On Becoming Transformed

"The cracked clay of our lives reveals incredible light within"
— From Sr. Sue's dedication in Light Through the Crack

Sister Sue Mosteller has written a book called: Light Through the Crack. Seven stories follow individuals who suffered severe losses and who, through their pain, discovered new growth within themselves.

Sister Sue explained how Claire's story inspired the writing of the book, "In accompanying Claire as she lived through the heart transplant, I realized that a lifelong spiritual journey is like the story of having a heart transplant. God says in Ezekiel, 'I will take from your body your heart of stone, and I will give you a heart of flesh.' This is comparable to the removal of a damaged heart for a health heart – but in the spiritual life, it takes, not a few hours, but a lifetime! Losing our heart of stone is a drastic measure but receiving a heart of flesh empowers us with new energy for love. So, the transplant, like a transformation, is wonderful. But a heart of flesh is fragile too and one needs support to keep it healthy." A strength in the book is that Sr. Sue never minimizes the pain involved in transformation while at the same time rejoicing in the results.

She doesn't see herself as a writer, despite the three books she has penned: "I am a storyteller. And I wanted to tell these stories because the people in them who emerge more fully human are just like me. Their stories deeply touch my own life."

Challenged by her publisher to put herself in the book, Sr. Sue wrote a preamble to every story with her reasons for its inclusion, explaining, "By doing this, I tell the reader that I have personally connected with the story and my hope is that the reader will also find connections with his or her own story. " The result is a book that deals on many levels with issues we all struggle with.

The author is a Sister of St. Joseph of Toronto, a congregation that has as its mission serving those in need in simplicity and compassion. She is also the executrix of Henri Nouwen's estate and an active participant of the L'Arche community, an international network of faith-based communities for people with developmental difficulties.

To obtain a copy of this book, contact Daybreak Publications at:
Tel:         905-884-3454  Ext 234
Or:          1-800-853-1412
Fax:         905-884-0763
E-Mail:    pubs (at) larchedaybreak (dot) com

For more on Sister Sue,  see http://www.csj-to.ca/Who_we_are/Meet_us/meet_sister_sue.php