“The Dazzling Light of God: A Madeleine Delbrêl Reader” with Thomas Jacobi

Everything is so beautiful when we look at it with a little love,” wrote the French social worker and poet Madeleine Delbrêl (1904–1964), whom the Vatican named Venerable in 2018.

Through the convulsions of the twentieth century, she made her home in one of the most brutal towns of Europe—the Communist-run Parisian suburb of Ivry. But to her shock, she saw the dazzling light of God everywhere she looked.

Gathered in this book are buds of wisdom from across the writings of Madeleine Delbrêl, who believed that Christian joy is possible—indeed necessary—in the bleakest settings. God can never abandon the world he loves. “We, the ordinary people of the streets, believe with all our might that this street, that this world where God has placed us, is, for us, the site of our holiness.”

Delbrêl’s luminous reflections on Christ, man, and everyday life tap into the depths of divine mystery yet shine with the simplicity of a child. If we read them carefully, we might finally become the saints we’re called to be.

Learn about this holy gem of the Church from our conversation with Thomas Jacobi, Assistant Editor with Ignatius Press, and how her little book impacted Mr. Jacobi and Dan and Tom, and how it could affect you.