Spiritual Lightning: Answering Your Call from Jesus to Master His Values

Maria V. Gallagher discovers a spark of genius in Deacon Richard Eason's new book, Spiritual Lightning.

Spiritual Lightning: Answering Your Call from Jesus to Master His Values

by Deacon Richard Eason
Published by Sophia Institute Press/EWTN

I often feel like a treasure hunter, mining books for gems that will stay with me, long after I have read the last page. 

Thankfully, I discovered the pearl of great price in the new book Spiritual Lightning: Answering Your Call from Jesus to Master His Values. Author Deacon Richard Eason takes a creative approach to the journey to draw closer to Christ. His concept of spiritual lightning is truly original, yet comfortably familiar. As he writes in the Preface:  

Our Lord Jesus desperately wants every soul to get to Heaven. Along the way in our journey of life, Jesus touches every soul many times with his grace of spiritual lightning. This is a call to change our ways from a focus on earthly things—with its attachments, fears, stresses, worries, and false promises—to a focus on His mission assignment, which is for each and every one of us to follow His teachings in order to reach Heaven. If we accept this grace from Jesus, we experience His divine power which converts us to His way of life as one of His Holy Ones living in His spiritual kingdom here on earth. (ix)

The encouraging idea of spiritual lightning

I find great encouragement in the idea of spiritual lightning — that a grace from God can “strike” our hearts and help to transform us into the true disciples the Lord created us to be. For me, that bolt from the heavens came during a Cursillo weekend, when I learned to re-order my life based on a tripod of piety (prayer), study, and action (evangelization). Basing my daily life on the spiritual structure formed by this lay-led movement in the Catholic Church, I found new purpose, new friends, and a new way of being. 

For you, spiritual lightning may take a different form. In fact, it could come about by reading this book and taking its message of metanoia to heart. A job loss, a death of a loved one, or a health crisis may also bring about the dramatic change that forces us to re-examine our priorities and seek out the Lord for comfort and companionship. 

In this incredibly worthwhile book, Deacon Eason highlights the tools Christ has given us to triumph over suffering. These include being obedient; exercising selflessness; resisting the urge to complain; developing a strong prayer life; forgiving others; and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. In this way, the author offers us a roadmap to achieving peace in the midst of trials and tribulations. 

Referring to the gifts provided to us by the Holy Spirit, Deacon Eason writes: 

One of the gifts is the courage to handle any type of challenge that comes our way, including suffering. He further provides us with the fruits of peace, patience, and self-control to manage our pain and suffering. Don’t hesitate to put the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you when the challenging times come. (136) 

A training manual for the spiritual life

To me, Spiritual Lightning represents a spark of genius. While it is written in a down-to-earth style, it is quite profound in its meaning and message. This is a book that so helped me in my spiritual journey I believe I will be turning to it again and again for its amazing insights. The spiritual life is a marathon, not a sprint — and much of it is run uphill. This book is a training manual that is likely to aid the reader in scaling mountains he or she never dreamed possible!   

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Maria V. Gallagher
Images: Canva