Hello! Today I want to share with you my review of the sequel to Raymond Arroyo’s biography of Mother Angelica, which I have already reviewed here. This book is entitled Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence. 

Physical Characteristics (Hardcover) – 5/5 stars

This book is really beautiful. I love the colors used in the cover, as well as the picture. Not only is the dust jacket well made, but the book inside looks nice as well. Not to gloat, but I am extremely happy because I got the first edition of this book :-).

Content – 5/5 stars

The first thing I want to say is that the Biblical quotes at the beginning of this book are quite moving. They provided me with something to really pause and think over, which doesn’t often happen within the first page of a book. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were insightful as well. Though it is difficult to explain how, these quotations helped to convey the beauty and spiritual depth of Mother Angelica and her life.

While this book does briefly recap some of the material covered in Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles, most of what is discussed is new. The new stories about Mother Angelica’s childhood were fascinating. Much of this book is spent focused upon the period of time between Mother Angelica’s stroke in 2001 and her death in 2016. Readers learn not only about Mother Angelica’s life during this time, but also about the goings on in her monastery.

One of the most compelling stories was the account of Mother Angelica’s visit to Akita, Japan. The apparitions of Our Lady at Akita seem to me to be quite relevant to our times; learning about Mother Angelica’s own experiences connected with this apparition was illuminating. Chapter 3 of this book was about Mother Angelica’s mystical experiences. This section was helpful to me. Knowing that Mother Angelica also endured spiritual dryness helps me to get through periods without many consolations in prayer.

The chapter where Raymond Arroyo wrote about his own relationship with Mother Angelica was moving as well. Both hilarious and serious at times, it gave you a sense of Mother Angelica’s personality and how she interacted with people. My favorite parts of this book were those about Mother Angelica’s devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Her love for Jesus even when she was ill and infirm made me want to increase my love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist. I also like that Raymond Arroyo frequently drew attention to the value of old age, which as he says, “can be the most efficacious part of a life”.

Raymond Arroyo’s books about Mother Angelica have meant a lot to me. They have enabled me to “get to know” someone whom I was never fortunate enough to meet. They have provided me with a moving example of someone whom I hope to emulate. They have showed me the value of things which I barely understood before. Most of all, they made me want to love Jesus more every day. Thank you, Mr. Arroyo.