The Road to Freedom [antikvár]

Preface Nearly two years ago Father Michael McLaughlin, a young Holy Ghost priest from Derry, first introduced me to the writings of Father Carlos Mesters O.Carm. While at home on holiday from his mission in Brazil, he called at the Communications Centre, Dublin to show us somé translations he had made of chapters from Father Mesters' book Palavra de Deus, na história dos homens. As far as I can remember, they were the chapters on John the Baptist and Elijah. When you read them in this book you will see why we encouraged him to keep on translating. Here was a very originál and convincing approach to making the Bible popular. Perhaps it might be as effective in Ireland as it was in Brazil, where Father Mesters' books and pamphlets are widely used in the pastoral renewal programme in the Church. In so many Irish homes, presbyteries, convents, monasteries, the Bible is often an ornament on the bookshelf. So seldom is it the inspiration and support it is meant to be. There are many reasons for this. One in particular was a certain landlordism on the part of priests which gave people the impression that the Bible was priváté lands and not commonage. Tres-passers will be prosecuted! And like many a landlord, priests themselves let the great rich soil of the Bible lie fallow and uncultivated. No doubt things are changing. The new breviary and the new lectionary have opened up the Bible to people and to priests. But even with all this change many are