First Beginnings and Mysteries of the Old Testament (Angelico Press)

Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich was an Augustinian nun who lived from 1774 to 1824. In addition to being a nun, she was also a stigmatic and ecstatic. Like a lot of saints, she grew up in a poor family. However, she was always very close to God and showed great love for Him and those of His Church, often giving everything she had, leaving her without anything for herself. What was extraordinary about Emmerich is that from an early age, she experienced visions of Old and New Testament scenes. Angelico Press has made it their mission to publish English translations that have been supplemented and revised with material never translated before. Today, I would like to tell you about two of the volumes - First Beginnings and Mysteries of the Old Testament.

First Beginnings starts by talking about angels and the fallen angels. This was equal parts intriguing and terrifying. On the one hand, we see one set of angels choosing God and another set of angels choose self. We then see Hell being created. It isn't overly descriptive, merely described as a dark disc rising from below. Some of the fallen angels remained there, and others still roam trying to lead man to eternal damnation. After this vision, we are walked through the Creation story, Paradise, Adam and Eve, the Fall, and the death of Abel. A brief section is dedicated to the name of Golgotha. This leads to Cain's descendants, Enoch, Noah,, and the construction of the ark. Other figures discussed were Nimrod, Derketo, Semiramis, Melchizedek, and Job.

Mysteries of the Old Testament begins with Joseph being sold into slavery. It talks of the jealousy of his brothers, a description of his coat of many colors, and mention of a special gift Jacob gave to Joseph, some of the bones of Adam. There is then much attention given to Asenath, Joseph's future wife. From the Old Testament, we know very little about her, but here we are given a physical description of her, learn that she is a prophetess, and also are given examples of her great intelligence. The next section details Moses, specifically the burning bush. We see the prefigurement of Mary and the Incarnation in this area. Also included are Elijah (a personal favorite), Elisha, Ezra, and Malachi. Lastly, there is a lengthy passage on the Ark of the Covenant as it related to Abraham, Moses, Mary, and Jesus. This was a truly fascinating section and worth the price of the book alone!

Publishing these volumes was no doubt a monumental effort for Angelico Press, but you can tell it was truly a labor of love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through the Old Testament writings, as I find the people and history of the Old Testament to be fascinating. The level of detail and the illustrations provided make these two books a must read for any student of the Old Testament. I also appreciated the copious amounts of footnotes that were provided, as this gives us better understanding of the visions and the illustrations as well. In addition to these two volumes of the Old Testament, there are ten other volumes in this series that cover the life of the Virgin Mary, people of the New Testament, Venerable Anne Catherine Emmerich's own life, and other themes. I am going to have to investigate and read these when I have the chance to get a fuller and more complete picture of the visions Anne experienced and the remarkable life she lived.

The Radiance of Her Face (Angelico Press)

Dom Xavier Perrin is the current Abbot of Quarr Abbey, a Benedictine Abbey on the Isle of Wight. He has a great devotion to the Virgin Mary and recently wrote a book about her entitled The Radiance of Her Face: A Triptych in Honor of Mary Immaculate. The first chapter asks us to focus on a triptych consisting of three panels of images of Mary. The first panel contains an image of Mary and an angel in the scene of the Annunciation. This is a picture of the angel seeing a resemblance of the face of God in the face of Mary. It is also a picture of humility in the face of Mary. The second panel is a picture at the Vatican with the pope and Mary. This pope is proclaiming the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. The center panel is Mary Immaculate in Heaven with God. She is the Mother of God and the Mother of all Humanity.

The second chapter focuses on Mary's origin story. Nowhere in the Bible is there any mention of Mary's birth, so pagans looked to discredit her birth, lineage, and virginity. To combat this, people wrote apocryphal texts to explain her life before Jesus. It is here that we learn about her parents Saints Anne and Joachim, that Mary's birth was miraculous in nature, and we also learn about the Feast Days that celebrate her conception and presentation. Other chapters in this book compare and contrast the Virgin Mary with Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene, show us small portraits dedicated to Mary of the Immaculate Conception, and explain to us the mystery and beauty of Mary's Immaculate Heart with Jesus' Sacred Heart.

The Radiance of Her Face is a small book that is not even 100 pages long. Within it, however, are words of beauty and wisdom that look to not only explain the mystery of Mary's Immaculate Conception, but help us reflect and meditate on it as well. This would be a perfect read during the month of December, but I recommend picking up a copy and reading it immediately, because it is in Mary's face that we see the face of God.

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

A Brief Life of Christ (Angelico Press)

One of Bishop Fulton Sheen's greatest books is Life of Christ. It is a 500+ page book that contains great depth and great detail on our Lord Jesus Christ. For some, that is a daunting task to read a book of that length, which is why Bishop Sheen penned A Brief Life of Christ. The book is less than 100 pages long, but it is still as powerful as the original. The book is divided into five chapters - Early Life of Christ; Temptations; The Beatitudes; Public Life and Passion; and Death and Resurrection.

The book begins by telling us of men who claimed to be from God, such as Buddha, Mohammed, and Confucius. Christ is unique in nature for many reasons. First, His birth was predicted years in advance. Second, His coming divided history into B.C. and A.D. Third, He was born in this world to die, not to live. Lastly, He was more than a good teacher. He was either Messiah or liar. The chapter on temptation was very interesting. Sheen explains that Christ's temptations are different than ours and more than just a temptation of physical hunger or testing God. The final chapter was of course the most powerful, because this was the central ministry of Christ. In this chapter, Sheen breaks down the institution of the Eucharist, the agony He went through, and His death. We also see the Resurrection, Pentecost, and the Ascension. The book closes with the suffering and death of Christians worldwide and how their suffering and deaths are not in vain but are redemptive.

This is a short but powerful book and one that I highly recommend. Sheen has a way with words and can bring out truths and points that you have never considered before. I highly recommend this book, especially with Lent coming up. It would make an excellent read during that time (or any time for that matter). Then, after you have read this book I invite you to push yourself and challenge yourself to read Life of Christ.

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

The Golden Princess and the Moon (Angelico Press)

Fairy tales are some of the most timeless and important stories of a culture. They get passed down from generation to generation, can impart wisdom/lessons, and can even find their way into other cultures. It's a big reason the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and others still survive to this day. Sleeping Beauty is one of the more well known fairy tales as both the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault re-told this story, which actually had its origins in the 14th Century. It has since been told and re-told in popular media, most notably by Walt Disney. Recently, Angelico Press released a re-telling of this story entitled The Golden Princess and the Moon.

The book begins with a young Prince Erik crying in the woods, An old woman, named Ninny Nanny, hears him and offers give him something to eat and a place to rest. He is wary at first because he has heard that she is a witch. However, he relents to her offer after she informs him that she knew his deceased mother. Prince Erik's mother believed in magic and the old world. However, his father, the king, tried to stamp out anything magical in his land. When he goes back to Ninny Nanny's cottage, he rests for a while and has a dream about a princess. Her name is Rosa. She is a mere child and a spoiled brat at that. Prince Erik was disgusted with her but Ninny Nanny warned him that he must allow children time to grow up and mature. The rest of the book then focuses on this three characters, their maturation, their struggles, and their identities. I want to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil the book either.

It is no secret that I am not a fiction fan. For that reason, if I request to review a fiction book, I must truly believe that the book is very special or has enormous potential. This book has both. The author, Anna Maria Mendell, has an evocative writing style that draws the reader in. Her imagery and character development give us fleshed out characters, which creates a richer story as opposed to a two-dimensional plot with a predictable ending. She also steeped this story in religious symbolism without beating the reader over the head with it. Her use of faeries and magic made this book have a classic feel, but with a fresh coat of paint. I look forward to what else this author has to offer in the future and hope she decides to tackle other fairy tales with the same depth and beauty as she did this one.

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 and hit Yes!

In No Strange Land (Angelico Press)

Strangely enough, I first learned of St. Philip Neri from a children's book entitled Philip Neri: The Laughing Saint. In this book I learned about his joker personality when he was a child, but I also learned about what a great mystic he was. After reading this book, I was inspired to learn more about this great saint. Therefore. I knew I had to read the book In No Strange Land when Angelico Press published it.

The book begins with a lengthy introduction on the subject of mysticism and how it can be a misunderstood and intimidating term. It continues by describing the mystical states of consciousness. Other topics broached in the introduction were Thomas Aquinas and "The Weight of God." The book then gives us a background on St. Philip Neri and the world he grew up in. Both time and place were great influences on his life and his spirituality. We also learn of the great influence the Dominicans had oh his education. In fact the whole first part of the book is about how Florence shaped Philip and what effect this had on his spirituality and mysticism. Part Two focuses on his time with his uncle in San Germano and Part Three focuses on his time in Rome after his ordination.

The central theme of this book focuses on the three stages of spiritual growth. Different saints through the ages have different viewpoints for what these three stages are, but essentially they deal with beginning the journey, making progress on the journey, and arriving at the journey (or perfection). The three divisions of this book and the three divisions of St. Philip Neri's life reflect the central theme of this book. With this purposeful division of his book, the author (Fr. Jonathan Robinson) masterfully weaves biography, history, and Catholic spirituality into readable chunks. Reading through this book, I feel like I have a better understanding and appreciation for Philip Neri the man and Philip Neri the saint. Fr. Robinson also managed to make mysticism more approachable by using a concrete example of one man. Instead of presenting an overall abstract definition of mysticism, he presented Philip's life to us and showed us that mysticism is attainable. If you would like to learn more about this saint, his life, and Catholic spirituality, you will want a copy of this book.

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 and hit Yes!

The Case for Catholic Education (Angelico Press)

The Case for Catholic Education is a short but eye-opening book by Dr. Ryan N.S. Topping, the author a book from 2013 that I still remember today - Rebuilding Catholic Culture. His current book looks objectively at Catholic schools, Catholic education and exposes the weaknesses. His reason for doing so is because "there is potential for greater strength."

The first chapter sets the stage by explaining why there is a crisis in Catholic education. Dr. Topping believes the root cause to be a "lack of confidence in truth." He goes on to explain what is lacking and Common Core and discusses a different curriculum briefly. He also speaks of Christopher Dawson and Dorothy Sayers and how they could see this crisis coming before it happened. The second chapter is the most depressing to me. In it, we are presented with numerous statistics and graphs that compared secular students, Protestant students, and Catholic students. Not all the numbers were bad, but with a lot of the moral and social issues you could see the degree of subjectivity Catholic students have adopted. Where is the objective moral truth that our children are supposed to be learning? But we cannot blame this solely on the schools, Catholic parents have failed as well. The remaining four chapters in this book discuss the purpose of education, the methods of the teacher, a curriculum of seven liberal arts (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music), and a hopeful chapter on the future of Catholic education.

It is hard to pick out a chapter as one that spoke to me the most, because each chapter built upon the previous one. I found myself nodding along the further and further I progressed in the book. After the chapters is a set of discussion questions, which can be used solo or in a small group setting. As for my opinion of the book, I found it to be succinct, but important enough that all Catholics should read it, not just parents and teachers. Catholic education is in need of a change, and we must stand up and do something about it, because it is not just our children's minds that are at stake but their souls as well.

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 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.

Tolkien's Sacramental Vision and The Hobbit Party (Angelico Press and Ignatius Press)

Despite the insistence of many atheist/agnostic Middle Earth fans, Tolkien's works are bursting at the seams with religious, more precisely, Catholic themes and values. To try and ignore or dismiss the Catholicism that is found in his works is an insult to Tolkien and a sign of ignorance on the reader's part. In Craig Bernthal's work Tolkien's Sacramental Vision, he examines different scenes, objects, and characters in Tolkien's works (mainly The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) under the light of Catholic Sacramentality.

The book begins by explaining what exactly a Catholic novelist is, and then defends Tolkien's place as one. Other topics discussed include the creation story in The Silmarillion; Baptism and the character of Frodo; Penance and Reconciliation; and Galadriel and her gifts, to name a few topics. I learned a lot of interesting things, which I missed in my readings of The Lord of the Rings. For example, I learned that Boromir took Faramir's place at the Council of Elrond. Perhaps, if Faramir had gone like he was supposed to things would have turned out differently. My favorite section of the book discussed Leaf by Niggle. I could definitely relate to Niggle in many ways including time-wasting and the need for perfection to a fault. This brief section in the book led me to reading this work, and hopefully becoming less of a "niggler."

Overall, this was a very fascinating book and one I would highly recommend to any Catholic or Christian who loves Tolkien. It opened my eyes to many nuances in Tolkien's works and made me appreciate The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings on a whole new level. If I had more time, I would break out my copies of the two works and read through them again with this book by my side. Unfortunately, that is not feasible for me at this time, but it is something I plan/hope to do in the future. Five stars and cannot recommend this book more highly.

When you hear the title for The Hobbit Party, you might think the word party is referring to a gala of sorts, like I did. In actuality the title is a play on politics, like the Republican or Democratic Party. While most authors/commentators on Tolkien's work tend to focus on the religious themes in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the authors, Jonathan Witt and Jay Richards, chose to focus on how the political environment of his day shaped his writings and the political and economic themes we find in his writings if we look closely.

Some of the interesting topics discussed include just war, free market/capitalism, and big government. The most interesting chapter to me however was the last one which touched on the topics of love and death. The authors begins this chapter by stating that "Death and the desire for deathlessness was Tolkien's central theme of The Lord of the Rings. We are then given a litany of examples, including the obvious One Ring and Gandalf's death and resurrection; as well as less obvious example of the White Tree of Gondor. Despite all the mention of death, Tolkien however had the right perspective on death. He saw it as a gift, and not a curse. This may sound confusing at first, because death is a consequence of the Fall, but without death we would continue to live on and sin and never reach the ultimate reward of Heaven.

Overall, this book was an interesting read. While it is hard to argue that these political and economical messages/themes are in Tolkien's work, I question whether it is worth reading this much into the works of Tolkien. Sometimes you can over-analyze a work that you risk killing it. Just my two cents. If you are a fan of Tolkien and politics, then this is the perfect book for you. If politics aren't your cup of tea, then you're probably better off avoiding this book. I will end by saying that the book is worth checking out for the End Notes section alone. It contains a great deal of interesting/edifying works that I plan to read in the future.

These books were provided to me for free by Angelico Press and Carmel Communications, respectively, in exchange for honest reviews. If you find these reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!

The People of Ancient Israel (Angelico Press)

The People of Ancient Israel is the shortest book in Dorothy Mills' six volume history set, spanning only 210 pages. The book begins by describing the land of Palestine, including its size, terrain, vegetation, and climate. Ms. Mills then briefly details both the Hebrew Scriptures and "tales" such as Creation, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. She points out that the world owes a great deal to the Hebrews, because they taught the world about God in their writings.

After these few brief chapters, we reach the main focus of this book - the people. Of course we start with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Included in this section is a lot of what you would find in Scripture. However, there is also some personal commentary on certain topics, like why Abraham would listen to God and agree to sacrifice his son Isaac. Her reasoning and viewpoint seems centered on cultural reasons for this near-sacrifice and that Abraham obtained the idea from culture and not from God. She also doesn't say that God sent an angel to stop the sacrifice, but that Abraham reached a level of understanding that this sacrifice would not be pleasing to God. That is definitely one way of looking at it, but not how I would teach it.

After the Patriarchs is mention of Joseph and Moses. Following Moses, we begin to see the nation of Israel take shape with their wandering in the desert. The reason for this is because they were issued the Law (or the Ten Commandments). The nation finally gets roots with their conquest of Canaan, and leaders (also known as Judges) ruled over the people. Ms. Mills talks about several of the more famous judges, primarily Samson and Ruth. The nation then becomes a kingdom under Saul, who was followed by David and then Solomon. The most interesting sections to me dealt with the Divided Kingdom, Israel's fall, and their time in captivity.

The book then ends with "In the fulness if time, the Teacher came. At Bethlehem, in the days of Herod the King, seventy years before the destruction of Jerusalem, Christ was born, who by his life and teaching made possible the fulfilment of the ancient visions." I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, Dorothy Mills does a nice job making history interesting and come alive. On the other hand, there are a few troubling statements in the book. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.

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 and hit Yes!

The Book of the Ancient World (Angelico Press)

If you're a homeschooling mom (or dad) or one considering homeschooling, then you know there are a TON of curriculum options out there. Some are better than others, but it really boils down to what style of homeschooling you are going to employ. If you are taking the classical approach, like my wife and I intend to do, then you definitely know the name Dorothy Mills. Dorothy Mills wrote a six book series on ancient history. Two different publishers have taken the time to re-print these, Memoria Press and Angelico Press. Even though Memoria Press has student and teacher guides, you can purchase with them, they only have four of the six volumes. Personally, I prefer the Angelico Press editions after all and will be reviewing one volume every other month on my blog. Today, I am starting with The Book of the Ancient World.

The Book of the Ancient World begins with an Introduction that speaks of cave men and prehistoric times. It speaks of making stone tools and how some people don't believe history really started until man was able to keep written records. I'm honestly unsure how I felt about this introduction, but thankfully it was short and something you could skip over and not miss anything in the book. The contents of the rest of the book includes the Egyptians; the Assyrians and Babylonians; the Hebrews; the Hittites; the Persians; and the Phoenicians. Egypt by far gets the most attention as it spans over 50 pages. The rest of the ancient people, with the exception of Israel, only garnered about 20-25 pages.

It was hard to pick a favorite part in this book. The level of detail given to the Egyptians was fascinating. Ms. Mills didn't just discuss popular pharaohs and their pyramids, but she also covered their gods, their books and writings, what typical life consisted of in Egypt, and even how children lived in Egypt. She also did a truly great job addressing Israel. In this section, she included the Patriarchs, the three kings (Saul, David, and Solomon), and the Divided Kingdom. I am truly fascinated to see what level of detail she went into in her book, The People of Ancient Israel. I wish more information would have been included on places like Persia and Phoenicia, but I appreciate that there was additional reading suggestions at the end. The one that I wish there had been more of/any of was maps! Maps would have definitely elevated this book, and perhaps they were there in the original edition, but not in this reprint.

After reading through this book, I feel much more knowledgeable about the ancient world. Yes, some information may be a tad dated as we have made new finds regarding these ancient worlds, but that doesn't take away from the quality of this work or the information that Dorothy Mills compiled. And while the book won't make you a certified expert, it will provide you a great starting point on the subject. So if you are an adult looking for an introduction to the ancient world or a teacher/parent looking for a supplemental text to your history book, you will find this book to be extremely helpful. I imagine you could use it as the skeleton for your homeschool history, but you will definitely want to find some more resources to add meat to the bones.

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 and hit Yes!

Angelico Press: The Tumbler of God: Chesterton as Mystic

If you have been keeping up with Catholic news at all, you will be aware that "permission for the first step in a possible canonization process has been granted for the cause of G.K. Chesterton." (Zenit.org) For fans of Chesterton, myself included, this is definitely reason to celebrate. I also figured it would be a good time to review a book about the man himself entitled The Tumbler of God: Chesterton as Man and Mystic, available from Angelico Press.

When one thinks of great mystics of the Catholic faith, we think of people like St. Padre Pio, St. Bernadette of Lourdes, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux to name a few. Gilbert Keith Chesterton is probably far from people's minds, but Fr. Robert Wild looks to add him to the list of mystics with his book The Tumbler of God. For those who find the title unusual, I refer you to Chesterton's work on St. Francis or just reading Chapter 6 of this book.

The book starts off by explaining who Chesterton was and what went on inside of his head. Fr. Wild then draws upon different authors, including Karl Rahner and Thomas Merton, to provide different definitions of mysticism and to examine how well Chesterton would fit into these molds. The author then takes the time to explain what exactly constituted Chesterton's mysticism. If I understand it correctly, Chesterton's mysticism stemmed from seeing reality for what it is and glorifying the Creator. The rest of the book then deals with the mysticism found in some of Chesterton's important writings, such as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man.

I am usually able to pick one chapter in a book as my favorite, but I was unable to narrow it down to just one with this book.  Two stood out in particular to me. The first was the chapter on Chesterton's work Orthodoxy. This is one of my favorite Chesterton works, so the extra insight I gained on it from this chapter was helpful and kindled a spark in me to approach this work again with new eyes. The other chapter I particularly liked was the final chapter, which made a case for Chesterton's sainthood. As Fr. Wild points out, Chesterton isn't your typical mystic or saint, but that's doesn't make him any less of a mystic or saint. It just goes to show that God made us all unique, and we all have the potential for sainthood.

This entire book was written like a thesis by Fr. Wild. With a first person point of view, you are able to hear the author's passion, enthusiasm, and zeal for the great man that G.K. Chesterton was. It was a truly enlightening book which strengthens the case for canonizing Chesterton as well. So whether you are a seasoned reader of Chesterton or someone looking to start reading his works, you will find gold when reading this 5 star book. I look forward to the future with the hope that we will one day have a Saint Gilbert.

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Angelico Press: The Cross and the Beatitudes

I was talking with my wife recently about technology and books, and we were speculating about when books will become strictly digital. We concluded that it won't be in our lifetime, and maybe not in our kids' lifetimes. However, books might become a rare commodity, which one has to pay a premium price to own. I have mixed feelings about that. I appreciate technology, but there's something about just turning actual pages and the smell of paper. Books also help me to appreciate publishers, like Angelico Press, who are taking the time to reprint some of the classics of Catholicism. They are not only making the works available to a new generation, but they are doing it at a reasonable price to boot!

The Cross and the Beatitudes is a short work by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I won't go into great detail on who Venerable Sheen is as I expect my older audience will immediately recognize that name. However, for my younger audience, I encourage you to find out more about this great man. He was a brilliant writer and "televangelist" who was VERY popular in the 1950s with his television show called "Life is Worth Living." He was definitely a prophet for his time and Blessed (soon to be Saint) John Paul II said of him, "You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church." That's very high praise.

At under 100 pages, The Cross and the Beatitudes, is a quick, but profound read. If you're like me, you have read or been taught a lot about both the Beatitudes and Jesus' last words from the Cross. However, I have never seen them juxtaposed, and it was a truly fascinating study. Archbishop Sheen explains to us that Jesus preached the Beatitudes at the Sermon on the Mount. However, he lived them at Golgotha. One may wonder how he was able to link the Seven Last Words on the Cross when there are eight beatitudes. He was able to do this, because the eighth Beatitude, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, "is a confirmation and a declaration of all those that precede."

While each of these seven chapters provided wisdom and clarity, the one that spoke to me most was "The Second Word," which juxtaposed "Blessed are the merciful" for they shall obtain mercy," with, "This day you shall be with me in Paradise." In this chapter, Archbishop Sheen elaborates on the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. He explains how Heaven rejoices over the lost soul being found (saved) as opposed to the already saved souls. He then talks about the Good Thief to the right of our crucified Lord, who showed the full amount of mercy he could to not only Jesus, but also the thief on the left of Jesus. Tradition refers to him as St. Dismas, and as he was the saint I chose going through the RCIA program, I have a special devotion to him.

The Cross and the Beatitudes is a book you can read in an hour, but it is not one that you should attempt to read in an hour. If you speed through this book, you will surely miss some of the great truths it contains. Take the time. Meditate on this book. It would make a great book to read during Lent, but it's message is applicable at any season in the year. So pick up this 5-star book and expose yourself to the wisdom of Venerable Fulton Sheen. Pray for his intercession so that he may become a saint. Then, read another of his works. I recommend A Brief Life of Christ.

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