Song of the Saints - by Catherine Gotschall (Paperback)

About the Book

Weekly Anglican prayer bead meditations to deepen your relationship with saintly Christians.

Book Synopsis

Weekly Anglican prayer bead meditations to deepen your relationship with saintly Christians.

Have you ever wondered what the saints would say if they could speak to you? Saints have long been a source of inspiration and solace for Christians--from Ambrose of Milan of the early Church, to Hildegard of Bingen of the medieval period, to Frederick Douglass of nineteenth-century abolitionist renown--but few would say they truly know these sources of timeless wisdom. The prayers in Song of the Saints, intended for use in conjunction with Anglican prayer beads, offer a remedy: a tried and tested prayer practice designed to bring readers into a deeper communion with the saints throughout the liturgical year.

Selected from various Christian liturgical calendars, the featured saints are accompanied by an icon-like image, an original prayer, and a brief spiritual biography, which offers readers a window into the context in which the saint lived. Ultimately, readers aren't just learning about the saints--they're engaging with them, actively exploring their lives, their teachings, and most of all, their heart.

Review Quotes

"Song of the Saints is a unique and accessible way to deepen your prayer life and your spirituality through the words of ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives. Using the writings of the saints themselves, Gotschall takes her readers on a year-long journey through history, through faith, and through the lives of individuals from around the world who stopped, listened, and responded when the Holy Spirit/God/Jesus came knocking. Through the physical touch of the prayer beads in your hand your mind is freed to lift the words of prayer up and out of your heart and mind into the realm beyond. Whatever your theological or worship tradition you will find a saint or saints in this book who will speak the yearnings of your heart and the joys of your faith in ways you never thought possible."

"Song of Saints has proven to be a devotional gateway through which I have come to look forward to exploring. Its approach serves to 'reconnect' me with familiar saints; but even more, I have especially enjoyed learning about less familiar saints, whose experiences of faith have become for me a fresh way of engaging in my own ongoing pilgrimage towards The City of God."

"Cathy Gotschall has created a beautiful volume bringing together the richness and depth of prayer, art, and biography and crafting an innovative lens through which we see many of our saints of God. Song of the Saints will undoubtedly be a go-to guide for those seeking to deepen their prayer life and learn more about the lives of the blessed individuals on whose shoulders we now stand. It's rich and full without ever being overwhelming, and I have no doubt it will take folks on a remarkable prayer journey through the year. This prayer book is a wonderful example of what happens when the Holy Spirit nudges us to do something new!"

"Hallelujah! What a unique and wonderful way to learn about our saints! By praying the Anglican Rosary using their words, I have learned so much more about the saints. Plus, I am participating in the growing tradition of the Anglican rosary! I will keep this book with my Bible and BCP to lift up my daily devotions!"

"I have been a parish priest for 33 years. This book has found its way into my heart and my ministry.

"When I began to read about Saints Pauli Murray, Oscar Romero, Frederick Douglass, and Edith Stein...just to name a few, I thought, 'This is what I have been waiting for!' A book of Saints that we can bring into our prayers, discussions, and sermons, that speaks to where we are in the present moment and what we, as people of faith, are struggling with.

"In today's tumultuous times, it is so important to remember those who went before us, who broke ground and glass ceilings. When I find those times when I can't figure out what to do, this book brings me back to a Saint who has paved the way. The author has brilliantly woven in prayer using Anglican prayer beads, including a step-by-step instruction on 'how to use Anglican prayer beads!' There are beautiful illustrations, prayers, and concise descriptions of Saints that help us not only learn more about them but also bring them into our own personal prayer life. Bravo, Cathy Gotschall, thank you for this 'Song of the Saints'."

"If you wish to deepen your devotional practice, and are curious about how the saintly people of God through out the centuries, could be your spiritual companions, this is a book for you. Song of the Saints, provides history and background about how saints as 'holy exemplars' can lead us more deeply into our relationship with the Holy One, and how one actually uses prayer beads. Whether or not prayer beads have been a ritual that you use to increase your faith, you will find this book is unique, as the prayers offered use the writings and words of the saints themselves. This gives us a first hand view into the spiritual wisdom and faith of those who have shown the light of God in their lives, and can illuminate our lives with insights and revelations of God. What an inspired way to expand your community of spiritual friends as well as enhance your own faith!"

"In Song of the Saints: Celebrating the Saints with Anglican Prayer Beads, Cathy Gotschall accomplishes many things including and beyond what the title promises. She does this concisely and clearly as a book on prayer practice should in its aim for expansion in the spiritual life of the reader. In 'A Brief History of Prayer Beads, ' Gotschall shows the global use of beads in prayer wonderfully, stirring new curiosity and preparing a call to prayer in the heart of the reader. 'How to Use Prayer Beads with the Prayers in this Book' is a guide to the use of Anglican prayer beads that is clear and easy-to-follow; after a couple of readings one is able to use the instructions to pray with each of the saints without feeling self-conscious and is able become drawn deeper into the prayers.

Rhythmic and repetitive prayer engages the body's rhythms of heart and breath. Such prayers have been shown to lower stress and anxiety and to have especial benefits for trauma-sufferers. These prayers incorporate lectio divina-style meditation with rhythm and repetition, engaging and deepening awareness of what is spoken while calling attention to unspoken transcendence. As a result of using these prayers one may find themselves inspired to silence, to study more deeply the writings of a particular saint, or to try writing their own prayers to be said with the beads. A reader and pray-er will also be drawn more deeply into the Anglican tradition of the Book of Common Prayer as its weekly collects join the meditations of the saints in colloquy flowing throughout the liturgical year. This seems to me to be a book for anyone wanting to locate themselves within Christian tradition creatively through prayer, whether alone or in a group."

"The saints found on its pages do not simply become companions walking alongside us, but rather inspirations dwelling within us. Their lives are not just eras by which we are inspired, but instead are examples of faithful living to which we can aspire. Their words are not simply things that we read on the page but instead, when prayed regularly, become the breath of the Spirit filling our lungs."

"What a wonderful contribution to prayer! As I prayed with the words of the saints, I felt a deep peace in my soul. The additional materials - introductions, illustrations, and biographies-are profoundly helpful. This offering is an extraordinarily lovely way to encounter the liturgical year anew. Truly, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to the love of God!"

"In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that we are surrounded by 'a great cloud of witnesses;' we are the inheritors of the faith and wisdom of the saints who have gone before us. This unique book leads us beyond merely learning about the saints to the experience of praying with the saints, expanding and deepening the movement from our head to our heart. The purpose of this book is not simply to remember the saints as figures of the distant past, but to encounter the saints as fellow pilgrims along our spiritual path. We are invited to pray with the saints in their own words and, using Anglican prayer beads as a spiritual tool, to more fully open our souls to God.
"This book is a much-needed resource for the church in our time. In a world saturated with information, we are beckoned to experience the transformation and renewal of our hearts and be reminded that we do not walk alone, but we walk with all those who have trod the pathway of holiness both now and in ages past."

"The church with the most members--by far--is the one in heaven, the Church Triumphant. Through baptism and the communion we share in the same Holy Spirit, our heavenly counterparts are our spiritual cousins 'on another shore and in a greater light.' We ignore them and their stories to our peril. Thanks to Song of the Saints, I am indeed getting to know members of my heavenly family quite well. I am inspired by their faith, enriched by their prayers, and have a renewed sense of my own calling. After all, 'I mean to be one, too.'"

"This book is for someone reaching out to people on the margins, like a deacon; a bridge--showing that the Saints were people who faced real struggles, just like many in the world today. Their journeys weren't perfect, but they showed perseverance, faith, and the power of prayer. Offering this connection can make the Saints feel more approachable and relevant to people's everyday lives. And the experience of using prayer beads, especially when paired with the Saints' stories, can really enhance one's spiritual practice. For those unfamiliar with the beads, it's like a new tool for focusing prayer and building a deeper connection with God. This book helps demystify that, making it a wonderful resource for both personal growth and ministry.
"It's amazing how connecting with the lives of the Saints can open up new dimensions of prayer and devotion. Each Saint has such a unique story and spiritual journey, and this book offers a beautiful way for anyone, regardless of where they are in their faith, to explore those stories and find inspiration."

"What an extraordinary gift Cathy Gotschall has given us in Song of the Saints! On one level, it is a wonderful anthology of saints--both familiar and new--filled with their wisdom, images, and stories. On another, it is a devotional that extends a gracious invitation to grab your prayer beads, sit, and feel as if you're praying with the saints themselves. This was clearly a labor of love; we are the richer for it."

"Song of the Saints is a unique and accessible way to deepen your prayer life and your spirituality through the words of ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives. Using the writings of the saints themselves, Gotschall takes her readers on a year-long journey through history, through faith, and through the lives of individuals from around the world who stopped, listened, and responded when the Holy Spirit/God/Jesus came knocking. Through the physical touch of the prayer beads in your hand your mind is freed to lift the words of prayer up and out of your heart and mind into the realm beyond. Whatever your theological or worship tradition you will find a saint or saints in this book who will speak the yearnings of your heart and the joys of your faith in ways you never thought possible."

-- "The Reverend Barbara Condon, Pastor, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, retired"

"Song of Saints has proven to be a devotional gateway through which I have come to look forward to exploring. Its approach serves to 'reconnect' me with familiar saints; but even more, I have especially enjoyed learning about less familiar saints, whose experiences of faith have become for me a fresh way of engaging in my own ongoing pilgrimage towards The City of God."

-- "The Reverend Cathy Tibbetts, Episcopal Priest, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, retired"

"Cathy Gotschall has created a beautiful volume bringing together the richness and depth of prayer, art, and biography and crafting an innovative lens through which we see many of our saints of God. Song of the Saints will undoubtedly be a go-to guide for those seeking to deepen their prayer life and learn more about the lives of the blessed individuals on whose shoulders we now stand. It's rich and full without ever being overwhelming, and I have no doubt it will take folks on a remarkable prayer journey through the year. This prayer book is a wonderful example of what happens when the Holy Spirit nudges us to do something new!"

-- "The Reverend Matt Rhodes, Rector St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Forest, Virginia"

"Hallelujah! What a unique and wonderful way to learn about our saints! By praying the Anglican Rosary using their words, I have learned so much more about the saints. Plus, I am participating in the growing tradition of the Anglican rosary! I will keep this book with my Bible and BCP to lift up my daily devotions!"

-- "The Reverend Andrea Rose Hayden, Priest-in-charge, Saint Nathaniel's Episcopal Church, North Port, FL"

"I have been a parish priest for 33 years. This book has found its way into my heart and my ministry.

"When I began to read about Saints Pauli Murray, Oscar Romero, Frederick Douglass, and Edith Stein...just to name a few, I thought, 'This is what I have been waiting for!' A book of Saints that we can bring into our prayers, discussions, and sermons, that speaks to where we are in the present moment and what we, as people of faith, are struggling with.

"In today's tumultuous times, it is so important to remember those who went before us, who broke ground and glass ceilings. When I find those times when I can't figure out what to do, this book brings me back to a Saint who has paved the way. The author has brilliantly woven in prayer using Anglican prayer beads, including a step-by-step instruction on 'how to use Anglican prayer beads!' There are beautiful illustrations, prayers, and concise descriptions of Saints that help us not only learn more about them but also bring them into our own personal prayer life. Bravo, Cathy Gotschall, thank you for this 'Song of the Saints'."

-- "The Reverend Suzanne M. Post, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care, Christ Episcopal Church, Greenwich, CT, Former Assisting Priest, St. Michael and All Angels, Venice, FL"

"If you wish to deepen your devotional practice, and are curious about how the saintly people of God through out the centuries, could be your spiritual companions, this is a book for you. Song of the Saints, provides history and background about how saints as 'holy exemplars' can lead us more deeply into our relationship with the Holy One, and how one actually uses prayer beads. Whether or not prayer beads have been a ritual that you use to increase your faith, you will find this book is unique, as the prayers offered use the writings and words of the saints themselves. This gives us a first hand view into the spiritual wisdom and faith of those who have shown the light of God in their lives, and can illuminate our lives with insights and revelations of God. What an inspired way to expand your community of spiritual friends as well as enhance your own faith!"

-- "The Reverend Susan E. Bentley, Episcopal Priest, Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, Chaplain Daughters of the King, Diocese of Southwestern Virginia"

"In Song of the Saints: Celebrating the Saints with Anglican Prayer Beads, Cathy Gotschall accomplishes many things including and beyond what the title promises. She does this concisely and clearly as a book on prayer practice should in its aim for expansion in the spiritual life of the reader. In 'A Brief History of Prayer Beads, ' Gotschall shows the global use of beads in prayer wonderfully, stirring new curiosity and preparing a call to prayer in the heart of the reader. 'How to Use Prayer Beads with the Prayers in this Book' is a guide to the use of Anglican prayer beads that is clear and easy-to-follow; after a couple of readings one is able to use the instructions to pray with each of the saints without feeling self-conscious and is able become drawn deeper into the prayers.

Rhythmic and repetitive prayer engages the body's rhythms of heart and breath. Such prayers have been shown to lower stress and anxiety and to have especial benefits for trauma-sufferers. These prayers incorporate lectio divina-style meditation with rhythm and repetition, engaging and deepening awareness of what is spoken while calling attention to unspoken transcendence. As a result of using these prayers one may find themselves inspired to silence, to study more deeply the writings of a particular saint, or to try writing their own prayers to be said with the beads. A reader and pray-er will also be drawn more deeply into the Anglican tradition of the Book of Common Prayer as its weekly collects join the meditations of the saints in colloquy flowing throughout the liturgical year. This seems to me to be a book for anyone wanting to locate themselves within Christian tradition creatively through prayer, whether alone or in a group."

-- "Brynna Carpenter-Nardone, spiritual director, hospital chaplain, Director of Cathedral Arts at The Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, NY"

"The saints found on its pages do not simply become companions walking alongside us, but rather inspirations dwelling within us. Their lives are not just eras by which we are inspired, but instead are examples of faithful living to which we can aspire. Their words are not simply things that we read on the page but instead, when prayed regularly, become the breath of the Spirit filling our lungs."

-- "The Anglican Digest"

"The Spirit has led the way for this book. She has called and supplied the relational, the theological, scientific, and artistic gifts to the author. Those of us willing to listen for the same Spirit need this lovely book for prayer, for following Christ, and for deepening our experience of God with the example from the lives and prayers of human beings like and unlike us. Dwell in this book and celebrate with the saints!"

"What a wonderful contribution to prayer! As I prayed with the words of the saints, I felt a deep peace in my soul. The additional materials - introductions, illustrations, and biographies--are profoundly helpful. This offering is an extraordinarily lovely way to encounter the liturgical year anew. Truly, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to the love of God!"

-- "The Reverend Susanne Methven, Episcopal Priest, Diocese of Oklahoma"

"In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that we are surrounded by 'a great cloud of witnesses;' we are the inheritors of the faith and wisdom of the saints who have gone before us. This unique book leads us beyond merely learning about the saints to the experience of praying with the saints, expanding and deepening the movement from our head to our heart. The purpose of this book is not simply to remember the saints as figures of the distant past, but to encounter the saints as fellow pilgrims along our spiritual path. We are invited to pray with the saints in their own words and, using Anglican prayer beads as a spiritual tool, to more fully open our souls to God.
"This book is a much-needed resource for the church in our time. In a world saturated with information, we are beckoned to experience the transformation and renewal of our hearts and be reminded that we do not walk alone, but we walk with all those who have trod the pathway of holiness both now and in ages past."-- "The Rt. Rev. Douglas F. Scharf, Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida"

"The church with the most members--by far--is the one in heaven, the Church Triumphant. Through baptism and the communion we share in the same Holy Spirit, our heavenly counterparts are our spiritual cousins 'on another shore and in a greater light.' We ignore them and their stories to our peril. Thanks to Song of the Saints, I am indeed getting to know members of my heavenly family quite well. I am inspired by their faith, enriched by their prayers, and have a renewed sense of my own calling. After all, 'I mean to be one, too.'"-- "The Reverend Charleston David Wilson, Chairman, The Anglican Digest, Rector, Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota, FL"

"This book is for someone reaching out to people on the margins, like a deacon; a bridge--showing that the Saints were people who faced real struggles, just like many in the world today. Their journeys weren't perfect, but they showed perseverance, faith, and the power of prayer. Offering this connection can make the Saints feel more approachable and relevant to people's everyday lives. And the experience of using prayer beads, especially when paired with the Saints' stories, can really enhance one's spiritual practice. For those unfamiliar with the beads, it's like a new tool for focusing prayer and building a deeper connection with God. This book helps demystify that, making it a wonderful resource for both personal growth and ministry.
"It's amazing how connecting with the lives of the Saints can open up new dimensions of prayer and devotion. Each Saint has such a unique story and spiritual journey, and this book offers a beautiful way for anyone, regardless of where they are in their faith, to explore those stories and find inspiration."-- "The Reverend Ken McCaslin, MAR, FHL7, Deacon St. Monica's Episcopal Church, Naples, FL, Chaplain Retired Clergy Naples, FL, Chaplain Daughters of the King, St. Monica's Chapter, Naples, FL"

"What an extraordinary gift Cathy Gotschall has given us in Song of the Saints! On one level, it is a wonderful anthology of saints--both familiar and new--filled with their wisdom, images, and stories. On another, it is a devotional that extends a gracious invitation to grab your prayer beads, sit, and feel as if you're praying with the saints themselves. This was clearly a labor of love; we are the richer for it."-- "Kristen E. Vincent, spiritual director, Author of A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads"