The Catholic Church, and the Protestant Church, and now the nondenominational Church, our Christian Body as a whole, have all seen their share of corruption, sin—many, many things that would make the Lord either cry out in dismay or shout in fury—and will undoubtedly continue to suffer and fall before Satan’s attack. But that is because the Church is peopled by people—people like you and me, fallible, imperfect, given to follow our more base nature, even when the Lord on High calls to us to something more. The siren call of Satan is powerful and insidious, weaving in and out of all our lives, pulling us away from the Father of life. Beware the dragon, who lurks even as our Savior abides and calls us forward. He is nonfictional.
It is my most fervent hope that this series might have called you to examine your own life, your own ways, the paths you have taken and those ahead of you where the path forks, forcing you to a decision. God calls to each of us, beckoning us toward something higher, something deeper, toward life at its most rich, in and out of every day, every hour. Can you hear him? I believe there is a whisper on the wind, or in our hearts, right now, if we all only have ears to hear.
I wish you every blessing upon the journey.
Lisa T. Bergren
January 2008
READERS GUIDE FOR The Blessed
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. In this novel, Daria emphasizes to those the Lord is about to heal that they must believe, hope, trust (Dimitri Devenue, the nobles, the blind boy at the river, Roberto). What effect, if any, do you believe positive thinking and faith play in modern healings?
2. Have you known anyone who was “healed”? If so, what was their attitude and faith life like?
3. Hasani knows what is about to transpire on the Pont du Gard and at San Galgano—that his dearest friends are on the edge of disaster, even death. Have you ever known that people you loved were in danger—could see the “train wreck” ahead—and been powerless to stop it? What was that like? What did you do? Did you wish you could’ve done something different?
4. Cardinal Morano enters Abramo Amidei’s cave and the ceremony as a test of faith. Do you believe that testing your faith/beliefs is important? When does testing strengthen faith? Does it ever weaken faith?
5. Amidei approaches each of the powerful cardinals he wishes to influence, by appealing to their unique weaknesses. His master says, “What is right for him, shall be right for him.” If you believe in Satan, do you believe he works in such individually targeted ways? Why or why not?
6. Consider the modern saying “Whatever works for them” and the philosophy that there is no absolute truth, absolute good, absolute right. Could that leave one vulnerable to corruption? Why or why not?
7. Daria and Gianni both fall for Amidei’s tactics involving confusion. Do you believe Satan uses “mind games” with us today?
8. Vincenzo del Buco—Daria’s “uncle” and favored friend who has fallen so far under the tutelage of Amidei—ultimately saves her. What do you think got through to him at last?
9. Vincenzo had done many horrible things. In The Betrayed, he was involved in kidnapping, torture, and even murder. Do you think he went to hell or heaven? Why?
10. Some key characters die in this book—Rune and Basilio, and Count Armand. Do you believe that pursuit of a goal is ever worth the cost of a life? Why or why not?
11. This series ends with The Blessed, but in the end, Daria is hearing the call to heal another. Do you think it ended there? What do you think happened with our characters in the years that followed?
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