Inspiration for Young Men

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JasonAdams

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I am looking for some ideas to help me with one of my son’s spiritual inspiration. He’s going through some tough times right now and I believe it’s because his spiritual life is out of balance. Although he has not been confirmed into the Church yet he still keeps the possibility open but noncommittal. I think he is not letting God into his life much less give his problems to God to deal with instead of letting pride and self-reliance be his guide.

I am looking for a book or something of that nature that can speak to him and inspire him to reignite the fire of the Holy Spirit within him so that his life can regain balance and get back on the path that God is laying before him.
 
'God of Surprises’, by Gerard Hughes. It would probably be a good idea to check to see if this is not too advanced but think it is a helpful book. I read a book a long time ago about the Holy Spirit that was great called 'Your Life in the Holy Spirit’, by Alan Schreck. Or you could buy a book of miraculous events that have happened to Saints - maybe a general book on the different saints. I have a little illustrated one called ‘The Illustrated Lives of Saints’, by Victor Hoagland, C.P.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I’ve actually been looking at “Be a Man!” as a possible source. I’ll start looking at the other books mentioned.
 
The Gospel of John would be a VERY good place to start.
 
Well, first off you can’t know what God is with doing him internally. That’s God’s business. The fire of the Holy Spirit may be working its own path for him. God knows it did for me.

If he is very bookish, I can’t recommend Introduction to Christianity by Pope Benedict enough. A single quote from that book was enough for me to consider the Catholic Church as valid after being raised Protestant and wandering for years among occult and atheistic thought.

If he is very Protestant minded, the book If Protestantism is True by Devin Rose is great.

If he is in that mindset that people are bad, that sort of cynical adolescent mindset, though it may be extreme the writings of Leon Bloy are very great. He was a Catholic revert who wrote about the extremes of grace, the forgotten and thrown away individuals who were closer to God than the stainless bourgeoisie. The story about the old man hoarding money in Disagreeable Tales is one of the greatest stories I’ve ever read. Georges Bernanos is also similar. Diary of a Country Priest is a masterpiece of literature, and the film by Robert Bresson is equally great. All of Bresson’s films are great. Andrei Tarkovsky too.
 
Saint Augustine’s Confessions is a great book. I would also recommend Time for God by Jacques Philippe.
 
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