{"product_id":"between-heaven-and-mirth-why-joy-humor-and-laughter-are-at-the-heart-of-the-spiritual-life-paperback","title":"Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJames Martin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewill make any reader smile. . . . Father Martin reminds us that happiness is the good God's own goal for us.\" --Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom one of America's most beloved spiritual leaders and the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eJesus: A Pilgrimage \u003c\/em\u003eFather James Martin, SJ, comes a revolutionary look at how you can change your life and save your spirit through joy, humor, and laughter.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMartin shares how you can strike a healthy balance between spirituality and daily life and live as a joyful believer. In \u003cem\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/em\u003e, he uses scriptural passages, the lives of the saints, the spiritual teachings of other traditions, and his own personal reflections to show us why joy is the inevitable result of faith, because a healthy spirituality and a healthy sense of humor go hand-in-hand with God's great plan for humankind. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/em\u003e, James Martin, SJ, assures us that God wants us to experience joy, to cultivate a sense of holy humor, and to laugh at life's absurdities--not to mention our own humanity. Father Martin invites believers to rediscover the importance of humor and laughter in our daily lives and to embrace an essential truth: faith leads to joy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoly people are joyful people, says Father Martin, offering countless examples of healthy humor and purposeful levity in the stories of biblical heroes and heroines, and in the lives of the saints and the world's great spiritual masters. He shows us how the parables are often the stuff of comedy, and how the gospels reveal Jesus to be a man with a palpable sense of joy and even playfulness. In fact, Father Martin argues compellingly, thinking about a Jesus \u003cem\u003ewithout\u003c\/em\u003e a sense of humor may be close to heretical. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on Scripture, sharing anecdotes from his experiences as a lifelong Catholic, a Jesuit for over twenty years, and a priest for more than ten, and including amusing and insightful sidebars, footnotes, and jokes, Father Martin illustrates how joy, humor, and laughter help us to live more spiritual lives, understand ourselves and others better, and more fully appreciate God's presence among us. Practical how-to advice helps us use humor to show our faith, embrace our humanity, put things into perspective, open our minds, speak truth, demonstrate courage, challenge power, learn hospitality, foster effective human relations, deepen our relationship with God, and ... enjoy ourselves. Inviting God to lighten our hearts, we can enjoy a little heaven on earth. \u003c\/p\u003e--Catholic News Service\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eBetween Heaven and Mirth\u003c\/em\u003e, James Martin, SJ, assures us that God wants us to experience joy, to cultivate a sense of holy humor, and to laugh at life's absurdities--not to mention our own humanity. Father Martin invites believers to rediscover the importance of humor and laughter in our daily lives and to embrace an essential truth: faith leads to joy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoly people are joyful people, says Father Martin, offering countless examples of healthy humor and purposeful levity in the stories of biblical heroes and heroines, and in the lives of the saints and the world's great spiritual masters. He shows us how the parables are often the stuff of comedy, and how the gospels reveal Jesus to be a man with a palpable sense of joy and even playfulness. In fact, Father Martin argues compellingly, thinking about a Jesus \u003cem\u003ewithout\u003c\/em\u003e a sense of humor may be close to heretical. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on Scripture, sharing anecdotes from his experiences as a lifelong Catholic, a Jesuit for over twenty years, and a priest for more than ten, and including amusing and insightful sidebars, footnotes, and jokes, Father Martin illustrates how joy, humor, and laughter help us to live more spiritual lives, understand ourselves and others better, and more fully appreciate God's presence among us. Practical how-to advice helps us use humor to show our faith, embrace our humanity, put things into perspective, open our minds, speak truth, demonstrate courage, challenge power, learn hospitality, foster effective human relations, deepen our relationship with God, and ... enjoy ourselves. Inviting God to lighten our hearts, we can enjoy a little heaven on earth. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 7.9 x 5.3 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 11, 2012\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51753446572320,"sku":"9780062024251","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/d8111f50c40d54b598a50b00c86cf95c.webp?v=1780020680","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/between-heaven-and-mirth-why-joy-humor-and-laughter-are-at-the-heart-of-the-spiritual-life-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}