Remember Steven, our heart patient, youth leader, would-be chicken keeper and author? Check out this rather comprehensive post for all that you need to know.
This post is where our readers who have ordered this book (see link above) might post some reviews/ thoughts/ comments. If you also have A Walk with Christ Living the Gospels, save reviews/ thoughts/ comments on that for another post. I don’t have that one yet! My copy of The Highest Level of Worship was sent in by E.D. Thank you, E.D.! May the Lord reward you!
Here’s my review and thoughts and comments: This is a small book with not many pages, but the size of any book doesn’t speak to the quality of the contents, does it? Some write many hundreds of pages and don’t say anything. Steven writes a few pages and says a lot. But you have to know how to slow down and drink in the eternal truths of which he writes. Steven has some wisdom both from the School of Hard Knocks and the School of Prayer. I’ll make an excerpt of just one sentence. If you’ve not suffered in your life, or are not much given to prayer, it might seem all too mysterious. See what you can take in from your experience:
I have learned by experience that the deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving Him when he seems distant.
I like people who write from experience. For instance, Saint Teresa of Avila said that she couldn’t write anything that wasn’t from her own experience.
I’ve now read through this book of Steven’s and I must say that my soul resonates so much with every sentence that at one point I had to laugh out loud, rejoicing in the words on the page.
If you or anyone you know is suffering, especially those who are sick, who have cancer, who are terminally ill, especially the family members of those who are terminally ill, then you will want to get copies of this little, easy to read book for them. They aren’t Catholic you say? This book might just convert them. It manifests the goodness and kindness of Jesus even and especially in the midst of our suffering in this world. In a time of horrific increase of euthanasia, this is an absolute must read. Get this book and get it now!
Mbarara, the region of Uganda where Steven lives, immediately borders Rwanda. I’m sure you know of the accounts of Immaculee, or have seen somewhat accurate depictions in such films as Hotel Rwanda. A priest from Rwanda, who just escaped death many times (though some of his family was murdered), gave me the DVD to watch, after which we discussed it many times. Uganda also boarders the South of South Sudan, where there has also been a genocide playing out from the Northern agression. Immediately to the West of Mbarara, Uganda, a genocide and systematic rape of all the women has been playing out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Death and refugees all around I’m sure. Steven has also warned of violent Islamicist incursion in Uganda.
Now, while the book is small, yes, it’s true, I also look on it as a kind of connection to Uganda, a country I never visited, at least yet. I was supposed to have gone to the Central African Republic, a few hundred miles to the Northwest side of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to give a month long retreat/conference to all the Missionaries of Charity from about fifteen African countries, back in the 1990s. But that’s when my leg was totally shattered to bits, so that I was unable to move in traction in Santo Spirito hospital in Rome. At any rate, I still have a standing invitation to go to the Missionaries of Charity’s largest novitiate in the world in Nairobi, in the Catholic Triangle, just to the East of Uganda, but, well, now I’m a hermit! The closest I ever got to Uganda was Egypt. So, this book helps me feel a bit more connected with the country where Christ Jesus also reigns in the hearts and souls of many.
And remember, this is also about getting Steven the wherewithal to get medicines for his heart failure, about getting him the wherewithal to re-plenish his chicken flock so that he might be self-sufficient not only in getting his medicines, but also in keeping his wonderful apostolate going among the youth of Uganda and more. If you haven’t gotten your copies of his two books, ever so recently published, check out this rather comprehensive post for all that you need to know!
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
Thank you so much for this article. My appreciations to E.D who sent you the copy of the book.
You are the first person to write a review about this book, and I am so happy by what you have said.
When I started Uganda Youth Ministry Association, and doing ministry using facebook and email services, I did not know I would reach out to so many people than just a small group of Ugandan youth! Months into the ministry, I got to learn that I was reaching out to so many facebook users in the US.
I came to understand the suffering and pain of the many readers who commented or even sent me private messages. It was not long and I had my own share of physical pain.
Yes, doctors believe I was born with a hypertensive heart, but this showed no any complications or symptoms until after the night of 3rd October 2009 when I was attacked my night robbers. It was around 3am of that dreadful night when the thugs forcefully entered my room as I slept. Up to now, I do not know what so much interested the thugs to break into my house! It was just a single room, where I had no expensive property. They tortured me, and stole just my cellphone, a few clothes and shillings worth $50. I thank God they left me alive.
After this,I started having chest pains and bad dreams; nightmares. It was after a few months that I was diagnosed with a moderate heart failure. I had my share of physical pain in all this. I drew much closer to God in prayer, knowing that He was all I needed. I got to learn so much about my condition by myself using the internet, and I prayed to God for the tolerance to accept what pain I have to live with there after. God has been so good over the years. In all this, I was inspired to write this book to give hope and courage to the so many who need it.
Great review, I am looking forward to reading this. Steven it strikes me you are saying about the robbery, heart troubles, etc reflects vividly the universal experience of our own insecurity and suffering in this life and dependence on God. I am constantly aware I deal poorly with suffering. How would I deal with being cold all the time like Fr George, would I be as cheerful and productive as it seems like he is? No!! Of course the sufferings or difficulties in my own life are different but I have a lot to learn and grow to live them well and not just seek my own comfort and rest. Well I am just thinking aloud.
My pastor was very enthralled with Immaculee’s book and has told her remarkable story (and that of the Kibeho private revelations) in homilies.
Among the most striking joyful “wow!” images from Fr Robert Barron’s gorgeous brilliant “Catholicism” TV/DVD series are the ones from the huge, devout and lively celebrations of the Feast of St Charles Lwanga in Uganda. Fr Barron says in an interview: “Another highlight was visiting Uganda. I teach a number of African students and asked them where I should go to see Catholicism in Africa. All of them said I should go to Namugongo, Uganda. There, on June 3, they have a massive liturgy and procession for the martyr Charles Lwanga and companions on the site where he was burned at the stake. To see 500,000 African Catholics come with this giant procession of priests and bishops was overwhelming. In the video, I use the line about the “blood of the martyrs being the seed of Christianity,” and the camera pans back to show this massive gathering. That was an emotional highlight for me.”
AH1228 —
Most appreciated lines after first read of THLoW:
We know that God is in all-powerful and that He is loving. So we trust Him that all that comes into our lives, even pain and suffering, first passes through the loving hands of the Master.
Thanks Steven! And Father, for the recommendation!