Thank God Ahead of Time: The Life and Spirituality of Solanus Casey
by Michael H. Crosby, O.F.M. CAP.
My most recent review item for The Catholic Company is this book on Capuchin Father Solanus Casey. He is the first man from the United States to be declared “Venerable” by the Catholic Church. For those not familiar w/ the term, venerable is the form of address for one in the first stage of canonization, the process of becoming a saint.
I took my time reading because there was so much in this book to absorb. I really enjoyed reading it & look forward to reading it again, as I know there was a lot that I didn’t catch the first time around.
Each chapter covers the different cities in which he lived (Detroit, Yonkers, Manhattan, etc.). He was born in Wisconsin on November 25, 1870, the sixth child out of sixteen. At the age of 26, he went to Saint Bonaventure Chapel & Monastery in Detroit to begin his Novitiate. He struggled through his studies & his superiors had doubts about him becoming a priest. They eventually allowed his ordination, however, they decided he would not be able to hear confessions or preach dogmatic sermons. Throughout his ministry, he lived a life of servitude & obedience, never questioning his assignments & where they would take him.
Fr. Casey lived his life in such a way that knowing God called for appreciation, love, & service. He also encouraged others in this respect. Throughout his ministry, people came to him with requests for advice & blessings. There were so many positive responses to these requests, that his superiors asked him to keep a log of them. By the time of his death, he had filled up seven 12x10 inch letter-type notebooks with requests & their outcomes. People would always thank him for the miracles in their lives, but he humbly replied that it was always God, not him granting the miracle. "People believed in God's healing power because Solanus believed in it. Solanus believed in God; people believed in Solanus. Somehow, in this circle of belief, wonderful things occurred through his intercession and the actions he asked them to perform." (pg. 164)
Some of my favorite quotes of Fr. Casey’s:
“To those who don’t understand, no explanation is sufficient and to those who do understand, no explanation is necessary.”
“Life is to live and life is to give and talents to use for good if you choose. Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle.”
“One need not be a priest to be an instrument in God’s hands. If a man lives as he should, he will be given the knowledge to aid people. And if we are interested in saving souls we must have an interest in others.”
“Deo Gratias!” was commonly heard from him, for he believed that we must always thank God for our blessings – not just after we’ve received them, but before they’ve been given to us.
by Michael H. Crosby, O.F.M. CAP.
My most recent review item for The Catholic Company is this book on Capuchin Father Solanus Casey. He is the first man from the United States to be declared “Venerable” by the Catholic Church. For those not familiar w/ the term, venerable is the form of address for one in the first stage of canonization, the process of becoming a saint.
I took my time reading because there was so much in this book to absorb. I really enjoyed reading it & look forward to reading it again, as I know there was a lot that I didn’t catch the first time around.
Each chapter covers the different cities in which he lived (Detroit, Yonkers, Manhattan, etc.). He was born in Wisconsin on November 25, 1870, the sixth child out of sixteen. At the age of 26, he went to Saint Bonaventure Chapel & Monastery in Detroit to begin his Novitiate. He struggled through his studies & his superiors had doubts about him becoming a priest. They eventually allowed his ordination, however, they decided he would not be able to hear confessions or preach dogmatic sermons. Throughout his ministry, he lived a life of servitude & obedience, never questioning his assignments & where they would take him.
Fr. Casey lived his life in such a way that knowing God called for appreciation, love, & service. He also encouraged others in this respect. Throughout his ministry, people came to him with requests for advice & blessings. There were so many positive responses to these requests, that his superiors asked him to keep a log of them. By the time of his death, he had filled up seven 12x10 inch letter-type notebooks with requests & their outcomes. People would always thank him for the miracles in their lives, but he humbly replied that it was always God, not him granting the miracle. "People believed in God's healing power because Solanus believed in it. Solanus believed in God; people believed in Solanus. Somehow, in this circle of belief, wonderful things occurred through his intercession and the actions he asked them to perform." (pg. 164)
Some of my favorite quotes of Fr. Casey’s:
“To those who don’t understand, no explanation is sufficient and to those who do understand, no explanation is necessary.”
“Life is to live and life is to give and talents to use for good if you choose. Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle.”
“One need not be a priest to be an instrument in God’s hands. If a man lives as he should, he will be given the knowledge to aid people. And if we are interested in saving souls we must have an interest in others.”
“Deo Gratias!” was commonly heard from him, for he believed that we must always thank God for our blessings – not just after we’ve received them, but before they’ve been given to us.
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