Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux: The Strong Woman Called the "Little Flower"

What broke open connecting with St. Therese for me? A good translation and a second book. I wrote about it for Patheos several years ago and Therese's feast day seems a good time to share it here.

Brede, No Treacle*: St. Therese and Rumer Godden

Canonized less than thirty years after her death, Thérèse's only book, The Story of a Soul, was enough to get her named a saint, and more recently a Doctor of the Church. Thérèse is the youngest person to be so named and only the third woman to receive this honor.

This all is quite praiseworthy. What is it, then, about this saint that divides Catholics sharply into two camps: those who love her unreservedly and those who are pointedly indifferent when her name is mentioned?

In a nutshell, it is Thérèse's own words that lead many to distastefully associate her with saccharin piety. Her autobiography was written as a young girl to her sister in the flowery, sentimental French style of the late 19th century. Older translations, if anything, heighten the over-wrought style. The other problem is the subject matter: early childhood devotion to Jesus, testimony about her relationship with Jesus, and Thérèse's struggles in the convent to do small things for Christ. Even talented writers might struggle to communicate these concepts well, much less a young woman with limited writing experience.

I read The Story of a Soul long ago because I was urged to do so by many devotees of "The Little Flower," as she is called. Wishing to politely turn off those suggestions, I read the book as fast as possible. Naturally, I got little from it.

The key, as I discovered recently, is not only to read St. Thérèse with attention, but to have a translation that cuts through her "treacle." Robert Edmonson's translation from Paraclete Press does precisely that. Thérèse's trademark piety, sincerity, and liveliness cannot be denied, but this translation makes it easier to see beneath her superficial-seeming surface to the complex person underneath. She emerges as tough, uncompromising, and heroic with a strong core of common sense.

The second experience that I had concerns the priests. Never having lived close to them, I couldn't understand the principal goal of the Carmelite reform [to pray for priests]. To pray for sinners delighted me, but to pray for the souls of priests, whom I thought of as purer than crystal, seemed astonishing to me. ...

For a month I lived with many holy priests, and I saw that if their sublime dignity raises them above the Angels, they are nonetheless weak and fragile men . ... If holy priests whom Jesus calls in the Gospel "the salt of the earth" show in their behavior that they have an extreme need of prayers, what can one say about the ones who are lukewarm? Didn't Jesus add, "But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?" [Mt 5:13]

Her observation sadly resonates all too well with the modern reader. The 15-year-old Thérèse is revealed as someone who faces the truth and applies the only action she can take, which is prayer.

Thérèse also reveals her extreme struggles to love her neighbors in the convent, often accompanied by a lively sense of the ridiculous. There is the example of her determination to assist an elderly Sister down a long hallway after dinner, which begins with the aged woman shaking her hourglass at Thérèse to get her attention. This contains so much truth, conveyed with such good humor, that we can see the Sister's personality exactly because we know people just like her. Thérèse is never afraid to laugh at herself either.

... I've made a sort of speech about charity that must have tired you out reading it. Forgive me, beloved Mother, and remember that right now the nurses are practicing on my behalf what I've just written. They're not afraid to go two miles when twenty steps would suffice. So I've been able to observe charity in action! ...

When I begin to take up my pen, here's a good Sister who passes near me, a pitchfork over her shoulder. She thinks she's entertaining me by chatting with me a little. Hay, ducks, hens, a doctor's visit, everything's on the table. To tell you the truth, that doesn't last long, but there's more than one good, charitable Sister, and suddenly another hay cutter drops some flowers in my lap, thinking that perhaps she'll inspire some poetic ideas in me. Not seeking out flowers right then, I would prefer that they remain attached to their stems.

It has become fashionable to discount St. Thérèse's spiritual struggles by filtering them through modern perspectives. Biographers look at the girl whose mother died when she was very small, at her "abandonment" by her older sisters as they one by one entered the convent, at her early entry into the cloister. They speak of neuroses and a stifled personality by living in the unrealistic atmosphere of the convent.

It's better to take Thérèse at her word. Many people suffered similar life circumstances and worse, but were never suffused with the love of God, or the wisdom, that Thérèse relates.

An antidote to the heaping of modern perspectives onto Thérèse's insights might be to read one of the finest books ever written about convent life. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden is fictional but it portrays cloistered convent life in such a real, luminous way that it could be mistaken for an autobiography.

Philippa Talbot, a successful career woman in her 40s, leaves London to join a cloistered Benedictine community. Once she enters, the narrative never leaves that setting, yet the story is riveting. There are mysteries and minor intrigues, but the focus is on the characters, who are fully realized with flaws and virtues alike. Readers soon realize that life among the religious is no easier path; an enclosed community requires more Christian development from the souls within, not less.

Rumer Godden lived at the gatehouse of an English enclosed community for three years while writing In This House of Brede, during which time she converted to Catholicism, and eventually became a Benedictine Oblate. The deep understanding that comes from real exposure to the life infuses the novel with such authenticity that the book is still recommended by actual cloistered religious to those who wonder what such life can be like.

Godden had a talent for looking into the heart of what makes us truly human, both good and bad. In holding up her characters' flaws, she holds up a mirror into which we blush to look, even when the flaws seem relatively minor.

... Odd, she [Philippa] had thought, I never seriously visualized coming out of Brede again; it had not occurred to her, but in those minutes it occurred painfully. She could have blushed to think how once she had taken it for granted that, if she made enough effort—steeled herself—it would be settled. "I know," Dame Clare said afterwards. "I was as confident. Once upon a time I even thought God had taste, choosing me!"

Dame Perpetua had been more blunt. "Weren't you surprised that God should have chosen you?" a young woman reporter, writing a piece on vocations, had asked her. "Yes," Dame Perpetua had answered, "but not nearly as surprised that he should have chosen some of the others—but then God's not as fastidious as we are."

Rumer Godden is the talented writer who provides perspective for the cloistered life that Thérèse experienced. Her insights into the rich, full life that can be had in the convent are the final antidote for those who believe otherwise.

I am no longer indifferent to St. Thérèse. She has become a solid friend who has provided good advice for overcoming my faults and loving my neighbors better. Thanks to Robert Edmonson and Rumer Godden, there are new lessons to be learned both for those who are devoted to St. Thérèse and those who are indifferent.

*Clarification
Treacle = British for molasses (sort of)

Wikipedia: The most common forms of treacle are the pale syrup that is also known as golden syrup and the darker syrup that is usually referred to as dark treacle or black treacle. Dark treacle has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup,[3] yet not as dark as molasses.

Lenten Reading: The Big List of Fiction

This is a huge list to be sure. But it has some of the most thought provoking books I know They both entertain and inspire. It ranges from science fiction to mystery to Uncle Tom's Cabin. I've run the list before but have updated it.

Last year I read The Lord of the Rings beginning on Ash Wednesday and finishing on Holy Saturday. It was intense, both in my daily reading requirements and spiritually. It was the perfect accompaniment to Lent and I'm doing it again this year.

 The Feast by Margaret Kennedy

This book starts out with a clergyman at a loss for how to write a eulogy for seven people who died in a hotel when a cliff fell on it and crushed it. We're then taken back to life in the hotel a week before the disaster. We get to know everyone and watch how their interactions change them (or don't). This book is not just about the mystery of who will live and who will die. It is also about spiritual realities by which these people live their lives.

My full review is here. Scott and I discussed this in episode 321 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

In the late 1800s two French priests are assigned to the New Mexico territory to minister to the neglected Catholic churches there. One is intellectual, the other is the salt of the earth. Both are friends and both are good Catholic priests. This is what one might call an episodic telling, much as are the Gospels. We see the lives of the priests, those they minister to, and the country itself which is as much of a character as any of the people. Cather wasn't Catholic but you'd never know it simply by reading this account which gets everything right — and gives a lot of food for thought along the way.

Black Bottle Man by Craig Russell

Rembrandt, his father, and uncle are trying to undo a deal with the devil made by their loved ones. As they seek a champion, they must cope with a tricky requirement that they not stay in any place longer than 12 days.

Considerations of faith are handled both honestly and delicately in this book. The insights and observations throughout the book underlie the main story in a way that lends itself to considerations of gratitude, mercy, selfishness, sacrifice, and much more — all without being heavy handed.

My full review is here. It is is marketed to teens but I'm not the first reviewer to mention that label is too limiting because it is also a great read for adults.

Mockingbird by Walter Tevis

Only the mockingbird sings at the edge of the woods.

I've been jaded by the plethora of recent apocalyptic novels but this one is different. Perhaps the highest tribute I can give this novel is that when I finished I didn't want to read another book. To do so would sully what I'd just read before I'd finished thinking about it, as well as be unfair to anything that followed because it wouldn't be able to compare.

My full review is here. We also discussed this book in Episode 110 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. And also on SFFaudio where a lot of interesting fruitful topics came up.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Or, since Lent is only 40 days, at least the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. I was was blown away by how much the audio experience added to my understanding of the richness and depth of the story. Admittedly, it was also greatly helped by The Tolkien Professor's class sessions on this book. You will be hard put to find a better primer on sacrifice, redemption, and many other key lessons for Christian life. I think this may be the best book ever written. And you could do worse than to read The Hobbit for starters.

Joseph R's review is the best I've read if you'd like a more complete look at the novel.

Scott and I were joined by Seth Wilson in a two-part discussion of this novel at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast: part 1, part 2.

Christy by Catherine Marshall
I read this several times when I was in high school and college but hadn't encountered it for decades. It came to mind again when talking with my mother about books set in hardscrabble backgrounds.

I remembered it being really interesting about people in the Smoky Mountains in 1912 cut off from any outside civilization except for a few people who came in to try to help their poverty stricken situation. Including the 19-year-old young woman, Christy, who comes to teach the children. She is naive and from a well-to-do background so she's completely unprepared for what she finds.

I didn't recall it being so inspirational throughout. I wound up loving it so much that I could hardly bear to put it down.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
A bedraggled, galley ship survivor, despite his best efforts to the contrary, finds himself in the middle of royal intrigue. If that weren't enough, he is also pulled into the the affairs of the divine as a result and this complicates his life as one might imagine. This is a land of various gods and strong, dark magic. It is, however, also a land where free will matters in the outcome of events.

Will Duquette calls this "theological science fiction" and I agree. The way that free will is intertwined with what the gods desire, as well as what is "right," is fascinating and a good way to examine our own motives the next time we turn away from what God may be asking of us. My full review is here. A Good Story discussion is at Episode 198.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry is an incredible Christ-figure as I discovered when I reread the series recently. Of course, this only works for those who have read the series before.

For more depth and as accompanying materials, readers may want to listen to Episode 26 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast where Scott Danielson and I discuss the book and the entire series from a Catholic point of view.

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
This extraordinarily sensitive and insightful portrait of religious life centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful professional woman who leaves her life among the London elite to join a cloistered Benedictine community. That's the official description but it doesn't begin to cover the richly woven tapestry Godden weaves with nuanced personalities, mysteries to solve so that the order may continue, Philippa's internal struggles, and much more.

Again, Joseph R. has a wonderful review of the book. We also discussed  episode 97 at A Good Story is Hard to Find

Prince of Foxes by Samuel Shellabarger
This beautifully written historical fiction tells of Andrea Orsini, who is one of Cesare Borgia's most trusted political manipulators during the Italian Renaissance. This is a swashbuckler that simultaneously shows Andrea's transition of a human heart from greed to love, selfishness to sacrifice, and power grubbing to nobility.

Discussed in episode 13 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
A real page-turner which many think they know because the cultural references are so embedded in our society. However, if you haven't read this book then you don't know it at all. First and foremost, Uncle Tom actually is a Christ-figure, a living saint. No wonder he is misunderstood by so many.

Stowe does a good job showing many different attitudes toward slavery and how people excused themselves under the flimsiest of excuses. What is unexpected is how well she examines the varying levels of Christianity proclaimed and threaded solidly throughout the story.

Discussed in episode 114 of A Good Story is Hard to Find.

I read this aloud on my Forgotten Classics podcast with commentary. Yes, that's how much I love it.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

We all think of this as a classic horror story but there is much more to it. Look below the surface and you find a classic tale of unselfishness and doing God's will in order to rid the world of a monster who is a perversion of Christ.

Discussed in episode 168 of A Good Story is Hard to Find. Mythgard Institute (founded by Corey Olsen, The Tolkien Professor) has a superb series of classes on Dracula.

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
These books seem an interesting blend of fiction and nonfiction to me. Lewis's imagination is vivid and fascinating. His tendency to have characters speechify leans to the nonfiction side. Taken as a meditative read, they would be very good for Lent, I'd think.

Out of the Silent Planet: Dr. Ransom is kidnapped by two men who take him to Mars as a sacrifice to the natives. Lewis was fantastically inventive about what the planet and living beings were like. I didn't know he had it in him.

Perelandra: Very different from Out of the Silent Planet while still showing C.S. Lewis's vivid and inspiring imagination. I am simply blown away by his vision of creation on Venus. Amazing insights as to battling evil, the dance of God's creation and plan, and our part in it.

That Hideous Strength: It is a testament to Lewis's imagination and writing skill as to how different all three of the books are in this trilogy, while simultaneously all carrying out the same basic theme. No wonder J.R.R. Tolkien loved them. This book left me striving to be a better person, to be truer to myself, as did the other two. Not many other books really leave one feeling that way.

Discussed in episodes 202, 204, and 206 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Lectio Divina — Fiction

Notice that the apostles’ first and most important duty was simply to “be with him*”—to “waste time” in the presence of Jesus, loving him and being loved by him, learning his ways, letting their hearts become more and more aligned with his.

Mary Healy, The Word Among Us, Oct. 2022

==========

My job was just to spend twenty minutes with scripture: reading, thinking, and praying as I chose; the fireworks were up to God.

Leah Libresco, Arriving at Amen

Stained glass of the Holy Spirit as a dove
The Holy Spirit helps us pray.

There can be an internal pressure to our prayer time, as if God is grading us on how well we do. In actuality as long as we’re there praying, however we choose to do it, then we’re doing it right. Just the doing of it, the hanging out, our presence is what is required. God will do the rest. 

I want to know Jesus as well as the disciples did. 

In my case, I continually return to lectio divina, which means divine reading. It's a slow, contemplative reading, usually of the Bible. We read, listening for the murmur of God, and contemplate what we find. Here's an article which explains it well.

In my case, God has spoken to me through literature since I became aware that he was a real person. (That's another story.) Last year I began including fiction in my lectio divina. My prayer time became a time that I couldn't wait for. After all, who doesn't love reading a good story and talking it over with a friend?

 I pick fiction that I know is inspirational on some level. Then I read for around 15-20 minutes. I read the book, a chapter a day if possible, from cover to cover. As things strike me, I will stop to appreciate the truth I've just realized. These are my moments to share with Jesus. It can be incredibly fruitful. And sometimes there is nothing but reading the story. That's how prayer goes.  

I began by reading The Lord of the Rings during Lent, It was unbelievably powerful. I went on to read In This House of Brede, The Feast, A Little Princess, Death Comes for the Archbishop, and The Hobbit. Occasionally I will read nonfiction but it is usually telling a story — The Hiding Place, A Song for Nagasaki, and The Smile of a Ragpicker. 

I also read A Beginner's Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy by Jason M. Baxter. It was a sort of a cheat because I really wanted to reread Dante but wasn't quite ready to dive in again. Because it was delving into Dante, it was a rich source of inspiration. This year, might be the Divine Comedy year.

Every book was chosen in the service of hanging out and reading something that captured my interest as a point of conversation with Jesus. There's a real sense of anticipation when my afternoon prayer time comes up now. And if I'm not feeling so eager, it is not a hardship to pick up a book I enjoy. I am soon pulled back into the reading (and conversation) I love so well.

* He appointed twelve, to be with him (Mark 3:14). 

Insightful review of Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy

An insightful review of a book I love — Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy — from Melanie Bettinelli. Here's a bit, but go read it all.

This time through, near the beginning of the novel I had an unexpected moment of recognition, or maybe not recognition so much as making a new connection between two things. I’m pretty sure that when I last read this book I hadn’t read much on the subject of human trafficking. But now I have. ...

In it’s way it has many of the same elements I loved in her earlier novel about religious life. In This House of Brede. But here the brokenness and healing comes to the fore. Lise is a mystic, in Bethanie she finds her true home. And yet her past won’t leave her alone. She must find ways to redeem it.

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy: A Notable Story of Redemption and Joy

This is one of my favorites by one of my favorite authors. This review ran back in 2007 and I'm rerunning it since a lot of Rumer Godden's titles have just been released for the Kindle. Get this one and In This House of Brede (my favorite) and maybe also China Court. You won't be sorry.

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy

by Rumer Godden

"I took Vivi home." Why? Lise had asked herself a thousand times. "There's a little church in England," she told Soeur Marie Alcide, "at Southleigh in Oxfordshire, which has an old, old mural painting showing a winged Saint Michael holding the scales of justice. The poor soul awaiting judgment is quailing because the right-hand scale is coming heavily down with its load of sins: but on the left our Lady is quietly putting her rosary beads in the other scale to make them even. I saw it long ago, but in a way I suppose something like that happened to me.

"It happened to me," and Lise started to tremble. "How did Vivi come to have those beads?" Lise asked that for the thousandth time. "She wouldn't say. She never said ..."

Now, in the cafe, Lise seemed to hear Soeur Marie Alcide's firm voice. "Put it behind you. That is one of our first rules. You will probably never see Vivi again." and, "It's time you caught your train," Lise told Lise.

This is an inspiring tale of conversion and redemption told in flashback sequence. We meet Lise when she is being released from prison where she has served her term for murder. She is going to join an order that ministers to those on the fringes of society. Through Lise's thoughts, we watch her go from being a young WWII staffer in Paris, become seduced by a man who has a brothel and eventually turns her into a prostitute where later on she becomes the manager. The reasons behind the murder become clear as the threads come together again in the people around Lise in current time.

The first third of the book can be tough to read as Godden is devastatingly emotionally honest as always. Despite the fact that much of the book takes place in a brothel the words used are unobjectionable so one needn't worry about that. As I read, I suddenly realize that I must have tried this book at least once before but always stopped as it was too painful. However, I was selling the book short by never pressing on as the last two-thirds took an upward swing that surprised and enchanted me.

Throughout it is strung the rosary, sometimes in surprising ways and always as a pointer toward action to be taken. Interestingly, Lise doesn't even enjoy saying the rosary but it is somehow integral to her journey of faith despite that. She cannot seem to escape it no matter how she might try.

I didn't realize how integral the rosary was to the book until I was very far into it. After I finished the book and thought about it over the next few days, I wondered about the title. What did it mean? Suddenly it came to me. Five [mysteries] for sorrow, ten [mysteries] for joy. It reflects the rosary itself. Reading the book with that foreknowledge might yield even more riches. I will have the opportunity to find out as I definitely will return to this book.

It was a revelation to the aspirants that the sisters, some of them elderly impressive nuns, filled with quiet holiness, should publicly admit their faults. Could Soeur Imelda de Notre Dame, that calm saintly person, really have snapped sharply at anyone? Could Soeur Marie Dominique have lost her temper? "Then do you go on being you until the very end?" they could have moaned. "Even after all this trying and training?" "Always," Soeur Theodore would have told them. ...

Scott and Julie realize they're not cut out for the cloistered life ...

... after reading In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. Catch our discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast!

Huzzah! Another Special Day! Reviewing "The Feasts" by Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina

The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us as Catholics by Donald Cardinal Wuerl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Church's calendar is an intricate, complex, and beautiful technology. It is the work of many human hands and human minds trained to deal with holy things. The seasons turn and the feasts interplay like the gears in a priceless clock. They regulate our religious life and enrich our spiritual life.

They seem to happen automatically, but only because the Church oversees the apparatus, averts temporal collisions, and finely tunes all the components to make the year as festive as it can be.

I am not sure exactly why but one of the things I have always loved about the Church is the liturgical year. The idea that there are a steady series of seasons and feast days linked with our calendar year enhances the richness of my life. Perhaps it is because my mother taught us to love nature and the turn of seasons simply because she herself loves them so much. Perhaps it is because, long before I was a Christian, I read and reread Rumer Godden's masterpiece In This House of Brede where the liturgical year is a continual background to the story.

“Don’t you see, it’s like a pageant. Our Cardinal has said the liturgy entertains as well as feeds us ... Yes, we’re not angels but humans," said Dame Clare, "and human nature is made so that it needs variety. The Church is like a wise mother and has given us this great cycle of the liturgical year with its different words and colours. You’ll see how you will learn to welcome the feast days and the saints’ days as they come round, each with a different story and, as it were, a different aspect; they grow very dear, though still exacting.”

Having unknowingly absorbed all that I suppose it is only fitting that I really enjoyed The Feasts. It covers the background and reasons for feast days, the liturgical calendar (and our calendar in general), and how these enrich our Christian lives. Even those of us who are well informed on the subject will find new information as well as good reminders of things we may have forgotten. For example this is supremely logical but just never occurred to me:

Sunday did not become simply a Christian version of the Sabbath. Christians were wary of enforcing a day of rest, as such enforcement had been turned on Jesus during his earthly ministry (see, for example, Mark 2:23-27). In any event, most Christians could not refrain from labor on Sunday because it was an ordinary workday in the Greco-Roman world.

Christian observance centered on the Mass, which was in most places offered very early in the morning (before work), but sometimes also in the evening (after work). ...

Certainly The Feasts is a worthy accompaniment to Cardinal Wuerl's and Mike Aquilina's previous two books, The Church and The Mass. Taken all together they provide a thorough, accessible, and much needed look at aspects of the Roman Catholic faith which seem very mysterious to outside eyes.

Tomorrow, I'll participate in the Blog Tour for this book by looking more closely at a particular feast. In this case, it will be that for The Holy Angels (which will surprise no one who is a regular reader of this blog).

Julie's Take - Christianity in Three Books [UPDATED]

These things used to be called memes ... but whatever they're called, I find them difficult to resist.  Basically Rod Dreher has asked his readers, and the internet at large, what three books they would recommend to provide a basic familiarity with Christian theological ideas to someone with little background on the topic. Read all the guidelines here, which is where Jen Fitz found it.

This came to my attention when I saw Jen's answers (and was insanely flattered, by the way, thank you Jen!).

Ahem. Anyway, here is my list. Pick it up, pass it on ... and so forth.

1.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

Same as Jen's #1 but that's because this is such a great book. I recently reread it and made it a goal to reread it annually. It is a great story and, not coincidentally, is Christianity in a nutshell.

Sheltered spinster, Corrie Ten Boom is 50 years old when the Nazis invade Holland. She and her family shelter Jews targeted by the Nazis and when they are caught, they are sent to prison and eventually concentration camps. This sounds gloomy and like a familiar story. It is not. Every Christian should read this book. If you get the audio, it is even better. Simply fantastic.

2. The Captain from Castile by Samuel Shellabarger 

The classic story of a young Spanish nobleman, Pedro de Vargas, who goes with Cortes to conquer Mexico. Rereading it, Washington Post critic and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Yardley says in his introduction he "was astonished at how well it has survived. . . . It is accurate, meticulously researched history, and it is a sympathetic, nuanced account of a young man's moral education..." Precisely. Such is also the same of Shellabarger's other books. A prime example of how an excellent piece of fiction can communicate "Truth." Also a favorite, more than this book to be truthful, is Prince of Foxes by this author.

3. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden

One of the finest authors of our time, largely forgotten, but who always wrote from a deep background of faith. This is the story of Philipa who at the height of a brilliant career and in her 40s decides to enter a cloistered convent. Yes, this is the story of nuns, but the Christianity they practice should be recognizable to Christians of any sort. Not only is it a fascinating tale of what it is like to live in a convent, but it contains a riveting mystery too.

UPDATE
I didn't notice we weren't allowed to have books about a "flavor" of a particular religion, which knocks out my original third choice, which I leave below for your edification. That's ok, it made room for a book I originally was going to include but had dropped in favor of something more obviously theological. Woohoo!

3. Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreeft

Puts the muscle on the "skeleton" of the Catechism, so to speak. This is the book that I read after converting and which brought my understanding fully into line with the teachings of the Church. Eminently logical.

Lenten Reading Ideas - Updated

WHAT I'M READING
I am already reading two books that are really hitting me where I live. How handy! I can just keep going with them through Lent.

Night of the Confessor by Tomas Halik
Night of the Confessor is rich and deep, with somehow simple ideas. Just when the author says something that I have a knee-jerk reaction of "that's not how faith works" he goes further and deeper so that I understand the reasons behind the surface statement ... and usually agree. This is thoughtful and thought provoking writing which I am letting sink in. And it is enriching my internal life. A fuller review is here with a lengthy excerpt.

Gospel of Mark, The (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healy
This is a really great commentary. Healy combines a lot of the information that I have in a variety of other commentaries (both Catholic and Protestant), but then pulls it all together with additional observations that make it very accessible while still being scholarly. She follows up many sections with items for reflection.

Sometimes I am enlightened by the factual information which gives me new insights into the text. Sometimes it is from the material for reflection. However, it is a rare day that I fail coming away with an insight that I ponder the rest of the day. Highest recommendation and I will be getting another in the series after I am done with this book.

OTHER GREAT BOOKS
Here are some other books that I either have read for Lent or would gladly read. Some may be familiar because I just can't stop pushing them (or rereading them).

To Know Christ Jesus by Frank Sheed
Sheed looks at Jesus' life by weaving together all four Gospels. He also takes into consideration the times in which Jesus lived, how the people then would have interpreted Christ's teachings and witness, links to the Old Testament, teachings of the Chruch Fathers, archaeology, and more. The goal of all this is to give us a richer, deeper understanding of Jesus since to know the Father you must know the Son ... and there is nowhere better to meet him than through the Gospels.

The School of Prayer: An Introduction to the Divine Office for All Christians by John Brook
Interestingly Brook partially presents this introduction to promote ecumenism for he points out that praying from the Psalms makes Protestants feel right at home in the practice. This book not only tells about the divine office, but has an explication of the psalms commonly prayed so that we more easily find Christ in them.

Beginning to Pray by Anthony Bloom
This book is written with complete simplicity but yet somehow contains depths that one thinks of for some time afterward. Let's just begin with this ... "If you look at the relationship (us and God) in terms of mutual relationship, you would see that God could complain about us a great deal more than we about Him. We complain that He does make Himself present to us for a few minutes we reserve for Him, but what about the twenty-three and half hours during which God may be knocking at our door and we answer 'I am busy..."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry is an incredible Christ-figure as I discovered when I reread the series recently. Of course, this only works for those who have read the series before. For more depth and as accompanying materials, readers may want to listen to Episode 26 of A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast where Scott Danielson and I discuss the book and the entire series from a Catholic point of view.

Contemplating the Trinity: The Path to Abundant Christian Life by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa
He was the preacher to the papal household for Pope John Paul II and continued in that capacity for Pope Benedict XVI, at least for a while. I always have found his writing and homilies to be both easy to understand and inspirational. This book to be the same sort as The Interior Castle in that reading a few paragraphs a day lets the message sink in each day. I read this during Lent a few years ago and it was wonderful.

In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
This extraordinarily sensitive and insightful portrait of religious life centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful professional woman who leaves her life among the London elite to join a cloistered Benedictine community. That's the official description but it doesn't begin to cover the richly woven tapestry Godden weaves with nuanced personalities, mysteries to solve so that the order may continue, Philippa's internal struggles, and much more.

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy by Rumer Godden
Another Godden book about a completely different order of nuns. This is an inspiring tale of conversion and redemption told in flashback sequence. We meet Lise when she is being released from prison where she has served her term for murder. She is going to join an order that ministers to those on the fringes of society. Through Lise's thoughts, we watch her go from being a young WWII staffer in Paris, become seduced by a man who has a brothel and eventually turns her into a prostitute where later on she becomes the manager. The reasons behind the murder become clear as the threads come together again in the people around Lise in current time. My full review is here.

Paul Among the People by Sarah Ruden
Sarah Ruden goes to great pains to put St. Paul's writings in the context of Paul's "modern times" of Greek and Roman culture so we can see just what cultural forces he was referring to when he wrote his letters. By juxtaposing her knowledge of those cultures (which were considerably cruder and more hostile to Christian religious concepts than we would think) and writings of the people (not high-brow philosophers) with Paul's writings and concepts, a new picture emerges of just what was being battled and why Christian concepts would be so welcome and revolutionary. My full review is here.

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell
Of course, I'm still pushing this book. It is rare, to find a book about the zombie apocalypse that addresses the larger themes that one finds in science fiction apocalyptic literature. The Reapers Are the Angels is just such a rarity. Author Alden Bell looks beyond the popular appeal of zombies to the depths of the human soul. The column I wrote for last Lent about this book is at Patheos.

IF THOSE DON'T HIT THE SPOT
Here are last year's recommendations, both nonfiction and fiction.

UPDATE
I have been reminded that there are two other books that make excellent Lenten reading:

Happy Catholic - my book! In either softcover or Kindle / Nook format.

Lord, Open My Heart (this is properly a booklet, but is I wrote it specifically for Lenten meditation)

Top Ten Fictional Characters I'd Want for a Bestie

This idea, encountered at Linus's Blanket, intrigued me. I was surprised at just how many fictional characters sprang to the top of my mind. I suppose that is because for a main character to be really successful, at least in most books, they must be easy to relate to on at least some level. For books that you love, I suspect the main characters are those who you love as well. Here are some of those for me.

1. Laura from The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
   Was it just me or did everyone else also feel that Laura was expressing so much of what they themselves felt? I think we'd understand each other.
   
2. Abbess Catherine from In This House of Brede.
   Again, I related to her. Plus I liked the very practical approach she took to balancing problem solving and spiritual matters, as well as the way she threw herself at the Lord's feet when overwhelmed. Which I only wish I could do as well as she.
   
3. Odd Thomas from Dean Koontz's series.
   Odd is endearing and a heckuva fry cook. Though I don't really want to hear the details about his eerie adventures. I'd like to hang out with him inbetween. (Yes, I just want the cozy, nice side of those stories in my own life.)
   
4. Jane Eyre
   She's smart, interesting, and diplomatic when being honest. And we could argue (politely) about why she admires that cousin of hers so much.
   
5. The Grand Sophy
   A take charge kind of gal in the best of the books that began the Regency romance genre, Sophy not only is clear sighted and honest, but she'd do anything for a pal. You might be annoyed by her but you'd also probably be amused at the same time. And she's got a kind heart.
   
6. Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings
   Who wouldn't want Gandalf for a best friend? That relationship he has with Frodo is one anyone would want, a combination friend and mentor who helps you be your best.
   
7. Miss Marple from the Agatha Christie mysteries
   She's a hoot! And a sweetie too. I never could relate to Hercule Poirot or Hastings, but Miss Marple ... I wanted to live in her little village and have tea while we both knit together, exchanging knowing glances over why the Generals' second maid was late again to the dentist. (Or something like that.)
   
8. Aibileen from The Help
   A strong woman who can look past people's exteriors to give them a chance. Looking at her friendship with Minny, her mothering of the children in her care even while she knew from sad experience how they'd probably treat her when they were older, and her downright smarts, anyone would be proud to have a friend like her. As would I.
   
9. Harry Dresden from the Jim Butcher series
   Yes, he'd probably drive me crazy because he's such a smart aleck. But that's what'd keep me laughing at the same time. And until my car was torn to shred by monsters when he borrowed it for an emergency, I think we could have a lot of fun hanging out. He'd be an expensive friend, but definitely a lot of fun.
   
10. Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park
    Because I go for quirky oddballs who happen to also be brilliant. At least when they're in a book I seem to go for them. He's the only guy in this book who has a handle on the big picture of what is going on. And I'd purely love to be pals with this guy.

Who Remembers the "Dante to Dead Man Walking" Reading List?

I didn't until just this week. Maybe because the list below was finalized in a post from December 2006. Also because I got tired of having to always read books from that list, veered away "just for a little while" and then, like Hansel and Gretel, never found my way back. At any rate, I am going to reinstate this goal. Briefly, for those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, I read and reviewed (not entirely approvingly) Dante to Dead Man Walking: One Reader's Journey Through the Christian Classics by Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. Then I examined the list, took votes from people and recompiled the list, while adding others' recommendations below. The post below was the result.

I am pleased to see that I actually had knocked off a few of the books just through my own reading. Huzzah!

I'm also taking the liberty of updating my comments somewhat. It has been three years, after all. New comments will be italicized.

Please chime in anew with comments and suggestions and we'll continue that long ago conversation with this post.

=================

Below the list of books suggested by the author with numerous revisions. Books with red titles are not gonna be read by this reader. I am putting what I am substituting instead.

I'll be updating the list with reviews and links as I work my way through the books. The link will be in the sidebar with what I'm reading currently.

1. The Book of Genesis: Originally I crossed this off my list as I did a Bible study of this that was a real eye opener. However, I'm now reading Robert Alter's translation which is fascinating.


2. The Book of Job: *sigh* ok but I am dreading it. The sadness, the complaining, the moaning ... I'm only going through with reading this one because it's in the Bible. Otherwise, it would be off this list so fast!


3. The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel by Robert Alter: I'm now a firm Alter fan and am really looking forward to this.


4. The Gospel of Luke: studied this several times.


5. The Gospel of John: studied this several times.


6. The Confession by St. Augustine: I have taken three runs at this and always gotten bogged down by the self-pitying chapters about being beaten by tutors and other various problems of growing up. However, I see that Librivox has this. That might be the help I need to push me over that hump.


7. Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: I read the John Ciardi translation. Hell and Purgatory gave me much food for thought but I found Heaven deadly dull. Steven Riddle comments likewise.


8. Butler's Lives of the Saints by Michael Walsh: I planned on reading this and then realized that my relative lack of enthusiasm is because I have read four or five good books about lots of saints already, some of them quite large and comprehensive (though I know this is the most comprehensive). However, I am more interested at this point in holiness demonstrated through people I haven't heard about a dozen times already ... so I am going to substitute African Saints: Saints, Martyrs, and Holy People From the Continent of Africa by Frederick Quinn. And, wonder of wonders, our library actually has this book!
   
   UPDATE: after picking up African saints and looking through it, I sent it back to the library. The author, an Episcopal priest, had chosen the people that he felt should be saints. Which is all fine in its own way but when it came to seeing St. Augustine, his unknown consort, and their son all as saints together, I drew the line. I have read quite a few good saint books and don't really need to read more as I'll continue picking them up as I come across them. Therefore, I declare this section closed!


9. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis: several versions of this are available on mp3, one is at Maria Lectrix. No problemo.


10. The Idea of a University by Ven. John Henry Newman ... at the risk of sounding like Homer Simpson, "Booooring!" Instead I am reading Newman's Apologia as many people suggested. JM commented,
    

    "Newman is never a breezy read, but he can be very rewarding. If you are going to read only one thing, read the Apologia. He wrote it to defend himself (specifically) and the Catholic Church (generally) against the charge of having little regard for the truth, and in doing so, revealed the how and the why he converted. Amazingly, it worked.

1. Walden by Henry David Thoreau: *sigh* ok, but I'm not looking forward to it. I think that someone advised reading it without looking into any introductions or notes so that I get the basic Thoreau unfiltered ... that is an excellent idea which I will follow for more than this particular book.


2. The Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln's my hero; can't wait!


3. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: a classic I've been meaning to read for a long time; can't wait.
   
   Just got the free audiobook download for this and listened to the first half hour to get a feel for it. Imagine my surprise when it proved to be very interesting. So I'll be doing this the audio way.


4. The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux: it didn't grab me but, again, everyone can't love every single saint


5. Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres by Henry Adams: can't wait!


6. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton: another one that I've tried to read several times. Chesterton is just too smart for me. It was suggested that Chesterton's fiction might be an easier way to go but I really can't stand the Father Brown books (for one thing if I can figure out a mystery practically as soon as it begins then it never was much of a mystery in the first place) and I've never been interested in any of his other fiction. However, I just remembered that Everlasting Man was suggested as a substitute and I've always been interested in reading that so I'm going to go that route. If I can get through Everlasting Man then I'll take another shot at Orthodoxy ... perhaps I'll be used to Chesterton's style and able to progress further then.


7. Dubliners by James Joyce: I don't like the whole idea of reading James Joyce but ... what the heck. Ok James, surprise me!


8. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset: never heard of it before now so why not. Cautions have been given that some translations are much better than others so if one seems awkward to read, stop and get another.
   
   Webster Bull has been pushing this book the way that I push In This House of Brede on people. I actually picked up the first of this trilogy from the library to dip in and see how it seemed. Another that seemed interesting from a sampling so I'm looking forward to it more than I would have otherwise.


9. Therese by Francois Mauriac: Based on Steven Riddle's comments, I will go with Tangle of Vipers by the same author instead of Therese.


10. Death Comes for the Archbishop: this book has been recommended to me many times by people I trust. Also picked this up from the library as it has been on and off my list several times, long after I forgot this list ... it looks interesting. And short!
    


11. Mr. Blue by Myles Connolly: my review is here


12. Out of My Life and Thought: An Autobiography by Albert Schweitzer: sure, why not.


13. The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos: sure, why not.


14. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene: an alcoholic priest in Mexico; gee there's so much to love about this story. No wonder I've avoided it like the plague all these years. Look's like it's time to pay the piper; I'll give it a shot


15. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia by Rebecca West: never heard of it before now so why not.


16. Brideshead Revisisted by Evelyn Waugh: aaargh! I'll finally be forced to read this book. All I can say is I hope it isn't another Helena (which I detested and yes I know it's a classic, etc.).


17. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alex Paton: never heard of it before now; sounds interesting so ok


18. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton: Tried twice, hated it. Yes, you heard me. Hated it. Based on Steven Riddle's comments I am going to substitute Waters of Siloe which I've never heard of ... which in itself adds a certain amount of interest.
    
    The advantage of waiting for several years is that then you might have an audio recording come up from someone whose skills are unparalleled at narration ... which would be James Campanella at Uvula Audio. I will give The Seven Story Mountain another shot that way.


19. Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: I had no strong feelings one way or the other but JM's thoughtful comments changed my mind to a different work by Bonhoeffer. "In my opinion, what B. wrote that the world and modern Christians most need to hear is in The Cost of Discipleship. In it he takes apart “cheap grace” and sent me, for one, looking for the real thing."
    
    On the other hand, Steven Riddle warns: ... while the message is valuable, you'll have to insulate yourself against a large amount of anti-clericalism and anti-Catholic diatribe that permeates the beginning of the book. I never made it through that...


20. The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day: having now read her diaries "On Pilgrimage" I am now looking forward to this.


21. The Family of Man by Edward Steichen: photographs, interesting idea. Why not?


22. Divine Milieu by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.: originally I was looking forward to this but continuous negative commentary coupled with a few things that came up in scripture study from obvious Chardin supporters made me change my mind. There is no connection at all but I am going to substitute Rumer Godden's Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy. Godden is every bit as difficult to read as Flannery O'Connor in that she looked unflinchingly at the unpleasant truth of human actions. However, her style is so much more attractive to me at the same time that I can take it more easily from Godden. This is one of hers that I haven't read yet.
    
    UPDATE: read it and here's the review.


23. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.: a sci-fi classic that I can't remember if I've ever read ... can't wait!
    
    UPDATE: I am very disappointed in myself but I just could not get into that book for love or money. I left it unfinished.
    
    UPDATED AGAIN: I now find out that there was a long-ish short story by Miller and that the book was finished off by someone else. Aha! The story ended just where I wanted it to ... with the little monk presenting the drawings and then planning to go back to where the bandits were. A much more Christian take than what I read in the novel.


24. Morte D'Urban by J. F. Powers: never heard of it before now so why not.


25. The Other America by Michael Harrington: the poor in America ... I've only read about this issue until I'm practically blind. I don't think so. Again, with no particular connection in this substitution, it was suggested that I read The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom. Reading the summary it looks as if the "true" part of the story is not actually true but it sounds as if the story itself is still quite worth reading.


26. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis: LOVE C.S. Lewis; can't wait!


27. The Historic Reality of Christian Culture: A Way to the Renewal of Human Life by Christopher Dawson: no strong feelings one way or the other so why not.


28. The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor: sure, why not.


29. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.: I originally wasn't going to read this but the comments were so overwhelmingly positive that I am putting it back on the list. I'm trusting y'all on this one!


30. Everything That Rises Must Converge, "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor: dreading it, afraid of O'Connor, but also looking forward to what I might learn ... in a weird way. Having read the biography "The Abbess of Andalusia" I am now really interested to see if I can get more out of the stories than I would have before.


31. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley: I'm kind of interested in Malcolm X after listening to Rose talk about him when studying him in American history. Also I really enjoyed reading Roots by Haley so I'm looking forward to a well told story.


32. Silence by Shusaku Endo*****: no way. If only Schroth hadn't said it was the most depressing book he'd ever read. I don't think so. I'm open to suggestions for substitutions, preferably fiction. This is how much I trust Steven Riddle. I will give it a shot based on his comments and strong recommendation.
    
    UPDATE-MY REVIEW: After our Catholic women's book club did an end run by selecting the book to read ... I was forced to confront this book. Simply put, this is Christianity in a nutshell. An amazing book that provides so much food for thought. The tale of a 17th century Jesuit priest as he is smuggled into Japan to serve the Christians under persecution, is discovered, and undergoes the ultimate test of faith. Endo, writing for the Japanese, is examining the questions of how Christianity must adapt to be truly meaningful to the Japanese and also the question of what Christian faith truly consists of. He leaves these questions open enough that there was a considerable amount of debate at our book club and almost everyone had a insight that was fascinating. The author's considerable talent holds us far enough away from the details of persecution to allow this to become an intellectual consideration while still being a personal experience. An extraordinary book that I am glad I read.


33. A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation by Gustavo Gutierrez: just as I am profoundly disinterested in movements like Opus Dei because I ... well, I just don't care ... I feel the same way about liberation theology. Erik suggested the Don Camilio books by Giovanni Guareschi. I never heard of him but found that these are children's books ... which luckily our library has in English translations. I figure that several of them will equal or exceed the amount I actually would have read of anything about liberation theology.
    
    UPDATE: found and read the first couple of books ... hilarious and in a strange way I think they probably are a good view to something like liberation theology because of Don Camilio's constant battles with communists who are also friends and part of the community to which he must minister.
    


34. The Fate of the Earth by Jonathan Schell: right, because I've never read anything about how we might blow up the earth before now. I don't think so. March Hare says, "Instead of "The Fate of the Earth" try "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart. It's a novel and a classic (IMHO). I think his scenario of how civilization will end is much more plausible than anything I've read lately--and Stewart wrote this book in the 1940's, I believe!" And so I will.
    
    UPDATE: Tried Stewart and was unimpressed. However, I must add that, without any faith attached, "Greener Than You Think" was an amazing sci-fi book that I came across at Librivox which had the virtue of examining humanity and flagrant ignoring of the consequences of messing with our ecosystem through the eyes of a do-anything-for-a-buck, clueless salesman. Based on that I am declaring this book category closed.


35. The Love of Jesus and the Love of Neighbor by Karl Rahner, S.J.: I don't like a single thing that I'm hearing beginning with accessibility and going on from there. Therefore, I will take a suggestion from the strongest anti-Rahner voice in the crowd ... which would be Georgette ... and reading The Hidden Power of Kindness -- by Father Lawrence Lovasik. She says,

    "This is the clearest and most practical and simply-written spirituality for lay folks ever written! If you have trouble with the spiritual classics written BY nuns and monks in cloister, FOR nuns and monks in cloister (mostly), like The Seven Story Mountain, by Merton (he got weird towards the end of his life but this book is excellent, though hard for most lay folks to engage), or The Dark Night of the Soul, by St John of the Cross (also WONDERFUL but obscure), or St Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle (which I am sorta getting into now, but still very sublime)----then The Hidden Power of Kindness is definitely for you. I think it should be required reading for all Catholics! It is basically the Gospel put into practical step by step 'how to' terms! Brilliant!

36. In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza: Oh, hell no! (stolen from Tom at Disputations) Per Erik's suggestion, I'll be reading Bread and Wine by Ignazio Silone.


37. Black Robe by Brian Moore: if Schroth wanted me to read this he shouldn't have mentioned the extensive mutilation and torture spread throughout the book. No thanks. I'll go with Steven Riddle's suggestion of The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Moore instead.


38. Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States by Helen Prejean: I was ready to read this until comments by Erik and Tom of Disputation's comment rang true here for me ... I already am against the death penalty at least in countries with adequate resources for incarceration like ours. Also I've been getting these quite detailed emails about how that book is all wrong anyway ... either way I am off it. I was thinking about Walker Percy but a lot of confusion in that area leaves me bookless again. I am going to veer in a completely new direction ... let's see how this flies. Belief in God in an Age of Science by John Polkinghorne.


39. The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd: Peter Ackroyd's a great author; can't wait!


40. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time by Robert Ellsberg: one of the first books I bought after becoming Catholic. It took me a while to notice that the saints Ellsberg includes aren't all canonized or even Christian but it's a good book anyway.

Schroth's Extras:

1. The First Jesuits by John W. O'Malley, S.J. ... this one's been on my "to read" list for a while


2. History of Christianity by Paul Johnson ... this one's been on my bookshelf for a year; this is just the thing I need to make me pick it up and read it.

In the Wings:

These are suggestions that I want to hang onto in case I just can't make progress on one of the above books ... ready made substitutes in an easy to find place! Some ideas found their way onto my regular "to read" list before I decided to keep extras here ... rest assured none have been lost.

1. Dietrich von Hildebrand-- Georgette says: "He is a genius theologian and very reliably orthodox. His wife, Alice von Hildebrand, is also a genius in her own right. I have read many articles and excerpts from their works, but not any one book in particular in its entirety--yet. It takes concentration to read them (as with any philosophical or theological work--for me at least!), but worth the pay off. "
   
   Jeff Miller recommends, " 'Transformation in Christ' I can't heap as much praise on this book as I would want. I think it will be one day fully recognized as a spiritual classic. His wife wrote an biography of him that is truly fascinating called Soul of a Lion. His conversion is detailed in there since he is a convert who grew up in a family of agnostic artists. Pretty much all of his brothers and sisters ended up converting to the Catholic Church. His time where he was working against Hitler is also quite interesting and he was even listed by Hitler as one of his greatest enemies. The story of his narrow escape from the Nazi's is also pretty exciting.


2. Abandonment to Divine Providence by Father Pierre de Caussade: Georgette says ... "is another spiritual classic which is sublime but VERY simplistic in its approach-- it is a wonderful spirituality. This one is a bit more mature spiritual nourishment, but when you are ready for it, it is outstanding. This book, I should add, contains the basis for the spirituality of the newest doctor of the Church, St Therese of Lisieux (aka "The Little Flower")."


3. Erik suggests the Book of the New Sun which, rather confusingly, seems to be found in two pieces, each consisting of two books: Shadow & Claw: The First Half of 'The Book of the New Sun', Sword & Citadel: The Second Half of 'The Book of the New Sun'.


4. War and Peace by Tolstoy


5. Alicia suggests: "I would actually recommend Madeleine L'Engle's paraphrasing and fictionalization of parts of Genesis -
   
   • And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings, 1983
   • A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob, 1986
   • Sold Into Egypt: Joseph’s Journey into Human Being, 1989"
   I can't believe I forgot Madeleine L'Engle ... not Catholic but some very fine Christian writing coming from her in both fiction and nonfiction.


6. Steven Riddle recommends: Zaccheus Press has produced a very nice volume, Our Lady and the Church by Hugo Rahner. Tom, at Disputations, posted a review some time ago. I have read the book and didn't get as much out of it as he did, but I have to confess lingering protestant problems with Our Lady. However, seems appropriate to suggest it as your choice on this feast day.
   
   Jeff adds: "I would second Our Lady and the Church by Hugo Rahner. I really enjoyed it. I haven't read any of his brother Karl's books since I heard some parts of them were problematic. Though some good orthodox Catholics recommend some of what he writes."


7. Julie at Adoro te Devote says, "Alice von Hildenbrand...read her "The Privilege of being a Woman". Fascinating, not very long...and you will literally ABSORB it."


8. Rick Lugari: I know we've talked about Dr. Warren Carroll's History of Christendom series before. It's an excellent and I would count it as mandatory reading for any Catholic


9. My own recommendations for others would include:
   
   • Uncle Tom's Cabin
   • Who Moved the Stone
   • In This House of Brede: one of the most perfectly written books ever. I always was fascinated by Catholic characters and this shows them probably the best of any I've ever seen. The very real and imperfect people (Dame Veronica anyone?) in this religious community come up against struggles even in their cloistered environment ... which is set against a wonderful overall story.
   • Catholic Christianity which is the book that made me into a fully devout Catholic. Despite its size I was so fascinated when I began reading that I finished it in four days. Kreeft explained all the logic behind controversial Church teachings so well that I understood all I needed to in order to support the Magisterium.

Top 10 list of books Catholics should read

I was asked a while back by someone beginning a book review site to give this list. They never used the list but I am going to give it to y'all here since I found it an interesting exercise. Need I mention that I was howling with frustration at what I could not cover? Of course not. You knew that already!

Keep in mind that this list may fluctuate but essentially I see that it reflects my belief that you can see echoes of Truth in many places, including fiction. Here you go, in no particular order, always assuming that the Bible and the Catechism are givens (links are to my previous reviews, excerpts, or commentary):

1. In This House of Brede - Rumer Godden. One of the finest authors of our time, largely forgotten, but who always wrote from a deep background of faith.
   
   
2. The Interior Castle - St. Teresa of Avila. A spiritual classic for good reason. Written for her sisters in the convent and much easier to read and understand than you may have been led to believe.
   
   
3. Catholic Christianity - Peter Kreeft. Puts the muscle on the "skeleton" of the Catechism, so to speak. This is the book that I read after converting and which brought my understanding fully into line with the teachings of the Church. Eminently logical.
   
   
4. Pardon and Peace - Father Francis Randolph. Fantastic book about the sacrament of reconciliation (or confession as I still like to call it). He takes interesting side trips in the discussion but they are always to the point and add depth.
   
   
5. Inferno - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Science fiction authors update Dante's Inferno. This is somewhat like Dante "Lite" and is a wonderful introduction to the concepts Dante wrote about. It is the book that made me take a new look at self examination and then go on to read John Ciardi's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy. Not intended as such by the authors, it is a "gateway" book to Dante.
   
   
6. A Still Small Voice - Father Benedict Groeschel. Common sense, psychology, and faith as applied to discernment when it comes to apparitions. Highly recommended.
   
   
7. Angels of God - Mike Aquilina. Wonderful primer about angels and their relationship to us.
   
   
8. Captain from Castile - Samuel Shellabarger. The classic story of a young Spanish nobleman, Pedro de Vargas, who goes with Cortes to conquer Mexico. Rereading it, Washington Post critic and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Yardley says in his introduction he "was astonished at how well it has survived. . . . It is accurate, meticulously researched history, and it is a sympathetic, nuanced account of a young man's moral education..." Precisely. Such is also the same of Shellabarger's other books. A prime example of how an excellent piece of fiction can communicate "Truth." (Excerpts are here and here.) Also a favorite, more than this book to be truthful, is Prince of Foxes by this author.
   
   
9. Fr. McBride's Guide to the Bible - Alfred McBride. There are several excellent guides to the Bible, among them "You Can Understand the Bible" by Peter Kreeft and "A Catholic Guide to the Bible" by Father Oscar Lukefahr. I chose this above those because it looks at all the books of the Bible in light of salvation history. An excellent guide to looking at scripture on several levels and keeping the big picture in mind.
   
   
10. Through a Screen Darkly - Jeffrey Overstreet. A masterful work by a noted film critic about bringing a spirit of discernment to the world of film. Overstreet invites us to consider how film as an art form affects one's soul and ultimately can be a work of God, even when it may go against what many define as "Christian." An excellent work that helps us learn discernment in our daily lives toward any sort of story telling.

Honorable Mention

• Silence by Shusaku Endo
  
• One Door Away from Heaven by Dean Koontz
• Shapers by Robert R. Chase
• The Game of Fox and Lion by Robert R. Chase
• The Odd Thomas trilogy by Dean Koontz
• Eifelheim by Michael Flynn