Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life

by Athanasius Schneider

In this timely work dedicated to invigorating the heart of every priest, Bishop Athanasius Schneider draws upon the wisdom of Scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and other great spiritual writers to bear witness to the gift of the priesthood. Man of The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life provides rich reflections on the great loves of the God, the Catholic faith, the priesthood of Christ, the salvation of souls, humility, chastity, the Cross, the Holy Mass, the tabernacle, the confessional, the holy angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Prayerful consideration of Man of God will undoubtedly foster a deeper love for the spiritual treasures of the priesthood and rekindle in all priests the embers of desire that first drew them toward their holy vocation.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 28, 2024

About the author

Athanasius Schneider, O.R.C. is a Catholic prelate, serving as the Auxiliary Bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan. He is a member of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Coimbra. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Paul Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ideal for a self-guided retreat. It assembles beautiful texts on multiple topics directly related to the life of the priest. Bishop Schneider rarely speaks in his own voice but rather lets the various authors that he has chosen treat the topic of each chapter. The book has the advantage of both recalling to the priest choice texts that he has read in the past during his priesthood and of introducing him to some excellent passages from authors with whom he is not familiar.

[Peter]

Mostly block quotes of spiritual authors with minimal commentary from Bishop Schneider. I found the quotes edifying. Perhaps Athanasius Schneider would be better listed as an editor than as an author.

I am puzzled and surprised by the Bishop's claim in Ch. 11 (The Priest Loves the Holy Angels) that "many saints already saw the personality of their guardian angel and even gave a name to him."

The Church discourages naming our angels. He does not provide a citation or example to support that claim. The chapter on angels was the weakest section of the book. It is also the chapter with the fewest block quotes. If it were not for that chapter, I would consider this a good book to give to priests.

[Stephen Duquaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a compendium of long quotes. No original thought or synthesis of materials. It was just a bunch of quotes thrown together based on topics and then we have a book. I wonder if Archbishop Schneider actually wrote this.