A Holy Year in Rome (Sophia Institute Press)

We are approximately one year through the Jubilee Year of Mercy. How has your year been going? If we're being honest, mine could be going better. Like most new years, I started off strong, but fizzled strong as well. I am trying to re-orient and reset, and in doing so I discovered a book that has been on my unread shelf longer than it should have been. That book is called A Holy Year in Rome and it is available from Sophia Institute Press.

The book begins by explaining the history and significance of pilgrimages and shrines. Chapter Two then gives us a glossary of terms, including terms like jubilee, bishop, cathedral, holy door, etc. These definitions aren't brief one-liners. No, they provide historical examples of the terms as well. In Chapter Three, we see different jubilees throughout history, including the first one in 1300 and the most recent one of 2000 (not counting the current one in 2016, of course). Chapter Four tells us about this current Jubilee Year of Mercy and includes the letter of Pope Francis granting an indulgence and his prayer for the Jubilee. The rest of the book includes places to visit in Rome, such as the seven pilgrimage basilicas and the catacombs.

If you are planning on taking a pilgrimage to Rome, either during the Jubilee Year or some other time, this book is a fine guide and a solid starting point for doing so. If you are not planning on doing so in the near future, then this book will at least provide you with relevant information on what jubilees and pilgrimages are, as well as what makes this one important. I unfortunately fall into the latter category, but maybe one day I'll make a trek to Rome. Until then I will keep my eyes and ears open for someone heading that way and pass this book along to them.

This book was provided to me for free by Sophia Institute Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, 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!

The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage (Servant Books)

The idea of traveling to the Holy Land has always been something of an interest of mine. To walk where Jesus walked, pray where He prayed, and see the sites of the Crucifixion and Resurrection are my biggest motivators. Unfortunately, I have not made it over there yet. Hopefully one day I will, but until then I have Fr. Mitch Pacwa's The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage.

The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage is a gorgeous coffee table book, which highlights significant Biblical places (e.g., Gethsemane and Cana) and churches of importance (e.g., Ascension Chapel). The book is divided into the following eight geographical sections:

1. Bethlehem and Ein Karem
2. Jerusalem Old City
3. Mount of Olives
4. East of Jerusalem
5. Mount Zion
6. North of Jerusalem
7. Western Galilee
8. The Sea of Galilee

When I first opened this book, I went through it and only looked at the pictures. I must confess that if this book included nothing but those pictures, it would be worth the price for the pictures alone. After my surface investigation of this book, I decided to get serious and take the time to actually read the accompanying text. His descriptions and attention to detail make you feel like you are on an actual pilgrimage with Fr. Pacwa. It also makes you wish for even more pictures in the book or perhaps for an accompanying DVD tour. Each chapter then ends with a prayer, which can be used for guided meditation. So far I have only had time to quietly reflect on a couple of these places. I plan to re-visit the book many times in the future though, especially when the places tie in with major feast days in the Church.

My favorite place to read about was a toss-up between The Holy Sepulcher Church and the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Holy Sepulcher Church is venerated as the site where Jesus was both crucified and buried. Underneath the altar is an actual rock from Calvary. How awesome this place must be in which to worship. There is a yearly miracle that occurs here, which Fr. Pacwa failed to mention, and that is the Miracle of Holy Fire. I chose the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary as my second favorite chapter for Fr. Pacwa's inclusion of an excerpt from "The Book of the Passing of the Most Holy Virgin, the Mother of God." This was incredibly fascinating to read, and it sheds light on questions of "Did Mary die?" or "Why was Mary assumed into Heaven?"

If going to the Holy Land sounds awesome but you currently lack the funds or opportunity, then I would recommend this book instead. While it's not the same as an actual pilgrimage (Really, what is?) it will at least provide you an introduction, a sampling of what is in the Holy Land. When you finish the book, do not casually put it on your bookshelf only to forget about it. Instead, place it on your coffee table or another place where you will see it everyday. It is a book you can visit multiple times throughout the Church Year to meditate with, especially seasons like Advent or Lent, and grow closer to God.

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