Here's the big list of nonfiction for Lent. I was going to reread Brant Pitre's Introduction to the Spiritual Life but jumped the gun and reread it recently. I may fall back on my old reliable, Roman Pilgrimage by George Weigel.
Vol. 2: Lent Holy Week Eastertide
This is part of a series of seven devotionals, with entries for every day of the liturgical year as well as two volumes devoted to special feast days. I discovered these soon after I converted and reading them daily for at least four years was deeply formative. Over twenty years later, I still dip in and out of them, depending on what else I'm reading. I cannot recommend these books too highly. I know of no other books which do such a good job of showing how to live an authentic Christian life.
The one most people have tried is the Lent/Easter book but the one I began with was for midsummer. I soon bought all the others. I probably will be dipping into this one throughout Lent and Easter.
This is a truly inspirational book. As he loves to do, Pitre is tracing the roots of practices and understanding from Judaism to Jesus to the Christian spiritual classics. This, of course, gives the reader depth and context which in itself is eye opening. However, as each section ends in the classics, we are given solid advice about how to apply ourselves to each particular step of the spiritual life.
That is what this book is all about, after all, the spiritual life. It ranges from forms of prayer to major temptations, from spiritual exercises to the seven capital sins, from how to meditate on scripture to how to hang on when nothing seems to be working (that's called the dark night of the soul).
Fruits of the Spirit by Stratford Caldecott
Small but packs a powerful punch.
Book description, which I can't improve upon: This booklet explores the imagery of trees and fruitfulness in the Bible, and offers a sketch of Christian morality based on the relationship of spiritual fruits to the four cardinal virtues and the three theological virtues. The result is a kind of rough map, a guidebook of sorts to a life in the Spirit, inspired by teachings that we find in Holy Scripture and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
From Ash Wednesday through Divine Mercy Sunday, Catholics go to the Roman "station church" assigned for that day's Mass as a pilgrimage.
George Weigel uses this framework to provide a wonderful daily devotional for Lent, complete with photos and a page of information on each church. It is much more than a simple set of devotional reflections, however. The Mass readings and Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the hours are interwoven in an insightful commentary. Weigel doesn't stop there. He includes papal comments, saints' stories and quotes, and much more. I have used this book for several years during Lent and it is extremely rewarding.
For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmeeman
The author was an Eastern Orthodox priest but any Christian can get a
great deal of insight and inspiration from this wonderful book. He looks
at the connection between daily life and the sacraments and liturgy of
the church. As a result, we are repeatedly drawn into fresh realizations
about how present God is in everyday life ... and how connected that is
with the liturgy.
One of the most inspirational books I've ever read. My full review is here.
Do you want a good dose of philosophy with your Catholic faith? Here's the book for you. Looking for something lighter than Edward Feser, but that still had intellectual depth, I noticed this title continually popping up in my searches. So glad I did because it is exactly what I wanted ... though the discussion of the Trinity caused a bit of brain paralysis, but that's no different than my reaction to any other deep look at the Trinity. It's been a long time since I've had to think in such a different way. All this is without ignoring the questions that Catholicism raise in modern life. This isn't necessarily easy reading but it is really rewarding. Truly this is a great book.
7 Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness
by Eric Metaxas
The stories of seven men who lived their lives in ways we can admire. Or women, depending on which book you read. Each contains short biographies of a diverse group of people that pack in a lot of information . Each story turns on the fact that they surrendered themselves to God and sacrificed themselves in some way for the greater good.
The men range from George Washington to Jackie Robinson to Chuck Colson. Women range from Joan of Arc to Rosa Parks to Mother Teresa. Plus some in each group that you probably haven't heard of.
Metaxas isn't heavy handed but he doesn't shy away from occasionally raising points that encourage the reader to look deeper within his (or her) own heart. I found each very inspirational. My review of 7 Men is here.
The biography of Takashi Nagai, a young Catholic Japanese doctor who lived through the bombing of Nagasaki and became an inspiration for spiritual healing for his people. Paul Glynn combines vivid descriptions, character insights, and just enough Japanese history so that we have context.
As a result I wound up admiring the Japanese people even more than I did already. I never realized how many of the Japanese ideals combine with saintly living, especially as seen through Takashi Nagai's eventful life.
My review here.
Among the wounded on the day they dropped the bomb on Nagasaki was a young doctor who, though sick himself cared for the sick and dying. Written when he too lay dying of leukemia, The Bells of Nagasaki is his account of the experience.
It is deeply moving story of faith under extraordinary conditions.
My review is here.
Satoko Kitahara came from a wealthy home and encountered the Catholic faith when she wandered into a church one day and saw a statue of Mary. As a convert, she lived her faith so completely that she is still a well known heroine for Japanese of all religious persuasions. Striving to follow Christ fully she wound up becoming the "Mary of Ants Town," living with with the destitute in a shanty town in a public park where subsistence living came from ragpicking.
On a personal level I cannot stress enough the effect this gentle saintly girl's story continues to have on me. I won't go into details here but her honesty in her spiritual journey, her complete faith and dedication, and her love of Mary affected me deeply. My review is here.
In To Whom Shall We Go, we are reminded of all St. Peter's strengths, weaknesses, joys, and sorrows. In short, we are shown his humanity as he follows Jesus in the Gospels and Dolan points out how our own natures are reflected in therein as well.
This is a simply fantastic book and I say that as a person who has never been particularly interested in St. Peter.
My review here.
This is a really great commentary. Healy is excellent at putting the scripture in context, whether in reference to the context of people of the time, to other scripture, or for our own lives. Sometimes I was enlightened by the factual information which gave me new insights into the text. Sometimes it was from the material for reflection. However, it was a rare day that I failed coming away with an insight that I pondered the rest of the day. My review is here.
I've found a lot of the Catholic Commentary series book very rewarding, regardless of who the author is. So just dive in.
by St. Therese of LisieuxThe classic autobiography by the youngest Doctor of the Church. I struggled with reading this book until finding Robert Edmonson's translation, which was be less sacchrine and more real-life than others I read.
If this book doesn't appeal, consider one of the many others written by different saints and then ask their intercession while you read. Make Lent a walk through the desert with a saintly guide holding your hand.
Happy Catholic for Lent
Thus Sayeth the Lord: A Fresh Take on the Prophets - my latest! In Kindle or softcover.
Seeking Jesus in Everyday Life - my second book! In paperback.
Happy Catholic - my first book! In either softcover or Kindle / Nook format.
No comments:
Post a Comment