Richard Gaillardetz’s final book is an extraordinary gift to the Church. Those who read it will likely want to share it with others, though it did not originally start as a book project. After being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Gaillardetz began a series of reflections on CaringBridge, a platform which supports communication between those suffering a health crisis and their loved ones, caregivers, and friends. He agreed for these reflections to be lightly edited after his passing and made available as this book. It is arranged chronologically, as he moves towards his death, and in the knowledge that he would not see the final result (p. xvi). Through its twenty-five short chapters, Gaillardetz reflects on a wide variety of experiences in light of his struggle with terminal cancer. But this is not a theodicy. Instead, it is a testimony in which Gaillardetz’s faith, love, and gratitude are the central elements in his encounter with suffering. The title itself comes from the Latin phrase Gaillardetz used to end some of his CaringBridge posts: Dum spiro, spero (while I breathe, I hope). His account points readers relentlessly towards a deeper dependence on God, no matter the situations we face. This is our great hope, and it is reflected as well in the forward and epilogue, which were written by friends.

Although it is a cliché to say it, readers can expect to experience, at least several times, the quick transition from laughter to heartache, or vice versa. This is a small but important example of Gaillardetz’s engaging style. His style, however, is always grounded in clear and approachable theological depth. As such, the honest reflections about his own life and personality are themselves a major element that connects Gaillardetz’s life with the reader’s. This is also not a book of pious auto-hagiography. Its reflections on the struggles within family life, the purpose of which is to elevate each other towards loving God and neighbor, are a good example of this. Those with children will no doubt be deeply moved by the portrayal of some less-than-ideal Sunday mornings and the ways our imperfect family lives resemble our experience of the parish and wider Christian community (see pgs. 139-141). In such ways, the book is relatable because of the union it makes between our common struggles in daily life and their tie to God’s greater work in our lives and world, particularly God’s Incarnation.

The many topics in the book are far too vast to mention in this short review. All of them stand out and return to one’s mind, whether it be a day, week, or month after reading them. It is, however, worth pointing out the stylistically effective element of employing excerpts from other writers at the end of each chapter. These range from short passages from well-known Christian figures from across the centuries, such as St. Augustine and Dorothy Day, to hymns and poetry. They enhance Gaillardetz’s text in the obvious way that his experiences, though unique in some ways just to him, are nevertheless common human experiences. This connecting of Gaillardetz’s own experiences to a greater cloud of Christian witnesses adds a tremendous sense of fullness to his moving reflections. It adds to the reader’s own experience of hope for Gaillardetz and, at the same time, for him- or herself.

Although Gaillardetz acknowledged that his work and thinking leaned toward the Catholic left (p. 47), this book’s great power lies in his encounter with impending death through his overarching fidelity to the Christian tradition as a whole. As in his last lecture, he wanted to speak to all Catholics, all people really, about that which binds us together and to warn against that which leads to divisiveness. In a few cases, some will no doubt disagree with, or want to reframe, Gaillardetz’s theological presentation. It is more likely that the reader’s primary experience will be essentially shaped by the humility, love, and faithfulness with which Gaillardetz has shared his journey towards union with God. As an extended version of the memento mori reflection (“remember you will die”), this book will inspire all readers precisely because it intensely connects us to that same hope which overcomes suffering. It will be an equal, though different, source of strength for those who have not yet personally faced their own deaths, as well as those who have or may be currently.