In a letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul wrote, 'You are a letter of Christ ... written not with ink but by the spirit of the living God ... on tablets of flesh in the heart.' In Sincerely Yours Patricia Gits Opatz shares her love of letter writing, words, Scripture, and people through personal letters to celebrated and ordinary figures whether they're living or dead, real or imaginary.
Addressed to people as diverse as St. Paul, worried parents, the third servant, the Samaritan woman from John's Gospel, Miss Manners, and our grandchildren, each message is filled with humor and affection, yet makes a serious point as well. Always thought-provoking, often amusing, these letters also relate the Scriptures to everyday life to make them meaningful to all.
Inspired by Pope John Paul I's book Illustrissimi, a collection of letters to famous individuals written when he was still Cardinal Albino Luciani, Opatz also writes her letters from the heart and from her unique perspective of wife, mother, grandmother, writer, speaker, and teacher. Opatz conveys her appreciation for letters written and received as small gifts that bring joy to both sender and receiver.
Unlike many in today's high-tech world, Opatz relishes taking pen to paper. Although as a writer and former teacher words come easily to her, she urges even non-writers to write letters from the heart. Poor spelling or bad punctuation don't matter. What does matter is that the writer takes the time to reach out, person to person. Questions, often relating the subject to relevant passages in Scripture, are included at the end of each letter for further thought or for group discussion.
Reading Sincerely Yours by Patricia Gits Opatz is like sitting at the kitchen table with an old friend, remembering the past and wondering about the future. The honesty with which her letters uncover the questions so many of us ask ourselves is startling, though not abusive. Looking into the eyes and hearts of her friends, both personal and never-met, she discovers and shows the reader the traces of God in the warp and woof of everyday life. As she weaves the threads of Scripture through this tapestry in the making, its depth and warmth resonate with what on the surface appears to be usually common, but is in fact the stuff of God's reign.
'What a friend to have! What a letter to receive!' Dianne Bergant, C.S.A. Catholic Theological Union
'Her style is alive with images and words that delight the reader. Most of all her letters are vibrant with a love and lifetime reflection upon Scripture, with her psychological insights and experience of human development, with a commonsense wisdom, and with easy references to literature and persons who populate her rich memories.' Mary Anthony Wagner, O.S.B. Sisters Today
'Patricia Gits Opatz understands that the Communion of Saints is a clear and present reality. Her letters reveal a truth the Church celebrates in prayer. 'Around your throne the saints, our brothers and sisters, sing your praise forever. Their glory fills us with joy, and their communion with us in your Church gives us inspiration and strength as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith, eager to meet them'' (Preface of All Saints).
'Sincerely Yours is at once profound and simple, a prayerfully inspired collection in the tradition of Pope John Paul's Illustrissimi.' William C. Graham National Catholic Reporter
