Abundant Treasures, by Melannie Svoboda   www.twentythirdpublications.com

Most of us would agree with The Catechism of the Catholic Church that the Holy Spirit endows us with seven gifts, namely: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (1831). 

However, in Abundant Treasures, Sister Melannie Svoboda extends the number of gifts to fifty-one in accord with The Catechism’s further acceptance that “the Holy Spirit works in many ways to build up the whole Body in charity” (798).

Alphabetically arranged, from abundance to zeal, Sister Melannie uncovers in straight- forward meditations, the sanctity of everyday living.  With her usual clarity and humor, she weaves stories, quotes, and scripture to help us recognize the dynamic holy of our lives.  Through daily experiences, Sister suggests we ask: “What is God’s will for me...Who is God calling me to become?” (27). 

Each meditation lends itself to personal reflection.  For example, in considering the “gift” of leadership, Sister names the paradoxical tensions that co-exist between “the Gospel and culture, life and death, the eternal and the ever changing” (61). 

The roots of our faith invite us to embrace the paradox of the Cross, but often the conflicts of our own daily ironies and contradictions do not manifest as the Alleluias of Easter.  However, Sister presents the reality of our everyday impossibilities as blossoms of God’s hope, love, and mercy, if we but remain open to being astonished.

In Abundant Treasures, Sister Melannie Svoboda broadens our "perception" and gently nudges our "transformation," providing tools that reveal the oneness of the sacred, yet inconsistent way of life (1010.