I just finished The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos, one of those Catholic classics constantly touted as one of those books "you have to read."
I think I may have read it before - decades ago. But i'm not certain, Some parts of it seem familiar, but not the book as a whole. It could be I started it - I have an old copy that's been gathering dust on my bookshelf for decades - or it could be I read about it along the way.
If I did try to read it before, I can see why I might have had a hard time with it. I don't think I was ready for it when I was younger. Some of the spiritual reflections by the protagonist were difficult to follow, and, to be honest, hit close to home. His doubts about himself were too uncomfortably familiar, and I can see myself having been afraid of their implications.
All that bloviating aside, I can see now why it is considered a Catholic classic. I recommend it heartily, though maybe a little nervously. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind - and spiritual life - to fully appreciate it. It challenges one to look at one's own relationship with God.
I know I am glad I finally read - or reread - it.
Pax et bonum
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