Fatima Mysteries (Ignatius Press)

Ignatius Press has printed some of the most informative and visually stunning Catholics books in recent years. Each of the books are the work of Grzegorz Gorny, a reporter, essayist, and film/television producer, and they focus on a particular devotion or mystery of the Church. Witnesses to Mystery investigates the Relics of Christ. Three Kings, Ten Mysteries examines the secrets of Christmas and Epiphany. And then, there are the volumes which examine different Marian Apparitions - Guadalupe Mysteries, Trust (focusing on Divine Mercy), and the most recent one Fatima Mysteries, which was released just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparition to the little shepherds at Fatima. I would like to tell you a little bit about that book today. The book is divided into the following chapters:

1. Pope on the Brink of Death
2. The Angel of Portugal
3. Miracle of the Sun
4. Deadly Spanish Flu
5. Russia's Errors Spread Throughout the World
6. Anti-Decalogue
7. Towards Another Catastrophe
8. Between Two Totalitarianisms
9. The March of Communism
10. Neither Anathema nor Condemnation
11. Polish Pope Throws Down the Gauntlet
12. Request Granted
13. Fall of the Evil Empire
14. Third Secret

The book surprisingly doesn't begin with the apparition of Mary in 1917, but instead with the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. The reason for doing this is because the Pope was mentioned in the Fatima message ten times. In this chapter, we have a graphic and detail description of Pope John Paul's near death experience. Chapter two flashes back to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. This creates an interesting juxtaposition between the first two chapters. This was one of the leading causal factors of World War I, and the chapter details some of the effects of this war. The chapter also introduces us to the three shepherd children (Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta) and the nation of Portugal as a whole. The third chapter is by far the most interesting, as it revolved around what the children saw and what Mary told them. It also talked about Lucia's mission to spread the devotion of Mary's Immaculate Heart and consecrating Russia.

The bulk of the book then goes on to discuss all the evils that plagued the world afterwords, including the communism in Russia that resulted in martyrs for the Eastern Orthodox faith and the Second World War. Eventually, the Soviet Union fell and the book chronicles that as well. The book, of course, ends with the much speculated and over-dramatized Third Secret of Fatima. Pope John Paul II didn't see this secret as something that pointed to the end of the world. He, instead, connected this secret to his own life and the attempt made on it. He also saw it as potential new dangers that could affect the world, but not new as in never seen, new as in not seen awhile, but stemming from the same old sources.

The amount of photographs, maps, etc in this book is astounding and complement Gorny's level of investigative journalism perfectly. Gorny has once again given us a top-notch book on a crucial part of our Catholic faith. He does a masterful job of not only educating us on Fatima and the little shepherds, but he also places the apparition in its proper context, so that the reader can better understand and appreciate this miracle. He also shows us that there is still work to be done regarding Consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart, and that just because communism was defeated, it doesn't mean the problem was instantly solved. I highly recommend this book and the others I mentioned earlier in this review. Place them on your coffee table, so that they will always be at your fingertips, and when you have guests they will perhaps thumb through them and be drawn into the Catholic faith.

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

Three Kings Ten Mysteries (Ignatius Press)

Grzegorz Gorny has made a career of publishing beautiful books that cover the mysteries of the Church. The first one I discovered was Witnesses to Mystery, which investigated the relics of Christ. The second one was Trust and talked about St. Faustina. The third one was Guadalupe Mysteries, and the most recent one is Three Kings Ten Mysteries, which discusses Christmas and Epiphany. The book begins with a brief, one page prologue, which asks if the story of the Magi is fact or fiction. We then immediately dive into the ten mysteries:

1. The Phantom Apostle
2. The Gospel's Veracity
3. Messianic Prophecies
4. Magi or Kings?
5. The Magi's Homeland
6. Jesus' Birth Date
7. Signs in the Sky
8. Bethlehem's Secrets
9. The Case of King Herod
10. The Oldest Feast

The first chapter sets the stage for this book by telling us that the story of the Magi is only found in Matthew's Gospel. It then gives us background on who Matthew was. The second chapter focuses on the reliability of the Gospels. The third chapter deals with the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and how many references modern day scholars have discovered. Chapter Four is a juicy chapter for me, because it tries to get to the historical root of who these three men were. Were they magi or kings? How many were there really? What was their significance? The chapter on Herod also proved to be fascinating in a tragic sense. In this chapter, I learned that Herod not only was responsible for the murder of the Holy Innocents, but he committed many other murders and atrocities due to his extreme paranoia.

Gorny's books never fail to disappoint in terms of presentation and information. It really is like having a pilgrimage at the tip of your fingers. Simply turn the pages and you are transported to these place, and when you walk away you are all the richer. The only complaint I have about this book is that it is significantly smaller in dimensions than the rest of his works. I believe that if it wasn't, this 166 page book would probably be significantly thinner and all the images would feel compressed, so I'm sure they made the right decision. It's just an idiosyncrasy of mine. If you are looking for a fascinating read the rest of this Christmas season, this is the book for you!

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

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!