The Bookshelf

Wasting Time with God

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. 

John Paul the Great: His 5 Great Loves

John Paul the Great: His Five Great Loves, by Jason Everet

If you like St. John Paul II this book is amazing. It is also a great book if you want to learn more about him. John Paul is my favorite saint and learning more about his life through his five loves is inspiring. In particular, the sections on his love of prayer and of Mary left me wanting to pray more. His connection to God showed throughout his pontificate. -- Fr. Aaron Laskiewicz

Renew your faith by learning what enamored the heart of Saint John Paul II.

The Only Necessary Thing

In the book The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life, editor Wendy Greer collects writings from Father Henri J.M. Nouwen, a Dutch-born Catholic priest. Drawn from many decades of his life, the compilation of Henri's thoughts and feelings reveal the core of the man and his belief that prayer is the only necessary thing.

The love of Jesus will give you an ever-clearer vision of your call. The more you are called to speak for God's love, the more you will need to deepen the knowledge of that love in your own heart. The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be. Only when your roots are deep can your fruit be abundant.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, author of more than 40 books, is considered one of the great spiritual writers of modern times. He taught at the University of Notre Dame, Harvard, and Yale, but shared the last seven years of his life with people with mental handicaps as pastor of l'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto.