All for Jesus: The Easy Ways of Divine Love

by Frederick William Faber

Love Jesus — the easy way! What have you done for Jesus today? Have you spent even a moment thinking about His interests — and trying to further them in the world? Have you tried to resist sin? Or prayed for someone? Have you tried to become more loving? More generous? More thankful? Have you made use in any way of the many riches God has given you? If questions like these only make you feel guilty, turn to the wise author of this book, Fr. Frederick Faber. Instead of burdening you with reminders of your sinfulness, in All for Jesus this fervent and renowned spiritual writer says what few have ever dared to say about the spiritual “I want you to enjoy yourself.” Cultivate a truly joyful Christian life Fr. Faber isn’t talking about the empty joys of this world! He knows that your faith should be the happiness and sunshine of your life, but he also knows how hard it is to keep your spirit from being overwhelmed by the grinding dullness of duty. So in this series of bright and happy reflections, he helps you recapture the kind of love for Jesus that will do nothing less than make holiness easy for you. Fr. Faber reveals three secrets that will give you a beautiful, even angelic character — three secrets that the saints knew and practiced well. With beguiling enthusiasm, he teaches you how to remember God throughout the day and to offer your love to Him. And he demonstrates, with numerous examples drawn from the lives of the saints, that the more you grow in love for Jesus, the more you’ll be able to face questions like those above with a full heart — knowing that God’s grace will provide for your every insufficiency. Looking for a delightful spiritual lift? Look no farther than All for Jesus! You’ll gain a newly fervent love for Jesus as you learn why you should pray regularly for others — and five soul-enriching ways you can do so; test Do you really believe in the power of prayer? How you can tell; have you ever heard of the seven joys of Mary? Discover them here — and their power to lead you to Jesus; four things you can ask from Jesus — they’ll make even your free time holy; six fruits you’ll gain from Jesus by praying for the souls in Purgatory; why you should thank Jesus not just for your own blessings, but for those that He has given to others; a surprising way you can adore Jesus in the churches of the world where He is most neglected; how you can find Jesus even in the things that distract you from Him; the immense spiritual fruit you’ll gain by being sorry not only for your own sins, but for the sins of others; the three goals that all your actions should be leading are yours?; are you avoiding the common errors Christians make in prayer? Find out here; and much more that will make your following of Jesus as bright and as happy as it ought to be!

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Christian

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1854

About the author

Frederick William Faber, C.O., was a noted English hymn writer and theologian, who converted from Anglicanism to the Catholic priesthood. His best known work is Faith of Our Fathers. Though he was a Roman Catholic writing for fellow Catholics at that point, many of his hymns today are sung by Protestant congregations.

Reviews

[booklady]

Not sure exactly why, but there is the one Kindle version which is $9.98 and then there is this one which is only $.99. Huge savings, FYI. Looked in both and cannot discern any difference, though other readers let me know if you find one.

This is supposed to be Fr. Faber's most encouraging work.

[Ian Grantham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished reading 'All for Jesus' by Fr. Frederick Faber. This is not just a good book. This is a great book.

Frederick William Faber (1814 – 1863) was a noted English hymn writer and theologian, who converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He was ordained to the Catholic priesthood subsequently in 1847.

Written originally for distribution amongst members of the Confraternity of the Most Precious Blood, which Fr. Faber introduced to England in 1847, and transferred to the church of the London Oratory in 1850 when he became an Oratorian, this book is primarily an introduction to a deeper prayer life. It is all about developing our relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. It is about the inner work.

It is also a book for what Fr. Faber describes as the 'Religious Middle Classes', those who will probably never reach a state of spiritual perfection in this life and yet are more advanced than the beginner. This is important because of what it implies - that the practices and attitudes suggested can be taken up by any faithful follower of Jesus.

Fr Faber lays the ground by identifying what he sees as the three instincts of the saints - eagerness for the glory of God, touchiness about the interests of Jesus, (which Faber says are the glory of His Father, the fruit of His Passion, the honour of His Mother, and the esteem of grace), and an anxiety for the salvation of souls.

What the book succeeds in doing is opening hearts to an abundance of new ways to relate to God, be that in supplication, intercession, adoration, praise, oblation, or thanksgiving, as well as the release of the souls in Purgatory.

I found the book challenging to read at first because I had no idea where it was going. But like most great books it can be compared to climbing a mountain - arduous at first but wow, the views from the summit are stunning.

This has to be one of my top ten Christian books, and was purchased because of recommendations on Goodreads, its high rating on Amazon, and its appearance on a number of 'top 100' Catholic books lists.

[Erik]

Included in the "Spiritual Reading" section of Fr. John McCloskey's 100-book Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan.

[Sir Badgerly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read over and over. Clearly inspired...

[Lorryn McGarry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that completely changed my life

[Killer Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.61 overall rating. Doing all for Christ in love, grieving over collective sin/sins of others