My brother gifted me this short collection for Christmas. Alfred Delp, a Jesuit, is sometimes described as a sort of Catholic Bonhoeffer, and for good reason. They were both arrested on suspicion of conspiracy against Hitler and both wrote from prison. This collection is his prison writings. They contain reflections on Advent and the Lord's Prayer, and all are shot through with hope for Germany. He could be described as a Christian Humanist. Sometimes it appears as if God has faded into the background and he looks for salvation from ourselves, but just as you begin to think that he reaffirms that our only hope and strength is in the God of Jesus Christ. I close with one of the last things he wrote before his martyrdom: "It only remains for me to thank the great many people for their help and loyalty and belief in me, and for the love they have shown me. First and foremost my brethren in the Order who gave me a genuine and beautiful vision of life. And the many sincere people I was privileged to meet. I remember very clearly the times when we were able to meet freely and discuss the tasks in front of us. Do not give up, ever. Never cease to cherish the people in your hearts—the poor forsaken and betrayed people who are so helpless. For in spite of all their outward display and loud self-assurance, deep down they are lonely and frightened. If through one person's life there is a little more love and kindness, a little more light and truth in the world, then he will not have lived in vain" (161)