Psalm Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press)

Dr. John Bergsma is a theology professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has written many books on Scripture, but the ones I know his best for are his "Basics for Catholics" books. The first one was Bible Basics for Catholics with two follow-ups (so far) entitled New Testament Basics for Catholics and Psalm Basics for Catholics. Today, I am going to tell you about the latter work, as it his most recent one in the series. The book is divided into eleven chapters, which are as follows:

1. What's a "Psalm"? Who Wrote Them? and All That Stuff
2. How the Psalms Fit into the Story of Salvation
3. More About David
4. The Story the Psalms Tell
5. Introducing the Psalter! (Introducing the Psalter!)
6. Book I of Psalms: Weeping and Moaning
7. Book II of Psalms: Triumph and Rejoicing
8. Book III of Psalms: Descending into Grief
9. Book IV of Psalms: Waiting Around in Exile
10. Book V of Psalms: Woohoo! The Exile is Over! At Least Mostly
11. Different Ways to Read the Psalms

The book begins by telling us about who David is, what a Psalm is, why they were written, and the different types of psalms. Chapter Two then walks us through all of salvation history and the seven covenants. They are Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New and Eucharistic Covenant. Dr. Bergsma tells us that the psalms "flow from the Davidic Covenant, and we use them in the New Covenant because it is the restored and transformed covenant of David. We then learn more about David and get a comparison between his covenant and the Mosaic Covenant. The rest of the book is the meat of this book and gives you summaries and important psalms in each of the five sections of Psalms. The last chapter provides a nice chart, which gives you different psalms to read depending on how you are feeling at the time.

Like his other books in this series, Dr. Bergsma presents this information in an approachable method. He provides you with enough information on the subject matter, as to not overwhelm you, but also invites you to dive deeper after reading his book. The most charming parts of this series are his clever stick-figure drawings. These pictures are not only amusing, but they are also educational. I especially liked the one he made of King David looking like a rock star! These simple drawings help illustrate the main points Dr. Bergsma is trying to convey and so in a way that is helpful and not distracting. If he did a whole book of nothing but stick drawings from every famous Bible story, I would gladly buy it and love every minute of it! I hope there are more books in this series, because I highly recommend them all.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Power of Daily Mass (Ave Maria Press)

Going to daily Mass is something I aspire to achieving. I know it is something I should just do, and not just hope to do, but at the moment I am unable to do so. I will say that the people I know who do attend, seem much closer to saints than I am/every hope to be, and I attribute it to their devotion to daily Eucharist. Recently, Dr. Bert Ghezzi wrote a book explaining the benefits of Daily Mass attendance called The Power of Daily Mass.

The book begins by walking us through the different seasons of the Liturgical Year. With each season, Dr. Ghezzi provides us with a brief summary of when they occur and what we can learn from each one. By going through the seasons of the Church, he demonstrates that the Church wants us to attend daily Mass and in doing so, we will be grow closer to Jesus. The second chapter follows the first, but instead of focusing on seasons, it switches to Saints. In addition to there being specific seasons celebrated at certain times throughout the year, there are certain days we celebrate the Feasts of saints. The remaining chapters focus on the benefits of Mass. It serves as a repentance for our minor/venial sins, allows us to frequently seek God's intercession, gives us our daily bread, and prepares us to go out into the world each day and serve God in words and actions.

The book makes a simple, but compelling case for why you should attend daily mass. It has a nice mix of Scripture, saintly writings, and personal experience. At the end of this book are several helpful appendices, including prayers before and after mass, the Church Calendar, Holy Days of Obligation, and Marian Feast Days. This is a book that you can read in a day, but take a lifetime to put into practice. I recommend it and hope to one day accomplish the goal of daily mass.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Way of Catechesis (Ave Maria Press)

It's only been one year, but it feels like forever since I have been a catechist. If you are a Catholic in good standing and have never been a Catechist, you should consider volunteering one or assisting one at least one year in your life. It is both a thankless and rewarding job that has equal shares of joy and frustration. You'll get kids who want to be there and kids who don't, kids whose parents are super-involved and parents you never see. But no matter the type of children you teach, you want to help them learn about Jesus and the love He has for each of them. However, there is more to catechesis than just teaching children, there are also opportunities to instruct adults as well, not only in RCIA, but in other programs as well. As difficult as you think teaching children can be, adults present their own challenges and joys. Recently, Gerard Baumbach published a book entitled The Way of Catechesis, which walks us through the history of catechesis.

The book starts in the Old Testament and is used to provide us both historical context and examples of catechesis for the Jewish people, through God's prophets. We then move to the New Testament and are presented with Jesus, the ultimate teacher and catechist. The whole book could have been written on Him, His message, and how we do and should respond to it, but the author did a fine job reducing it to one chapter. We then work our way though the centuries, starting with the Early Church, stopping in on the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and present day. Each chapter has reflection questions at the end, which can be used for individual use or small group discussion. At the end of the book are helpful books to read, copious notes, and an index, which can all be helpful for further study.

On its surface, the book is a history lesson on where the Church has been with catechesis and how it has changed through the centuries. A closer read reveals that the book is actually a mixture of history and goals/plans for the future. The old saying about you can't know where you are going unless you know where you have been summarizes this book perfectly. In this book, Baumbach shows his love for Christ and His Church. He also demonstrates how he wants discipleship within the Church to be dynamic and fruitful. This is an essential read for both pastors and directors of religious education. Normally, after reading a good book I like to keep it in my collection to reference in the future, but this is one I plan to pass on and share.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

ABCs of the Christian Life (Ave Maria Press)

G.K. Chesterton is probably one of the most widely read Catholics after Augustine. However, even among Catholics, he is a polarizing figure. As Peter Kreeft pointed out in the Foreword, his writings are something you either love or hate. There is no middle ground. The reason many people dislike reading him so much is because his words can strike a nerve. They get right to the heart of the matter and tell the truth without pulling any punches. If you have never read any of G.K. Chesterton, I imagine you are wondering which work should I start with, because he has written thousands upon thousands of pages. Luckily, Ave Maria Press has recently published a book that I think makes the perfect introductory work. It is entitled ABCs of the Christian Life and has excerpts from many of his famous works.

ABCs of the Christian Life is laid out like one would expect for a book with this title. There are 26 chapters with each chapter representing a letter. The book begins with chapters on asceticism, Bethlehem, and Catholicism. We then take a detour and visit Charles Dickens, which I have to admit, I didn't expect to see him mentioned in this book. Other notable figures are St. Francis, St. Joan of Arc, St. Thomas Aquinas, and another surprising entry in Queen Victoria. In addition to people, the book also touches on concepts like insanity, miracles, and negativity. At the end of the book is an index that shows you the main work from which each chapter in this book was taken from, which is extremely helpful if you want to read further from that specific work.

Overall, I found this to be a fine introduction to the thoughts and works of G.K. Chesterton. I wouldn't necessarily say the book was a quick or easy read, because if so, then it wouldn't be a Chesterton book. What I do recommend for this book is to take your time reading through it. Don't try and read it in one sitting or even one day. Instead, try and read one chapter a day and let it marinate in your head. Once you finish the book, you are then ready to take on full works of G.K. Chesterton, and I would think back on chapters I liked and read those full works to start.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations: Volume 1 (Ave Maria Press)

Jorge Maria Bergoglio became the 266th Pope in 2013 at the age of 76. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. He is know for his informal style, breaking of tradition (not to be confused with Tradition), and personable nature. In his four years, he has spoken a great deal on various subjects, and because of who he is, he has been misquoted more times than anyone can count. It is for that reason that I always recommend people read his words, and not just listen to sound bytes. Ave Maria Press has recently made that possible with The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations: Volume 1. The volume consists of Pope Francis' five most important writings through early 2016:

Lumen Fidei - The Light of Faith encyclical
Evangelii Gaudium - The Joy of the Gospel apostolic exhortation
Misericordiae Vultus - The Face of Mercy papal bull
Laudato Si' - Praise Be to You encyclical
Amoris Laetitia - The Joy of Love apostolic exhortation

I am not going to review each of these individual works as I have spoken on them at various times, since their publication. Instead, I will comment briefly on the book. For starters, I like that these five major works are compiled into one volume. I have all of them individually, but if I were going somewhere and wanted to read them, I'd much rather carry one book than five. That being said, I worry about the durability of the book, and wish it were a nice hardcover instead. Secondly, I like that this is labeled as Volume 1. This shows promise that there will be additional volumes. The hope is that this book sells well, and that they don't decide to leave this series hanging with only one volume. Another hope of mine is that this book might inspire them to perhaps go back and do this with previous popes, like Pope Benedict XVI or Pope John Paul II, but his might take 20+ volumes. Overall, I like this book and recommend it to anyone looking to read the words of our current pontiff.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

BeDADitudes: 8 Ways to be an Awesome Day (Ave Maria Press)

I have a challenge for you. Get out a sheet of paper and make two columns. In the first column, I want you to make a list of the top three things that you are good at. Now, on the other side of paper make a list of the top three things that are most important in your life. Compare the two lists, and see how much overlap there is, if any. I won't tell you both of my lists, but I will tell you that being a good dad was in my top three of things most important in my life. Sadly, if I am honest with myself, I don't think it would fall in the top three of things I am good at. I try to be, but I don't always take as much time with my son as I should, and I don't always have the patience with him that I should. I think a lot of dads might agree with me on wanting to be better dads. I believe that is why Greg Popcak wrote BeDADitudes: 8 Ways to be an Awesome Dad!

The book is divided into eight chapters with each chapter taking on a traditional beatitude from the Gospel of Matthew. For example, Chapter One is titled "Blessed are the dads who are poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven!" At the beginning of every chapter, Dr. Popcak puts into layman's terms exactly what the beatitude means, because let's be honest, these sayings never made a lot of sense with a superficial reading of the Gospel. I mean, what does it really mean to be poor in spirit? It's such an odd phrasing. After explaining the beatitude, each chapter is divided into three parts - 1. Your relationship with God, 2. Your relationship with your wife, and 3. Your relationship with your children. In addition to giving practical advice in each section, he also provides multiple questions for reflection that will not only make you think, but challenge you to be a better husband and father.

In this book, Dr. Popcak takes a Scriptural passage we are all familiar with and finds a way to focus the message to men. He shows us that the Beatitudes are not only a model for Christian life, but they can also help us to be better husbands and fathers. I recommend this book for any man, new father, experienced father, or even someone who is newly married and is going to be a father one day. It is a very valuable resource and one I plan to visit again and again.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review.

Bible and New Testament Basics for Catholics (Ave Maria Press)

Dr. John Bergsma is one of the great Biblical minds of the Catholic Church currently. I have read his writings in the academic journal Letter and Spirit, and in these he shows his brilliance in a way that leaves you reading and rereading, because it is so indepth. In his books from Ave Maria Press, Bible Basics for Catholics and New Testament Basics for Catholics, his brilliance is again on display, but he puts it in a way that is both understandable and fun to read. Let me tell you about these two books.

Bible Basics for Catholics is a 200 page walkthrough salvation history with pictures! Dr. Bergsma begins the introduction by explaining three important terms that are key to this book and salvation history - 1. covenant, 2. mediator, and 3. mountain. At first blush, it seems like a case of "one of these things is not like the other," but it all makes sense. In layman's term, he tells us that "a covenant is a legal way to make someone part of your family." Two examples of this are marriage and adoption, and those apply perfectly to our relationship with God. A mediator is the person who represents the large group of people within the covenant, i.e., Noah, Moses, etc. And we all know what a mountain is, but it is significant because this is where six of the Biblical covenants were made.

The book then walks us through the seven covenants - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Prophets, and Eucharist. I was familiar with six of these covenants, but the one on the Prophets is not one I understood too well. Dr. Bergsma pulls Scriptural quotes from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel to discuss this New Covenant, and how it will be a restoration of the Davidic Covenant. All the other covenants had been broken by the Israelites until now, but with the restoration of Davidic Covenant, there will be a new Zion and a new King from the line of David. The last chapter of the book discusses the book of Revelation, Heaven, and the Great Wedding Feast, or as Dr. Bergsma refers to it, "covenant consummation." There are also notes and study questions for every chapter at the end of the book. This was a marvelously written book that condensed the Bible to its main message and made it very understandable. What set this book apart from others was the stick-figure illustrations. There are copious amounts of these illustrations in the book, which help the reader to understand better, remember more, and be able to teach/share these lessons with others. Highly recommended book, which I will reference for teaching students as well as my own children!

After tackling Bible Basics for Catholics, I turned my attention to New Testament Basics for Catholics. My first impression of the book was that it was thicker than I expected. Dr. Bergsma did a whirlwind tour of all of salvation history in 200 pages, so when I discovered that this book on the New Testament was almost 300 pages, I was a bit surprised. I then read the Table of Contents and realized that not all 27 books were covered either! So what exactly is in this book and which books will we be studying? Dr. Bergsma focuses on four authors (Matthew, Luke, Paul, and John) and gives us a brief description of them and their writings in the introduction. Don't worry! The stick figures are back and each one comes with his own stick figure. Matthew has a money bag (tax collector) and a quill (scribe). Luke has a head mirror and stethoscope (doctor) and an icon (first iconographer). Paul has a sword (the Word of God and was beheaded) and a letter (wrote a lot of epistles). Lastly, John has one hand giving a priestly blessing (was a priest) and the Eucharistic cup (taught extensively on this in John 6.)

The first chapter of the book gives us a prequel of the Old Testament and is basically a brief summary of Bible Basics for Catholics. Chapter Two is on the Gospel of Matthew. Chapters Three and Four are on the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Chapter Five is on the Letter to the Romans. And Chapters Six and Seven covers the Gospel of John and Revelation. Each chapter is a summary of each Biblical book complete with helpful illustrations for teaching/memorization purposes. I especially liked Chapter Six as I believe that Dr. Bergsma did a masterful job explaining the seven signs in the Gospel of John. I do wish that Chapter Seven had walked us through the seven seals, bowls, and trumpets more, but I did appreciate his summary of the seven churches. Also missing from this book was the study questions at the end. This was a good book, but it didn't feel as great as his first one. I'd still recommend it though as it is good for self-study or teaching.

These books were provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for honest reviews. If you found these reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!

The Mystical Body of Christ (Ave Maria Press)

The Mystical Body of Christ is a reprint of a Fulton Sheen classic from 80 years ago! Let that sink in for a minute. In 1935, Pius XI was Pope. Vatican II was still roughly thirty years away, and World War II was on the horizon. Can a book this old still be relevant to the Church and culture today? Or is this merely a book that must be read in the context which it was written? Keep reading and find out.

Before one reads the text of The Mystical Body of Christ, we are treated to a Foreword by Bishop Robert Barron and an Introduction by Brandon Vogt. Both men work at Word of Fire Catholic Ministries and do great work for the Catholic Church. Immediately, after these two sections we dive into the words of the beloved Bishop Fulton Sheen. He explains in his introduction that there hasn't been a definitive study on the Church since the Reformation. He attributes this to a lack of persecution. You have no need to define yourself; defend yourself when someone isn't questioning, doubting, or persecuting you. It makes sense.

The book begins with an explanation of the Church through the lens of Jesus Christ. There is no better place to start than this, because the two cannot be separated. Sheen begins by explaining the three phases of the Life of Christ - the earthly life, the glorified life, and the mystical life. He then devotes an entire chapter to the Mystical Body of Christ. This is a long chapter with a lot of spiritual meat to chew on. I found myself reading and re-reading passages to try and digest the topic more fully, and I truly believe I could go back and re-read that chapter and still gain more and more from it. For example, Sheen instructs us that, "Christ and His Mystical Body make but one Mystical Person. A Mystical Person has a double existence: one in Himself as Head of the Mystical Body, and the other in the Body of the faithful who receive his Life." Read that several times and let it sink in. The following chapters then more fully discuss Christ as Head of the Body and the Holy Spirit as the Soul of the Church. Other chapters talk about infallibility, authority of the Church, priesthood, and Mary, just to name a few of the 28 chapters.

The chapter entitled "The Sacrifice of the Mystical Body" was a very beautiful chapter on Christ's Crucifixion. Sheen begins by explaining that before most men die, they prepare a last will or testament. Jesus instituted a memorial of His sacrifice in the form of the Eucharist. He goes on to explain that the Mass is more than a memorial service of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, but is instead the sacrifice on the Cross. Sheen also explains that the offertory of the Mass is a co-offering of Christ and us and the consecration is also a co-consecration of Jesus and us. Sheen goes on to say, "Calvary, then, is the source of Divine Life; the altar is the canal. Calvary is the Treasury of merit; the Mass is its application; Calvary is the reservoir of Grace; the Mass is the open flood-gates pouring it into our souls."

When I received this book, I was expecting some practical theology from the original television evangelist. However, this book was written well before his time on the airwaves, and when he was still a professor at Catholic University of America (CUA). Thus, this book provides an astonishing glimpse at his theological genius. Those who studied under him at CUA were blessed indeed, and all of us are blessed that he eventually shared his genius with the whole world. This book will take you some time to work your way through, but if you can persevere to the end of it, you will be all the richer. Five stars.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Meditations before Mass (Ave Maria Press)

Meditations before Mass is a classic in the Catholic realm. Written by Romano Guardini, one of the 20th centuries greatest theologians, this work as well as several others by him gained popularity in the 1990s and were translated from German to English. The Introduction of this book states that the purpose of the discourses in this book were "simply to reveal what the Mass demands of us and how those demands may be properly met." Part One aims for total concentration of mind and heart to God in the Mass, and Part Two discusses the essence of the Mass and what it means to us as Catholics.

It was interesting to learn both about aspects of the Mass such as its institution and liturgical form. However, the chapters that spoke to me the most dealt with hindrances we encounter when participating in the Mass as we should. Guardini notes three specific hindrances - 1. Habit, 2. Sentimentality, and 3. Human Nature. I learned several important points from these chapters. For starters, any boredom or monotony we experience at Mass comes from us and not the Mass. The Mass is inexhaustible. Sentimentality is a desire to be moved and can be dangerous when it comes to the Mass. To put it in simple terms, you shouldn't go into Mass looking to see what you can get out of it, but what you can put into it. Lastly, celebration of Mass depends on human people, because it is a living thing.

If you are looking to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Mass, I highly recommend this book. It not only educates you, but it invites you to examine both the Mass and yourself. I am extremely pleased that more and more titles of Guardini are being translated into English. This man was a mentor to both Hans Urs von Balthasar and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), so any book you can read of his I'd highly recommend. In fact, after you get done reading and reflecting on this book, check out another book by Guardini entitled Jesus Christus, which is a series of sermons on the life of Christ.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Grace of Yes (Ave Maria Press)

I've had the pleasure of "working" for Lisa Hendey for the past year or two. I'm one of the dozens of people who contribute to her website CatholicMom.com, and though I rarely get a chance to speak with her or thank her for the opportunity to share my small voice on her website, I know she is a special woman. When she asked me to review her latest book, The Grace of Yes, I admit I had severe reservations. What if I hated it? What if I wasn't the target audience, and the book didn't speak to me? How could I tell a person I greatly admire and respect that her book was a dud? To my relief, the deeper I got in the book, the more I realized that I didn't have to worry about any of these questions!

In the simplest of terms, The Grace of Yes is Lisa Hendey's memoir. In addition to learning about various stages of her life, i.e., childhood, young adulthood, early marriage years, early years as a parent, and being an empty nester, we also learn some cool facts about her. Perhaps, the coolest fact of all is that she's distantly related to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux...in a word, that is awesome! However, to call this book merely a memoir would do disservice to the book. Drawing from her life experiences, Lisa pinpoints eight virtues every Christian needs to adopt in order to fully say "Yes!" to God and His will in our life. To my delight, these weren't your typical cliched virtues, like faith, hope, and love. That's not to discredit these tried and true virtues, but Lisa thinks outside of the box and introduces us to the following virtues:

1. Belief
2. Generativity
3. Creativity
4. Integrity
5. Humility
6. Vulnerability
7. No
8. Rebirth

Chapter Two: The Grace of Generativity spoke to me the loudest. Before opening this book, the word generativity is a word I might have seen once on one of the old school SATs where they still had analogies. As Lisa states, the word means, "a concern for people besides self and family that usually develops during middle age; especially a need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation." At the ripe old age of 31, I like to think/believe that I am not middle-aged yet. However, when Lisa asks in the book to name three people you love that aren't family, I found myself struggling to find even one. Of course, I love my wife, my son, and the rest of our family. Even if they drive me crazy or I drive them crazy that love is there just because of who they are, not because of what they do for me. However, it made me sad to think that I couldn't even list one friend who I love with no qualifications or because of what that relationship provides me. That's what Lisa's words do. They make you question yourself, your journey with Christ, and how open you are to letting Him work in you.

At the end of every chapter are specific questions to ponder. They are worded gently like reflection questions, but as you read through them a few times to reflect on them, you realize they are a challenge to be better; a challenge to empty yourself of you, fill yourself with Jesus, and say "Yes!" to Him. After these questions, she closes with a prayer, which I always appreciate, as they help direct your thoughts back to God and acknowledge that you can do nothing without Him. You could argue that the primary audience for this book is women, and even if you wouldn't be completely wrong, you would greatly discount the book. Be you man or woman, young or old, you will find yourself relating to some aspect of Lisa's life. I highly recommend picking up two copies of this book, one for you and one to loan out, because you won't want to give up your copy.

DON'T FORGET Today is The Grace of Yes Day. I am participating by reviewing the book The Grace of Yes. If you are interested in participating, please click here for more information.

This book was provided to me for free by Lisa Hendey herself in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes.

The Catholic Baby Name Book

The Catholic Baby Name Book is another book in the CatholicMom.com series, which are available from Ave Maria Press. Other books in this series include, Imitating Mary, A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy, Small Steps for Catholic Moms, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, and The Handbook for Catholic Moms. Lisa Hendey has authored two of these books and written the foreword for the remainder, so you know that each book has merit, if she stuck her name to them.

This 500+ page book is divided into two sections - Boys' Names and Girls' Names. Each section is alphabetical and contains a GLUT of names. Some of the names are expected, like Benedict or Dominic. Other names leave you scratching your head, like Dioscorus or Numidicus, and make you wonder if anyone would ever burden their child with that name. (Apologies to anyone who gave their kid either of those names.) I appreciate that Mrs. MacArthur included Old Testament names, like Aaron and Elijah, in her book. Even though they are not technically "Saints," they are important Biblical figures we believe to be in Heaven.

The book touts more than 10,000 names, which it does. However, it includes a lot of variations of what I will refer to as "main names." For example the entries Ambrosi, Ambrosius, Ambross, Ambrossye, Ambrotos, Ambroz, Ambrus, and Amby are all variations that said, "see Ambrose." For "main names," I greatly appreciate that the author provides name meaning, language of origin, and some background on the saint. At the end of the book are a few appendices which include name popularity, and my personal favorite - recently canonized Saints. Overall, this was a good book that fell short of great. I believe condensing the number of pages would help dramatically. I see the value in this book, especially for first-time expectant parents. However, it is a book that I would recommend borrowing over buying.

This book was provided to me for free from a friend. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Basil Moreau: Essential Writings (Ave Maria Press)

From great religious orders come great saints. Generally, the founder of these orders are the ones who are canonized first, but that is not always the case. With regards to the Congregation of Holy Cross, Brother André Bessette was canonized in 2010. However, the founder, Fr. Basil Moreau, was beatified in 2007 and still awaits another approved miracle for canonization. I admit to having heard of the Congregation of Holy Cross before, but am ashamed to admit to never having heard of Saint André Bessette or Blessed Basil Moreau. That is why I was pleased to receive a copy of Basil Moreau: Essential Writings in the mail from Ave Maria Press.

Basil Moreau: Essential Writings begins with a brief biography of Blessed Basil Moreau. I say brief, but it is still 50 pages long. In these pages, we see more about his development as teacher, scholar, and priest than we do of his personal life at an early age. We also learn about the development of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Lastly, we learn about the spiritual themes that pervade his writings. These main themes are the imitation of Christ, particularly the crucified Christ; Divine Providence; Union: Holy Trinity and Holy Family; and the Virtue of Zeal. If you are interested in learning more about Blessed Basil Moreau, I recommend a more thorough biography, Basil Moreau: Founder of Holy Cross.

The five chapters in this book contain Blessed Basil Moreau's sermons, a selection of Spiritual Exercises, Christian meditations, some writings on Christian education, and circular letters. The circular letters were his communication with members of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Each of the writings in these five chapters served a purpose in this book, but they did feel like you would glean more from them if you were a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross. The homilies and excerpts from the spiritual exercises were the most fascinating to me. However, I found it a shame that his entire spiritual exercises were not made available in this book. My favorite sermon was the one on St. Joseph. I feel that St. Joseph is the most overlooked member of the Holy Family, so it is always interesting to me to read about him. Granted, I didn't agree with everything Blessed Basil had to say, but it definitely presented a different perspective.

Overall, this was an interesting and LONG book. If you a member of the Holy Cross family, then this is a must-have book for you. If you are not a member, you will still find some merit in the book, but I'd recommend getting the book when it is on sale. I hope to find time to re-visit the book more fully in the future, but until that time it will probably just sit on my shelf. 4 stars.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Introduction to the Spiritual Life (Ave Maria Press)

Introduction to the Spiritual Life is another title from Ave Maria Press' Christian Classics imprint. Like other books from this imprint, we are presented with a fresh translation of an old text that is designed to help us grow in our Catholic life. I was unfamiliar with the author, Louis Bouyer, so I did some research and discovered that he was a French Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism in 1939. Due to his intelligence, he was relied upon during the Second Vatican Council for the topic of liturgy.

In this book, Bouyer examines several aspects of the spiritual life including Tradition, Scripture, Prayer, Sacraments, and even Asceticism. To give you an idea of what this books discusses and the detail that it goes into, the chapter on prayer is broken down into many subsections. In one such section, he compares vocal prayer with mental prayer, expounds upon the Liturgy of the Hours, compares and contrasts meditation and contemplation. He even goes so far as to discuss the Ignatian Method of Prayer and the Sulpician Method of Prayer. I was familiar with the Ignatian Method, but the Sulpician Method was news to me. It is primarily for clerics, but is "summed up in three celebrated formulae: Jesus before my eyes, Jesus in my heart, Jesus in my hands." It sounds beautiful, but it's definitely out of my realm for prayer at the moment.

The most interesting chapter to me was Chapter 7, which focused on lay spirituality. "For the Christian, the circumstance in which he finds himself placed become a sign of the will of God as this is clarified by the teaching of the Gospel." Some of the expected topics discussed here include work, marriage, and parenthood. However, he also touches on fasting, almsgiving, and moderation. He also rightly points out that we must take our spouse and children into consideration when it comes to the practices we choose to take up. We can't take up something that might be beneficial for us if it will be a detriment to others. Very sage advice there that I plan to remember and take to heart.

Drawing from the teachings of the saints, both Eastern and Western, Bouyer provided us with a very detailed book for laity and religious on how to live the Catholic life. I wouldn't call it light reading, as it spans over 400 pages. However, I would call it straightforward reading, as he is very clear in this book on how to grow more closely to Jesus. This book will hold a special place on my shelf and will be one I revisit time and time again in the future as I continue to grow (hopefully) in my journey with and toward Christ. Five stars. Be sure to check out other titles from the Christian Classics imprint, like Origen's On First Principles and Basil Moreau: Essential Writings.

If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Encountering Jesus in Word, Sacraments, and Works of Charity and A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching (Ave Maria Press)

It's another two review day here at Stuart's Study. I'm not a fan of this format, but sometimes the books are just too plentiful that if you don't review two at a time, you'll never get to them all. Tough problem to have, right? Poor me. I have too many books. In all seriousness though, these two books are available from Ave Maria Press and are both quick but profound read that will help us grow in our understanding of the Catholic Faith.

Encountering Jesus is a brief 100 page book by the same author, Fr. Peter J. Vaghi, as the Pillars of Faith (4 Volume Set). Broken into three parts, Fr. Vaghi tells us how we can encounter Jesus in Word (the Bible), Sacraments (specifically Baptism, Penance, and the Eucharist), and Charity. Weaving these three elements together, we get a clear message of what the New Evangelization is, and we also get a blueprint on how to draw closer to Jesus.

As a former Protestant, I am well-versed in how to encounter Jesus in Scripture, and as a convert, I have had experience drawing closer to Jesus through the Sacraments. However, I never considered charity as a way to accomplish this. That is why I chose that section as my favorite section. Using the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Last Judgment, Fr. Vaghi paints a picture of what true charity is and what it reveals. He says, "True charity, after all, is that which opens persons to knowledge of the Great Mystery: that of the Father's love for man in Jesus Christ, found concretely in and through someone else." If we see Jesus in the faces of those who need our help, the world would be a better place. It's easier said than done, I know. If you are looking for a short but powerful book on how to improve your relationship with Jesus, this is the book for you!

A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching lives up to its name and then some! In this revised edition, Fr. Kevin McKenna touches on topics of social justice such as human dignity, rights of workers, and care for the poor, just to name a few. Under these umbrella labels, we can dive deeper and see specific issues. For example, Life and Dignity of the Human Person includes issues such as racism, capital punishment, and abortion. Fr. McKenna carefully and succinctly addresses all of these issues, using Church documents released by popes and bishops.

With recent talks in the news about increasing minimum wage, it was interesting to read what the great minds in our Church had to say about the rights of workers. However, these sections discuss more than unions and a just or living wage. They also discuss relationships between employer and employee, relationships between wealthy and poor nations, and the dangers of consumerism. Though the media chooses to ignore each of these sub-points and focus solely on sensational journalism, they are important as well and should be brought to the table.

Fr. McKenna has a masterful way of dissecting complex papal documents, like Evangelium Vitae or Caritas in Veritate, and explaining them in readable chunks. As great as the chapters are, the appendices are equally wonderful! I especially like the "Homily and Catechetical Message Guide." In this first appendix, the reader gets a list of Mass readings for all three years and which ones correspond to which issues. For example, the readings for the Feast of the Ascension fall under the category of "Dignity of the Human Person." In summation, I would recommend this book to all priests and any laity with an interest in the social teachings of the Church in a clear and concise manner.

These books were provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press. If you found the reviews helpful, click here or here and hit Yes!

Yes, God! (Ave Maria Press)

I must confess something to you all. One of my deepest desires is to have a son become a priest. In fact, I'd love to have a whole bunch of children who find vocations as priests, sisters or nuns. However, I know there is a fine line between encouraging vocations and causing children to flee from the faith, because you "shove it down their throats." But with my wonderful wife by my side, I have faith that I will be able to stay on the right side of this fine line. That brings me to the book I am reviewing today called Yes, God!

Yes, God! is a book I have been anxious to read. I can't describe my excitement when it finally arrived in the mail. In this book, author Susie Lloyd interviews ten people who said yes to their vocation to the religious life. Doing her best to get a sampling of people, she interviews priests, sisters, and nuns from both Western and Eastern rites within the Catholic Church. The families these ten men and women came from are also varied, which was perhaps the biggest surprise for me. I, like most people, assumed that if you want to foster vocations in the home, then that home should smell of incense and have a holy aura that you could see from space. This isn't the case though, as demonstrated in this book.

The book as a whole focuses on fostering different traits to encourage vocations, such as affection, generosity, spiritual poverty, etc. Each chapter of this book is divided into two parts. Part one gives a brief biography of one of the clergy or religious members who are featured, a description of their family life, and what led them to accepting their vocational call. Part two is the author's reflection on what she told you in the first part and how it relates to her and her family. I had a hard time picking which chapter I enjoyed the most as each one was beautiful in its own way. There's Fr. Mark Fesniak of the Ukrainian Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who grew up altar-serving at both Western and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches every Sunday. (No wonder he became a priest!) And there's Sr. Brigid Mary Rock who grew up on a farm, where she learned toughness mixed with affection from her father. Like I said, all of the stories are beautiful in their own right.

This book is not some magic formula on how to raise future priests and religious; nor is it a blueprint which provides step-by-step instructions for fostering vocations. Such a book does not and will not ever exist. Instead, this book provides a glimpse into the home lives growing up of our religious and gives some practical guidance that, while not guaranteed to make your sons priests, will help you become a better parent. I would recommend this book for all Catholic parents. In addition, I would recommend that parents (together with their children) pray for an increase in vocations. Also, do not shy away from discussing vocations with your children. You don't have to push them into it, but let them know it is an equally valid choice, alongside doctor, engineer, etc.

This book was provided to me for free by Ave Maria Press. If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes!

101 Tips for a Happier Marriage and Six Sacred Rules for Families (Ave Maria Press)

This is the second post in a row that I am doing a double review. Sorry to my readers if I am overwhelming you with books. Welcome to my day-to-day world! I finish a book, write a review, and see progress in my review stack. The mail arrives the next day and there are three new books to review. Don't get me wrong; it can be an overwhelming juggling act, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It really is a GREAT problem to have if you love books like I do. Today's post includes two books from Ave Maria Press - 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage and Six Sacred Rules for Families.

101 Tips for a Happier Marriage is a brief, but efficient book that provides the reader with 101 practical tips on a happy marriage. The tips are arranged thematically under headings such as "Adjust Your Attitude" or "Get It Done Without Drama." I appreciate that as it makes for an easier and more systematic read. You might need a specific section of the book at a certain time, and you don't want to spend an hour thumbing through the book to find the tip you are looking for.

Generally, I try and find a favorite section or chapter in a book to recommend. However, each tip fits on one page, so I have to take a different approach. What I like best about this book is that the book is addressed to the reader. The authors don't give tips on how to improve your spouse so your marriage will be happy. They give you tips on how to improve YOU! There were definitely some tips in here that opened my eyes and made me say, "I do that and I need to stop." Even though I have been married for just under two years and we are still in the honeymoon phase, I want to always have a happy marriage. This book isn't the magic bullet to accomplish that, but it is a no-nonsense practical guide to help along the journey. It would make a perfect wedding gift or a 50th anniversary gift. Five stars!

Six Sacred Rules for Families is a practical manual for the Catholic family on how to integrate faith into every aspect of life. Starting with "Section One: A New Vision for Family Life," Tim and Sue Muldoon invite you to change the way you look at your family life, and decide what ultimately and what eternally matters. By doing this, you will see family life as a vocation. This shouldn't be a novel concept, because we see priesthood and marriage as vocations. However, parenthood is an equally important vocation!

Part Two is the meat of the book and the basis of the title - the six rules. I won't give you all the rules listed. (You'll have to buy the book for that!) Instead, I will address the one which spoke most loudly to me - "The Third Rule: Our Family Doesn't Care About Success!" Life is more than lots of money, big houses, and fancy cars. As the Muldoons say in this chapter, "The third rule invites us to question what we think is good, to ask whether our vision of what's good is ultimately in service to an expansive and generous love. If it is not, then it is also an invitation to let go of that vision, so a newer one might grow in its place." Part Three wraps up the book nicely by providing real world advice on how to follow all the rules.

As someone with a new family, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a realistic and straightforward approach on how to build a domestic church. If we want our children to love God and the Church and not fall away, then we must be vigilant! We must not compartmentalize our faith to just Sundays. We must let our Catholic faith permeate every part of your life. A large fire ignites from a single spark. Are you willing to be that spark that sets ablaze the love of God in your family? In the world?

Both of these books were given to me for free by Ave Maria Press in exchange for honest reviews. If you found the reviews helpful, click here or here!

In the Redeeming Christ (Ave Maria Press)

Welcome back to Stuart's Study. Today, I'm pleased to review another book from Ave Maria Press, entitled In the Redeeming Christ. This book is part of their Christian Classics imprint. There's something about reading an old book that takes you back to the time it was written. This is true of fiction and nonfiction alike. And while I enjoy most all of the present Catholic authors out there, it is spiritually enlightening to read what the previous generations thought and taught as well.

In the Redeeming Christ starts with an introduction by Dr. Scott Hahn, which provides a brief biography of Fr. Durwell and the time he lived in. Living from 1912 to 2005, he certainly experienced almost the entire 20th Century. At the young age of 27, he made two important insights regarding theology. 1. Jesus' Resurrection was not receiving proper attention. 2. The Pascal Mystery of Jesus should be the center of Catholic theology. This shaped his theological teachings and writings, including this book. In the Redeeming Christ is broken into five parts:

• Principles of Christian Life
• The Sacraments of Christian Life
• Christian Virtues
• Our Master in the Christian Life
• Mary Amongst Us

The five sections mentioned above allow the book to flow smoothly, as they outline the way faith grows within a person. First, one must be presented with the ideas of salvation, redemption, and sanctification, which are key tenets of Christianity. One's faith then begins to deepen through life in the Church. The Bible, the Mass, and the Sacraments help us live this life.  Once a faith is well established and practiced, the fruits of that faith, virtues, bear witness to our life in Christ.  As always, when we need some guidance in our faith journey, we are able to look to Mary, who is the perfect example of what the Church is supposed to be - the bride of Christ.

The most helpful portion to me was the chapter, "Faithfulness to Prayer," which can be found in the section on Christian Virtues. I feel that prayer is an area of my life in which I would like to grow, so I am always interested in books or talks that provide insight on prayer. Of particular interest to me was Fr. Durwell's explanation on the origin of Christian prayer. I never put much thought into the subject, honestly, but he explains that the Church's prayer was born when Jesus cried aloud on the Cross, "Abba, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." This echoes back to what I said earlier about the Paschal Mystery being the center of Catholic theology.

If you're looking for an explanation of what it truly means to live in Christ, you will want to read In the Redeeming Christ. It is a lengthy book at near 300 pages, so it will take you some time to work your way through it. However, it is also straightforward, explaining things at a level that is easily understood. When you complete the last page, you will feel like you have a better understanding of how to live a Christian life and realize that it is only possible by having Christ at the center of your life.

If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes.

Ave Maria Press: The First Spiritual Exercises

I must admit that I am not a big retreat guy. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of retreats. I'm just awful at executing them properly. Instead of focusing on my relationship with God, I spend too much time looking at others on retreat. In doing this, I end up feeling inadequate, like I don't love Jesus as much as everyone else there. Then, when people start crying from joy and I remain dry-eyed, and I start feeling that other people can sense my feelings of inadequacy. I mention all of this because Ave Maria Press has published a book on the classic Ignatian Spiritual Exercises with a new twist.

The First Spiritual Exercises are a series of retreats designed for people looking to begin Ignatian Spirituality. Each retreat is designed to bring you closer to God and help you discern his will for your life. Each retreat is four weeks and comprises elements of Scripture, prayer, meditation, and contemplation. There are four retreats in all, and they all center around finding Inner Peace. Unlike most retreats, you don't have to perform the first before you can form the second through fourth. They are designed for wherever you are in your life at the moment. Specifically the four retreats are:

1. Inner Peace in Divine Love
2. Inner Peace in Darkness and Light
3. Inner Peace in Friendship with Jesus
4. Inner Peace in the Service of God

Each retreat takes four weeks. Monday through Thursday you spend anywhere from twenty to forty-five minutes praying while reading Scripture and meditating on it. There is also a weekend exercise to perform and receiving the Eucharist on Sunday. I wasn't entirely sure which one to choose, so I picked the logical choice and attempted the first retreat. I'd love to say that my entire life was instantly made better. However, that isn't how retreats work. If you make some steps in the right direction, then it is considered a success.

My favorite part of the retreat was the Program for Life on the last Saturday. In it, you reflect and answer what time you can take to enhance your family life, work life, personal life, prayer life, etc. Once you have finished answering these questions, you have your Program for Life. As the retreat reminds you though, you need to make it practical and sustainable or else you won't follow through with it. Remember, small steps are the key to success.

If the idea of going on a retreat intimidates you, then this is a book for you. If you're looking to learn more about Ignatian Spirituality, then this is a book for you too. I still think you should take the time and go on retreats with other people, even if it makes you uncomfortable. This is advice I am giving to myself as well. However, this a five star book that will get you started and might help you build up some courage and comfort for the group retreat setting. So pick up a copy, and make some steps toward Inner Peace with God.

If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes.