Book Review: That They May Have Life edited by Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR

Reviewed by Günther Simmermacher

THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, edited by Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR. Redemptorist Pastoral Publications, Merrivale (2025). 64pp

In the 18th century, the US statesman Benjamin Franklin famously quipped: “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.” He might have added illness to his pithy list.

Throughout our lives, we encounter illness. As children, we run through the range of paediatric ailments; as adults, we likely suffer an increasing number of aches and pains as our bodies begin to deteriorate. We may face dread diseases, chronic conditions, debilitating injuries, neurodiversity issues, incapacitating anxiety or mental illness, cognitive decline — or witness somebody close to us contend with these.

This slim book, based on a 2023 series of articles in the Catholic Link newsletter, covers all these situations and more in 20 brief chapters. Over 64 pages, it reflects on the various aspects of physical and mental illness, whether experienced personally or by those around us.

In his introduction, editor Fr Larry Kaufmann CSsR explains: “We want to look at the realities of sickness and suffering, ageing, frailty and even death through the light of faith,” shifting the focus from the personal to the God who heals.

Along the way, the book offers some vital advice. For example, when faced with illness, we should not seek existential answers. If the sick person is somebody close to us, we should simply sit with them in solidarity and a spirit of sharing (and prayer).

Pope Francis taught that asking why God allows suffering is futile. It is better to just pray to God that he may accompany us through our periods of suffering.

Spiritual illnesses

The focus extends to spiritual illness. Often, those afflicted by it are not even aware of it. Spiritual illness can manifest in things like indifference to others, gossip and backbiting, or hypocrisy. It may also present as the “Martha Complex” — the tendency to become overly preoccupied with tasks and activity, to the point of neglecting personal and spiritual wellbeing, and even meaningful relationships.

Spiritual illness can be healed by ongoing prayer, the sacraments, and practical love — the authors call these “chronic medication”.

The book includes an insightful section which interrogates the ethics of healthcare, concerning both medical professionals and those in a position of having to care for a chronically ill person. It asks the critical question: Who cares for the carer? The Catholic ethics of “pulling the plug” are also explored.

A ‘moment of grace’

That They May Have Life inevitably deals with the physical and cognitive decline that accompanies the process of ageing. That decline, with all its irritations, also provides us with a moment of grace as we realise that the core of our being is spiritual, the book suggests. As Sr Joan Chittister said, ageing is a time for us to grow in new ways.

This growth may involve having to let go of our egos — ageing involves an accumulation of undignified moments and greater dependence on the help of others. As our exterior fades, our interior self may bloom. This splendid little book aims to help that interior toflower.

That They May Have Life might be a thin book, but much more content may reveal itself when we, the readers, pause after each chapter to reflect on its message — letting its wisdom penetrate and even transform us in the way we respond to illness.

That They May Have Life can be ordered at R80 plus p&p from and is available at Catholic bookshops.

Published in the November 2025 issue of The Southern Cross magazine