As a person approaches and grows in Christianity, they build a mental concept, a picture, of what it all means, the key truths, and what it implies for their life, their struggles and opportunities. At best this picture contains a small fraction of the truths and wisdom Christianity offers, at worst it is contaminated by multiple anti-Christian ideas gathered from worldly culture. Developed from many decades of experience in Catholic teaching and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, this book will help the reader broaden and mature their perception of Christ's wisdom, truth, and presence in their daily lives.

The book's perspective is above all practical, relating day to day experiences and struggles in ways that illuminate the major elements of Christianity: faith, mission, love of neighbor; Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. This is a relatively new perspective, developed over the last fifty years plus from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Note that popes St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis have all endorsed this "current of grace" as Pope Francis refers to it. The Renewal brings new light on finding a personal relationship with Jesus, discipleship, evangelization and, above all, a closer relationship and reliance on the Holy Spirit. One finds that both the Catholic Church and the lives of the people involved are greatly empowered and invigorated.

Interestingly, this book is important in terms of practical spiritual growth because this current of grace flows two ways. The Renewal, while primarily experiential, leads to better understanding and greater faith in key elements of Christian teaching. Alternately, better understanding of the teachings (the theology) removes barriers and opens paths to the experiential, especially the gifts of the Holy Spirit and direct awareness of God's presence. This two-way dynamic is energizing and transforming the Church across Africa, South and Central America, and much of the rest of the world. Strangely, here in the United States where it originated just over fifty years ago, the Renewal is only causing a slight ripple. While closely related Pentecostal and Evangelical churches are significantly impacting American Protestantism, in Catholicism the Renewal has been slow to gather steam. This, in spite of persistent Papal encouragement and the fact that the Renewal draws people closer to the heart of the Church.

In any case, both sides of this dynamic are important. Understanding Church teaching is important, as is the outpouring of the gifts of the Spirit that build up the Church; prophecy, healing, deliverance, tongues and the others (1Corithians 12). Recall, St Paul calls the presence of the Holy Spirit the foretaste of heaven, and with good reason (Ephesians 1:14). That is what this book is about, the good, both sides and the links between them.