Good poetry is paradoxical. Poems are personal, yet expressive. Simple, yet profound. Therein lies the power of Sister Mary Grace's verses. She writes of love, anger, sadness, joy, patience, and of course, a loving Paternal God who proves to be the consistent Presence along the restless journey of humanity. In "Gazing," Sister captures this with the following words:

I am looking at
you, my child of grace. Will you
simply look at Me?

Sister's consistent themes throughout her candid verses are prayer and gratitude. She also writes of the struggle of human emotion in "Mad Sad":

I had
planned to smash a plate
with my paperweight;
but I, late
have learned, a smashed plate
can't smash sad.

Don't be fooled by the minimalist approach in this book's design. Sister Mary Grace presents gems of ardent love, where the poetry speaks for itself. Small and easy to carry, Nothing to Do, But Pray is an essential addition to anyone's collection of poetry, but is also a real spiritual tool for those seeking a closer relationship with God.

About the author

Sister Mary Grace is a novice with the Daughters of Mary, Mother of Healing Love (DMML), a Roman Catholic community in New Hampshire. She enjoys photography and would rather walk than drive or ride. She is convinced that God gave her the cross from the moment of her birth, since “red stick” is the meaning of the name of the city where she was born; and she is certain that Our Lady of the Lake, patron of the hospital where she was delivered, has always sustained her with the waters of sufficient grace. This is her first book of poetry.

Testimonial

 This poetry is excellent. I hope that Sister Mary Grace begins work on a second collection.
~ G. Cunningham, Catholic editor