The Saint Outside the Gate

by David R Smith A few words in a sermon ignite a spiritual fire in the twelve-year-old Helena, a flame which both cauterizes her passions and purifies her through a life of suffering. The Grace of the Holy Spirit lovingly – and very unpredictably! – shepherds her across the decades through the political upheaval of 6th and 7th Century Syria and a maze of personal struggles. Join her remarkable spiritual journey of sanctification through a life fervently devoted to Christ. This historical fiction novel splendidly weaves the reality of first-millennium Christians living in the Eastern Roman Empire with enduring spiritual questions contemporary young adults regularly encounter. Peer into the daily life of another culture and reflect on the abiding concerns of every person of faith through the eyes of Helena. Inspired by the lives of several different saints of the Orthodox Christian Church, this page-turner illumines mature issues ever-present in the modern world with the light of faith. An afterword by Hieromonk Macarius (Ruegemer) on The Mystery of Suffering provides a theological framework to examine the themes covered in the novel, making this an ideal text for a book club. Fr. David Smith is author of three books, Mary Worthy of All Praise, Christianity and Pleasure, and Help, I’m bored in Church. A priest for 33 years, he currently serves at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Syracuse, NY. Along with his wife, Donna, an iconographer who drew the cover and interior illustrations for this book, he has four children and four grandchildren. You will not want to put this soft cover, 378-page book down!