[fortunecookie]

Wow. Truly amazing. My list, too, and to give as well.

[NYer]

Her most recent book, Chosen: How Christ Sent Twenty-three Surprised Converts to Replant His Vineyard (Ignatius, 2009), contains the inspiring and often surprising stories of men and women who were not drawn to the Church by sound evangelization programs, beautiful buildings and liturgies, or saintly witnesses among the clergy, but were attracted to Catholicism in spite of deficient catechesis, mediocre Masses, and uninspiring leadership.

When I read this, my first thought was of the words of our Lord to St. Faustina on the topic of 'Chosen Souls'

Chosen souls are, in My hand, lights which I cast into the darkness of the world and with which I illumine it. As stars illumine the night, so chosen souls illumine the earth. And the more perfect a soul is, the stronger and the more far-reaching is the light shed by it. It can be hidden and unknown, even to those closest to it, and yet its holiness is reflected in souls even to the most distant extremities of the world. (1601)

Roy Schoeman's story has captivated me since the first time I read it. I have also read his book Salvation is from the Jews, which delves deep into Paul's gospel to the Hebrews to show how God pulled a veil across their eyes until the time is right.