Pauline Books and Media: Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux

I am a sucker for things that come in series - books, DVDs, games. If I own one of them, I am going to want to own them all. It's the collector in me, I think. Well, I was recently introduced to the Classic Wisdom Collection (available at Pauline Books and Media) when they sent me a copy the eleventh book in this series, entitled Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux. The other ten books in the Classic Wisdom Collection (arranged alphabetically) are linked at the end of this review.

In my recent readings on western monasticism, I was introduced to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Before that, I thought he was just another saint in a long line of saints about whom I knew nothing. I learned that he wrote a treatise entitled "The Steps of Humility and Pride," which I consider life-changing. I also learned that he preached 86 sermons on the Song of Songs, before he died. 86 sermons on an eight chapter book, and he still didn't finish the entire book! Intimacy in Prayer: Wisdom from Bernard of Clairvaux contains excerpts from these 86 sermons and some of his treatises in order to better explain the soul's search for intimacy with God in prayer.

This book is under 100 pages and divided into 23 different chapters. Each chapter is three to four pages long. With this layout, one can easily read the book in less than a month by simply reading a chapter a day. I would recommend picking a consistent time reading it each day to develop a habit, and so that you will stick with it. If you read upon waking, your whole day will be pointed toward God. If you do it before you go to bed, you can accompany it with an Examination of Conscience and a reflection upon your whole day. There are tons of ways to read this book. The key is to actually read it!

I particularly enjoyed the brief chapter called, "Alone with God." As a lay person, I have often felt a longing to be closer to God. I believe sometimes that just getting away from everyone and everything and focusing on God, like monastics, would help accomplish this. I know this is not possible due to the responsibilities of my life and vocation. St. Bernard, thankfully, helped spell things out for me. He said, "You must withdraw mentally rather than physically, in your intention, in your devotion, in your spirit. For Christ the Lord is a spirit before your face, and he demands solitude of the spirit more than of the body, although physical withdrawal can be of  benefit when the opportunity offers, especially in time of prayer."

This is a 5 star book that provides the reader with a small sample of the beauty of the Song of Songs mixed with the wisdom of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. It provided me with a deeper comprehension of this often misunderstood book of the Bible, and it also increased my appreciation for a saint about whom I am just starting to learn. If you are looking to draw closer to God in prayer, and honestly, who isn't, I would recommend this book to you. They also have ten other books (as seen below) for different challenges in your spiritual life that you might be facing.

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Comfort in Hardship: Wisdom from Thérèse of Lisieux
Courage in Chaos: Wisdom from Francis de Sales
Inner Peace: Wisdom from Jean Pierre de Caussade
Life’s Purpose: Wisdom from John Henry Newman
Path of Holiness: Wisdom from Catherine of Siena
Peace in Prayer: Wisdom from Theresa of Avila
Secrets of the Spirit: Wisdom from Luis Martinez
A Simple Life: Wisdom from Jane Frances de Chantal
Solace in Suffering: Wisdom from Thomas à Kempis
Strength in Darkness: Wisdom from John of the Cross

Our Sunday Visitor: The Fathers of the Church Bible

If you follow my blog and books I review, you should know three at least three things about me. I LOVE Bibles, the Fathers of the Church, and Mike Aquilina's books. Therefore, when I heard that there was a Bible being published called The Fathers of the Church Bible and that Mike Aquilina was involved in the project, I knew I had to own a copy! Unfortunately, my excitement quickly faded once it arrived in the mail. Before I get to what I didn't like about the Bible, let me give some basic details about the Bible.

The translation of this Bible is the New American Bible Revised Edition, also known as the NABRE. This is the version you hear proclaimed at every Mass, so you know this is a faithful translation. Like your basic NABRE Bible, you get both the NAB and NABRE introductions. You also get footnotes and cross-references. How is this Bible different then? There are 88 color inserts in the Bible with writings from the Church Fathers on topics such as the Canon, Baptism, Angels, etc. I would have liked for these inserts would be placed near the Scripture passages that they address, but instead they are just spread about evenly to make for a uniform distribution.

Let me start with the positive aspects of this Bible. The Fathers of the Church Bible itself is a paperback, but the pages have a nice weight to them. The font is easy to read, and the Scripture cross-references and notes are easily separated on the page to make for easy navigation and easier reading. The margins aren't very large if you are looking for a Bible to make notes in. I am not, so that wasn't a deal-breaker for me. The inserts are especially enlightening and full of important teachings. I am VERY pleased that St. Ephrem the Syrian merited his own insert, as he is too often overlooked and forgotten.

As for the negatives, it is mainly the combination of presentation and price that I find lacking with this Bible. If you are looking to buy your FIRST copy of the NABRE Bible, then this would be a good choice. If you already own a copy of the NABRE, then you will be a little disappointed with this Bible. In my opinion, the inserts would have been better served as a small booklet sold separately. So if you already have a NABRE Bible, then I wouldn't recommend getting this one as well, because the inserts don't justify the cost. You would be better served buying a copy of one of Mike Aquilina's many books on the Church Fathers.Overall, I would give this Bible 3.5 out of 5 stars. I expected much more from this Bible, and I believe it could have been better than it was.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Fathers of the Church Bible. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

Harvard University Press: Aquinas on the Beginning and End of Human Life

Since I've become Catholic, I could easily say that my viewpoint on a lot of issues have been changed. Because I believe the Catholic Church is the fullness of faith and is true in her teachings, I have a new appreciation for matters of doctrinal and moral nature. One such example is my opinion on human life and death.  I have always been pro-life in terms of abortion. However, I used to see euthanasia as an acceptable choice. Since my conversion, I no longer see things that way anymore. Thank God for opening my eyes. I bring all this up, because I am reviewing a book from. I bring all this up, because I am reviewing a book from Harvard University Press called Aquinas on the Beginning and End of Human Life.

In Aquinas on the Beginning and End of Human Life, Fabrizio Amerini examines the writings of Thomas Aquinas to determine which side of the fence he would land on with regards to abortion, euthanasia, and personhood. For those unfamiliar with Fabrizio Amerini, such as myself before this book, he is an internationally renowned scholar of medieval philosophy. Chapters in this book cover topics that range from the human soul and embryology to the bioethical implications of Aquinas' viewpoint.

The book is laid out in a fact-oriented manner. Instead of telling you what he believes Thomas Aquinas is saying, Dr. Amerini presents you with Aquinas' writings and how they can be interpreted by each side. In my opinion, the most interesting parts of this book dealt with ensoulment. Ensoulment is when a human being gains his soul. It is the Catholic belief presently that ensoulment occurs at conception, thus an embryo is an actual human being. Thomas Aquinas (and others in that day) believed that ensoulment occurred 40 days after conception for males and 80 days after conception for females. Despite this though, he still believed abortion to be against natural law and a mortal sin, if committed before these times. However, he didn't regard it as a homicide. We, pro-lifers, would disagree today and say that abortion is a homicide.

I'm having a tough time determining a rating for this book. It is highly academic, and at times the footnotes overwhelm the actual text on the pages. I wonder who the audience for this book would be apart from academics or die-hard Aquinas lovers. Also, the book seemed to focus more on when human life began, and not near as much when it ended. Therefore, I wonder if it would have just been better to call this book, "Aquinas on the Beginning of Human Life." For these reasons, I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I would like to add, though, that as demonstrated in this book, no matter when Thomas Aquinas believed ensoulment occurred, he still believed a human embryo was a person or had the potential to be a person.

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