Lately, it is hard not to be inundated with religious imagery and thought in the media. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL rules the airwaves. Evangelists run for president. The LEFT BEHIND series of fundamentalist Christian apocalyptic adventures continues to publish new installments. Arnold Schwarzenegger battles Satan in END OF DAYS. Sometimes, it can all get a little overpowering.

But reading THE THIRD MIRACLE, at first, gave me cause for hope. Here was a story about the struggles a priest must deal with when it comes to faith. Rather than embrace it blindly, faith becomes a hard commodity to hold onto when you can't find a reason to go on.

But alas, THE THIRD MIRACLE eventually lets the reader down; not in its discussion of the ramifications of faith and disbelief, but in its storytelling capabilities. In a novel full of intensely personal and important themes, the story's execution is too slight to withstand it.

The priest in question is Father Frank Moore, a smart, handsome man who has had a crisis of faith. (Incidentally, are ALL priests smart and handsome? After the movies THE EXORCIST and STIGMATA, the deeply brooding and charismatic priest is becoming WAY too much of a cliche). His crisis is a result of his job, as a postulator for the Church. Frank has the unenviable task of researching alledged 'miracles', and debunking them if possible. In his last assignment, he revealed that his personal mentor had committed suicide, thereby destroying any chance the congregation had of getting him declared a saint. It also destroyed the faith and hopes of the congregation itself.

Now, Frank is alone and unsure. He finds himself unable to care about others, and his new assignment into the possible sainthood of a local woman is not one that he wants. But there are several variables he hadn't counted on. A statue that bleeds human blood. A young girl miraculously cured of Lupus. And the daughter of the woman, whom Frank is drawn to despite his vows.

This does have the makings of a terrific novel. Author Richard Vetere at first manages to balance the fine line between characterization and themes, which makes for some enjoyable reading. And the insight he offers into the canonization process of the Catholic Church is thought-provoking. I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but Vetere's presentation of the entire scheme is illuminating.

But THE THIRD MIRACLE, in the end, isn't deep enough. It purports to discuss the perils that faith can lead to, but the problems of the characters are too obvious, and Vetere isn't a good enough writer to make it fresh. The dynamic between Frank and the daughter Roxanna is trite, and implausibly fast. The epilogue is too pat, and can be seen coming a mile away. In the end, Vetere fails to create any real tension, presenting themes without passion.

That's not to say the ideas are meaningless. Regardless of a person's beliefs, the quest for faith will always be a fascinating subject. Even a waste of a movie such as STIGMATA sparks some element of interest in the viewer, because the subject-matter is inherently compelling. But Vetere hasn't done enough to sustain interest over THE THIRD MIRACLE's rather short length. Vetere has the outline right, but he needs to fill in the blanks.

This book was selected as a Library Journal Best Book of the year and eventually made into a movie starring Ed Harris (who recently starred in the much-acclaimed movie/bio of artist Jackson Pollack). I've read the book and I've seen the movie. The book has its flaws, as many reader reviewers below have noted, but I found it an extremely powerful book. Perhaps this is because my religious background is Judaism and so the Catholic church and the beliefs of its members were fresh and new to me - as they might not be to some readers. Beyond that, however, I found the story of a man's search for faith to be quite moving and believable - and his desire to find out if a true miracle had occurred or not was also compelling. No matter one's religious tradition or beliefs, the desire to find spiritual truths is a universal one and the book is worthy of being put on anyone's reading list. Now, as to the movie - Ed Harris is one of my favorite actors and I found his portrayal of a priest in crisis to be a poignant one. This movie is NOT, however, for those who are easily offended by priests who act in less than ideal ways - and who has some very human failings. Be forewarned. I'd suggest you read the book and then see the movie. The is available on VHS and you can come across pre-viewed copies fairly regularly.

I've read this book 3 years ago. I enjoyed it because I come from the neighborhood in which it takes place. The story was charming. My heart went out to the priest and the struggle with his faith. God wins! I just saw the movie which was good but stick to the book version!