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!

Year of Mercy Book Package (Our Sunday Visitor)

The Year of Mercy will officially be underway on December 8th. To prepare the faithful for this Holy Year, there are a lot of books and resources coming out. One of the most approachable and easy to read resources that I have found so far is called the Year of Mercy Book Package, available from Our Sunday Visitor. There are eight books in this series at $10 a piece, but if you order directly from Our Sunday Visitor, which I highly recommend, you can get the whole set for $39.95, essentially half off. The titles are as follows:

Celebrating Mercy
The Psalms of Mercy
The Parables of Mercy
Mercy in the Fathers of the Church
The Saints in Mercy
Mercy in the Teachings of the Popes
The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy
Confession: The Sacrament of Mercy

The books have a certain sequence to them, but the topics are distinct enough that they can be read in any order. Today, I will briefly discuss Book 7 The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and Book 8 Confession: The Sacrament of Mercy. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy is a 70 page book, which walks the reader through the seven Corporal and seven Spiritual Works of Mercy both from a Scriptural and a practical perspective. The corporal works are further sub-divided to add clarity. "Each of the seven corporal works of mercy remedies a deficiency in our neighbor. Indeed, in his body, a person can experience a consistent lack of resources, whether internal (first: food; second: drink), or external (third: clothing; fourth: shelter); or suffering (fifth: disease; sixth: imprisonment; seventh: burial)." This also applies for the spiritual works as seen in this quote. "Human persons suffer deficiencies in their spiritual dimension, to which the spiritual works of mercy respond, either by imploring the help of God (seventh: prayer), intervening by instructing or advising others (second: treats deficiencies through teaching; first: provides counsel), comforting (fourth: in suffering and sadness), or by reacting to the disorders of their action (third: admonishing; fifth: forgiving; sixth: bearing with them).

The book does a fine job of stressing the eternal importance of the Spiritual Works of Mercy, while keeping in mind that sometimes the material needs have to be met through the Corporal Works of Mercy first. In addition to the ample Scripture passages which are referenced (Psalm 136 and Matthew 25 in particular), there is also great Patristic sources as well, including Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, and St. John Chrysostom to name a few. This is truly an approachable treasure for understanding how a Catholic should act and help his fellow man.

Confession: The Sacrament of Mercy is an 80 page book that begins by listing Gospel passages that reflect Jesus' mercy and forgiveness. We see this in three instances in particular - 1. The four friends lowering their friend from the roof to be healed, 2. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, and 3. The Parable of the Good King and the Unforgiving Servant. Chapter Four talks about Jesus Risen, the Holy Spirit dwelling among us, and priests being given the ability to forgive sins. Chapter Five walks us through the words the priest says in the Sacrament of Confession and what they mean. Chapter Six stresses the importance of Confession in pastoral ministry and how to make it a priority in your Church.

This book does a fine job of showing you the beauty of Jesus' mercy and the love he has for us in giving us the Sacrament of Confession. I highly recommend this book, and this entire eight book series for all priests and pastors. It will not only be a blessing for you, but it will be a blessing for your flock as well. May your Year of Mercy be fruitful for you and others as well!

These books were provided to me for free by Our Sunday Visitor in exchange for honest reviews. If you found these reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit yes!

The Face of Mercy and Mercy: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics (Pauline Books and Media and Our Sunday Visitor)

The Year of Mercy will begin before we know it. It begins on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, for those who didn't know. Announcing a special theme for a year is nothing remarkable, as we have had The Year of the Family, The Year of Saint Paul, and The Year of Faith to name only a few in the past decade. So what makes this year so special? In a nutshell, it's an Extraordinary Jubilee Year! The last one was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983. That was over 32 years ago, so this is truly an exciting time in the Church! If you want to prepare yourself for this Year of Mercy, then I have several book recommendations for you.

The Face of Mercy is the Bull of Indiction (formal proclamation in layman's terms), which Pope Francis issued about The Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pauline Books and Media is the only publisher I know of to print this document, and it is a brief 32-page one at that. In it, he begins by explaining that Jesus is the face of God's mercy. He then goes on to explain what mercy is and why our salvation depends on it. He also tells us that there are times we must focus on mercy more, and that is the reason for his proclaiming this upcoming year The Year of Mercy. The rest of the document explains procedure of when the year starts and opening the doors; Scriptural passages related to mercy to enlighten us on how to be merciful like Christ and God the Father; the importance of a pilgrimage during a Holy Year; and under what circumstances indulgences will be granted.

After reading The Face of Mercy, I recommend you turn your attention to the book Mercy: A Bible Study Guide for Catholics. The book is divided into the following six sections:

1. Human Mercy
2. Withholding and Granting Mercy
3. An Overview of God's Mercy
4. Mercy and Covenant Love
5. Lord, Have Mercy
6. Mercy as a Saving Act

The book's focus is on Israel's experience of mercy and closes with Jesus and His sacrifice as the ultimate example of mercy. Each chapter is full of Scripture to read, sections to make notes on specific Scripture verses, discussion questions, and practical ways to apply what you learned in the chapter. "Withholding and Granting Mercy" was the most interesting and enlightening chapter to me. In this chapter, we are presented with examples of God withholding mercy (primarily against nations who opposed the Israelites) and God granting mercy. One of the discussion questions dealt with the phrasing of God hardening a particular leader's heart and what we think it means. It is definitely a troubling phrase, but I have recently come to see it as human authors trying to explain a Divine Being, which is like trying to gather the ocean into a thimble. God is not responsible for making these leaders have hardened hearts. Instead, it is the leaders willfully rejecting God on their own and to their own demise.

Like the many Bible Studies from Our Sunday Visitor that Fr. Mitch Pacwa has penned before, he has once again delivered a solid Bible Study for the reader to use individually or in a small group setting. By working us through a historical view of mercy, he leads us to the importance of us extending God's mercy to everyone around us. I recommend picking up a copy and studying it either before or during The Year of Mercy!

These books were provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media and Our Sunday Visitor, respectively. If you found the reviews helpful, please click here and/or here and hit Yes!