The Bookshelf

Forgiving Mother, A Marian Novena of Healing and Peace

main image

Forgiving Mother, a Marian Novena of Healing and Peace by Marge Steinhage Fenelon is about learning to forgive and praying through what needs healing. 

I was touched by her story and how she struggled to discover the love of God. How often in our own lives, we put the process of healing from some pain or loss in our lives – on the back shelf and resist the journey to grow through suffering. Focusing on Mary, the Mother of Jesus, we are led closer to her who suffered immensely at the death of her Son, Jesus.

Posted by Mary Lestina

Wasting Time with God

main image

At first, the book "Wasting Time with God," by Klaus Issler seemed slow moving, but thank goodness, I continued. The book became deeper the more I read, or maybe I became deeper the more I read.

This is a bit longer read, but still easy to spend short times with. Stick with it, the book builds on itself. The title intrigued me. It spends time addressing experiencing God in leisure. The foreword tells you what to expect. I wish I had paid more attention to it. It says the book may catch you off balance, and it did that to me.

I highlight things that impress me when I read. The chapter I highlighted most in this book is the beginning chapter, The Quest. This chapter asks, what are you looking for…which reminds me that same question on Holy Thursday on the Mount of Olives. The author does use some diagrams that may make the book seem more scientific, but don’t let that dissuade you. The author also takes you through friendship, humility, and faith as necessary virtues to develop as we spend time with God. He speaks of the need to become more “mature” in our capacity to know and be friends with God. As we do that, it becomes natural to want to just “waste time” with this God, we love.

The book is divided into two parts and if you stick with it, I guarantee your relationship with God will change and you may actually want to waste some time with Him. 

Into His Likeness: Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ

main image

The book “Into His Likeness: Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ” by Edward Sri provided many insightful and inspirational
components for me. I was particularly provoked by the chapter entitled “Not Perfect, but Chosen”.  it correlates discipleship to the relationship between a rabbi (teacher) and a disciple of ancient Judaic practice. The disciple would choose the rabbi of whom they would wish to emulate. The disciple learns the habits of the rabbi to the point of losing themselves to the ways of the rabbi. This is what our relationship with Jesus is to be like but with key distinctions: Three of the distinctions are that Jesus chooses his disciples, He is not just a teacher...He is Lord, and Jesus is not only a role model to imitate, He abides in us, changing us from within.

Posted by Jill Fischer

12...56789101112131415