Sometimes even the saints, those closest to the Divine Heart of Jesus, ask themselves, “Am I serving God?” This singular question illuminates many of the daily entries of our choice for April’s Catholic Book of the Month, “In God’s Hands; the Spiritual Diaries of Pope Saint John Paul II” Over the course of his papacy, which lasted from 1978 until 2005, this saintly pope penned near countless entries covering a variety of subjects. Some of them short and personal, others longer and providing reflection on a particular subject. Yet with each entry, this man would lay bare his soul, and come before his Lord and God with humility and love.

One of the other chief subjects covered here is joy. For the saint tells us, “Joy is a gift from God, one has to ask for it, keeping one’s heart always ready. Your joy is perfect in Heaven. The Church and the world need priests of such perfect joy very much.”

For those who admired this modern saint, this Catholic book is a must-have for your collection. And for those who are just coming to know the faith, few voices of our age spoke more beautifully of our holy religion and our God than Pope Saint John Paul the Second. And thanks to his personal secretary, who defied his order to burn these diaries, you can order your copy today and learn from this extraordinary Holy Father!

“He is the Lord, because everything exists in Him; He is our Lord, my Lord. This is a source of great joy; that we belong to Him.” – St. John Paul II