Book Description Soul-inspiring and heart-warming tales from every part of Africa.
"Enchanting . . . . Healey has done us all a service by retrieving these gems and putting them together in one collection."--Spirituality and Health
"Must reading for any one who appreciates things African and interesting and well-told stories."--Joseph Kariuki, Assistant Moderator, African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website, Nairobi, Kenya www.afriprov.org
"A grand gift to send to people who want a taste of the wild kin-dom of God’s technicolor love in Africa . . . .These reverent glimpses into the slow speediness, the sad joy, the hugeness of the minute, the extraordinariness of the ordinary will delight any friend who you want to introduce to part of the full beauty of Africa."--Don Larmore
This rich collection of nearly a hundred stories--legends and folktales, myths and parables, poems, prayers and proverbs--probes deeply into the mystery of being and our relationships with God and one another.
Whether myths from the past or accounts of life today these stories teach every human heart about compassion, forgiveness, joy, peace, and community--indeed, of the value of harmony within all Creation.
Joseph G. Healey, MM is a Maryknoll priest who has worked in Kenya and Tanzania for many years. His books include Towards an African Narrative Theology.
“What a joy it is to read Once Upon a Time in Africa. These stories of wisdom and joy help us become wiser, holier, happier people. This collection is a must read for everyone who loves a good story!”—Beverly A. Carroll, Executive Director, Secretariat for African American Catholics, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
From "Joy and Celebration" "If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance."
From "Life" Every morning in Africa when a gazelle wakes up it knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa when a lion wakes up it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter if you're a lion or a gazelle: when the sun comes up, you better be running!
One day Father Jack confessed to his catechist, Charles, how uncomfortable he felt living like a rich man among the poor. In disbelief, Charles blurted out, "But Father, you're the poorest man in the village. You have no grandchildren!"
