My apologies for being so behind in keeping up to date.   Life has been a bit more overwhelming than usual, especially when we had problems with our computers.  But, it all adds to life's adventures.  And sometimes the greatest enjoyment in life is solving problems.  Still a lot of good things happened.  In spite of the inclement weather our Tuesday night sessions about Jesus have been well attended and very exciting because of people's active participation by their very pointed questions.   I am sure that their understanding of Jesus, after all these sessions over the past seven years, is much deeper than that of many clergy, because most seminaries, Catholic or Protestant, or even Christian colleges do not study the life of Jesus in any depth.

THE HOMELESS BISHOP has been out for well over a year now and while it's not moving dramatically, the sales have been steady.  THB has elicited very high commendations from many clergy, even some theologians, who have said it affected them profoundly, and changed their understanding of the life of Jesus significantly, and also their understanding of spirituality.  I just wish the book had wider acceptance, more rapidly, other than moving just byword of mouth.  The latest book, THE  END OF SUFFERING has just been released.  It was a very difficult book to write and took me three years to finish it, but hopefully it will touch a lot of people and be a help to them.  I learned a lot myself by reviewing the heroic lives of so many people I had counseled through the years. 

I am sure I mentioned Tom Cousins in previous newsletters .  Tom had in the past built many of the skyscrapers in Atlanta, Georgia, and has also accomplished the greatest feat of his life by tackling the worst crime-ridden city in Georgia and rebuilt it into a wonder city.  It is one of the most beautiful places in Atlanta, and has its own charter school, with a charter secondary school being constructed now.  Students who started out when the school was first opened are now entering college.  Of the number of students who started out in kindergarten, 98% graduate from high school and many of them are now going to college, many with scholarships to prestigious colleges.  Besides the school there is a civic center where the children and adults have all kinds of activities.  And the town houses where these low income people live are immaculate and most have gardens and well-kept grounds.   The place is so beautiful, million dollar houses are being built around the area.  And there were businesses set up so the people living in the Eastlake Community could have jobs.  Check out   Miracle at Eastlake on internet.

The latest venture now in operation is a joint venture Tom has with Warren Buffet who asked to partner with him, and they are starting similar developments in New Orleans and other crime-ridden area around the country, and all started from Joshua's concept in JOSHUA AND THE CITY.

I am sure you were as shocked as I was when Pope Benedict resigned.  I think it was too much for him to work with a powerful handful of his cabinet members, (the Curia) who were resistant to change.  When the new pope was elected I immediately got phone calls and email from Catholic and Protestant friends telling me that it was eerie how similar the new pope is to Carlo in THE  HOMELESS BISHOP.   The similarities are so numerous that people are wondering if the cardinals had read the book before the conclave.  The Vatican bookstore, which is right next to St. Peter's, has had copies ever since the book was published.  But, who knows, it would be nice if it had some effect.

Easter is almost upon us, and we all go into deep thought as we walk with Jesus through these painful days of his passion and death, towards the joy of his Rising.  May your hearts and your lives be filled with all the blessings Jesus won for us during these tragic days in his life. 

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Love,

 Fr Joe