’s new book, A Journey of Reflection, is fascinating on many levels. On one level it chronicles one man’s quest for truth from his Jewish upbringing, through years of non-belief, to discovery and acceptance of God as a Protestant Christian, and finally to a deep communion with God as part of the Holy Catholic Church.
But on another level, the many short essays that make up the book provide every reader with insight into his or her own spiritual journey. Whether you have gone through the process of converting to Catholicism or have been raised as a “Cradle-Catholic,” the stories that Maffeo shares in this book will resonate with your own life experiences as you continue your own journey of faith.
In this book you will read of the author’s own pain, loss, rejection and doubt as well as his encounters with love, encouragement, forgiveness, and faith. Told with both charming humor and painfully honest revelation, his experiences ring true for all of us.
Along with being an insightful collection of true stories, this book provides a wonderful examination of the elements of Catholic faith. Through these examples drawn from life experiences, we can see that the elements of the faith are not just concepts that we recite in the Creed, or devotional acts that we carry out in church. These stories put the crucial elements of our faith in a context where we can really see how they impact all aspects of our lives.
When you read Rich Maffeo’s Journey of Reflection you will have a front row seat from which to view the role of faith in a person’s life – the author’s and your own.
Tim S. Hickey, Editor, Columbia magazine, Knights of Columbus
Life’s ups and downs, its crosses to bear and its rewards to savor are among the memorable moments Rich Maffeo has captured in his new book. More than just snapshots from his life — a day at the beach with his father, a precious gift from his son, even service as a U.S. Navy Nurse among the detainees at Guantanamo — each event holds a spiritual lesson for him and for his readers.
Maffeo may have written Lessons Along the Journey as part of his ongoing spiritual development, but these short, crisp essays can help each of us see how Christ walks with us every day of our lives and has some lessons for us to learn, if we only let Him teach us.
Brian Welter, Book Review Columnist, BC Catholic (Vancouver, British Columbia)
While it's a constant battle to stay faithful to Christ in a materialistic, often sacrelegious environment, Maffeo points the reader towards countless possibilities. Where life closes one door, God opens another when we live with faith.
Each of the short essay–reflections in this book shows the integration of Catholic beliefs into everyday life. Rather than pie-in-the-sky, Maffeo's gentle yet firm and faithful life reaffirm the possibilities of Catholic living in contemporary America.
Maffeo lives no ivory tower Christianity. He's in the trenches 24/7 thinking, living, and praying the faith at work, in marriage, with his family.
Lessons Along the Journey reflects life’s struggles, hopes, failures, and successes to which we can all relate. Each of the short essay–reflections . . . shows the integration of Catholic beliefs into everyday life.
Richard Cleveland, Director of Emmaus Journey
Sacred Scripture advises us to “Incline your ear . . . and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you” (Proverbs 22:18-19). Rich Maffeo, like most of us, has had a host of enriching experiences in his lifetime. Unlike most of us, rather than enjoying them for the moment and then letting them slip away to be forgotten, Rich has contemplated their meaning.
Because of his gift for writing, he has been able over the years to recall important incidents and expand on their significance to his life as a Christian. Lessons Along the Journey captures forty of these incidents and the insights he gained through them. You will find this book a pleasant reading experience and an opportunity for you to also incline your ear and apply these lessons to your life, and thus affect your journey.