The Bookshelf

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

A while back, a person came to speak with me and graciously gave me a gift in gratitude. It was a book entitled, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It was written by Charlie Mackesy. It is an illustrated book, written in cursive. At first blush, you could quickly pass it off as a children’s book, but considering the source, I knew that there was much more to it. I spent two months reading just one page at a time, spending some time contemplating the few words spoken between the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse. Here is what one special page holds. “What is the bravest thing you ever said?” asked the boy. “Help.” said the horse. When was the last time you asked for help, for anything?

Can an entire state of mind be echoed in a single word? Can we be brave enough to ask the God of the great universe for help? Can we ask each other for help? Can the help we offer when asked be a prayer, a connection between two hearts which is authentic love? A lot of questions that come from this one quote, “What is the bravest thing you have ever said?” 

This book has many more thoughts to contemplate in the simple words spoken between the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse.

Seeking His Mind

Author: M. Basil Pennington O.C.S.O.

Spirituality : Advanced spirituality (This is my subjective thinking.)

The author of "Seeking His Mind," M. Basil Pennington O.C.S.O., is a Trappist monk and priest who received his pontifical degree when I was 4 years old…and that is a long time ago! This book is for those to whom a fire has been started in their hearts. It is for those who wish to take the next step in their spiritual development.

Basil Pennington is a well-known spiritual leader in the Thomas Merton tradition. He offers the gambit of prayer styles from traditional to centering prayer. In this book, he uses the ancient practice of Lectio Divina as a means of spiritual advancement and illumination.

Lectio Divina is a way of approaching the scriptures and reflecting on them to transform your soul. The author uses 40 different scripture passages and offers reflections that will help facilitate our response to God’s love for us.

Each of the forty scripture quotes is followed by a mini-homily of sorts and finishes with answering the question, “What does this mean to me?” Pennington is not afraid to tackle difficult scripture passages and explore areas that may be a bit tender to us. The book is divided into three sections, Beginnings, Teaching and Healing, and Passion and Resurrection.

Each chapter is short reading and the time spent on them is to be more contemplative than explanatory. As this type of journey doesn’t appeal to everyone, all I can say is that if you experienced the 1% Challenge that the Archdiocese has offered and were  changed and looking for more, this book is it.

Letters to a Young Catholic

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?