Divine Providence (Book Review)

Divine Providence, Fr M. Edward Xavier sdb, Self Published 2016, pp. 100, Rs. Not mentioned as it is for private circulation.

The book has a striking heading and if one browses through the Table of Contents one would surely be interested in reading the book. Sadly, the book fails to keep up to expectations.

The book has a foreword and preface written by eminent Salesians and the introduction by the author sets the tone for the book. The author has divided the book into four parts. In the first part he addresses the question: What is Divine Providence? With reference to Don Bosco and the early Salesians. This part was interesting and is my favourite part. The second part addresses the question: How did Don Bosco trust in Divine Providence? And the third part similarly deals with the question of How the Early Salesians trusted in Divine Providence? Both these parts are minimally explorative and offer hardly any novel insights. The third part however does touch upon the contributions of some eminent Salesian missionaries and highlights the role of Divine Providence in their success. The fourth and final part is entitled ‘The Present Situation’ and is more of an appeal to Salesians to take the spiritual life and religious consecration seriously. Here the author talks about things like the theological virtues, devotion to Mary and Jesus, community life, spiritual direction, rendiconto, coadjutors and collaborators, sacraments of penance and communion and work for the poor. What is most appreciable in this part are the personal testimonies that the author attaches to each of the points he addresses. The book closes with an appendix: a paper written by Fr Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb entitled ‘The Relevance of Don Bosco Today’. This paper though being good in-itself seemed a bit out-of-place when considered against the wider context of the book.

The book is fraught with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, thus lowering its standard. The ideas presented in the book have emerged through the author’s personal experience and he acknowledges the same. He does make some noteworthy points but unfortunately lacks the skill of doing so in an effective manner. Honestly, the book had very little impact on me. But the thought processes it set in motion have influenced my way of thinking and living. The fourth part is almost like a conference put down in words but it lacks the power to shake up and stir a revolution. The author is very careful with his words as he does not want to hurt any sentiments but since the book is for a limited audience I think he could have been a little more forceful and strong. I wouldn’t recommend this book as it lacks depth and quality but every Salesian ought to at least respect the intentions of the author and the publishers and read the book.