Never Give Up: My Life and God's Mercy

by John Janaro

A personal testimony of gratitude to God who has sustained me throughout my confused, distracted, and often difficult life. —From the Introduction Some human suffering can't be "fixed." Maybe yours is like that, or maybe you have a family member or friend in that situation. John Janaro's been there—in fact, still is there. His struggles with debilitating illness, chronic depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder could easily bring on a massive case of self-pity, but Janaro has found a better way to live. If you're thinking of retreating into your private world of pain—or if you know someone who has— Never Give Up will help you see how God's fidelity, the small wonders of daily life, a dose of humor, and the simple kindness of others can bring light into the darkness.

163 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Catholic theologian, author, lecturer, resource person, consultant. Associate Professor Emeritus of Theology at Christendom College, Front Royal, Virginia.

Reviews

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never Give Up: My Life and God's Mercy was written by John Janaro a professor at Christendom College. John has suffered from depression, anxiety and OCD since childhood and then ten years ago began struggling with the debilitating pain associated with untreated Lyme's disease. On top of all that, his youngest child was born prematurely and was hospitalized for months and endured multiple surgeries.

John is one that has experienced a great deal of suffering in his life but he has not turned his back on God. His pain from Lyme's disease can keep him confined to bed or he can go into remission and go about life as usual; but John never knows when the pain will strike again. Through it all John relies on his Faith to get through each day. He encourages others that suffer to rely on God through prayer, the Eucharist and His Mother Mary. In addition, he has a loving family that is there with him by his side during the good times and bad; it's evident that he and his wife fully understand the vows of marriage.

This book was a quick read for me because I have to admit I skipped sections. Throughout the book, John intersperses many prayers that are written in poetic form. I do most of my reading on the treadmill and I just can't focus on that style of writing while walking; I do plan to go back and read the prayers at a later time.

One thing that particularly struck me was when John talked about being there for a depressed person. He encourages us to not give up even if we don't see a difference because we are showing love through our time spent together and we all need love.

This review was written as part of the Catholic books reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Never Give Up - My Life and God's Mercy .

[Meggie Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Magnificat Magazine daily which is where I first became "acquainted" with John Janaro's writing. His writing is beautiful and "silky smooth"—never forced. The format of this book may not appeal to some people due to the interleaving prose/prayer chapters. However, I found his heartfelt prayers quite moving. When I consider the effort and length of time that this book must have taken to complete, given his battle with Lyme's disease, the book is quite extraordinary. Anyone, who has battled chronic pain, will recognize a kindred spirit, in this author who carries the reader through his daily struggles and an implicit theology of redemptive suffering.

[Lapsed Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would call this an inspirational read. It was not a memoir, though we are given some basics about the author's struggles (depression, OCD, Lyme disease). There are a number of lengthy prayerful reflections formatted kind of like poems, interspersed throughout. And this is definitely for a Catholic audience. Most Protestant Christians (as opposed to Catholic, Orthodox, and maybe a few Anglicans) would probably find some of the ponderings and encouragements pretty foreign to what they believe. So, if you're Catholic, or very open to Catholic thought, and a title like "Never Give Up" appeals to you, you might want to check this out. The title didn't draw me in so much as knowledge of the author's depression and OCD.

[Claire Gilligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially toward the beginning, this is the best book I've seen on the spirituality of suffering (as opposed to the theology of suffering, which is of little help to its spirituality).

He writes from a perspective of chronic physical and mental illness, starting from personal experience and making his way toward classic aspects of Catholic theology, relating each to living with chronic illness. It's punctuated liberally with poems he's written, which I presume are good if you like modern poetry, I dunno. I skimmed or skimmed most of them, but they didn't detract from the rest of the book, so...

Definitely recommended for anyone struggling with chronic anything.

[Brace1737 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The worst part about this book is the title: Never Give Up sounds like a thousand other self-help books on the shelves. Read the subtitle and you will have a clearer notion of what Mr. Janaro is trying to say to his readers. Mr. Janaro is a parent of five children, an associate professor, an author who lives with a disability (Lyme Disease) and bouts of depression. His faith keeps him going and he seeks to give spiritual insights to others who face suffering- and we all do at the present or will in the future. Mr. Janaro is deeply Catholic but his message is for people of all faiths. &If you have read any of the books by Joni Eareckson Tada, you will probably enjoy this book as well.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, a little slow in the beginning but overall a fabulous read. John had some great insights into suffering and it's good to know that even our groaning during prayers is efficacious:)