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The Way of Beatitude: Living Radical Hope in a World of Division and Despair
What if we looked at the things we see wrong in the world with empathy, dug below the surface of people’s disappointing actions to experience their pain, and understood hurtful words as a cry for consolation? What if we responded with sorrow instead of outrage, and love instead of hate? If we could do all that, we’d be living as Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes. Fr. Casey Cole, OFM—host of YouTube’s Breaking the Habit —wants you to embrace the pain caused by anger and division in the world and then look to Jesus for hope through the Beatitudes. “The only thing that evangelizes is love,” Cole writes. “The only thing that will ever change someone’s mind, cause them to turn from their evil ways, accept Jesus into their lives, and become a peacemaker themselves is love. If we want to make peace in our world, we must put down our weapons and take up the cross.” In The Way of Beatitude , Cole explores the meaning of the words Jesus preached at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 3–12) and shows you how to get beyond apathy and despair and help Christ bring about the Kingdom of Heaven in the here and now. The Beatitudes, he says, offer a path toward radical change. You will learn how
By sharing his own stories of striving toward supreme blessedness, Cole shows you how to surrender power and move beyond the harmful divisiveness of our world. Chapters include reflection questions and practical ideas for living the Beatitudes.
By sharing his own stories of striving toward supreme blessedness, Cole shows you how to surrender power and move beyond the harmful divisiveness of our world. Chapters include reflection questions and practical ideas for living the Beatitudes.
128 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2022
16 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Casey Cole
15 books331 followersFr. Casey graduated from Furman University in 2011 with a degree in Religious Studies and a minor in Poverty Studies. He entered the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) in August of 2011, made solemn profession in August of 2017, and was ordained to the priesthood in June of 2019. Fr. Casey has published two books, Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God and Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship. He is the creator of two YouTube channels, and regularly gives talks throughout the country on evangelization and vocations.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 22, 2023
Casey Cole is a Franciscan Monk, er... Friar, who first came on my radar for the Youtube video: Five Words a Christian Shouldn't Say. One of those words was "blessed" and in this short book, he explains how the word means something so much different from the way it is most commonly used by Christians (and non) in our day.
In just over a hundred pages, Fr Cole walks us through each of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 with a devotional style that is simultaneously simple, profound, and challenging. You could probably read this book cover to cover in a couple of hours, but I strongly suggest you don't. Instead, tackle a chapter a day (or week) and let stir up your soul toward God and away from the narcissism that is so prevalent in our world today.
Some quotables:
"Everywhere I look, I see people highly passionate about a particular issue, lifestyle, or belief system, while at the same time extremely sensitive and easily triggered. The mere mention of someone's name can be enough to set some people off and derail a conversation... I don't think it is said enough today, but we have much more control over how we feel and, perhaps more important, how we respond to our feelings than we often acknowledge... for most of us, there is no intrinsic reason that we must feel angry and even less reason to accept that we need to keep feeling angry... We can, and really must, take control of our emotional lives... we must remind ourselves that we have agency in the matter. However limited, we still have choices about how we respond."
"As much as we like to think of ourselves as self-made individuals, that we've earned everything we have accomplished through hard work and determination, this is never the case. Not even close. Our very existence is a gift from God and a reminder of his promise to be faithful to us."
"I cannot simply believe that anyone chooses evil as an end in itself. They choose evil, not because it brings them happiness or fulfillment, but because they have a distorted sense of the good... This is not to let people off the hook for their evil deeds or to suggest that good intentions make up for hurting others. Rather, it is a reminder that people are complicated. Even evildoers might be victims in need of help."
In just over a hundred pages, Fr Cole walks us through each of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 with a devotional style that is simultaneously simple, profound, and challenging. You could probably read this book cover to cover in a couple of hours, but I strongly suggest you don't. Instead, tackle a chapter a day (or week) and let stir up your soul toward God and away from the narcissism that is so prevalent in our world today.
Some quotables:
"Everywhere I look, I see people highly passionate about a particular issue, lifestyle, or belief system, while at the same time extremely sensitive and easily triggered. The mere mention of someone's name can be enough to set some people off and derail a conversation... I don't think it is said enough today, but we have much more control over how we feel and, perhaps more important, how we respond to our feelings than we often acknowledge... for most of us, there is no intrinsic reason that we must feel angry and even less reason to accept that we need to keep feeling angry... We can, and really must, take control of our emotional lives... we must remind ourselves that we have agency in the matter. However limited, we still have choices about how we respond."
"As much as we like to think of ourselves as self-made individuals, that we've earned everything we have accomplished through hard work and determination, this is never the case. Not even close. Our very existence is a gift from God and a reminder of his promise to be faithful to us."
"I cannot simply believe that anyone chooses evil as an end in itself. They choose evil, not because it brings them happiness or fulfillment, but because they have a distorted sense of the good... This is not to let people off the hook for their evil deeds or to suggest that good intentions make up for hurting others. Rather, it is a reminder that people are complicated. Even evildoers might be victims in need of help."
February 7, 2023
This book does a great job of explaining Jesus’ intended meaning of the word “blessed” not as synonymous with “prosperous” but rather posessing a condition that is a sure path to prioritizing God above all else. The life oriented towards Christ and ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven is the only life in which we find true peace, hope, and fearlessness in the face of hardship and pain. Fr. Casey provides various stories of saints and saintly people he knows who live the Beatitudes every day, as well as stories from his own life where he has failed to do so. My eyes were more fully opened to how I can seek Christ above all else.
January 25, 2022
#wayofbeatitude #NetGalley #bookreview
Release Date: Apr 8, 2022
The Question:
What if we looked at the things we see wrong in the world with empathy, dug below the surface of people’s disappointing actions to experience their pain, and understood hurtful words as a cry for consolation? What if we responded with sorrow instead of outrage, and love instead of hate?
The Promise:
If we could do all that, we’d be living as Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes.
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I chose this book because I love the beatitudes and wanted to see a fresh perspective. A friar wrote this one & I thought this would be an excellent perspective. This book exceeded my expectations.
This book is for:
Anyone with a desire to walk a closer walk with God through acts of intentional poverty or gain the perspective and insight from someone who has.
Favorite/Summary Quote:
Entry into the Kingdom isn’t granted based on the status of one’s bank account, but by the wholehearted commitment to God’s love.
What I connected with:
This was a gentle, loving. & comforting read. It’s eye opening to revisit the beatitudes during the course of a pandemic and an angry world. This was such an easy, flowing read. I felt at ease in a comforting presence of the Holy Spirit as I read through this one.
Each chapter was dedicated to a beatitude & provided real life observation as well as strategy grounded in Scripture to invite in each beatitude attribute.
I absolutely enjoyed and transformed through the reflection questions at the end of each chapter.
The real world observations & the experiences of life as a friar gave this particular read on the beatitudes authenticity & depth that was easy to follow & grasp even though I personally don’t live from the poverty perspective. The author did an amazing job at making the content both relatable and relevant to today’s world.
What I Struggled With:
Normally, this is where I insert an aspect of the book that I struggled with but there was nothing about this book that I struggled with except for the challenge it is to my soul with choosing to life a life that embraces the beatitudes vs what I have grown comfortable with in the eyes of the world.
What I learned:
The approach of intentional poverty. .. I’ve never been challenged to choose to live in a facet of poverty before. He gave the example of in spite of owning his own car, for a year he took public transportation to and from his classes. I don’t know that I’m ready to do this, but it’s given me a lot to consider… be closer to poverty than entitlement.
How I was transformed:
Be extremely mindful of the fact that others have different perspectives than I do from my own experience and how that isn’t the best thing. That to strive to embrace the beatitudes into my lifestyle … will mean choosing a life less comfortable and contradictory to what the world throws up as being successful or worthy etc. and that Jesus in His time on earth lived an example of every one of these attributes.
I will recommend this to friends and family (I already have). I definitely want a hard copy of this book for my personal library!
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Release Date: Apr 8, 2022
The Question:
What if we looked at the things we see wrong in the world with empathy, dug below the surface of people’s disappointing actions to experience their pain, and understood hurtful words as a cry for consolation? What if we responded with sorrow instead of outrage, and love instead of hate?
The Promise:
If we could do all that, we’d be living as Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes.
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I chose this book because I love the beatitudes and wanted to see a fresh perspective. A friar wrote this one & I thought this would be an excellent perspective. This book exceeded my expectations.
This book is for:
Anyone with a desire to walk a closer walk with God through acts of intentional poverty or gain the perspective and insight from someone who has.
Favorite/Summary Quote:
Entry into the Kingdom isn’t granted based on the status of one’s bank account, but by the wholehearted commitment to God’s love.
What I connected with:
This was a gentle, loving. & comforting read. It’s eye opening to revisit the beatitudes during the course of a pandemic and an angry world. This was such an easy, flowing read. I felt at ease in a comforting presence of the Holy Spirit as I read through this one.
Each chapter was dedicated to a beatitude & provided real life observation as well as strategy grounded in Scripture to invite in each beatitude attribute.
I absolutely enjoyed and transformed through the reflection questions at the end of each chapter.
The real world observations & the experiences of life as a friar gave this particular read on the beatitudes authenticity & depth that was easy to follow & grasp even though I personally don’t live from the poverty perspective. The author did an amazing job at making the content both relatable and relevant to today’s world.
What I Struggled With:
Normally, this is where I insert an aspect of the book that I struggled with but there was nothing about this book that I struggled with except for the challenge it is to my soul with choosing to life a life that embraces the beatitudes vs what I have grown comfortable with in the eyes of the world.
What I learned:
The approach of intentional poverty. .. I’ve never been challenged to choose to live in a facet of poverty before. He gave the example of in spite of owning his own car, for a year he took public transportation to and from his classes. I don’t know that I’m ready to do this, but it’s given me a lot to consider… be closer to poverty than entitlement.
How I was transformed:
Be extremely mindful of the fact that others have different perspectives than I do from my own experience and how that isn’t the best thing. That to strive to embrace the beatitudes into my lifestyle … will mean choosing a life less comfortable and contradictory to what the world throws up as being successful or worthy etc. and that Jesus in His time on earth lived an example of every one of these attributes.
I will recommend this to friends and family (I already have). I definitely want a hard copy of this book for my personal library!
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
January 17, 2023
~Inspirational and Thought Provoking
~I knew nothing about Fr. Cassey prior to being given this book to read. So, I had no preconceived ideas about what it was or how he would approach the topic.
~I was very impressed! I highly recommend this book to anyone. He gives the reader insight into the Beatitudes as presented in Scripture, then offers every day applications. His story-tell style is pleasant and not he is not forcing a theological ideal upon the reader. There are points to ponder, there are things to think about…how do the Beatitudes affect me and how do I put them into use in my daily life.
~Part of my daily morning routine is to spend some time in spiritual reading…this small book definitely added to my life.
~I knew nothing about Fr. Cassey prior to being given this book to read. So, I had no preconceived ideas about what it was or how he would approach the topic.
~I was very impressed! I highly recommend this book to anyone. He gives the reader insight into the Beatitudes as presented in Scripture, then offers every day applications. His story-tell style is pleasant and not he is not forcing a theological ideal upon the reader. There are points to ponder, there are things to think about…how do the Beatitudes affect me and how do I put them into use in my daily life.
~Part of my daily morning routine is to spend some time in spiritual reading…this small book definitely added to my life.
March 18, 2023
This is a remarkable book by Fr. Casey Cole that I highly recommend everyone to read. This has helped me understand the true meaning of the Beatitudes and how divided we really are when living out them out. While reading this, I often find myself coming to the realization that I’m living them incorrectly. The reflection questions and practical acts at the end of each chapter are really helpful for self-reflection. It’s easy to understand the meaning behind each Beatitude and I hope that when I teach this to my Confirmation students that they will understand and hopefully motivate them to live them out in their lives as God intended.
July 5, 2023
This is an excellent and unique interpretation of the beatitudes. Each chapter deals with a beatitude - with insightful stories and thought-provoking questions. There are also pragmatic action items that can be done to try to take baby steps towards improving our personal outlook and relationship with God. While some chapters were better than others - all of them really make you think and evaluate your own attitudes. The author presents a different way of looking at phrases that we've all heard for so long, like "blessed are the meek". This was one of the books we've read for my parish book club, and it was a perfect vehicle for some lively discussion. An outstanding read!
March 18, 2025
I received this book in a YouTube giveaway quite a while ago and just got to it. What a great read, especially for Lent! I read it cover to cover in one sitting. I love Breaking in the Habit and Upon Friar Review on YouTube, and Father Casey’s way of making the gospel message easy to understand and apply to life comes through even more so in his writing. This book has a definite social justice message, which is so important for Catholics today, as it is so easy to get caught up in political extremes and forget that we are called to something beyond that. This book puts that call into perspective, using the eight beatitudes as a framework. Looking forward to reading more from Father Casey!
March 1, 2022
Using The Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew, Casey Cole addresses many of the social issues of today. The only thing that will truly change people and thus change our world is love. We tend to look at what is wrong and blame or get angry, instead Cole advocates we approach with sorrow for what needs to be righted. Social justice and radical change are advocated. If we live in despair or with total apathy, we change nothing and just add to the problems of the world rather than sharing the hope of Christ. An uplifting message in a defeatist world.
May 11, 2022
I've been following Fr. Casey on YouTube for awhile now. I enjoy his thoughtful, prayerful insights on Catholicism and faith. In his book, "The Way of Beatitude: Living Radical Hope in a World of Division and Despair," Fr. Casey added a great deal of historical, and personal insights which made them mean so much more to me.
At each chapter's end, he includes Points for Reflection, and Practical Acts of Witness. These could be useful either as part of a study group, or for individual reflection.
At each chapter's end, he includes Points for Reflection, and Practical Acts of Witness. These could be useful either as part of a study group, or for individual reflection.
April 21, 2022
Actual Rating: 4.5/5
Short but actually a very good book. I have wanted to read more about the beatitudes since the end of Season 2 of The Chosen, so I was glad to gave this one a try. Casey doesn't stay in lengthly and wordy conversations but goes directly on how to apply them. He is constantly challenging the reader. None of it feels cheesy or cheap, but well-thought out and, again, applicable.
Short but actually a very good book. I have wanted to read more about the beatitudes since the end of Season 2 of The Chosen, so I was glad to gave this one a try. Casey doesn't stay in lengthly and wordy conversations but goes directly on how to apply them. He is constantly challenging the reader. None of it feels cheesy or cheap, but well-thought out and, again, applicable.
June 6, 2022
I just love Fr. Casey - he and his YouTube channels are an absolute gift. After following his online content for a while I picked up this book and I was not disappointed. His insights are presented in such a fresh, relevant, inspiring, and easy-to-read way. The wisdom is timeless, but the presentation feels so applicable and immediate. Looking forward to reading his other books.
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March 28, 2023 Thank you to Ave Maria press for a physical copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was really easy to follow along with and I like how Cole got right to the point while also applying it to real life.
I see myself going back to this book again and re-reading it to help remind myself of certain beatitudes to help keep me focused on what really matters.
This book was really easy to follow along with and I like how Cole got right to the point while also applying it to real life.
I see myself going back to this book again and re-reading it to help remind myself of certain beatitudes to help keep me focused on what really matters.
September 12, 2025
I have enjoyed Fr. Casey Cole’s content on YouTube, even when I don’t always agree with it. I don’t know if that appeal translated to the written word for me. I agreed on some places, but not all, which is the same, but for me I felt the pace was slow. Although this is a short book, it took me forever to get through it. It isn’t a bad book per se, it just wasn’t the book for me.
December 31, 2025
Beautiful way to walk through living the Beatitudes in your daily life. Called me to account for moments in my own life where I do not live as I ought, and gently guided me on ways to do better. This incorporates much of Fr Casey's wit and wisdom from his YouTube videos in guiding me to live my faith better.
January 1, 2023
This is probably the best spiritual book I have read, I will definitely be returning to this book again and again. It is very insightful, practical, and has very unique perspectives on the beatitudes. Highly recommend for anyone at any level of faith looking to grow
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews