The Case for Jesus (Image Books)

Some of my favorite books in recent years are Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist and Jesus the Bridegroom. Both were written by Dr. Brant Pitre and both are available from Image Books. Luckily for me, he has now released a third book called The Case for Jesus, so sit back and let me tell you about it.

The Case for Jesus begins with Dr. Pitre telling us about his time in undergraduate classes at LSU and how he was blown away and confused when his professor told him that the Gospels were all anonymously written and that it wasn't until centuries later that the names of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were added to them. He then tells us about how he graduated from Vanderbilt being a bit lost and confused with his faith. Thankfully for the Catholic Church, he did not, or else we would not have his great mind and book. Instead, he entered a PhD program in New Testament studies. Through those studies, he learned three things. 1. The Gospels were not anonymous. 2. Jesus did claim to be God. 3. The confusion about Jesus and who He claimed to be is everywhere! Years later, he decided to write this book for anyone who has ever wondered, "Who did Jesus claim to be?"

The book then takes us through early Christianity and the Gospels. Dr. Pitre tells us that the Gospels were not anonymous, who the authors actually were, what the Early Church Fathers had to say about the Gospels, the dating of the Gospels, and apocryphal gospels. The chapter "Jesus and the Jewish Messiah" was the most fascinating to me, In this chapter, Dr. Pitre walks us through the Old Testament book of Daniel and how these prophecies related to Jesus. There are sections on the Kingdom of God, the Son of God, and even the Death of the Messiah. Truly a fascinating chapter and one I had to read again and will have to visit again the next time I read through the book of Daniel. The book then concludes with chapters on who Jesus thought He was, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.

This book is a solid read for those looking for who Jesus was. It is straight-forward, but intelligent, and you can read it at two different levels. The first level is just reading the book. The second level is turning to the notes at the end and diving deeper by reading some of the sources that Dr. Pitre used in writing this book. I personally loved the book, and it is a great book for Catholics. At the same time, this book is a bit like preaching to the choir. Catholics will have a great book to bolster their faith and be more informed on a subject they didn't know a lot about before. Conversely, atheists and skeptics will see the title for this book, and dismiss it without even giving it a chance, which is a shame, but reality.

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

Jesus and Joseph (Herald Entertainment)

Today, I am reviewing two movies provided for me by Herald Entertainment. Both were made by the same people, and they are called Jesus: He Lived Among Us and Joseph: Beloved Son, Rejected Slave, and Exalted Ruler. Each of them are approximately 90 minutes long, with English and Spanish options. The film on Jesus is recommended for ages 7 and up, which I will explain why in the review. While the film on Joseph is suitable for ages 5 and up. Onto the reviews!

Jesus: He Lived Among Us begins on the island of Patmos in the year 96 A.D. Those familiar with their Biblical history will immediately know that John will be of great importance to this film. The scene then shows us an old man (John) and two Roman soldiers questioning how this ancient man could be considered so dangerous that they would need to imprison and isolate him. John informs them that he would not worship the emperor, because there was only one true God. They then go on to talk about how there had been many attempts on John's life, but that he would not die. This is highly accurate, but it surprised me that they made mention of it, as I got a bit of a Protestant vibe from the film. John then tells the story of Jesus, and the remaining 99% of the film is a flashback.

The flashback begins with the Annunciation and quickly escalates to the Flight into Egypt. As Catholics we know about the deaths of all those babies, the Holy Innocents, that gave their life so Jesus could be saved, but we tend to gloss over them when reading in Scripture. After the Flight into Egypt, we flash forward approximately thirty years to Jesus' baptism by His cousin John the Baptist. The rest of the film focuses on Jesus' ministry. We see His teachings, His miracles, and those whose lives were changed by Him. However, there is a constant shadow being cast by the Pharisees in this film. They are always in the background grumbling and plotting. Again, this is something we know, but not something we always focus on. We also see the Passion, the Resurrection, and Jesus talking to Peter after His Resurrection. The film then ends with a bit of a Protestant altar call. Old John tells what he believes, why he knows it to be true, and asks,  "Now that you have heard the story, what will you believe?"

Overall, I was impressed with this movie. You never know what you are going to get when you have an animated tale of Jesus, but this one was VERY Scriptural. There were times when it felt like some of the miracles were out of order, and there was one very tough scene to explain to your kids in the form of Judas' hanging on the tree. It didn't show him commit the act, but you could see the tree shaking and then it panned out and revealed him hanging there. Yes, I know this is accurate, but it was jarring for me to see and raised questions among younger children. Overall, I would still recommend this move. Just be prepared to field tough questions on some of the scenes. Here is a trailer of the movie for you to preview.

Joseph: Beloved Son, Rejected Slave, and Exalted Ruler begins oddly enough with Abraham, not Joseph. In it Abraham is having a prophetic dream, which speaks of the centuries of slavery that the Israelites will suffer in Egypt and their eventual exodus. It then flashes forward 170 years, and we see Joseph as a teenager being gifted his coat of many colors. Joseph goes off to find his brothers and show off his new coat. Even early on, we can see Isaac's favoritism to Joseph; Joseph's arrogance/obliviousness at being the favorite; and Reuben's instincts on trying to protect Joseph. Joseph also has his first prophetic dream about the sheaves of wheat and how his brothers' sheaves bowed before his sheaf. About thirty minutes in Joseph is sold into slavery, and his life is changed forever. In addition to showing elements of the story that we all know, i.e., Potiphar's wife and the great famine. We also see Joseph making reference to his father Isaac and the stairway to Heaven. The story ends by comparing Joseph with Moses and then to Jesus. This ending shows a covenantal history that is found throughout the Bible.

The story of Joseph are some of my favorite chapters in the Bible, so I have mixed feelings on this movie. On the one hand, the film itself is Biblically accurate. It does an amazing job, not only telling the story of Joseph, but putting it in its rightful place in the story of the Bible as a whole. On the other hand, I remember and often watch Joseph: King of Dreams from Dreamworks, so it is tough to live up to one of my favorite movies. Tastes in movies vary greatly though, so you will have to judge for yourself, and that is why I have provided you with the trailer below to see it. I personally recommend it for your family and religious education classes as well.



These DVDs were provided to me for free by Herald Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!

Seven Words of Jesus and Mary (Angelico Press)

Seven Words of Jesus and Mary is another recent Fulton Sheen re-release from Angelico Press that made it here in time for Lent 2015. In this 70 page book, Sheen begins with a summary of Homer's epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Many of us know these works. In the first, Achilles defeats (kills) Hector, and in the other Odysseus is lost at sea while his wife Penelope waits for his return. He astutely points out though that it is Hector who is the hero, not Achilles, and that Penelope is the hero, not Odysseus. He then uses these examples of the defeated man and the sorrowful woman to compare them to Jesus and Mary during Christ's Passion.

Sheen then points out a fact I never realized before. Mary is only recorded as having said seven phrases in the New Testament. This leads to the heart of the book - a juxtaposition of Jesus' seven last phrases with Mary's seven total phrases. One such example of their words next to each other is Jesus saying, "Behold your Mother," and Mary saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." In these words, Sheen shows us that religion is not something one experiences individually. It is a communal thing that requires fellowship with others. That is why Mary willingly gave herself to be the mother of Jesus and bring salvation into the world. It is also why Jesus gave John (and by extension us) His mother while He was hanging on the cross.

This book reminded me of another book that Fulton Sheen penned called, The Cross and the Beatitudes. In that book, Sheen too focused on Jesus' seven last words and compared them to the Beatitudes. I already knew that Sheen was a highly intelligent man, but reading both of these books, it is clear that Sheen valued these seven phrases perhaps more than any other seven phrases in human history. If you need a perfect book for Holy Week, particularly Good Friday, I highly recommend Seven Words of Jesus and Mary and The Cross and the Beatitudes. Neither one will disappoint you, and you will walk away with a better understanding of the seven last words and a deeper love of Jesus.

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

Characters of the Passion (Angelico Press)

This week at Stuart's Study, I'll be highlighting one of the most well known and beloved American Catholics in recent history, Fulton Sheen. That means that I will be reviewing three of his recently re-released works. During this week, I encourage you to discover other works of his, re-listen to his old programs, and pray that his cause for canonization will be re-opened. Now, let us begin with the first review - Characters of the Passion.

Characters of the Passion is a brief (72 page) book perfect for reading and reflecting through Lent or Holy Week. It is divided into seven chapters and focuses on the following people - Peter; Judas; Pilate; Herod; Claudia and Herodias; and Barabbas and the Thieves. It concludes with a brief reflection on the Scars of our Lord and how Christ can bring us hope if we but believe He is God and follow Him.

The most interesting chapter to me dealt with Herod, not the Herod who killed all the males of Israel when Jesus was a baby, but Herod's son - the one who had John the Baptist beheaded. We don't think of Herod too much when it comes to the Passion, but he was there. After Jesus is held before Pilate, he is then sent to Herod. Sheen points out that Herod was descended from Esau, makes an interesting comparison between the two, and explains why Herod acts the way he does. He then takes the time to answer one of the great questions of the Passion. Why did Jesus stand silent before Herod? I'd tell you, but you'll have to buy the book and find out.

It's amazing to read a book that is almost sixty years old and have the message still be pertinent to today. Fulton Sheen always seems to accomplish that though. His words prove timeless, because they contain truth, and truth is never timeless. There are a lot more characters that could have been discussed including Mary, Simon of Cyrene, and Joseph of Arimathea, just to name a few. Why they weren't, I do not know. But the fact that they weren't doesn't lessen the book at all. Highly recommended!

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here! Also, be sure to check out their other Sheen titles - A Brief Life of Christ, The Cross and the Beatitudes, and Seven Words of Jesus and Mary.

Priest, Prophet, King (Word on Fire)

Fr. Barron is a man who needs no introduction. His DVD program Catholicism has been seen by millions and is responsible for introducing and converting people to the Roman Catholic faith. He followed that popular series up with Catholicism: The New Evangelization and will be introducing a third part Catholicism: The Pivotal Players in 2015. I've had mixed feelings regarding his Catholicism series, but I continue to receive and review Fr. Barron's products, because despite his fascination with Thomas Merton, I believe Fr. Barron is doing a great bit of good in the Roman Catholic world. Today, I will be reviewing his latest series called Priest, Prophet, King.

Priest, Prophet, King is a two-disc, six-lesson series which is designed to help you understand Jesus more fully as priest, prophet, and king. Each lesson is approximately 20 minutes long, and the study guide (which is written by Carl Olson) has enough material to facilitate an hour long discussion. If you're in a smaller group, like I am, you might find yourself watching the session two or three times, just to absorb the material. Unlike Fr. Barron's previous work, Catholicism, this sessions are much shorter (which I greatly appreciated), but they seemed to fly by so quickly that you might blink and miss something...hence the re-watching. The lessons are titled as follows:

1. Adoratio: Adam as Priest
2. The High Priest
3. Challenging False Worship: Elijah the Prophet
4. The Word Made Flesh
5. Ordering the Kingdom: King David
6. King of Kings
Bonus: Heroic Priesthood

In this study, Fr. Barron weaves high theology with his accessible teaching style to present Jesus' three-fold mission. One minute he is making Lord of the Rings references explaining symbolism of Frodo as priest, Gandalf as prophet, and Aragorn as King. The next minute he is diving deep into the Scriptures and explaining the significance of a specific Greek word. It was hard to pick a favorite lesson, but if I had to it would be Session Three, and that might just be because I am a big fan of Elijah. In addition to providing an explanation on Elijah vs the priests of Ba'al. He also challenges us to right worship. He then compares Ba'al to modern day idols like power or pleasure, and asks us if we put these idols ahead of God.

This was easily my favorite Fr. Barron study program. Each session was a good length (especially if you are doing this with young kids in the background), and provided you just enough information to get a good discussion going and make you want to dive deeper either solo or in a small group. I highly recommend this for anyone looking to grow not only in your understanding of Jesus, but your love for Him as well.

This program was provided to me for free by Word on Fire in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, click here and hit Yes!

Jesus and The Legend of Saint Nicholas (Eerdmans)

Today, I have the pleasure of reviewing two books from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers that I believe would make the perfect gift for Christmas or anytime for that matter. One is about Jesus and the other is about St. Nicholas. Both are written by Anselm Grün and are illustrated by Giuliano Ferri. You might recognize Ferri's illustrations from the book Jonah's Whale, which is also an Eerdmans book. Without further ado, here are my reviews.

Jesus is a 12" x 8" illustrated hardcover that details the life of our Lord. The book starts appropriate with the Annunciation. Gabriel, whose face is not picture, is shown telling Mary that she will conceive a son who will be the Son of God. We then fast forward nine months to the nativity and then after that fast forward twelve years to Jesus conversing with the scribes in the Temple. The remainder of the book then discusses Jesus' ministry. We see him calling his disciples, telling parables (the Prodigal Son), doing miracles (healings and multiplying loaves and fish), inviting the little children to come to Him, and saving Zacchaeus. The story then closes with His betrayal, Crucifixion, and Resurrection.

Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The language comes off a little overly simplified and casual. Perhaps, it was a matter of translation or perhaps it is geared for the younger reader, but I feel we can still portray the beauty of Scripture (even when paraphrased) without making it feel so modern and watered down. The other part that bugged me was the pages on the Crucifixion. They showed Jesus being captured and led off to the Sanhedrin but the only hint of his Crucifixion in the images was three trees in the background, not crosses, but trees. I guess they did not want to get to graphic for younger readers, but it still annoyed me a little. Those flaws aside, it's still a good book that will introduce your little ones to Jesus and His whole life and ministry.

The Legend of Saint Nicholas begins with another story of a child born to barren parents after praying to God for a long time. We then see the most widely known St. Nicholas legend of all, the one with the three daughters and three money bags given to them so they can get married. Thankfully, the author rightly made it a more kid-friendly version in omitting that the father was a drunk who wasted all his money. We also are treated to the story of how he became Bishop of Myra. There are two other legends in this book, which you will have to buy the book to find out what they are. I did not recognize them, so it was fascinating to read them.

This was an excellent book to introduce your child to St. Nicholas. There are familiar and unfamiliar tales, excellent illustrations, and even mention of his feast day (December 6) and some of the traditions families celebrate on this day. If you are looking for an alternative to Santa Claus or just an excellent Christmas gift for your young reader, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. 5 stars!

These books were provided to me for free by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers in exchange for honest reviews. If you found these reviews helpful, click here and/or here and hit Yes!

Mary of Nazareth (Ignatius Press)

Mary of Nazareth starts off in a startling fashion. A band of marauders with a group of dogs is going through a small town and capturing all the young girls. Anna and Joachim hear them coming and manage to hide Mary from the men. The dogs, however, are sniffing around and miraculously are unable to find Mary. This is the first hint of one of the underlying themes in the movie - Mary is special. What about the captured girls? They are lined up and inspected by a woman, Herod's wife. She is looking for the one who is to give birth to the Messiah, and wants to kill her. This and other scenes, like Mary taken to the Temple to live were inspired by the writings of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. It therefore became clear early on that this movie will be a mixture of Scripture, tradition, and creative license.

Fast forward about a decade, maybe two, and we see Mary back home with her parents. Joseph has come to ask Mary to be his wife. They could have went with one of two traditions regarding Joseph. They could have made him an older widower with children from his first wife (my preference). Or they could have went with Joseph who was slightly older than Mary, never married, and remained a virgin his whole life like Mary. They chose the latter. In the first scenes with Joseph, we see him seek the permission of Joachim to talk to Mary and Joachim blows him off. Anna, however, says to go and talk to Mary. This seems out of place given that time, but it made for a "cute scene."  I'm not entirely sure how I felt about the interaction between Mary and Joseph. It was a bit flirty, and just felt like they reduced it to some superficial love story.

The movie continues on with scenes we are familiar with from the Bible. There is the Annunciation, Mary's visit to Elizabeth, etc. The director takes creative license with the story and embellishes the facts, like Joseph getting FURIOUS with Mary for her pregnancy, and Joseph giving up on Mary for what seems like a long time. It was puzzling to me why Mary's parents refused to believe that Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age or the manner in which Mary became pregnant with Jesus. For starters, Anne and Joachim were supposed to be barren as well, so why should it be puzzling that Elizabeth became pregnant. Secondly, her parents said early on in the movie that Mary was special, so why change that all of a sudden? It doesn't fit with the storyline. I'm sure Mary felt some level of ostracization, as was portrayed in the movie, but she shouldn't have felt judged by her parents.

There are parts of this movie that seemed forced and reaching for an emotional moment, and there are parts that leave you raw after viewing them. The scene of the slaying of the Holy Innocents ripped my heart out, and it caused me to really stop and think about those poor mothers and fathers back then whose children died at the hands of Herod. The rest of the movie is a mixture of Bible, tradition, and creative license. We see Jesus as a child get hurt and bleed, which was nice as it's foolish to think that Jesus never got hurt or bled. We see Jesus as an adult performing miracles, preaching, and ultimately dying on the Cross. The final scene of the movie has Mary telling the Apostles about how Jesus disappeared in the Temple for three days, and how she didn't understand at the time, but did now. Mary Magdalene then comes in to tell them that Jesus is risen, and the Apostles run off to see. The move then ends with one last scene of Mary and Jesus, Mother and Son.

As I expected beforehand, I have very mixed feelings regarding this movie. There were times I wanted to scream at the screen, and say, "That's not accurate!" or, "Joseph would have never acted like that!" There were other times I was in awe of how the scene captured the human experiences Mary endured while on this Earth. I waffled between giving this movie a 3.5 or a 4 and ultimately decided on a 4 for one very important reason - the message of this movie. That message is that Mary, greatest Saint ever, wants none of the attention on her and wants it all on her Son. She is there to lead us to Jesus, not the other way around.

This movie was provided to me for free by Carmel Communications in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to check out the corresponding book, Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures. Also, EXCITING NEWS, the actress who played Mary, Alissa Jung, will be visiting 5 cities in North America starting November 15th to promote the movie and blog. The schedule can be found here. Unfortunately, I don't live near any of the cities, but if you are lucky enough to, stop by and see her!

An Introduction to God (Ancient Faith Publishing)

There are many books in the Christian world that bill themselves as an introduction of sorts. Most introduce you to key tenets or beliefs of Christianity. Some introduce you to key characters in the Bible. Few are even so bold as to introduce you to Jesus. However, the book I am reviewing today is the FIRST book I have seen that is An Introduction to God.

An Introduction to God is written by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick, author, podcaster, and blogger for Ancient Faith Radio. In this book, Fr. Damick seeks to answer five key questions:

1. Where is God?
2. Who is God?
3. Why Go to Church?
4. Whom Can We Trust?
5. Why Be Moral?

I believe that I, like most people, have struggled with all of these questions in some form or another. However, I was immediately intrigued by Questions 3. I think that is because Christians struggle with this issue most of all. I can't tell you how many times, I have heard, "Why do I have to go to Church? I can meet God in my backyard." It's the tired, "I'm spiritual, but not religious argument." In his answer to Question 3, Fr. Damick presents us with another question, "What is Worship?" He then goes on to define worship and explain the center of worship, which is the Eucharist. We then see a history of worship in the Bible, Christian History, and Ecclesiology. After this detailed study on what authentic Christian worship is, we finally are given our answer to the question, "Why Go to Church?" We worship God because we need communion with Him. We find that union in worship centered around the Eucharist.

I think the part of the book that troubled me the most dealt with Question 4, "Whom Can We Trust?" There were some good parts to this section, like when he discussed Sacred Scripture. However, his attitude and treatment towards the Roman Catholic Church was a bit harsh. He seemed to look down his nose at "organized" religion and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, when I think it could be argued that the Orthodox Church could benefit from some more organization. He seemed appalled that the Pope has his own webpage, when the Ecumenical Patriarch  Bartholomew does as well. He also also chose to only reference the Roman Rite when discussing the Catholic Church. Though it is by far the largest Rite, there are 20+ Eastern Rites in the Catholic Church also under the authority of the Pope. 

I had mixed feelings about this book. There is merit to it for Christians, atheists, and agnostics. However, some branches of Christianity might feel attacked reading certain sections and put it down and never return to it, which is a shame. However, it seems that this book is geared towards those seeking God and have an interest in learning more about the Orthodox Church or are already on their way to joining the Orthodox Church. I am very appreciative of the bibliography at the end, which contains recommended readings for newcomers to Orthodoxy Christianity. It is always frustrating to finish a book and wonder what to read and where to go next on your journey. Thankfully, Fr. Damick didn't leave the reader hanging. Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This book was provided to me by Ancient Faith Publishing in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Jesus the Bridegroom (Lighthouse Catholic Media and Image Books)

I have discovered a new way to read deeper books that has helped increase my understand exponentially. Lighthouse Catholic Media (those CDs you see in the vestibule of your Church) has hundreds of great talks on CDs. Some of these talks, like Jesus the Bridegroom, coincide with books by the same name.  Today, I will be sharing my experience and review of Dr. Pitre's Jesus the Bridegroom, both the CD, from Lighthouse Catholic Media, and the book from Image Books.

Jesus the Bridegroom is a talk that is about one hour in length; given by Dr. Brant Pitre. Dr. Pitre's aim is to explain how Jesus is the Groom and we, the Church, are the bride. He refers to this as "the greatest love story ever told." Why? Because Jesus' love for us is so great that He gave us His Body and Blood in both the Eucharist and by dying on the Cross for us.

The talk begins with Dr. Pitre explaining that the Bible is like a Shakespeare comedy, because it ends in marriage. He informs us that the entire theme of salvation is nuptial. We see Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, married and one flesh. It then progresses to Moses and the Sinai Covenant. Dr. Pitre explains how God used covenants to prepare His people, Israel, for the divine wedding. Unfortunately, as we know, Israel was not faithful to this covenant and committed adultery. However, God does not abandon His wife, but still wants to save her. Thus, a new marital covenant, an everlasting covenant as referenced in Ezekiel and Isaiah, must be established.

We then move to the New Testament. Dr. Pitre points out that the first sign Jesus performs in the Gospel of John is the water to wine at the Wedding of Cana. This helps to further illustrate the nuptial theme carrying over from Old Testament to New Testament. He then takes the Last Supper and Crucifixion and breaks them open to realize truths I never saw before. For example, Jesus never drank the fourth cup at this Passover meal, thus the Passover was not finished until the Cross when Jesus said I thirst. It is also explained how the Crucifixion is the "wedding day" between Jesus and His bride and the marriage is consummated on the Cross. This really was an excellent introduction to the Bridegroom theology, and served as a great starting off point for Dr. Pitre's book Jesus the Bridegroom.

The book Jesus the Bridegroom is a more detailed version of Dr. Brant Pitre's talk with the same name. Using covenantal theology and an understanding of Jewish custom, Dr. Pitre walks us step-by-step through the divine love story of Jesus and the human race. We begin with the covenant at Mount Sinai where God made Israel His people. Then, we quickly and constantly see Israel fall away and break the covenant, in such instances as the golden calf and their constant forsaking of God to follow false gods.

After that, Dr. Pitre introduces us to the key players. Jesus, of course, is the bridegroom and John the Baptist is the best man. But a groom can't be a groom without a bride. This leads to what I consider the most interesting chapter in the book - "The Woman at the Well." Dr. Pitre compares the story of the Samaritan woman at the well to Old Testament references of women at the well. Isaac's bride was found by Abraham's servant at a well. Both Jacob and Moses met their wives at wells also. In fact, Jesus met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. With Jesus approaching this woman at the well, he is extending His love to not only Israel but the whole human race. After this we see Jesus establish a New Covenant at the Last Supper, where He instituted the Eucharist with the twelve apostles who were symbolic of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. We see the actual wedding day on the Crucifixion.

This is an absolutely amazing book. I grew up a good Southern Baptist. I knew my parables, particularly the one of the Ten Virgins, and thus I knew that Jesus was groom; we were His bride; and to always be on the lookout for his Second Coming. What I didn't know is just how deep; how rich the theme of Jesus as the Bridegroom ran not only through the New Testament, but the Old Testament as well. My mind is literally blown and I want to read this book again just to let it sink in further and pick up points I missed. Dr. Pitre is an amazing scholar and, I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next!

I highly recommend both the talk and the book if you want to know more about this subject. The talk serves as a good introduction and whets your appetite. The book fills in details that couldn't be covered completely in the talk. To read an interview with Dr. Pitre, click here. For another great talk by Dr. Pitre, check out Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist and the book by the same name!

The talk was provided to me for free by Lighthouse Catholic Media, and the book for free by Image Books. If you found the review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Jesus: A Pilgrimage (Harper Collins)

Within the Roman Catholic world, there exist a few "celebrity priests." I generally have mixed feelings on the "celebrity priest," as it is something that can lead to scandal if the priest is not properly grounded in the Lord. You might be asking, "Who exactly qualifies as a celebrity priest?" Fr. Pavone and Fr. Pacwa are the first that come to my mind due to their extensive work on EWTN. Three more recent additions to the ranks include Cardinal Dolan, Fr. Barron, and Fr. Martin have been added to this list though. I first learned about Fr. Martin watching "The Colbert Report," and I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first. I have since warmed up to him after reading several of his Harper Collins' works, A Big Heart Open to God and Jesus: A Pilgrimage, the latter of which I will be reviewing today.

Jesus: A Pilgrimage begins with an introduction that clearly lays out what the book is and more importantly, what the book is not. I point this out because, I generally go in with preconceived notions of what I expect or want from a book. Fr. Martin is quick to point out that this book is not a theological discussion on who Jesus is, nor is it a Bible commentary. This book, however, is a look at Jesus, as we see Him in the Gospels, through the viewpoint of Fr. Martin's education, experience, and a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. If we keep this in mind when reading the book, we can give it a proper review.

Each chapter is laid out in the same format. Fr. Martin first mentions the place he is going to visit. He then describes the journey there. Details from this include the actual process of travelling to the location, scenery along the way, and bits of the culture and environment he encountered. Then, comes the heart of each chapter - his reflections. Mixed with theology, history, tradition, and Fr. Martin's wisdom and wit, we put ourselves in the exact moment and location of Jesus and try and picture what it must have been like for both Jesus and those around Him. We then end with the Scripture passage which served as the basis for the site Fr. Martin visited.

The most interesting chapter in this book to me was entitled, "Nazareth." In this chapter Fr. Martin talks about the "Hidden Life" of Jesus. This term refers to the period of Jesus' life, age 12-30, that is absent in the Bible. Fr. Martin, like many, are drawn to this period of Jesus' life because they imagine it is a lot like our lives. "None of us is going to be preaching and performing miracles – at least not as Jesus did – but all of us live everyday lives, as Jesus did in Nazareth, being taught and cared for by our parents, loving and squabbling with our families, playing with our friends, learning what it means to be an adult, and in time earning a living." I never thought of Jesus in this light, but it does make sense. In this chapter, I also learned about just how small and poor Nazareth was. Knowing this, it really puts into perspective the disparaging remarks people make regarding Nazareth. It also shows you the environment Jesus grew up in, and influenced his parables.

Fr. Martin is an excellent storyteller. He does a fine job painting pictures of the places he visited, and he draws out details in the Gospels that one could easily miss. There were, however, parts of this book that I didn't enjoy. The beginning annoyed me a little when he waffled about wanting to go to the Holy Land. (Really what Christian, wouldn't want to see the place of Jesus?!) I also got bored in the beginning reading about the trek to get to each of their destinations, and would think to myself, "Hurry up and get there." However, I eventually accepted that that was the nature of this book as a personal pilgrimage. It would be incomplete to ignore the journey and focus solely on the destination. Those complaints aside, I still enjoyed the book. It was quite interesting to see Jesus, the Gospel passages, and the modern day Holy Land through the eyes of Fr. Martin.

This book was provided to me for free by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, click the link and hit Yes!

Witnesses to Mystery (Ignatius Press)

Every year, about a dozen major Catholic publishers in the United States publish approximately 200-300 books total. I am privileged enough to review 1/4 to 1/3 of them. Most of the books are solid in the faith, easy to read, and spiritually edifying. Some of the books are merely average, and unfortunately, some of the books are by authors we don't need to read (like Richard Rohr or Ron Rolheiser). However, there are about 5-10 that come out each year that blow you away with their exceptionalness, and are "must-owns." The book I am reviewing today, Witnesses to Mystery, falls into the exceptional category.

This book is the product of journalist, Grzegorz Górny, two year investigative study on the authenticity of the relics of Christ's Passion. The primary relics investigated and covered include the Shroud of Turin, the True Cross, the Holy Nails, the Sudarium of Oviedo, the Tunic of Argenteuil, the Holy Coat of Trier, the Veil of Manoppello (Veronica's Veil), the Pillar where Jesus was Scourged, and the Crown of Thorns. Also covered in a smaller chapter are items like the Spear of Longinus (the one that pierced Jesus' side) and sandals that supposedly were worn by Jesus.

As to be expected, larger chapters are focused on more well-known relics. The Shroud of Turin received over 50 pages (roughly 15% of the book) devoted to it. Though I have watched several documentaries on the Shroud, the photographs of Janusz Rosikon and the drawings mapping the images and blood stains on the Shroud were breathtaking. My favorite chapter, however, dealt with the True Cross. I know the legend and tradition associated with St. Helen (Constantine's mother) finding the True Cross. What I didn't know and learned from this book was all the information about the titulus (sign hung on the Cross). I also learned a great deal about the many fragments of the True Cross. It made me sad to read how only half of the titulus remains and also that some of the larger fragments of the True Cross were stolen, lost, or destroyed.

This book is absolutely gorgeous in terms of the pictures, illustrations, and the overall presentation. If this book were nothing but those images, it would be worth every penny. Thankfully, the writing was equally beneficial. One could say that this could be considered a textbook on relics. However, textbook has a negative connotation associated with it. This book is scholarly, but not dry; steeped in details and facts, but not boring. Grzegorz Górny really makes the subject come alive, and he did an A+ job with the numerous trips and interviews conducted to obtain all the information presented in this book. I admit that I sometimes struggle with the authenticity of relics of Christ, but after reading this book, my doubts have dissipated. So if you're a doubter like I was, or someone who believes but just wants more information, I would highly recommend this book.

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

Catholic Courses: The Christ - A Faithful Portrait of Jesus from the Gospels

I find that, now that I am out of college, I wish I could return. I have two degrees, a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Business Administration. I didn't particularly enjoy getting either degree, but I needed the MBA, because a Bachelors in Psychology isn't worth the paper it is written on. If I could do it again or had the spare income, I'd major in Theology. Unfortunately, I do not. Fortunately, there is a place called Catholic Courses where you can buy DVDs or CDs and essentially take a university level course at a fraction of the cost. The selection isn't limited to Theology courses either. They have history, literature, philosophy, etc. All are taught through the lens of the Catholic Church though.

The course I completed recently was entitled The Christ: A Faithful Picture of Jesus from the Gospels. In this course Father Alfred McBride presents 8 different talks, each approximately 30 minutes long, on different aspects of Jesus' life and ministry from the four Gospels. There are two classes from each Gospel with Fr. McBride focusing on some of the key aspects that make each particular Gospel unique from the others. For example, one of the major theme of John's Gospel is the divinity of Jesus, and one of the central messages of Matthew's Gospel is the Sermon on the Mount. You can see an Introduction for this course in the short video below.



There are several different ways one can "take" this class. None of them are wrong, but some are more fruitful than others. Since the classes are only 30 minutes each, you could knock all eight out in four hours, which I did. However, I also went back and watched two classes a week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. I then read some of the recommended reading, including on the disc to deepen each 30 minute session. It was like homework. I highly recommend treating this like a real college course. You will only get as much out of these courses as you put in them.

This is a great product, and Catholic Courses is doing a huge service to the Church by offering an affordable way to educate Her members. They looked and felt like I was taking a real course, and Fr. McBride is an excellent speaker and very knowledgeable on the subject of Jesus. The best way I can determine on how to rate a product of this nature is the, "Would I take another one?" factor. The answer is an emphatic yes. I plan on next taking The First 500 Years: The Fathers, Councils, and Doctrines of the Early Church, since I love Patristics! Check back in a month for my review of that one.