The Bookshelf

St. Dominic: The Story of a Preaching Friar

As we continue to explore and learn more about our parish patron, St. Dominic, in this year of the 800th anniversary of his death, we offer a second fascinating book to add to your reading list. St. Dominic:  The Story of a Preaching Friar, by Donald J. Goergen, OP., tells the history of St. Dominic's life, mission, and spirituality. It is presented in a way that is approachable for the contemporary reader.

St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans, but for Dominic, preaching did not mean being a good homilist. For St. Dominic, it was about sharing the Truth of Christ's death and resurrection, in being an evangelist like the apostles. His friars were to leave the monastery and go out into the world. They were to be humble, but boldly engage others in the quest for the Truth by sharing God's Word in human, understandable words, such as love, mercy, and compassion.  

We don't hear St. Dominic often mentioned when the great saints are named, but that is due more to St. Dominic's mission, which was to  always point to the Gospel, to point to Jesus. Like St. John the Baptist, he felt he must decrease and Christ increase. Yet, Blessed Jordan of Saxony, who became the successor Master of the Order of Preachers, wrote that St. Dominic was loved by everyone, because he loved everyone. He was full of grace and compassion. St. Dominic reflected the love of Christ through his life. His  spirituality was also tied very much into community, into listening to, living with, loving, and forgiving one another. 

We have much to learn and be inspired by the story of St. Dominic and this book provides a way to journey through his life.

Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage

Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage by Carey Wallace and illustrated by Nick Thornburrow is a unique saint book that brings to life many Catholic saints that young readers will be familiar with, as well as others that will be introduced to them for the first time, through dramatized yet realistic retellings of their life stories. 

Proceeding chronologically from Polycarp to Mother Teresa, each saint’s humanity and faith become tangible in a very real way in the space of just a few pages.  Coupled with the dramatic and mythological illustrations of Thornburrow, this book is different from most every other book on the lives of saints. Boys and girls alike will find new heroes or a new understanding of favorite saints, as well as find themselves captivated by the beautiful illustrations. 

While some parents may be uncomfortable with the honesty that Wallace treats the hardships the saints have endured, from early Christians’ martyrdom to the plague, I found it to be refreshing and a great conversation starter with my children on the trials and tribulations of the Christian life, especially those prior to modern times.

This is an excellent book to breathe life into the saints for children so they are able to vividly imagine the heroic faith of those good Catholics whom the Church has canonized. 

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?