A Book Review . . . A Rediscovered Classic On The Spiritual Life
By DONAL ANTHONY FOLEY
Enzler, Clarence J. My Other Self: Conversations With Christ on Living Your Faith (Christian Classics, Ave Maria Press: Notre Dame), 232 pages, $12.56 print, $12.33 e-book. Available at www.avemariapress.com; 1-800-282-1865, ext. 1.
My Other Self by Clarence J. Enzler comes with high praise from well-known figures, including the late Fr. Benedict Groeschel (who also wrote the foreword to this edition), and their enthusiastic recommendations are fully justified, as this is an excellent book.
On the cover it is described as a “Rediscovered Classic,” and it was actually published in the mid-fifties. For various reasons it became unduly neglected, but it has now been republished by Ave Maria Press. Readers might recall Clarence Enzler’s name with reference to his very popular meditations entitled Everyone’s Way of the Cross, and this book is similarly thought provoking and spiritually enriching.
Clarence Enzler (1910-1976), worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1937 to 1972, apart from a period during the Second World War when he worked as journalist. The book contains a biographical introduction, which is actually a tribute from his large family of 13 children. He overcame a speech impediment to become an excellent speaker, and was, in the words of his children, “a model Christian, an outstanding Catholic, a defender of the faith, a gifted and skilled writer, a fabulous husband and an unparalleled father.”
My Other Self is modeled on the Imitation of Christ, the medieval devotional book by Thomas à Kempis. That is, it is written in an intimate way, as if Christ were speaking to the reader, so that he will see himself as “another Christ,” or Christ’s “other self.”
The book comprises ten chapters divided into three parts, entitled the Call, the Means, and the End, and these chapters cover topics such as the “Goal of Life,” “Christ in us,” “detachment, “prayer,” and the “avoidance of sin.”
Fr. Groeschel in his foreword argues that “trust” is really the key to understanding this book, a trust that reaches the point that it enables us to overcome all the barriers to having a full and deep relationship with God. Fr. Groeschel also sees echoes of St. Therese of Lisieux’s “Little Way” in My Other Self, and of the Divine Mercy devotion of St. Faustina, with its central theme of trusting in Christ’s Divine Mercy. So in that respect, this is a very “modern” book.
Certainly, in reading it, you do at times feel as though Christ really is speaking to you through the text, as it is written in a very elevated yet down to earth way, which indicates that it was undoubtedly the product of a deep life of prayer and sacrifice on the part of the author.
This is the sort of book that needs to be read slowly and carefully if the reader is to fully appreciate it — a few pages a day would be ideal. The chapters are split up into sections of a few pages so that is easily done. For example, the first chapter, the “Goal of Life” is split up into sections entitled, “In Christ’s Presence,” “Christ the Teacher of Happiness,” and “Christ, Maker of Saints.”
One of the goals of the book is to lead the reader to a deepened sense of confidence in Christ through abandonment to His divine will, and in developing a great trust in His promises. Enzler highlights the fact that we have to really trust in God, to hand over ourselves to Christ, body, soul, everything we possess, and that if we do that, we will have peace of soul.
Like St. Therese, the author emphasizes that our life of trust should be like that of a child in its mother’s arms, an unbounded trust in the goodness of God. And just as a little child’s greatest strength is its weakness, because this stimulates the care and protection of its parents, so also the more we distrust ourselves and trust in God, the more He will help us. If we do come to Christ with a fully childlike trust, then He will refuse us nothing.
Another theme of the book is accepting God’s will for us, so that we become what He desires, accepting our present situation in life and capabilities, and not hankering after wealth or prestige. The book also has advice as to the spirit we should adopt regarding our work; that is, doing it with great purity of intention, and also as to how we should try to orient our lives to that of Christ, by studying His life in the Gospels and meditating upon it, so that we can follow Him more closely.
The book emphasizes, too, the idea that we all part of the Mystical Body of Christ — He lives in us and we live in Him — and that this fact gives us an enormous dignity, and means that we are far more closely united to our fellow Christians than even to our blood relations. It also means that we need to see Christ in others, however difficult that might be.
We can go about this task by beginning to master our passions and living a life of detachment, but at the same time remembering that the best way to achieve this is by steadily uniting ourselves more closely to Christ; that is, acting in a positive rather than a negative sense, and focusing on acquiring virtues so as to drive out bad habits from our lives. Detachment also involves living in poverty of spirit; that is, detached from a love of money.
Humility is a virtue which is particularly emphasized in My Other Self, following the example of both Christ and His Mother. If we want to become humble we need to pray, asking for this virtue, and then Christ will give us the grace to achieve this, which in turn will lead to peace of mind and soul. Similarly, the importance of patience is emphasized.
Chapter 7 is a long chapter on the importance of prayer, and one which demonstrates that our spiritual progress is conditioned on the depth of our prayer life. This means above all taking the time to say our prayers slowly and carefully, and to gradually create a spirit of prayerfulness in our lives so that we turn to Christ often during the day. Prayer should lead to meditation and even more advanced forms of prayer.
But we also have to do what we can to avoid sin, realizing that it was our sins that led to the crucifixion of Christ. This chapter focuses on the details of the Passion, so as to bring home to the reader just how much Christ suffered to expiate our sins.
Chapter 9, another long chapter, is all about the Mass and the Eucharist, and emphasizes how our participation in Holy Mass is the way we share in the fruits of Calvary, and how Christ’s Presence in the sacred Host demonstrates His humility. Sharing in the Eucharist is the best way that we can deepen Christ’s life in us.
The final chapter focuses on how we are meant to be witnesses for Christ, in the main witnessing by our example, and that He relies on our zeal and generosity in reaching out to others, to enable the Church, in a human sense, to grow. We can be victims and indeed saints for Christ if we really want to, and if we all play our part then we will change the world.
In sum, My Other Self makes for perfect lenten reading and, while somewhat demanding, is highly recommended.
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(Donal Anthony Foley is the author of a number of books on Marian apparitions, and maintains a related website at www.theotokos.org.uk. He has also a written a time-travel/adventure book for young people — details can be found at: http://glaston-chronicles.co.uk/.)
