Book Review: Mondays with my old Pastor

Mondays With My Old Pastor : sometimes all we need is a reminder from someone who has walked before us written by Jose Luis Navajo


While reading this novel, it took me back to a time when my grandmother was still alive when we would sit in the evenings and listen to her tell stories of when she worked in the nursing homes and the tuberculosis treatment center. Just the way Navajo, sits with his old pastor listening to his words of wisdom from the past helping him through one day at a time during a rough depression.

Mondays with my old pastor, takes us through a struggle of a young man Jose Navajo , (who is also the author of this particular novel), and his struggle. Falling into a depression of sorts and debating leaving the ministry he works so closely with, Navajo doesn't know where to turn until his wife suggests he pay his old pastor a visit. The pastor had helped Navajo follow his dreams into the ministry at a young age, of course he would love a visit from his past student.

Navajo's wife had not been sleeping in fear of where his depression was coming from and upon agreeing to meet with him on Monday, the two slept much more at peace than they had been. So, the following Monday Navajo got dressed and went to the Pastor's home. The two men spent the afternoon chatting and talking about lost times and then Navajo opened up to the pastor about how he was thinking about quitting the ministry that he worked so hard to get into. To his disbelief, the pastor told Navajo that it was perfectly normal to feel this way. Unchallenged, at a standstill and unsure what to do next. Once arriving at home, Navajo felt much more at peace but still had so many questions left unanswered, it only seemed normal that the following Monday, Navajo made a trip to the pastor again.

The Monday visits between Navajo and the pastor became regular meetings. Each meeting the pastors wife would make the men a treat of cookies, or spiced bread and tea or coffee. On the third Monday, Navajo was greeted at the door by the pastor's wife instead of the pastor himself. The pastor had fallen ill but still wished to see Navajo. He awaited his visits like nothing else. As the weeks continue, Navajo notices that the pastor is getting weaker, more tired and not quite himself and one day the pastor's wife called Navajo, to cancel their meeting for that week. Another phone call a few days later, was the pastor's wife requesting Navajo to stop in the next Monday, that the pastors illness was actually cancer.

The weeks continue to go by, with the pastor noticeably getting weaker and weaker as time passed, but never giving up an opportunity to speak of the bible or to share his stories with Navajo. Some afternoons their visits were cut short and sometimes they spent time just lounging, enjoying each others company. Until that day, in which the pastors wife made the call that the pastor had unfortunately passed on.  Before his death, the pastor had left a chest filled with pages of words to be given to Navajo. It was a keepsake of sorts, a memoriam of their Monday visits, each week, 15 in total left a lesson to be learnt. The pastor had took note of each visit and each topic they covered creating 15 principles to live by. 15 principles to memorize and live by , 15 principles to pass on as knowledge to those younger, an end of a chapter with Navajo's pastor and a beginning of a journey with Navajo's young disciples for futures to come.