When Jesus said to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News, he meant to incorporate his teachings and our faith into the ordinary aspects of our lives. This book includes reflections on practical pastoral life covering topics on family spirituality, marriage preparation, avoiding divorce, practical evangelization, premarital sex, and the role of the pastor, all the while smelling like the sheep.
TESTIMONIALS“Father Waters has gathered together articles written over the past 40 years reflecting on his experiences of dealing with couples preparing for marriage, couples experiencing prayerful families, couples struggling with marriage, laypersons evangelizing in ordinary ways, struggles of being a pastor in the modern world and the influence Pope Francis has had on his ministry. I find all of this that rare combination of both inspiring and useful!”
– Fr. James Martin, SJ, author of Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone“In this new collection of articles, Father William Waters, OSA offers a number of blessed insights into some of the recurring challenges priests encounter in pastoral ministry. His understanding of human nature and appreciation of the ordinary daily struggles make his reflections real and realistic for both laity and priests. If you are looking for practical approaches, tinged with self-deprecating humor, for some of today’s problems, I encourage you to pick up and enjoy these essays.”
– Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, Archbishop Emeritus of New Orleans, and co-author with Dcn. Larry Oney of A Gospel Path for Racial Healing“Marriage preparation, building projects, separately celebrating the seasons of Advent and Christmas in a society where celebrating Christmas usually begins immediately after Thanksgiving and ends before a new year begins, are among the many challenges that priests face in their ministries. Exploring these, and many other topics, the author shares the realities, as well as the frustrations, of being a priest and pastor today. People sometimes think that priests are knowledgeable about every aspect of their ministry. While Fr Waters admits: ‘I do not pretend to have the answers, but I know some of the challenges,’ he also has plenty of practical wisdom, acquired from serving over fifty-three years of ordained ministry, to convey to priests of all age groups. It is evident that Fr Waters understands priesthood with its many hats to wear. This book is a refreshing read and priests, particularly pastors, will readily identify with his experiences and benefit from his insights.” – Bishop Timothy Senior, Bishop of Harrisburg
“This book is the revelation of a pastor’s heart. Anyone who reads this work will be rewarded with both the wisdom of its author and the inspiration of his faithful witness. He is a priest who abides in fidelity to mercy, compassion, patience, and gentleness. May it come into the hands of many other priests.” – Dcn. James Keating, PhD, Professor, Kenrick Glennon Seminary, St Louis, MO
“When Fr Bill left our wedding reception, we told him not to change his process of helping engaged couples prepare for marriage. Under his guidance, completing our Marriage inventory forced us to ask the tough questions, ensuring we understood each other’s values. Creating our Marriage Gameplan gave us the confidence to face any rough waters together, knowing we’d never abandon ship.” – Mark and Marisyl Alvino
