The Power and the Glory

By Graham Greene

Faithfulness in Persecution

Set in 1930s Mexico during a violent anti-Catholic purge, Graham Greene's masterpiece follows a nameless "whiskey priest" on the run from authorities. Flawed, alcoholic, and haunted by past sins, he nevertheless continues to celebrate Mass and administer sacraments in secret, risking execution to serve his flock. This Catholic novel asks the hardest question: What does faithfulness look like when the cost is martyrdom? Greene shows us that holiness doesn't require perfection—it requires showing up when everything is at stake.