Bookshelf

Letters to a Young Catholic

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Thankfully, the title of the book "Letters to a Young Catholic" by George Weigel didn't persuade me from picking it up. It is a great and easy read. It is a good book to read and then share.

Some materials that I read are what I call “bedroom reading.” These are books that can be read in short bursts and do not call on us to fire up all our mental capacities, these books are intended for the heart.

With that in mind, George Weigel is a scholar on many fronts. He is the recipient of eighteen honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law, and social science. He is best known for his biography on Saint John Paul II.

I had the opportunity to hear him speak a couple several years ago. You would think with this intellect he would be dry and analytical… but you would be wrong. He is one of the most passionate supporters of the joys of Catholicism.

"Letters to a Young Catholic" offers an interesting approach. Instead of offering theological arguments, or experience of the saints, the author takes us to the places that offered him transformative experiences. In this format, we are taken around the world, starting and finishing in Professor Weigel’s home town of Baltimore.

Through these journeys and the stories of people, the book wonderfully reveals truths of the Catholic church and how God reveals himself through humanity. This book embodies our faith and seals it in the world. As you read each “letter,” you will hear yourself saying, “that’s right…that’s how I feel.” George Weigel has the gift of expressing the core of our love for God. The title is "Letters to a Young Catholic" and it is meant to inspire those searching, but aren’t we all?

St. Dominic: Preacher of the Rosary and Founder of the Dominican Order

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The incredible story for youth of the man who received the Rosary from Our Lady, defeated the Albigensian Heresy, raised the dead, triumphed over the devil, founded the Dominican Order and worked countless miracles.

As a lifelong member of this parish, St. Dominic has always been very special to me. This book. "St. Dominic: Preacher of the Hail Mary and Founder of the Dominican Order," by Mary Fabyan Windeatt is a great way to introduce our patron saint to children or is just a quick, easy read for all ages!

Following Christ in a Consumer Society

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In his book, "Following Christ in a Consumer Society," Fr. John Kavanaugh elaborates on what he refers to as “The Commodity Form” wherein he examines the extremes that our society has been drawn into without slaking our thirst for products and services of every conceivable type.

Then he focuses on “The Personal Form” which concentrates on the Gospel message of Jesus requiring Christians to love and help each other vs. loving “things.”

Fr. Kavanaugh (1941 - 2012) was an acclaimed professor of philosophy at St. Louis University.  The depth of his intellect makes reading some pages of the book a definite challenge. But there are many sections that shine with facts and smooth logic encouraging the reader to live the Gospel message with stepped up commitment and more enthusiasm.

This Jesuit’s knowledge of the virtual overwhelming lure of our culture is made clear with the 27 page bibliography at the end of the book. That section is entitled, “Reading About Culture and Faith.”

His comments related to the many books that he has studied on our culture is a worthy reading all by itself.

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