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This hook explores in depth six Gospel scenes so as to discover in these the essential elements of Christian discipleship. In addition, an introductory chapter describes the basic requirements for receiving the Word of God effectively in our hearts: namely, that we "become wet clay in God's hands', so that God can impress upon us any form he chooses. And a concluding chapter contemplates the vital position of the Mother of the Lord in the life of his disciples.

It is this work's thesis that the call to discipleship is above all an invitation to intimate companionship with Jesus, as we read in Mark: "Jesus called to him those whom he desired... in order that they might be with him" (3:14-15). What we normally call the "active apostolate"can never be an end in itself, but only the fruit of a life of the prayer and adoration that must be at the heart of a disciple's life. We must therefore never be swept up by mere activism.

The author's approach is to linger in leisurely fashion on a given Gospel truth, in order to see and hear within it the full beauty and resonance inevitably present in every encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Son of Mary.

Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, former professor of Literature and Theology at the University of San Francisco, received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Theology from Emory University. He is the author of Fire of Mercy: Heart of the Word, and Lore's Sacred Order.