Unearthly Beauty: Through Advent with the Saints

’Saints are people of unearthly beauty who show us a deep understanding of the fluid nature of divine grace.’

This warm-hearted book is for those of us who enter Advent longing for spiritual sustenance to balance the worldly charms of the Christmas season. Jesus’ arrival in poverty and vulnerability provoked feelings of unease as well as expectation and hope . . . How will we keep the faith as Christians called to live distinctively in an age of anxiety?

Magdalen Smith believes we can be inspired by people from the past - those whose names are familiar or less so - whom the Church calls ’saints’. In these wide-ranging devotions, full of contemporary stories and enjoyable cultural allusions, she introduces 24 characters who manifest a mysterious dynamic . . . and enable us to glimpse holiness in a new way.

’With heartfelt honesty, clarity and humanity, Magdalen Smith challenges the Church to see the journey ahead with new eyes. This book is a timely prophetic call to be refreshed by our inheritance in ways that renew integrity and hope.’
Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport

’A treasure chest of gems.’
Jill Duff, Director of St Mellitus North West training course

Magdalen Smith is Diocesan Director of Ordinands and a priest in the Diocese of Chester. She has a background in the visual arts and is interested in the dialogue between faith and contemporary culture. A retreat leader and spiritual director, she has published Steel Angels: The personal qualities of a priest and Fragile Mystics: Reclaiming a prayerful life.