Mystics & Miracles: True Stories of Lives Touched by God

by Bert Ghezzi

In the Gospel of John, Jesus promised that even the most ordinary believer could work the mightiest miracles: "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing." In Mystics and Miracles, author Bert Ghezzi takes Jesus at his word, describing the paradoxically exalted and down-to-earth characters of Catholicism's greatest saints. The book collects almost two dozen brief character sketches composed of lively and often humorous anecdotes, most of which concern the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers, and the ways that saints both desire and resist the Spirit's power. St. Lutgarde of Awyieres, for instance, asked God to take back her healing powers when the lines of petitioners grew so long that she barely had time for prayer. Mystics and Miracles offers an easy-to-read introduction to saintly lives that will particularly appeal to young people. --Michael Joseph Gross

Genres: Religion, Catholic, History, Christianity

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2002

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by Bert Ghezzi, including this one about 10 years ago. This is just as good as I recalled, with an easy-to-read style and engaging lives of saints who were mystics. Perhaps the most interesting part is how each person was so different while still showing God's love to the world around them.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this book before and was filled with hope, and again this book has given me hope. It is good to balance all the theology with some occasions to see the Holy Spirit in action. This book should inspire all of us to want to live as Saints and affect the world for Jesus Christ

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing works and miracles by some wonderful examples of people who love God

[Jazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, readable insight into the lives of some saints, wellknown and otherwise.

[Kurtis Merrithew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written collection of hagiography written in a modern accessible style. Great for Millenials and Gen Z's to get a handle on some lives of the saints.

[Fr. Daniel Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories about various saints was both enlightening and refreshing. I enjoyed the combination of the historical and mystical aspects of the various saints' lives. It was a relaxing read - not too theologically heavy or factually dense. But the tales are grounded in fact and show a lighter side of the Church's past.

I also enjoyed how the author added his own opinions to the stories without interrupting the flow.

A nice bedside reader full of faith and inspiration.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book about some of the great mystics of the Church. It's an easy read and the author does a good job of summarizing the lives of each Saint and highlighting the more popular miracles they performed. There were a few Saints in the book that I had heard of but never really knew much about, so it was interesting to learn more about them and what they did.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know those boring saint stories of people born with halos over their heads? These are not those saints. Some incredible stories that show why the saints had people flocking to them. They weren't boring, it's just hard to put who they truly were into a resume format. Here are some of the amazing stories. Entertaining and inspiring.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found some of the saints stories interesting, there did not seem to be much material here that I couldn't have found online. I did like how the author tried to make them look human and down-to-earth but I was not really inspired by any of the stories.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly sure about some of the miracles (am I too "modern") but the suffering service and "late starts" are inspiring.