I Am With You: Lessons of Hope and Courage in Times of Crisis

by Timothy M. Dolan

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan offers a powerful, universal message on God’s grace and the healing power of Jesus to get us through tough and turbulent times. Drawn from sermons and writings offered during the early days of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, I Am with You provides solace, hope, and healing  for anyone suffering through illness, grief, job loss, isolation, or anxiety.A Message from Cardinal Dear Readers, I offer the words in this book to you for many reasons, but here are three. One, to capture a moment in time—in history—when all of us, including our holy Church, were challenged in ways we never expected. Two, to help us look back on this time and sense where God was present during the pandemic. And three, to help us to look forward by reminding all of us that whatever we are facing in life, Jesus is always with us. Always. - CARDINAL TIMOTHY M. DOLAN

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2021

About the author

Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American Cardinal prelate of the Catholic Church. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, Dolan serves as the tenth and current Archbishop of New York.

Cardinal Dolan served as the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2010–2013 and was granted the titular position as Cardinal-Priest of Nostra Signora di Guadalupe a Monte Mario (English: Our Lady of Guadalupe of Mount Mario) in Rome.

Dolan is widely known for his conservative values and charismatic media personality. He previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee from 2002 to 2009, preceded by service as an Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis from 2001 to 2002. Time Magazine named Dolan one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" for 2012.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an undeniable fact that the last 15 months have been quite stressful for most people; for some it has been downright painful. The coronavirus has taken its toll on everyone in some way or another. People lost lives, their health, their job, not to mention the pain of being separated from family and loved ones. Many people were isolated, depressed and even angry.

Recently, people have begun feeling optimistic with the vaccines, new treatments, better information and the economy opening back up. We now see progress and hope emerging in many parts of the country. But in some areas of the country, as well as the world, the battle against this virus still goes on. Fear still lurks to some degree in people's hearts that the progress we’ve made might slip through our fingers. Everyone I’ve talked to dreads going backwards. Sadly, most people have lost something or someone in this crisis. But one of the most important activities that was taken away that we are still reeling from has been the ability to worship together as a community. It has been very frustrating for friends and neighbors to be denied access to their churches. That’s why when Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s book, “I Am With You - Lessons of Hope and Courage in Times of Crisis” was still available as an ARC I jumped at a chance to read it. This wonderful little book is filled with Cardinal Dolan’s sermons and articles taken from the time frame of the lockdowns, approximately March through August 2020, and is filled with faith, hope and encouragement for those who were sad, fearful, and lonely. But this book was not only pertinent then, it’s just as relevant now . We still have a virus problem throughout much of the world and it’s devastating effects from the past still linger and haunt us. We will be talking about this pandemic for a very long time.

Cardinal Dolan’s book guides us through turbulent waters and helps us navigate through our anxiety, frustration and anger at our inability to worship in our churches and our inability to see our loved ones, especially those who have passed. What he really emphasizes (and I loved this part best) is that whether we are at home or in the pews, Jesus is still with us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. We can still enrich our faith with prayer and scripture individually and/or with online prayer groups. While many of us had to stay at home and may still be at home, we can still fill this void by enriching our knowledge and prayer life with activities that not only fill our time, but our hearts and souls as well.
He gives so many beautiful examples of Jesus’s healing and grace from scripture and relates it to what we are experiencing today. He also invites us to remember that although most were unable to receive the sacraments when our churches were closed, many priests still worked hard to bring Eucharist , Reconciliation and especially Anointing of the Sick to others. Priests and parishioners found ways to be creative while also staying safe. He also brought to light those countless essential workers and volunteers who stepped up to the plate to help others in need in our time of crisis. This beautiful book emphasizes and teaches faith in action. It also offers particular scripture passages that coincide with his sermons or articles for the reader to enjoy and contemplate. Some chapters are especially poignant, as they are taken from Lent and Holy Week, a time when many parishioners felt vulnerable and alone without the ability to publicly worship together.

In conclusion, this book is a gem. It helps us see everything that has happened through a different lens. “I Am With You - Lessons of Courage and Hope in Times of Crisis'' by Cardinal Timothy Dolan offers hope, insight and encouraging words in a time that is still unprecedented . It’s well worth the time to read and absorb and is sure to enrich your life.

I want to thank NetGalley and Loyola Press for an ARC of “I Am With You - Lessons of Courage and Hope in Times of Crisis” for fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Judith Babarsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short little book of short homilies (mostly daily Mass homilies, but a few Sunday masses with longer homilies) by Timothy Cardinal Dolan of New York City. It is accessible to all, free of lofty theological jargon, and speaks to our everyday struggles in the midst of the Corona virus pandemic. The reflections are organized by date and cover homilies during the first part of the pandemic — through August 2020. In each homily, Cardinal Dolan demonstrates how the Gospel message of the day is uniquely applicable to our current times and our experiences during the pandemic. He intersperses his messages with personal stories that allow the reader to feel that not only is the Gospel message speaking to each one of us, but that we are all in this together and that, mostly importantly, God is with us throughout and his love is ever-present.

If I could, I’d rate the book a solid 3.5, maybe 3.8. It is a book that is certainly worth reading. And there is nothing negative that I would say about it. But I would not categorize it among the classics that are timeless in their appeal. This book is uniquely targeted to those suffering through the Corona pandemic.

Finally, the Afterword might be more appropriately placed as a Foreword. The writer comments that “as you read this book ....” and this clearly should be read before delving into the book.

[Joy Michelle Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy read, I Am With You, is a great self-help Christian and Catholic book that many will find encouraging and inspiring.

There are twenty-three chapters in the latest book by Cardinal Dolan. Each chapter is an excerpt of a sermon or podcast Dolan gave in 2020 during the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic. At the end of each chapter there are also several Scripture recommendations for further reading.

For those who have never had the pleasure of hearing Cardinal Dolan’s sermons or podcasts before, his words are easy to follow and understandable. The author presents the Bible in a way that is easy to understand for men and women of all backgrounds.

Even though times are beginning to lighten up and places like Disneyland are re-opening, I Am With You is a great read to bring hope in these dark times.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

https://www.thejoyousliving.com/i-am-...

[Pip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope in dark times. This accessible, easy-to-read little book is a time capsule of homilies from Cardinal Dolan as the pandemic began, raged on, and began to wane in 2020. A shepherd leading his flock in times of uncertainty, it is interesting to relive those not-long-ago days that dragged on forever through the lens of a leader in charge of trying to find hope and light in a season that flooded us with anything but. Jesus, we are reminded, is always there. Love and hope can always be found. Good can come out of evil. Even when things are hard, the Church will live on (and so will baseball, the Cardinal is confident.)



Thank you to NetGalley and Loyola Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transcriptions of orations, as well as columns published during the first year of COVID-19. Cardinal Dolan fully employs his chummy vernacular to reinforce the concepts of faith and togetherness during those times of isolation. The Cardinal delivers homilies with appropriate references to scripture. During my read I became aware of the holistic alignments with mindfulness and Buddhist teachings. Let go of what you can't control; remember the interconnectedness of beings; keep the faith ( he, of course, means the Roman Catholic faith, but whatever keeps you engaged and compassionate, keep it up!)

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many readers may be familiar with New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Cardinal Dolan has conducted many masses there and is a well-known figure in church circles. This title provides a collection of thoughts from the Cardinal that address some of the issues related to Covid and its effects on us all. There are twenty-three chapters; a few of these include Be Not Afraid, The Doors Were Locked, and J-O-Y. This book offers an inspiring read to Roman Catholics (and maybe others).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own..

[Yamil · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an uplifting little book! I love Cardinal Dolan and his infectious attitude and was delighted to be able to read this. Such good messages in this time of sadness and despair. Sometimes we need reminding of the love of God and the power of prayer. Thank you Father Dolan for taking the time to spread hope and joy exactly when we need it!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can hear Cardinal Dolans voice as i read this book. Certainly returned my being back to the first fearful days of Covid but also reminded me of how my church rallied together to support one another through tough times. Cardinal Dolans parishioners must have been so very comforted by his shepherding!

[Rick Faby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grounding read on the effect of the pandemic on our faith and life. Worth the time for sure.

[Richard Littel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I’ve done with many of Cardinal Dolan’s books, I used this one as part of a daily reflection. I found this collection of some of his homilies from 2020 worked particularly well in this fashion.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish, I had known about his homilies earlier. He would have been great to listen to during the crisis. It was still a great read.

[Corrinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope and peace pervade this book, even when reminders of the isolation, anger, and fear of early days of the pandemic are brought up. Dolan’s homilies remind us to fix our eyes upon Jesus.