Signatures of Grace

The wonders and mysteries of sacramental life are celebrated in this distinctive collection of essays by eight acclaimed Catholic writers. In Signatures of Grace, Murray Bodo, O.F.M., Andre Dubus, Mary Gordon, Patricia Hampl, Ron Hansen, Paula Huston, Paul Mariani, and Katherine Vaz share the private experiences that have deepened the significance of the sacraments in their everyday lives. Their own stories are interwoven with the stories of Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick as these have unfolded through the centuries. Signatures of Grace looks at these "outward signs" of grace—the earthy elements of water, oil, bread and wine—from an artist’s perspective. The contributors to this collection are fiction writers and poets, and their lyrical prose helps convey the unique aesthetic experience of being Catholic. Each essay, however, also points toward the invisible, spiritual realities that lie behind the physical rituals.

Signatures of Grace was serialized in America, Commonweal, Portland magazine, and on beliefnet.com. A Catholic Book Club selection, it also made the Boston Globe’s prestigious "Dean’s List," spent weeks near the top of Amazon.com’s New and Notable Christian Books listing, and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who deemed it "a treasure" for Catholics.

Read an excerpt or browse the reviews.