He Leadeth Me: An Extraordinary Testament of Faith

By Walter J. Ciszek, SJ with Daniel L. Flaherty, SJ

He Leadeth Me is the deeply moving personal story of one man's spiritual odyssey and the unflagging faith which enabled him to survive the horrendous ordeal that wrenched his body and spirit to near collapse.

Captured by the Russian army during World War II and convicted of being a Vatican spy, American Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent some 23 agonizing years in Soviet prisons and the labor camps of Siberia. He here recalls how it was only through an utter reliance on God's will that he managed to endure. He tells of the courage he found in prayer-a courage that eased the loneliness, the pain, the frustrations, the anguish, the fears, the despair. For, as Ciszek relates, the solace of spiritual contemplation gave him an inner serenity upon which he was able to draw amidst the "arrogance of evil" that surrounded him. Learning to accept even the inhuman work of toiling in the infamous Siberian salt mines as a labor pleasing to God, he was able to turn adverse forces into a source of positive value and a means of drawing closer to the compassionate and never-forsaking Divine Spirit.

He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all Christians to greater faith and trust in God-even in their darkest hour.

"An extraordinary testament of faith. We can all profit from it."
— The Sign

"Ciszek is one of the spiritual heroes of our time. His message is both timely and practical. ...We urge everyone to read this book as soon as possible."
— Best Sellers

"...an intimate and deeply moving account of uncrushable faith, of hope that would not be put down, and a love which, like Christ's, extended even to his persecutors."
— Catholic Review

Author WALTER J. CISZEK, S.J. (1904-1984), was a Polish-American Jesuit priest known for his missionary work in the Soviet Union during and after World War II. He was eventually arrested by the Soviets as a spy and spent fifteen years in the Gulag. He was released and returned to the United States in 1963, after which he wrote two books, including the memoir With God in Russia, and served as a spiritual director. Since 1990, Ciszek has been under investigation by the Roman Catholic Church for canonization. His current title is Servant of God.

Paperback, 2016

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