SILENCE

Economos Antony Gabriel has had several close encounters with death that have affected him deeply After fifty years of ministry Father Antony as he is still known retired from Montreal St George Church in 2015 after his own and his wife’s health crisesThis book is about how he came to grips with his own mortality as a wounded healer by offering comfort and healing to others suffering sickness sorrow grief or bereavement Needing to make sense of the terror frustrations and anger he has written a vivid portrayal of his battle with cancer and the healthcare bureaucracy as he attempted to continue Readers will see echoes of their struggles with illness or other challenges and find wise counsel in some of his observations and rueful humor in othersThe second part of the book is a reflection of what he learned himself and about himself It is both philosophical and poetic by turn with wisdom distilled into short but powerful phrases that will stay with the readerReligion is an important part of this book but the book is not doctrinal It is rather about a man’s struggle to overcome often against himself and through his faith find acceptance and healingSilence is the ultimate harmony in divinity that is God For a brief moment I enjoyed the ecstasy of this beauty