Yarn-along: March 23rd and the swatches are almost done ...

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~ Ginny, Small Things

---

Unfortunately, last week was a tough week for any kind of knitting as my laptop was dying a slow death and I was in the "denial" stage most of the week, trying to get the blasted thing to limp through its work.  Well, it made it till Thursday a.m. and I quickly hopped on dh's and ordered a new Toshiba (and a wireless printer while I was at it) -- thank goodness for overnight from Amazon and for design sales!

Well, this week is starting out much better! I've been knitting and reading and generally doing the good.

On the needles:  swatches for my talk at the Dog House Yarns Retreat (will we see you out at Graves Mountain on April 9th?).  The morning session will discuss how to substitute yarns for designs so I collected up different yarns, all in worsted weight, and am doing 50st by 72row squares(on size 8s) to show the differences in gauge, feel (or "hand"), drape and other characteristics.  I'm finishing up on the midnight blue wool/silk blend and then I have one or two to go and then I'll be ready to move on to real knitting again.

FYI, the yarns shown (clockwise, starting at the lower left) are:

• Plymouth Yarn's Boku (95% wool, 5% silk) in color 8 (very autumnal stripes)
• Universal Yarn's Poems Silk (75% wool, 25% silk) in color 803 "Baffinis" (greys and blues)
• Plymouth Yarn's Jelly Beenz (75% acrylic, 25% wool) in color 9623 (rosy pink with dashes of brights -- perfect for a little girl's sweater)
• Cascade Yarns' Venezia Worsted (70% merino, 30% silk) in color Forest (a gorgeous dark green)
• Plymouth Yarn's Royal Llama Silk (60% fine lama, 40% silk) in color 1842 (midnight blue)
• Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Shepherd's Wool (100% wool) in Antique Rose (a pale, but warm, pink)

On the reading table:
Our current read-aloud is the sequel to the wonderfully fun-to-read-aloud, A Whole Nother Story.  We just started Another Whole Nother Story yesterday, and it promises to be just as much fun as the first.

I just finished reading the fascinating, based-on-fact, novel, The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick.  I have now turned my reading toward that pile of books you see in the upper right corner of the picture:  lots of books on decorating on a shoestring!  Spring always gets my interior design creative juices flowing and these books have gorgeous ideas:  Flea Market Style, Simple to Sew Slipcovers and Cover-ups (especially for the leather furniture -- we stick to it in the summer!), Country Living's Cottage Style, Better Homes and Garden's New Cottage Style, HGTV's Design on a Dime, and Country Living's Shoestring Chic.  If those don't keep me busy this week, I've also got a few Windows 7 books to help me deal with all the changes to un-broke Windows programs that Microsoft decides we all need!

Go check out Ginny's post for today and add your own knitting/reading activities for this week!

 

Fabulous Movie for Family Movie Night!

The recently re-issued movie, Saint John Baptist De La Salle: Patron Saint of Teachers, is a marvelous movie to watch for Family Movie Night. Starring Mel Ferrer as De La Salle and Fernando Rey as one of his young recruits, the movie is a wonderful overview of De La Salle's life from being named canon at the Cathedral in Rheims at the age of 28 to establishing the Brothers of Christian Schools at 41 and then dying at the age of 68, having established Christian Brother schools throughout France.

De La Salle (1651-1719) was from a wealthy French family, orphaned in the midst of attending seminary. As the eldest, De La Salle was made executor of his father's estate and guardian of his younger brothers and sisters. The movie opens with him and his family in their lavish home and a layman asking him to help set up a school for the poor in Rhiems. As De La Salle commits more and more of his own personal resources to helping educate the poor (as well as teaching teachers to be teachers), he begins to move from being a Courtier Churchman to being a helper of all, educating the poor and rich alike. Once he starts on this path, he never looks back!

The movie is not glitzy, glamorous or even very high tech. Done probably in the 1960s (although I couldn't find an actual date), this movie does its best to tell the story of this man who put others first ... this man who discerned God's will for himself and did it ... this man who ignored the criticism of family and friends to help all people learn! This is a cozy, "Sunday-afternoon family movie" type of movie. It tells a great story (some bit of truth-stretching for story-telling's sake) of a great man.
Mel Ferrer becomes this humble priest, with loving eyes and actions throughout. The viewer has a sense the Ferrer truly understood De La Salle's theology and philosophy -- not playing the role too high-brow or insipid. Fernando Rey starts the movie as a young, tough, street kid and ends up as one of De La Salle's most active brothers. The rest of the cast -- all European actors -- add wonderful support to the movie.

One thing you can always count on with Ignatius Press videos is the booklet that they package with the DVD. The booklet included in this movie includes a detailed biography, information about De La Salle's teaching philosophies (or "pedagogy") , and an overview of the Christian Brothers today (with website links for further information).

Thanks, Ignatius Press for republishing this wonderful look at a man many teachers, especially Catholic school teachers, should try to emulate!

You can purchase this DVD here.

---

Disclaimer:  I wrote this review of Saint John Baptist De La Salle for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Baptism Gifts and First Communion Gifts. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.






 

Review: A Biblical Walk Through the Mass

I have just finished an amazing book that taught me so much.  A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do in the Liturgy by Dr. Edward Sri taught me more in its 150 pages than I learned about the Mass in my 17 years of formal Catholic schooling.  Here I am a cradle-Catholic and yet there are comments, descriptions and explanations in this book that I didn't know before or never had it explained to me in these easy terms.  Dr. Sri proves that the Catholic Mass is tied to tradition and scripture and that every piece has a reason ... a past ... a link to bringing the participants into the Presence.

Dr. Sri, provost and professor at the Augustine Institute in Denver, goes through EVERY aspect of the Catholic Mass and explains the scriptural basis and historic setting of each part.  Starting with the "Sign of the Cross" in the Introductury Rite, working through the section known as the Liturgy of Word (the how, why and who for the readings, responses, homily and creed), explaining the rituals and prayers performed during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and then quickly following with a breaking apart of each element of the Eucharistic Prayer (when the priest changes the water and wine into the sacred Body and Blood of Jesus Christ during the consecration -- a time known as the mystery of the Faith), and then finishing with the Communion Rite and the Concluding Rites (including the sending forth of the congregation to spread the Gospel).

Dr. Sri speaks from his knowledge and expertise as a theologian and scripture scholar.  But he doesn't just give the reader his opinion.  He quotes Church documents (including the Catechism), papal writings and encyclicals, other theologians and scholars including Doctors of the Church and direct scriptural quotes.
This book is a book for apologists, catechists and even "Joe Blo" in the pew -- this book helps illuminate the truth, beauty and good inherent in the Catholic Mass and gives the historic and spiritual underpinnings of each element.  And, it is very readable for the untrained!  This is an amazing resource for use in the home or parish or school.  Excellent ... excelllent ... excellent!

---

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Biblical Walk Through The Mass Book . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

 

Review: Softly and Tenderly

Maybe it's because Sara Evans (the co-author of Softly and Tenderly) is a country singer ... but this book sure starts out like the stereotypical CW song:  cheatin' men, illegitimate babies, cheatin' women, even the ubiquitous old pickup (actually there are TWO in the book!).  Seriously, this is so replete with cliches, I didn't know if I could get through it.

Basically, Jade Fitzgerald Benson -- a 31-year-old raised in a quirky Iowa family with her own problems finally finds her paradise:  married to the only son of THE family in a Tennessee town, owning two successful retro shops, and loving her life.  But then it all hits the fan and becomes a cliche-laden soap opera.  I really didn't think I'd make it past the first 20 pages or so.

But then the story hooked me ... maybe it was the hippy-mom dying of leukemia and all her quirkiness and love that she shared with all around her ... or maybe it was the character of the mother-in-law who had finally had enough of her cheating husband and went to Iowa with Jade and her dying mother, Beryl ... or maybe it was because the authors worked hard to imbue their story with the Christian faith and the themes of love, faith, hope and trust.  It really did turn into a great story ... nothing super deep or philosophical ... but perfect reading for a couple of afternoons over Christmas break when the house was quiet.

The only issue I have with the book is that it ends abruptly with only one of the plot-lines fully resolved ... all the others are still left up in the air.  Which may be why they do mention a third book (the first book, which I haven't read yet is titled The Sweet By and By  and talks about Jade marrying Max Benson) to be released in 2012.  I hate that!  I don't mind reading series or sequels, but I do think stories should have closure.  But that's just me. 

My "cut to the chase" recommendation?  This is a good read with good characterization and a Christian flavor.  A perfect book for a few days' reading. 

---

Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program.  The above critique is my honest opinion of this work.



 

Review: The Four Teresas: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisiuex, Teresa Benedicta and Mother Teresa

I love to read books and give my personal, unedited and not always charitable opinion on said literary work.  Some of these books come to me free with the promise of posting a review (good, bad or indifferent, these publishers or store owners just want to get a review out there) ... while others I bought or borrowed and feel called upon to review.

This particular book by FUS alumna, Gina Loehr, is one of those that was sent free for a review.  Well, did I hit the jackpot on this one!  Titled The Four Teresas, this book is part biography, poor spiritual reflection, and part catechesis all rolled into one.  The book's theme links the four Teresas with Jesus's two greatest commandments (as noted in Matthew 22: 37-39): 

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Loehr takes this scripture passage, explaining just how to live this command from the Lord, by detailing the lives of four Catholic holy women:

1. Therese of Lisieux as a prime example of loving God with all your heart
2. Teresa of Avila as a prime example of loving God with all your soul
3. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) as a prime example of loving God with all your mind
4. Mother Teresa of Calcutta as a prime example of loving your neighbor as yourself

Loehr gives a wonderfully complete biography of each of these wonderful role models.  Than she links their spirituality, life and works to the part of Jesus's commandment.  And finishes the section with a reflection on how we, today, in whatever walk of life can emulate these ladies.  She shows where the saints had failings ... just like we do ... but how they took those failings and fulfilled, joyfully and completely, God's will for each.

An interesting side-note is that all four Teresas are linked not only in name, but also in spiritual chrism (three were Carmelites and the fourth, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, credited St. Teresa of Avila for her vocation and how she carried it out), and in fighting for what they believed to be God's will.  They were strong women ... willing to buck society and family to do what they knew was right.

This is a book that I'll turn to again and again for inspiration when I'm feeling the need for some spiritual sustenance.  Loehr's writing is accessible and makes the lives of these amazing women seem accessible to one and all.  I highly recommend this one!

---

This book was sent as part of The Catholic Company's review program.  I was required to write a review, but all comments above are my own honest opinions of the work reviewed.  For further information about The Four Teresas or to puchase a copy, please see The Catholic Company's website.

Review: Divine Mercy - A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI

Have I found the perfect book for Lenten meditations!

Divine Mercy - A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI is just the right blend of philosophy, theology and lovely writing to make this a great book for meditative reading during Lent.

The author, Robert Stackpole (a theology professor at Redeemer Pacific College and Director of the JP2Institute of Divine Mercy), is not just an "expert" on the Catholic Church's teachings on Divine Mercy; he is also on-fire with the belief in God's Mercy and wants to share this faith and knowledge with his reader.  This is clear on every page of this opus.

What is Divine Mercy?  Here's how Stackpole defines it:

Divine Mercy, therefore, is the form that God's eternal love takes when He reaches out to us in the midst of our need and our brokenness.  Whatever the nature of our need or our misery might be -- sin, guilt, suffering, or death -- He is always ready to pour out His merciful, compassionate love for us, to help in time of need.

Stackpole builds a secure foundation for his belief in Divine Mercy by starting with scripture; from Genesis through Revelations, he explains all the occurrences of Divine Mercy as well as the meaning for this great gift from God to humble humanity. 

Once the scriptural base is dealt with, Stackpole than turns to the lives of the saints -- primarily fathers and doctors of the Church -- to elucidate the Catholic teachings on Divine Mercy.  Saints Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, John Edues, Margaret Mary Alacoque, Alphonosus Liguori, Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Dina Belanger of Quebec are the Catholic Church's more prolific writers/explainers of Divine Mercy.  Stackpole clearly and completely describes the saints' lives, works and beliefs regarding Mercy. 

Of course, no book about Divine Mercy would be complete without explaining St. Faustina Kowalska's private revelations and John Paul the Great's teachings on his fellow Pole's writings.  Thanks to John Paul the Great, the Catholic world has the opportunity to celebrate Divine Mercy on the Sunday following Easter (this year, April 11th).  

Stackpole concludes this updated edition by including Pope Benedict XVI's many teachings on God's Mercy.  Stackpole summarizes these pontifical teachings by the message that all Catholics, particularly the young, must be "heralds" of the message of God's mercy and love to ALL mankind.  

I particularly like that at the end of each chapter, the author includes study questions -- which help me focus on the important points of the writings -- and then concludes with a discussion starter, or I would say, a "meditation question".  These discussion starters make me look deeper than the writings ... into myself and my relationship with God ... to help steer me toward a greater love of God, my Church and be able to "preach the good news to the Nations".

Highly recommend this for high-schoolers and older, particularly during Lent, who want to deepen their understanding of exactly WHY Jesus died on the Cross and what it means for each of us today.

---

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company (where I received a free copy of Divine Mercy with the promise to write a truthful review). Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Divine Mercy: A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI and to purchase the resources mentioned in this review.

Stackpole, Robert -- Divine Mercy: A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI. 2009. Marian Press (Stockbridge, MA). ISBN: 978-1-59614-208-4. paperback 275 pages.

Review: The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-Based Catechism for Adults

I'm always trying to find ways to help the kids (and me too, for that matter) understand the gospels.  We've got the Navarre commentaries, read the Magnificat and try to really listen to our parish priests ... but I'm still in search of something that I can use to really help me (and them) "GET IT"!

When The Catholic Company had The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-Based Catechism for Adults as one of their review choices ... I snapped it up.  What could be better than a book that covers ALL the Sunday Gospels during the three-year cycle?  For each Sunday's gospel, Kenneth Ogorek includes:

• the text of the gospel (using the RSV translation),
• links to the Catechism and Church documents to further understand the gospel,
• a thought-provoking question for me as well as a question for my children,
• an implied suggestion for "taking it into the community" by way of a thought-provoking question,
• other scripture readings (Old Testament prophecies, Psalms and Letters) that will help elucidate the gospel further 
• a notation of where to gather more information from the Catechism for Adults
• a "one-liner" from the gospel that I can reflect on for the week. 

I like the idea of this book.  I like the texts laid out in one place, the links to Church documents (particularly the specific Catechism paragraphs) and I like the thought-provoking questions.  I plan to use this each week with my kids ... reading them the Sunday gospel on Friday (so before they hear it at Mass) and then again on Monday (after they've heard Father's "take" on it) and seeing what kind of discussions and actions these generate.  I will use the "one-liner" as copy- and memory-work so they begin to "own" the scriptures.

I do have a quibble:  the author mentions that he tried to keep it simple and straightforward.  Well and good but then why didn't he give a chart for the three-year gospel cycle?  We are currently in Year C ... why didn't he put a chart that shows that Advent2009-November 2010, we are in Year C, Advent 2010-November 2011, we'll be in Year A, etc?  Instead the author suggests looking at the missalette or checking the bulletin -- this is a very clumsy way of knowing what year we're in when it would have been so easy to have included a chart.  As I said, just a small quibble!

---

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company (where I received a free copy of The Gospel Truth with the promise to write a truthful review). Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Gospel Truth- A Lectionary-Based Catechism for Adults and to purchase the resources mentioned in this review. 

Ogorek, Kenneth (forword by Archbishop Donald Wuerl)-- The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-Based Catechism for Adults.  2008.  E. T. Nedder Publishing (Tucson, AZ).  ISBN: 978-1-893757-53-0.  paperback 415 pages.

Review: Rediscovering God in America

Since we moved back to Virginia last year, I've been interested in reading anything I can about the founding fathers, especially books about their faith and how that faith translated into the government we have now. 

Where did we go wrong?

The founding fathers wanted separation of Church and State NOT to get rid of religion but to protect each individual's WAY of practicing their religion.  So Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Deists could co-exist.  The fact is that our country was founded by men with a Judeo-Christian perspective.

Newt Gingrich clearly proves this point in his Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History and Future.  [Note: The copy I reviewed is a reprint by Thomas Nelson Books with photographs by Callista Gingrich.]   This book is a walking tour of our Nation's Capitol ... stopping periodically to describe a monument and the man (or men and women) behind that monument ... their faith, philosophy and how these relate to the United States right now and in the future.

Sites that are described include the National Archives (housing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution), the Washington Monuent, the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, FDR Memorial, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court (site of some pretty radical misunderstandings about what the Constitution tells us), the Library of Congress, the Ronald Reagan Building, the White House, the WW2 Memorial and Arlington Cemetery.

This book is much more than a travelogue of must-sees in the Nation's capitol.  This book clearly and completely decimates the argument that freedom of religion means freedom FROM religion.  As Gingrich clearly argues in this book, the founding fathers and our nation were based on a Judeo-Christian perspective that cannot and should not be ignored or replaced.  Gingrich, in his meandering walk around Washington, chips away at the anti-religion edifice prevalent in American culture.  By the end of this short book -- only 118 pages -- the reader is left with the conviction that we must not ignore God in our quest to keep America and her people strong and safe.

I highly recommend this book for any American citizen (particularly policy makers) who need to remember how this country's beginnings created a government that has withstood the test of time!

---

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: Prayer and the Will of God by Dom Hubert Van Zeller

Each major liturgical season, I like to read an inspirational book, a personal read that will help me live my life more in accord with God's wishes rather than my own ... a case of my decreasing, while He increases.

With this in mind, I jumped at the chance to review Prayer and the Will of God by Benedictine writer, Dom Hubert Van Zeller.  I've read a couple of Van Zeller's books:  Holiness for Housewives and Holiness: A Guide for Beginners and have found him to be quite readable but also highly inspirational and spiritual.  I was thrilled the Catholic Company had a Van Zeller book on their "review shelf".

Van Zeller (1905-1984) was considered a great spiritual director for Catholics and non-Catholics alike during his prolific vocation as a Benedictine retreat master and inspirational writer.  Van Zeller's writings are just as appropriate for today's world as when he originally put pen to paper.  He wrote Prayer and the Will of God as two separate volumes in 1963 and 1964 with the intent to teach people of that time how to turn to God in their worries about war, racial issues and the explosive generation gap which led to the "sexual revolution".  I'm so glad Sophia Institute has decided to republish this particular volume for today's faithful.

The first part of the work, Prayer, clearly and concisely explains why we must pray (not can or should, but MUST) as often as possible to God.  Then Van Zeller discusses how to pray, gives examples of prayer from the Gospels and the Gospel writers, and details the beauty and depth of the Our Father, the consumate prayer.  Van Zeller understands that we all have problems with prayers and the last couple of chapters of this first part delve into "distracted prayer" (how to combat it and how to turn it to the good), dealing with seemingly unanswered prayers and concludes with "fruitful prayer" -- what it is and how to do it. 

Part two than discusses the foundation of prayer -- seeking the will of God, always.  Van Zeller's take is that until we seek God's will, prayer and life will be hopeless.  He discusses understanding and responding to God's will and follows this with an illustrative chapter of how various saints consistently lived joyfully by doing God's will.  The book than turns to the practical issues of discovering, embracing and accepting God's will.  The book has a full chapter using Christ as an example of absolute acceptance of the Father's will -- from the seemingly haphazard way of His birth (which in fact is shown completely intertwined with the prophetic statements in the Old Testament) to his Passion and Death.  Nothing is haphazard where God is concerned. The book concludes with how we can each be an apostle of God's will and help others to follow the Way.

I really, really liked this book.  For this review, I read it cover-to-cover but this is one of those books to which I will constantly refer.  Each chapter is a week's worth (or more) of meditation on it's own while read as a whole the book is extremely powerful!  Van Zeller had a gift for writing deep, spiritual concepts in simple, easily understood words.  I will use this book for the rest of Advent and into the Christmas season; I will read bits and pieces and re-read and pray and meditate and generally let these words of wisdom slowly soak into my heart and soul.  I know I will be a better person with each read. 

I also wanted to mention that I love the cover of this book -- an image of the Ravensburger Shutzmantelmadonna (c. 1480) from the Church of Our Lady in Ravensburg, Germany.  What a lovely image to link to Van Zeller's amazing work on God's mercy and love for us all.

---

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Prayer and the Will of God and to purchase your own copy of this inspirational work.

Van Zeller, Dom Hubert – Prayer and the Will of God – Sophia Institute Press (Manchester, NH). 2009. ISBN: 978-1-933184-59-3 (paperback, 156 pgs).

Review: From Peanuts to the Pressbox by Eli Gold

Eli Gold, a veteran of some 30+ years at sports broadcasting, has written a wonderful book on his life from literally selling peanuts at Madison Square Garden (not for the financial benefits of sales, but just to get into the games) to being the voice of the Crimson Tide and NASCAR Today. Titled, From Peanuts to the Pressbox, Gold describes a world of journalism that spans from the hard-wired mic days and no cell phones to the digital-remote days of today.

His book is filled with detailed, often humourous, stories of some of the more colorful sports personalities with whom he's crossed paths. One exciting story describes the dangers of reporting the Pocono Winston Cup of 1982.

But more importantly, his book is filled with how to take the "fire in the belly" need to broadcast sports and become tops in the field of radio and television broadcasting. From Eli Gold's experiences retold in this volume, the road isn't easy but the journey is worth the sweat, tears and hardships of flea-ridden motels, non-airconditioned buses and too-much time away from home.

This book is perfect for sports fans (especially NASCAR, arena football, hockey and college football and basketball), sports historians, broadcast/print journalism enthusiasts and those just interested in reading about one man's journey from being a Brooklyn high school peanut-stand seller to the Voice of the Crimson Tide!

This is all great stuff.  I do have one small quibble.  The book doesn't flow as well as it could -- some jokes and comments are repeated as if the chapters were separate articles strung loosely together and the text can be a bit rambling.  All in all though, this is a great read and one I'm saving for my seven year old son who loves to practice "sports broadcasting" all the time. 

Also, from a personal side:  we're LSU fans here so comments about the coaching staff at the Crimson Tide were hard to get through.

---

This review was written as part of the Thomas Nelson Publishers Book Review Program. For information about becoming a book reviewer, check out the BRB website.

Review: Go to Joseph!

After our "year of Job and Lamentations" (when we spent a full year trying to sell the house in Denver while living in Virginia and trying to buy a house here), I have found a new love and devotion to St. Joseph!  This is the go-to guy for all things impossible and necessary; he is the saint that is second only to Mary in the panoply of Catholic saints; this guy is good!

Well, when I saw a new book on the review shelf for the Catholic Company called Go to Joseph, I knew I had to read it.  And, boy am I glad I did!

Written by a Joseph-devotee and scholar, Fr. Richard Gilsdorf (1930-2005), this book is a very readable but scholarly book on all the things that make Joseph the "go-to saint".  Fr. Gilsdorf quotes scripture -- what little there is that mentions the head of the Holy Family; he synthesizes papal documents like encyclicals and apostolic letters; he summarizes other theologians' writings about St. Joseph. 

And, even with all this heavy scholarly writing, Fr. Gilsdorf imbues his writing with a sense of the love the author feels for the subject; a love that is a reflection of what St. Joseph must have felt for Mary and Jesus. 

Fr. Gilsdorf explains that in Joseph's life with the Holy Family, we can see his work and intercessory powers for us now (pg 69):

1. he provides for us by answering the prayers of the faithful with powerful intercession
2. he governs us for Christ has made him "Lord of His house and ruler of His possessions"
3. he cherishes us as he loved Mary and Jesus
4. he protects us under his title of "Protector and Defender of Holy Mother Church"

I particularly like how Fr. Gilsdorf explains the importance of the lack of detailed information about Joseph in the Bible and other early Church writings: 

We must understand there is a reason the Holy Spirit in His infinite wisdom has told us only so much and no more.  One obvious reason is that by limiting the information, all persons of all paces and times can apply the basic facts to their own individual lives .... Thus, families of all ages can more readily imitate the essentional virtues of the Holy Family.  Married couples can emulate the holy bond of Mary and Joseph ... Joseph, the just man, can be an example for all the faithful, but he serves in a special way as model for young men to answer God's challenge in all walks of life.  He can be the stron patron and intercessor of workers and family providers.  He can be a special patron of preiests married to the Church ..." (pg 101)

The appendices are well-worth perusing and using -- bibliography of other scholarly works and Church writings about St. Joseph, prayers written to St. Joseph (including the Litany to St. Joseph and one written by Blessed John XXIII) , and the homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI for the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 2009.

Don't let this small (only four-by-six, 134 pages) volume fool you ... this is one of those books that I'll be constantly delving into when I need a boost, when I need to remember just how much St. Joseph has done for the Holy Family, Holy Mother Church, and me and mine.  This is a book to leave on the bedside table, in my purse, or on my desk for reference.  Yes, it's that good!

So "Go to Joseph" with whatever you need ... and he will intercede to God for you and yours!  And read the book if you want to know more about this quiet head of the Holy Family.

* - * - *

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Go To Joseph.


Gilsdorf, Fr. Richard W. (edited by Patrick F. Beno) -- Go to Joseph.  Star of the Bay Press (Green Bay, WI).  2009.  ISBN:978-0692-003-008.  paperback (134 pages). 

Review: Come and See: Wisdom -- Catholic Bible Study

How many books within the Bible are considered "wisdom books"?  Can you name the "wisdom books" of the Bible?  What is one distinguishing characteristic of all these books?

I couldn't name the seven wisdom books nor did I know that they are all written in poetic (as opposed to, prose) form. 

I so don't know my Bible!  That was one of the reasons I chose the book, Come and See: Wisdom -- Catholic Bible Study for review; I figured I'd be able to answer at least these three questions when I was done with the book.

Well, I can now do that and more!  The "wisdom books" are: 

1. Job
2. Psalms
3. Proverbs
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Song of Solomon
6. Wisdom 
7. Sirach. 

They are all written in a poetic form with lots of cool literary tools embedded (including the use of acrostic-poetry in their construction, similes and metaphors, and proverbs scattered throughout).  These are such deep scriptural books that phrases or whole verses are used throughout Western literature (Shakespeare uses scriptural references extensively and what we now consider trite cliches are actually direct quotes from the "wisdom books"!).

Fr. Liesen and Dr. Manhardt do a great job of explaining the many facets of these books:  the historical setting, the literary devices used throughout, the catechism embedded in the poetry, the Church writings and Magisterial teachings that these seven books have engendered.  Each of the 22 chapters are a different part of the scriptures -- a natural/literary coupling of the various chapters or verses of the individual books. 

It's amazing how much bang these wisdom books pack!

I liked how Liesen and Manhardt include directed-study questions at the conclusion of each chapter; questions that are objective and great review, that direct the reader to the important or key points of each section of the Biblical passages. 

As a homeschooling mom, I see this as a great high school Religion curriculum for 9th grade Scripture or as a 12th grade Theology elective.  The coverage in this guide includes

• history by setting each book in it's contemporary setting and explaining the Jewish vs the Christian understanding of the words;
• literature by defining the myriad of literary devices used throughout each of the Biblical books
• catechism by explaining Church teachings on what these scripture passages mean for a Catholic with Papal and Church Father quotations throughout the text
• apologetics by separating the Jewish from the Catholic from the Christian understandings and defending the Catholic interpretation of these sage writings

As a homeschool mom, I could easily use this guide to build an entire semester's worth of multi-disciplinary studies for a high school student.  Pretty cool, eh?  I like that this guide is fairly self-contained -- you could use it as a study-guide for a student, an adult or a small-group from a parish. 

I do have a couple of quibbles, though:

1. The introduction is very abrupt and reads clumsily; the intro gives an overview of how the books came to be in the Bible but it is a very technical, academic discussion.  Then all of a sudden the intro explains how to use the book ... the format was ... well, wierd.
2. The objective questions at the end of each section are great but the subjective questions (marked with an asterisk) are a bit hokey ... lots about "feelings" and "imagining" that seems forced and more politically correct than it needs to be.
3. At times the text is a bit pedantic and technical.  There is an assumption of prior knowledge that this particular cradle Catholic (who went to Catholic schools from K-undergrad) didn't quite "get"; I ended up having to do further research  a couple of times to understand what they were saying.

Overall, I think this is a great study guide for high school age and older; for individuals or for groups; for parish study or for home-study.  These books of the Old Testament need to be read and understood by all Catholics. 

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Come and See - Wisdom - Catholic Bible Study.

*-*-*-*

Liesen, Father Jan SSD and Manhardt, Maurie Watson (PhD)  Come and See: Wisdom -- Catholic Bible Study. Emmaus Road Publishing (Seubenville, OH) 2009; ISBN: 978-1-931018-55-5; paperback, 220 pages.

Review: Bleeder -- a miracle? or a bloody murder?

I love reading about the Catholic faith. I love reading mysteries.  To be able to combine the two makes for a very happy person.  So when I saw a new mystery, titled Bleeder by John Desjarlais, I thought I should give it a try.

I'm glad I did. 

The author, a former producer of Wisconsin Public Radio, now teaches journalism and English at a small college in northern Illinois.  Although this is his first mystery, he has a couple of novels to his name and has written for a variety of Christian and secular periodicals.  All this writing experience comes to use in his first mystery novel with a very complex plot, multi-issue characters and an amazing climax scene when the mystery is solved.

The basic premise? 

Reed Stubblefield, a "sort of" Presbyterian (in other words, he went to the Presbyterian church when he was younger, but no longer believes in much of anything) and Artistotelian scholar heads to a small town in Illinois to recuperate from a gunshot wound which has left him with a shattered hip and the need for a cane, which he calls "Citizen Cane".  To further exacerbate Reed's health issues, his wife died of cancer two years earlier and so he has episodes of depression and grief.  On strong pain medications and anti-depressants, Reed is easily disoriented and his almost-50-year-old body is in pretty bad shape.  His older brother lends him a cabin in the Illinois woods in a small town where there is a priest who allegedly bears the signs of the stigmata -- the five wounds of Jesus -- and is credited with miraculous healings.  Reed knows nothing about the "healing Padre" and ends up limping into a hornet's nest of issues in this small town.

The writing is taut and well-researched, with appropriate quotes from Aristotle scattered throughout, tons of medical information, and well-defined characters.  The supporting cast of characters span the spectrum from heretical charlatans to well-meaning cynics to good Catholics trying to understand the events occuring in their little town. 

Desjarlais obviously spent much time and effort to build a mystery around the premise (stated by Fr. Ray Boudreau, the healing padre): 

There are no coincidences, Mr. Stubblefield.  Conincidences are just God's way of remaining anonymous. (pg 41)

That quote really sums up all that occurs in this many-threaded plot.  A plot that at times seems completely disjointed, until I turned the page and it came together again. 

I have a couple of small quibbles, though: Reed knows too many of the technical liturgical symbols, items, and traditions of the Catholic Church -- seemed far-fetched for a self-described "sort of Presbyterian".  I also thought the author tried too hard to include a budding romance; it just didn't read naturally.  Also, the text of the "newspaper" articles quoted in the book read like creative writing rather than fact-based (and usually quite terse) journalism.

The quibbles aside, I'd recommend this book for adults, especially those who like a good, fair mystery with lots of red herrings, plot twists, and side issues.  Bleeder is a mystery that plays fair with the reader by hiding-in-plain-sight the clues that lead to the solution.  I particularly love the last page ... wonderful!  Well-done, Mr. Desjarlais.

* * *

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Bleeder.

Desjarlais, John -- Bleeder: A miracle? Or bloody murder?. A Chisel and Cross Book (Sophia Institute Press) - Manchester, NH.  2009.  ISBN:  978-1933-184-562.  paperback (261 pages).

Review: Masonry Unmasked

I’ve always been curious … what are Masons and what do they do? Well, read on and you'll find the cliche, "truth is stranger than fiction" is VERY true where the Masons are concerned.

Maybe it was the popularity of the recent National Treasure movies where the plots hinged on membership in this secret society. Maybe it was the memory of smart, intelligent people whom I once knew who were members. Maybe it’s the mystique of a secret organization – what do they do, why do they do it, are they as bad as the Church would have us believe? What’s the deal with the “eye” and the “G”, the compass and the square? Why would anyone – let alone intelligent, God-fearing Christians, want to be a part of such a secret society?

Are you with me? Do you, too, want to know? Do you have relatives, friends, co-workers who are flirting with the idea of joining? STOP! Get a copy of Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge by John Salza, read it cover-to-cover and then decide. I think you’ll be surprised, scared and pretty incredulous when you finish the book.
I was!

Salza, a Catholic lawyer from Wisconsin, was deeply embroiled in all the workings of Freemasonry, attaining the highest ranks and awarded the Proficiency Card (a big deal, apparently) sooner than anyone in Wisconsin history. He was a rising star within the ranks, attaining 32nd degree Mason in the Scottish Rite and membership in the Shriners.  By 1997, he was a Lodge Officer and the self-professed greatest apologist for all things Masonic.  He was a Mason, through and through … and then he threw away his membership card and wrote this book. Why?

While focusing all his free time on learning the ins and outs of Freemasonry, Salza began to get nudges and queer feelings about what he was reading. He began to see cracks in the carefully constructed edifice of Freemasonry; he began to question whether he could reconcile his Catholic faith with what he was learning. The further he researched, the more he found to question and worry about.

Throughout Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge, the reader is led on a piece-by-piece deconstruction of all facets of Masonry and its irreconcilable differences with ANY Christian religion, but especially Catholicism.

From a removal of Christ from the God-head, to espousals of bi-level charity toward others, to swearing on a Bible to oaths BEFORE hearing the promises … Salza finally saw through the smoke-and-mirrors of Masonry and left. Little things like the fact, exposed by the Orlando Sentinel in 1985, that the Shriners’ collection of charitable funds through their annual circuses amounted to $23 million (!) while the tax returns showed only $346,251 going to medical care for the children for whom they were purportedly raising the funds – less than two percent of the take!

One thing I really like about Salza’s account is that he openly admits his own gullibility, his own pride-filled sense of “I know something you don’t know”, and his willingness to accept what the Lodge and Mason-authored literature told him, with little questioning. His pride was at stake – he was in the inner circle and wined and dined accordingly. He didn’t seek the answers from Church authorities.

Once he did, he found the Grand Lodge filled with discriminatory practices (all-Black Mason lodges are not recognized by the main Lodge), atheistic practices (all religions are equal, thus making them all irrational and thus, not real) and double-talk and half-truths. Basically, the “truths” preached in Masonry are false – and the edifice of Masonry comes down like a house of cards.

In fact, since Clement XII in 1738 and as recently as then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s report to Pope John Paul II in the 1980s, the Catholic Church has consistently condemned membership in the Freemasonry. Writing encyclicals, letters and amending Canon Law in 1983, the Church has made clear to all Catholics that every facet of Freemasonry is irreconcilable with Church teaching – regardless of what the Masons themselves will say. This is not just a fraternal organization but a “religion” set up in direct opposition to Christian values. Salza, productively using his legal training, proves “beyond the shadow of a doubt”, that Freemasonry is not only against Church teaching but a real danger to the soul!

This is a great book for those of us who are curious about Masonry. This is a must-read for those of us who know someone flirting with the idea of joining Masonry.

Wow!

* - * - *

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge and to purchase your own copy of this eye-opening text.

Salza, John – Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the Secrets of the Lodge – Our Sunday Visitor (Huntington, IN). 2006. ISBN: 978-1-59276-227-9 (paperback, 222 pgs)

Review: Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord

Occasionally, when I’m looking for a book to review I try to choose one that is outside my comfort-zone, that discusses a topic for which I’m, at best, vaguely familiar. Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord: Encountering the Sacred in the Great Outdoors is just such a book – I don’t fish (either regular or fly-fishing) and I’ve never been hunting (either with a bow or a rifle). With a bit of skepticsm, I wanted to see how a parish priest could help me “encounter the sacred in the great outdoors”.

Superficially, Father Classen’s book, Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord: Encountering the Sacred in the Great Outdoors, is a real “guy book”. As a matter of fact, I chose to review it because I thought one of my brothers, in-laws or friends might enjoy the book. I thought of my husband and how he loves the outdoors: especially camping and hiking. This book is full of hunting and fishing stories, including the trite “one that got away” stories, with lots of helpful suggestions of how to catch those trophies.

But that’s just superficially.

This is a great book about fully experiencing God’s creation by doing not just watching. This book, in fact, is almost a companion to the one I wrote on creativity: my In His Image: Nurturing Creativity in the Heart of Your Home stresses the need to imitate the creator by nurturing creativity in the heart of the home so that we can fully experience His love and care for us; Fr. Classen’s book stresses the need to exist actively in God’s creation to fully experience His love for us. Both books stress the need to DO as a way to BE, a way to exist, rather than just passively accepting God’s gift of creation.

Fr. Classen, Associate Pastor of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque parish in the St. Louis (Missouri) Diocese, has written not just a classic book on fishing and hunting. His book also helps to place the enthusiast in the spiritual realm by explaining the difference between the childish obsessive pursuit of the “trophy trout” and the child-like pursuit of nature and God’s creation. He shows throughout the book the importance of the child-like wonder and peace garnered by being in nature. He also pokes fun at his own obsessive pursuit that ruined his experiences; it wasn’t until he became child-like in his hunting pursuits that he was truly successful, both spiritually and literally.

There are many times throughout the book that Fr. Classen hits it dead-on. He shows that the need for our society to try to re-invent peace and calm through our own acts never works. The fishing father rather shows the better way: peace and calm for mind, body and soul by reveling in God’s creation, even on a pre-dawn hike to a deer stand in Missouri autumn or hip-deep in the rushing waters with the fly to beat all flies.

Although this book is, as I mentioned earlier, a “real guy’s book”, much can be gotten from this book if the reader is married to (or mother of) an outdoor enthusiast. Father does a great job of putting the hunting, the pursuit of the prey, the search for the ultimate lure or fly in their proper perspective – all is worthless without trust in God, without love of His creation, without discernment of God’s will. The writing is not just informative; it’s also written with a gift for the English language, a turn of phrase that says much more than the words.

I would definitely recommend this book for those guys out there who are either outdoor enthusiasts and/or those guys who are searching for the spiritual in their lives. It is a great read – and has many great hunting tips as well as tips on improving the reader’s prayer life and getting us all on the road to sanctity. I would also recommend it for the moms, spouses or sisters of nature enthusiasts, especially those who don’t really understand the desire of our men to go out and spend hours in a stand, waiting for the elusive buck.

* - * - *

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord: Encountering the Sacred in the Great Outdoors and to purchase your own copy of this soon-to-be outdoor enthusiasts' classic.

Classen, Rev. Joseph F. – Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord: Encountering the Sacred in the Great Outdoors – Our Sunday Visitor (Huntington, IN) 2006. Paperback (220 pages). ISBN: 978-1-59276-217-0.

Books: never too early to start planning for Advent

You probably don't want to hear this ... but it is just 87 days until the first Sunday of Advent and 89 days until the first day of December!  Advent is coming soon ... are you ready?

Here's a book I just finished that we'll be using this year ... and for years to come ... to help us on our Advent journey.  Destination: Bethlehem – A Family Advent Adventure, steeps the reader in this idea of a journey, a pilgrimage we undertake each year to understand more completely the event that occurred in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago.

Mother and daughter authors, Sharon Altman and Christine Winkelman, teemed up to write this book which they say is a gift “for the children in their lives”. And it is a gift that gives every day of December!  Broken into 24 bite-sized chapters (each only taking 10-15 minutes to read aloud), the book tells the story of 10-year-old Isaac, who lives west of Bethlehem, and his cousin Jediah, who lives near Zippori north of Bethlehem. The story begins the Advent journey with Isaac traveling to Jerusalem with his neighbor, Zachariah. The ensuing events of Zachariah being struck dumb in the Holy of Holies, of Elizabeth conceiving John the Baptist, and of Mary’s visit to her cousin are all told from Isaac’s perspective.

The story than shifts to Zippori and Jediah’s family hearing about the Roman census. Jediah's father is of David's family, so they must return to Bethlehem to “be counted”. For Jediah’s family, this is a long, arduous journey that includes meeting up with fellow carpenter, Joseph and his wife Mary, a shepherd family (where the reader gets a very good idea of what a shepherd must do to protect his sheep), meeting Simeon  and finally arrival at Bethlehem where they connect with Isaac's family and help Mary and Joseph find shelter.

I love how the authors kept the chapters light, but meaningful, so that each night of December, the chapter can be read, discussed and we can join in the journey. The book is packed with information about the social mores of the time, the cultural ins and outs that are so different from today.  I learned so much reading the end notes!  I highly recommend this book which you can get from Hillside Education.
I’m excited to use this with my own family as part of our Advent celebrations this year (and many more after). The authors suggest 24 items, one for each chapter, that can be used to reinforce the events of the journey. I think we’ll use this list (with slight changes), to fill our Creche as we near the birthday, using the book almost like an Advent Calendar or Jesse Tree.  For instance: when we read the chapter about the shepherd family, we'll add shepherds and sheep to our Creche; when we read about the Roman soldier, we'll add a horse to our scene. 

How are you going to do Advent this year?

Author(s): Sharon Altman and Christine Winkelman

Copyright: 2008  ISBN: 978-0-6152-1800-7 

Publisher: Bella Maria Books

Binding: Softcover

Number of pages: 187 pages

Subject(s): Advent

Grade / Age level: Grade 4-High School, Adults, Family read-aloud

available at Hillside Education