BOOK REVIEW:

Stages of the Soul:
The Path of the Soulful Life

by Father Paul Keenan

Publishers: Contemporary Books

Reviewed by Remy Benoit   

Whether you are well along the path of your spiritual journey, or slipping into the despair of a world crashing around you, Father Keenan’s words will gently guide the way into the vast realms of your soul.

When the despair or restlessness comes, when the desire for "something more" becomes overwhelming, he reminds us that we already have what we seek; that we have forgotten that we have it. Through a seven-stage process of soul exploration, he guides us to its recovery, rebirth, and expansion.

In each of us there is something that will answer the restless call of the soul: when we begin to acknowledge that it is there, we can move to take it off the backburner where it has been left, neglected and sooted over, give it attention, and still tend to the immediate demands made by our day to day lives.

He moves us through the seven stages with fluidity, showing us how to honor the grace of each. Even when we feel ourselves lost souls before the abyss, alone with the void as none has ever been alone before, grace will make it a beginning, rather than an end.

Father Keenan teaches the language of the soul; of compassion and the glorious, deeply colored tapestry of enlightenment; of seeing endless possibilities rather than the dead ends of threadbare throws that come from inattention to soul needs and destiny.

In a world that moves so fast, where we are bombarded with change, with demands on our time and hearts, he reminds us that we must not only tend to our creations and contributions, but appreciate how they lift both our hearts and those of others.

Sharing his personal stories and those of others, Father Keenan shows us the soul’s voice, moves us from the abyss to a life of soulfulness, where we can truly hear the music of inner guidance, wisdom, purpose, and awe. He speaks of how "Wonder is having at least one foot in eternity," and how our compassion connects us to each other in sharing the gifts of joy, soul wisdom, and purpose.

His book is a small volume, easily tucked into a pocket or purse for those moments when we can take time to give attention to the song of the soul, and the music it wants us to play: for ourselves, and everyone else.

REVIEWED BOOK: