
The Sweetness of Grace
Stories of Christian Trial and Victory
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Narrated by:
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Constantina R. Palmer
From the author of The Scent of Holiness, The Sweetness of Grace is a collection of stories derived from conversations with Orthodox nuns, monks, and laypeople, along with experiences of Orthodox life in South Korea, Greece, and North America.
Those who enjoyed Everyday Saints will enjoy these similar stories from other parts of the Orthodox world. The book includes conversations with monastics, priests, and laypeople and stories of the sweet and difficult aspects of Christian life. The stories span three continents, including experiences in South Korea, Greece, and North America.
©2017 Constantina R. Palmer (P)2020 Constantina R. PalmerListeners also enjoyed...




















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Truly inspiring
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These vignettes make one long for holiness and a more intimate knowledge and relationship with Christ. While many of us, especially in North America, do not have easy access to monastics (especially in these most recent days), Constantina gives us a window to look and see that Christ is real and a life of devotion to him is possible both in and outside of a monastery. Her stories also made me realize that we often are to busy to seek the blessings that Christ has to offer us – whether it be the blessing from our own parish priest, visiting clergy or a pilgrimage to a nearby monastery. Miracles, blessings and answers to prayers abound if we are open to acknowledge them and receive them. As I listened to this book, I would very often be reminded of Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while he may be found..”
This book is written in a very conversational style, which makes it completely approachable for a nice long listen, but I also wound up purchasing the written copy so that I could keep it on my nightstand to read and ponder a specific story or miracle that she relayed.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It beautifully depicts the teachings of the Orthodox Church and offers inspiration to continue the journey toward (and I paraphrase): “attaining holiness, tasting the sweetness of Grace, and living a life of blessedness.”
A window into holiness
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Constantina beautifully shows the simplicity and depth of the Orthodox faith through this book, and the stories she shared have been good reminders and sources of encouragement to keep pursuing the narrow path. I also appreciated Constantina’s openness in the book, sharing her own personal stories and experiences of God’s grace in her life.
Two parts of the book I especially appreciated were (1) the importance of taking your spiritual rule seriously, not doing things outside of that rule without a blessing from your spiritual father and not growing prideful if you have a stricter spiritual rule than someone else and (2) the reality of and to be cautious against spiritual delusion. I appreciated how open Constantina was in talking about these topics and personally learned a lot. As these are just two small pieces out of a book filled with a plethora of nuggets of spiritual wisdom, I believe that anyone who reads this book will be able to learn something.
The Sweetness of Grace is truly a book for everyone. Its short stories make it easy to digest, especially for someone who may not have the time or focus to keep up with one elongated story, Constantina is a wonderful narrator that is both pleasant to listen to and draws you into each of the stories as though you were right alongside her, and most importantly, this book is another tool to aid in spiritual growth by learning through the stories of others and wisdom of many saints.
A Grace for Every Virtue
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Some books can probably be read by anyone, but I'm glad Palmer reads her own works. The warmth of her telling brings the personalities she describes to life. More than this, however, her work shines because of the sense of spiritual wonder it reflects, and that is most easily seen through her eyes and in her own voice. It's this sense of spiritual wonder and close observation coupled with keen reflection that makes both her works so unique and valuable. Readers will learn and be challenged spiritually, while also being comforted. I listened to this book during a time of spiritual dryness and fatigue, and while some kinds of spiritual reading can feel like an irritant or burdensome during such a time, this book managed to both uplift and give me some much needed rest and encouragement.
"The Sweetness of Grace" stands well on its own, but many characteristics of "The Scent of Holiness" are repeated to good effect as well. As she previously ordered anecdotes around the prayer rope, Palmer now orders the stories around the Beatitudes, giving the collection a purposeful and beautiful structure. I doubt the reader exists who will not take away some strengthening insight from this book.
A Sense of Spiritual Wonder
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What a gem
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Loved these wonderful stories
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Such wonderful stories! Sorry it ended!
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Amazing!
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Wonderful personal accounts of God's grace
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