Rekindle the Gift of God: A Handbook for Priestly Life - Paperback

by Roch Kereszty (Author)

"Rekindle the gift of God that is within you", Saint Paul urges Timothy years after his ordination (2 Tim 1:6).

Drawing on sixty years of experience as a Catholic priest, Cistercian Fr. Roch Kereszty provides realistic spiritual, psychological, and pastoral guidance to priests and seminarians--from preaching and sacramental ministry, to parish life and spiritual direction, to chastity and poverty.

Countless priests struggle to understand their role and identity in the post-conciliar Church, where laypeople have taken on many responsibilities once considered priestly. With the sexual abuse crisis kicking up a cloud of confusion and discouragement, many young men are wondering, "Why join a system in which everyone is suspect?" Meanwhile, without the right guidance, those already ordained can find themselves slipping into boredom--or even cynicism.

But Fr. Kereszty knows the fire of a true vocation. With insights and examples from St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and many others, Rekindle the Gift of God helps priests and seminarians discover or rediscover their mission as shepherds, prophets, and teachers. A happy priest is one who lays down his life not only for his flock, but for his Lord. Father Kereszty gives patient, down-to-earth counsel on putting this ideal into practice, and he offers a glimpse of his own immense joy and gratitude for the gift of serving Jesus Christ.

Author Biography

Fr. Roch Kereszty, O.Cist., was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1933, during Communist rule. He escaped to Rome to study theology and was ordained a priest in 1960. He earned his doctorate from the Benedictine University Sant'Anselmo and taught theology for fifty-six years at the University of Dallas and the Cistercian Preparatory School. He lives and works as a spiritual director at the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Dallas, where he served as the novice master between 1975 and 2010. He has authored or edited fourteen books.