Mary Mother of Jesus and I Went to Mass: What Did I See?

Mary Mother of Jesus is a cute, little board book from Pauline Books and Media. It is written by Sister Marlyn Evangelina Monge and illustrated by Mary Rojas. The book begins by introducing us to Mary and Joseph, telling us about the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. It ends by teaching us about the Assumption and Coronation of Mary and reminding us that she is not only Jesus' mother, but also ours. The writing style felt a bit stilted, as the author used the phrase "very much" a lot, but I have to remind myself that this is for children so repetition is good! The art is bright and colorful with pictures that really enforce the core concepts about Mary.  I especially like that the cover has some glitter texture, as younger children like to see and feel. I also liked that the Crucifixion and Resurrection were discussed. These are hard concepts for children, but it's never too early to introduce your children to these truths. The only thing I would change is that I wish it would have talked about Mary's parents, but I believe the aim of the book was still Jesus through the lens of Mary, which is exactly a model for her life!

I Went to Mass: What Did I See? is a lovely, hardcover book from TAN Books.  It is written by Katie Warner and illustrated by Meg Whalen. I would describe the illustrations as pencil sketches with color used sparingly to emphasize importance. The writing style is a pattern of a child saying, I went to Mass. What did I see?" We then receive the answer in the form of a holy water font, incense, the Eucharist, etc. When we are given the answer on each set of pages, that is when the black and white drawings receive their pop of color, i.e., blue for the holy water and gold for the swinging censer. The book has a great rhythm and is subtly educational without your child realizing they are learning at all. This is a beautiful book for Catholic children and one that you should get any new Catholic as it is one they can read to their little one and instill an early love of the Mass. Highly recommended!

Contemplating the Face of Christ

Lent is still in its infancy and already I am feeling the struggle with some of my resolutions. With it happening this early, I know it's going to be a tough effort, but it just means I need to apply myself even more and lean on Jesus and Mary. The best way to do that is through prayer and one of the quintessential prayers of Lent is The Way of the Cross. Today, I would like to tell you about a book that focuses on The Way of the Cross called Contemplating the Face of Christ.

Contemplating the Face of Christ is a 100+ page Way of the Cross prayer book with meditations by Fr. Marko Rupnik and mosaic images from outside the Church of Santa Maria in Tomlin, Slovenia. The Stations begin in the traditional format of "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world." There is then an excerpt from the New Testament that relates to the current Station. Fr. Rupnik's meditation is next, and it uses the mosaic image to guide his meditation. This is followed by an excerpt from a Church Father, and an Old Testament reading that shows how this Station fulfilled the Old Testament reading. Finally, it ends traditionally with something like this from the First Station, "At the cross her station keeping stood the mournful mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last."

Fr. Rupnik offers simple but beautiful insights that cause you to pause with each Station reflection and look at things as you had never done so before. For example, in the First Station there is a mosaic of Pilate, Caiaphas, and Jesus. Both Pilate and Caiaphas are in Jesus' face, essentially hiding it. He says the following, "Pilate looks into the face of Christ, but he does not see the Truth. The high priest Caiaphas directs his gaze elsewhere. He follows his own religious schemes, which prevent him from recognizing the Lord in that face so close to him." He points out that the reason they can't know truth is because they don't have love. They don't have love because sin destroyed love. This is an interesting viewpoint on just the first station. Each station draws us closer to the Cross and closer to Christ. I highly recommend this book for your Lenten journey. I know I will be visiting it frequently!

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

The Life of Jesus (Pauline Books and Media)

Pauline Books and Media has been very successful in their publication of graphic novels of saints. Recently, they published one titled The Life of Jesus which is approximately 140 pages long and designed for children ages 9 to 12. The graphic novel is divided into the following eight  sections - Birth and Baptism, Ministry, Miracles, Teachings, Relationships and Forgiveness, Discipleship in Action, The Price of True Love, and Death and Resurrection. The graphic novel is a blending of all four Gospels, done in chronological fashion. That means you will go from Luke to Matthew and back to Luke with sprinklings of Mark and John. This gives the reader an easier narrative to follow than picking only one Gospel. At the bottom of every page are Scripture references which provide an excellent resource for parents to cross-reference or older children to discover the passages themselves in the Bible. The pages are black, giving the content on the pages a more serious feel to it. This is appropriate as it is not only the story of our Savior, but also of our salvation. As I was reading through this I found myself very engaged by both the content and presentation. The graphical representation of the story really helped the Gospel stories come to life in a new way. I was thinking as I was reading through it that this seems somewhat more geared towards boys than girls, but I do believe it would be a spiritual benefit for anyone of any age to read this. I look forward to a time when my son is old enough to enjoy and appreciate this.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Our Blessed Mother (Pauline Books and Media)

It is a brand new year, and even though January 1 wasn't a holy day of obligation this year, I am still grateful that my parish offered Mass, despite it being below freezing. I understand that not everyone can attend and those with very small children might not want to get them out in the frozen tundra, but it is still important to teach your children about Mary and her importance in Jesus' lives and ours. To do that, I recommend the book Our Blessed Mother. The book is a softcover, approximately 60 pages and is designed for children ages 7 to 9.

The book is divided into two parts - The Life of Mary and Mary Leads Us to Jesus. The book begins in the Old Testament with Adam and Eve and the first sin. It is here that mankind at its lowest moment is first promised a Savior to save us from our sinful, fallen nature. We then fast-forward to the birth of Mary to Ann and Joachim and also see some glimpses of her childhood in the Temple. The rest of Part One walks us through the Gospels with the Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Flight into Egypt, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Pentecost. Part Two focuses on Mary's role in the present in her apparitions. The book covers Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe and also details the Miraculous Medal as well as the Rosary. My favorite part of the book is that each chapter ends with the particular Feast Day that the chapter covered. This is a great primer for your children and one I highly recommend.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl (Pauline Books and Media)

Today, I am reviewing Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl, another graphic novel from Pauline Books and Media. Clare of Assisi was the oldest daughter of Favorino Sciffi, Count of Sasso-Rosso. It was said that he was a wealthy man, who owned a palace in Assisi and a castle on Mount Subasio. Clare was a beautiful girl, who loved to pray. One day she heard Francis of Assisi preaching and learned that he had given up his life of luxury to live a life of poverty in devotion to God. This meeting affected her and stuck with her for some time, even if her father and others made fun of Francis. Some time later, Clare's father tried to marry her off to Lord Ranier. She thought about it for a short time, but ultimately decided that she did not want to get married. Instead, she wanted to live a life like Francis. She ran off to see Francis and give her life to God. Her family never really accepted this truth and neither did Lord Ranier at first. However, in the end Lord Ranier was a noble man and said he hopes she is happy with the life that she chose, and he was sorry for trying to force her to marry him. Eventually, Clare founded her own religious order (the Poor Clares) with their own set of rules, and Clare of course, became a saint.

Like The Legend of Saint Christopher: Quest for a King, this book is done in a graphic novel format resembling Japanese manga. However, this style of manga and storytelling is more geared towards tween/teen girls than boys. That is not to say that a tween/teen boy could not benefit from reading this as well, just that it's more likely to appeal towards girls. Apart, from the great illustrations and accuracy of the story, what I liked best about this book was how St. Francis of Assisi was both in the background and foreground at different times. Even though this story was not about him, the lives of Francis and Clare were very intertwined. We see how his holy life impacted others, and also see how the stigmata affected him. The way I look at it is this book is like a two-for-one, because your children get exposed to not one, but two great saints! Highly recommended!

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

The Legend of Saint Christopher: Quest for a King (Pauline Books and Media)

There are several patron saints in the Catholic Church that people regularly pray to for God's intercession. Some of the most notable ones are St. Anthony (lost things), St. Jude (lost causes), and St. Christopher (safe travels). While this is a great practice and habit to develop, I would wager that most Catholics don't know why these great men and women are patron saints of those specific things. They just pray, which is not a bad thing, but a little knowledge goes a long way! Today, I would like to tell you about a graphic novel for tweens/teens from Pauline Books and Media called The Legend of Saint Christopher: Quest for a King.

The story begins with a Christian woman from the 3rd Century praying to the Virgin Mary every night for a child. Like Samuel's mother from the Bible, the woman promised to dedicate her child to the Lord and make sure he served God. It wasn't long before the Lord blessed them with a son. Unfortunately, her husband was a pagan, so he dedicated the child to Apollo and named him Offerus. Offerus grew up to be a giant among men. However, he was a gentle giant, who used his size and strength to help as many people as he could. Even with all the good he did in the world, he longed for a greater purpose. He wanted to serve someone bigger and stronger than himself. First, he served a worldly king, but the king was scared of the devil. After Offerus discovered this, he sought out the devil and served him. He did much evil for devil, but soon he found out that the devil was scared of Jesus. It took much searching, but he met a priest who taught him who Jesus was, baptized him, and forgave him for the sins he committed while serving the devil. He also gave him a new name (Christopher) and gave him a task of helping people cross a river that normal people couldn't cross. Christopher did this frequently, until one day he carried a child across the river who was Jesus. One day another king has Christopher captured, because Christopher was telling everyone that Jesus was the true king. Christopher ended up being martyred, but through his martyrdom the king realized that Christopher was right and Jesus was the true king.

The book is illustrated in the style of Japanese comics (also known as manga). The story is mostly serious in nature, but there are a couple of jokes/less than serious moments that are completely in character for this illustration style. The book is an easy and engaging read that will teach your children everything they ever wanted to know about St. Christopher. Be sure to check out other graphic novels from Pauline Books and Media including the recently released Saint Clare of Assisi: Runaway Rich Girl.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Mother Teresa of Kolkata: Saint Among the Poor (Pauline Kids)

It feels like it's been forever since Pauline Books and Media released a graphic novel. The first two were on St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis of Assisi, and were in an American comic book format and illustration style. The next two took a Japanese illustration style and were on St. Philip Neri and St. Teresa of Avila. Today, they go back to the American style and present us Mother Teresa of Kolkata: Saint Among the Poor.

The book starts with a few pages of the familiar nun in her habit, helping the poor and dying in India. We then go back to the very beginning her birth, family, and childhood. In comics, this is known as an origin story. We then see her time in the convent, her vows, and her job as teacher and principal. Here, she helped the people of India, but with all the people dying outside, she always felt like she should and could be doing more. Next, we see God calling her to help the people of India. She had to get permission for this though, which took a long time and had to go through a lot of channels. Finally, Pope Pius XII granted her permission for one year, to see how it would go.  She founded a house for the dying, an orphanage, and a place for lepers as well. News of her work and her ability to get things done spread worldwide. Also recorded in the book is her visit to the Vatican and her friendship with Pope John Paul II.

For being just over 50 pages long, the graphic novel does a splendid job of capturing the important parts of both Mother Teresa's life and her ministry. We see not only her successes, but also her struggles, and there is also brief glimpses of her personality, which showed a woman small in stature, but more than capable of making things happen for the Lord. This is an excellent and engaging read and one that all Catholic children should read. Highly recommended!

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

32 Days (Pauline Books and Media)

If you are Catholic, then you are most likely familiar with the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Why that man is not a canonized saint is baffling to me, but this review is not the place for that platform. In an interview in 1979, he was praised for his accomplishments and lauded for the various important people he had met throughout the world. He was then asked, who he considered to be the biggest inspiration to him. In his humility, Sheen responded that he had never met his biggest inspiration, but that it was an eleven year old Chinese girl and her love for the Eucharist that inspired him most. 32 Days: A Story of Faith and Courage tells the story of that girl.

Pei was a village girl who lived in China. Like most children, she had parents, siblings, and grandparents. They worked hard and didn't have a lot, but they loved each other and loved Jesus too. Within their village, there was a Catholic Church, a priest, and a school run by a Catholic nun. Things were quiet for the most part until the Communists took over the village. Everything changed at that point. The Communists used propaganda techniques, intimidation, and fear to try and "convert" people to this change in regime. In addition to imprisoning the priest, one of their worst atrocities was destroying the Church and everything inside of it. They even desecrated the Eucharist by throwing it on the ground and stepping on it. Pei witnessed all of this and felt helpless about it, but one day she resolved to go consume the sacred hosts, as that was Jesus and she longed for Him. There were 32 hosts, so she had to sneak out at night 32 times to do this. She was almost caught several times, and sadly, on the 32nd night she was. She was martyred that night, but during that month+, she grew closer to Jesus than most of us do in our lifetime. The book was an easy read, and one that I was able to read in about an hour. The content is sad, but beautiful. I would recommend it for those in 4th-6th grade, but even older children and adults could learn a lot from it.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

New Testament and Psalms (Pauline Books and Media)

I am convinced that my postal carrier does not like me. I have never met them, and probably never will, as I am never home when they deliver, but I think they just don't like the amount of packages I receive every month. The other day I came home to a package crammed half-in and half-out of my mail box, and after getting over my initial frustration, I carefully eased it out and opened it up to discover a Bible inside. I wonder if they would have been so thoughtless had they known they were haphazardly cramming the Word of God into a slot that it didn't fit in. Today, I would like to tell you about this Bible I received to review.

Recently, Pauline Books and Media published a Bible containing the New Testament and Psalms. If they had included the book of Proverbs in it, you would think that the Gideons converted to Catholicism. :) The Bible is a 6" x 4" black leatherette with gold edges and two ribbons for marking your place. The edition used is the New American Bible: Revised Edition (NABRE), which is what you will here in Mass every Sunday. It is also approximately 1300 pages long, which I thought was pretty meaty for just the New Testament and Psalms, but when you open it up, you find a nice readable font and copious amounts of footnotes. At the beginning of each book is an introduction on the passage and an outline for each book. At the end of every book is detailed footnotes that are almost enough to be considered verse-by-verse.

This is a very attractive Bible and feels great in your hands, holding and reading it. I like that it contains just the New Testament and Psalms, as this might be more encouraging and approachable for people to actually pick up and read. The only thing I don't like about this particular version is the page thinness. I understand that pages are almost always thin in Bibles, but these seem thinner than normal and can make it a strain to read at a times as the text sometimes bleed through on the pages. If you are used to this with other Bibles, then this won't bother you at all. If you are looking for a quality New Testament at a fair price, then I encourage you to pick this one up and read from it every day.

This Bible was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer Book (Pauline Books and Media)

Sacred Heart of Jesus Prayer Book is another prayer book from Pauline Books and Media in their Catholic Treasury Series. Like its companion book, Holy Spirit Prayer Book, this is a small leatherette book with gold-edged pages. The book is divided into the following parts:

1. Everyday Prayers
2. Morning Prayers
3. Evening Prayers
4. Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
5. Novena to the Sacred Heart
6. A Weekly Devotion to the Sacred Heart
7. Chaplet to the Sacred Heart
8. The Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret
9. The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart
10. Prayers From the Saints
11. The First Friday Devotion
12. The Sacred Heart and the Holy Eucharist
13. The Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy Devotion
14. The Sacred Heart and Precious Blood of Jesus
15. The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The prayer book starts out like a typical prayer book with prayers that any good Catholic will recognize. The meat of the prayer book comes next with a mixture of prayer, devotion, history, and explanation. You not only learn prayers in this book, but you also learn why these prayers came into being and the promises Jesus made for having devotion to His Sacred Heart. You will also learn about the significance of the Sacred Heart in relation to the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Heart. This is a very important book that belongs in your library if you are a Catholic. Before reading through this book, I only knew the very basics about the Sacred Heart, but after reading through it I feel much more enriched. This is the perfect book to take with you to Adoration or just to pray with around the house. Highly recommended!

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Simon of Cyrene and the Legend of the Easter Egg (Pauline Kids)

Easter egg hunts are a tradition many families, both Christian and secular, still perform. The parents love this task, because it keeps the kids busy for a while, and the kids love this task, because the eggs usually contain candy, money, or little trinkets. But where did the tradition of Easter eggs come from? If you had asked me when I was a child, I would have told you the Easter Bunny. If you had asked me several years ago, I would have told you Mary Magdalene. Now, thanks to Pauline Books and Media, I have learned of a tradition involving Simon of Cyrene. The book is called  Simon of Cyrene and the Legend of the Easter Egg.

The book begins with Simon of Cyrene going to the market in Jerusalem to try and sell a basket of eggs. Upon his entry in Jerusalem, Simon sees a crowd of people and a man dragging a cross. Simon doesn't recognize the man, but another man, John the Apostle, explains to Simon who Jesus is and how He is innocent. Simon is then tasked with helping Jesus carry the cross. After Jesus' Crucifixion, Simon is thanked by by Jesus' mother and invited to spend the night and rest. It is here that he learns more about Jesus and His ministry. Simon sticks around several more days and learns firsthand of the Resurrection. After the celebration at the good news, Simon had to depart for home, without selling any of his eggs. When he arrives home, he tells his family all that happened and when he opened the basket of eggs, he sees that they have been transformed in color from white to all different bright colors.

Simon of Cyrene is essentially a footnote in Sacred Scripture. However, he played a a very important part in Jesus' Passion, and is remembered in the Stations of the Cross for his role. This book expounds on his minor role by re-creating what Simon might have been thinking and feeling during Jesus' Passion. Many people don't think of Simon as someone who willingly helped Jesus and who also quickly disappeared after the fact. Instead, we get a picture of a man who was changed by his brief encounter with Jesus. At the end of the book is a brief biography of Simon and a prayer for courage and compassion. This is an excellent book and one you should pick up for your child and put in their Easter basket.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Holy Spirit Prayer Book (Pauline Books and Media)

Prayer books are an essential part of any Catholic library. I cannot tell you how many different ones I own, but I treasure each one of them. Today, I would like to tell you about one of the latest ones from Pauline Books and Media, called Holy Spirit Prayer Book. The book is a small red leatherette book with gold trimmed pages that fits easily in a pocket. It is divided into several parts - Everyday Prayers, Morning Prayers, Evening Prayers, Novena in Preparation for the Feast of Pentecost, Chaplet of the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Rosary, Litany of the Holy Spirit, Praying with the Holy Spirit in Scripture, Various Prayers, and Latin Prayers and Hymns.

The everyday prayers are ones we know - the Sign of the Cross, the Morning Offering, the Angelus, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, and other recognizable ones. This serves as a good basis for all prayers that will follow in this book. Of special interest to me was the Holy Spirit Rosary. I have been trying to pray the Rosary more during this Lent, and this version of it uses the following five mysteries:

1. Jesus is conceived of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit
2. The Spirit of the Lord descends upon Jesus at His Baptism
3. Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the desert and is tempted by the devil
4. The Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles
5. The Holy Spirit dwells within You

The rosary is somewhat familiar in that you will recognize a lot of the mysteries, but it is also somewhat new. That is how I felt throughout this whole book. We say a lot of prayers as Catholics, but unfortunately most of them aren't said to the Holy Spirit. As I have said time and time again, the Holy Spirit is the forgotten member of the Holy Trinity. It is easy to pray to the Father, because we understand the concept of a father. It is easy to pray to Jesus, because He became human, and we can relate to that. It is hard to understand the Holy Spirit, so that is why we have a hard time praying to Him. That's my theory at least. I invite you to pick up a copy of this book, and let's change the trend of neglect of the Holy Spirit. He is a powerful intercessor and ally to have.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Mary and the Little Shepherds of Fatima

Mary and the Little Shepherds of Fatima is a hardcover children's book from Pauline Books and Media. The book tells the story of the three shepherd children Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia. Every day, they went out to tend the sheep and while they were doing so, they always prayed the Rosary. One day an angel appeared to them and encouraged the children to pray often, because Jesus and Mary are listening. Later, the angel returned to them and encouraged them to make sacrifices. Then, Our Lady appeared to them. She tried to encourage them not to tell anyone, but of course word got out. Each time they went to see Mary more people joined them, but could not see who and what the children saw. The corrupt mayor of their town tried to put them in jail to quiet them down and scare them but eventually released them. Then, one day when the children went to see Mary and more people joined them there was finally a physical sign for all the people. The sun danced that day, and everyone present witnessed the miracle.

This book does a wonderful job of introducing your children to Our Lady of Fatima and her story. At the end of the book, there is a section on how to pray the Rosary, different prayers of Fatima, and section for adults, which provides more of the context and history of this apparition. The artwork is also very warm and vibrant and will keep your children engaged the whole time they are reading the book or having it read to them. Highly recommended.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Adoration: Favorite Eucharistic Hymns (Pauline Books and Media)

The Daughters of St. Paul are a group of religious women who have dedicated themselves to sharing the love of Christ with the world through the use of media. If you look at their catalog and the amount of books they publish every year, it is clear that they are succeeding in their mission and vocation. I have been reviewing their books for four years, and they have books for Catholics of all ages. What I did not know about them, though, was that they had a very successful choir as well. Today, I would like to tell you about their latest CD - Adoration: Favorite Eucharistic Hymns.

Adoration is a two-disc album that previously sold 50,000+ copies as cassette. It contains 31 hymns, both instrumental and sung, in both English and Latin. Some of the songs from this album include, "I am the Bread of Life," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire," "Here I Am, Lord," and "What Wondrous Love." Also included with this album is an online supplement the provides two hours of adoration - one entitled "Jesus the Good Shepherd," and the other "I Am With You." These provide you with prayers, readings, reflections, and tell you what tracks you can play from the album to line up with the holy hour.

The hymns are expertly picked and beautifully sung, displaying both their melodic voices and great love for Jesus. At the moment, I have only listened to this album in my car and not in the presence of our Lord. However, if you are like me and struggle in Eucharistic Adoration, you should consider getting a copy and transferring it to an iPod or something so that it is readily available to you. I think this album is perfect for Pastors, Directors of Religious Education, Retreat Leaders, and Catechists, as they can use it as a useful tool/resource. Even if you don't possess one of these titles, you will still enjoy the album and find it spiritually beneficial.

This CD was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media.

Irish Children's Books (Pauline Books and Media)

Two of the most recognized and beloved saints in Catholicism are St. Patrick and St. Brigid. Today, I am reviewing two children's books on these saints, available from Pauline Books and Media. The first one is called Patrick and the Fire. Patrick and the Fire begins with a boy named Bevan herding goats, a task he did not particularly like. While doing his job, a man named Patrick greets him and asks where to find the King. Bevan explains to him that it would not be a good day to meet the king, but Patrick insists. It is the feast day of a god named Balor, and the king must light the first fire. Patrick has an idea to light a fire first in honor of Christ's Resurrection. Doing so infuriates the king until Patrick explains to him who God is. The king is puzzled at first, but seeing Patrick's bravery and the fact that he can't extinguish Patrick's fire causes the king to reconsider. He instead grants Patrick permission to spread the Gospel through all of Ireland. This is a nice little book that gives your children a religious story mixed with history, legend, and a little bit of adventure. I really like how the book opens with the prayer to St. Patrick and closes with a brief biography on who St. Patrick was.

Brigid and the Butter tells the story of a little girl who lives on the farm with her mother. They are not a wealthy family at all and barely have enough to eat themselves, but Brigid is a cheerful girl and a hard worker. She is in charge of milking the cows and churning the butter, and she loved the taste of butter. One day Brigid heard Bishop (future Saint) Patrick preaching about Jesus feeding the hungry all because a little boy sacrificed his food so others could eat. This caused Brigid to think deeply. In the coming days, a starving woman came to her door asking for food. Brigid had no bread, only butter. She was hesitant at first to help the woman, but she remembered the words of Bishop Patrick. She gave the woman the only food she had (the butter) and after Brigid thanked God for the opportunity to help the woman, God blessed her with twice as much butter as she had sacrificed. This is a sweet story that shows children that you should joyfully help others. Like its companion book, Patrick and the Fire, it too includes a prayer to Saint Brigid and a brief biography on this saint.

These books were provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

On the Dignity and Vocation of Women (Pauline Books and Media)

In August 1988, the Pope released an Apostolic Letter entitled On the Dignity and Vocation of Women. It was revolutionary at the time, because it was the first papal document that addressed women and their unique role, not only in the Church, but in the world. Now, almost 30 years later, this document is just as relevant, if not more so.

The document begins by talking about the timeliness of this Apostolic Letter. Pope John Paul II then explains how this topic was brought to light both in and before Vatican II. He reflects on the recent female Doctors of the Church and discusses his encyclical Redemptoris Mater. Part II reflects on Mary the Mother of God (Theotokos). In this section, he reflects on the fact that a woman (Mary) was at the center of salvation, because it was through her Fiat that Jesus came into the world. He also talks about how Mary is the ultimate example of a woman and her vocation. Part III takes us back to Genesis and man being made in God's Image. Part IV compares Eve and Mary. Part V focuses on Jesus Christ and His interaction with women. This is the most fascinating section as it discusses the value which He placed on them, how it was uncommon for that time, and how they were the first witnesses to the Resurrection. Part VI addresses motherhood and virginity, which are mentioned hand in hand in Christ's teaching, but share a distinctness to them as well. Part VII and VIII talk about the Bride of Christ and love.

There has been a lot of talk about feminism lately, but that is false feminism. If you want to understand the true beauty of women and their vocation, I highly recommend this book. It not only contains the Pope's words, but reflections and points to ponder as well. Be sure to check out this book and other anniversary editions of Pope John Paul II's writings.

This book was provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for an honest review.

Page-A-Day Children's Bible (Pauline Books and Media)

The Page-A-Day Children's Bible is one of the latest releases from Pauline Books and Media. It is approximately 400 pages long, is flexibound, and was written by Rhona Davies with illustrations by Marcin Piwowarski. It is specifically aimed at children ages 8-10, but depending on the child's reading level, earlier than that can appreciate it. As suggested by the title, there are 365 readings in this Bible. (Sorry Leap Year!) The first 240 chapters are from the Old Testament and the remaining 125 chapters are from the New Testament. Each chapter is approximately one page long. The pages are not full text though. They have some small soft illustrations to help keep your child's attention without distracting them from the message.

The first thing that I thought of when I received this book was that it's like an adult version of a daily devotional. Even seasoned readers, struggle with reading the Bible if they don't have a specific plan of attack. By setting up a daily schedule, and not making it too difficult to follow, children can read their daily bit of Bible when they wake up, before they go to bed, or on the way to school. The stories provide the right amount of wisdom and detail without speaking down to the children, and since they can read it on their own, they feel a sense of independence. My son is a bit below the recommended reading level, but we have been reading to him from this Bible every night before he goes to bed. We aren't going through it in order, but trying to pick out ones that we feel will catch his attention. You can never start too early when teaching your children a love for the Bible.

What I like best about this Bible is that with each chapter heading, the Scripture reference is also noted. This is especially helpful, if you want to read the same Bible section your child is, so that y'all can discuss it or maybe they'll want to hear the full passage if a particular story jumps out at them. I must confess. I haven't read through all of this Bible yet, but browsing through the chapters I did not see any stories from the deuterocanonical books (Sorry people, but we shouldn't refer to them as the apocrypha.), i.e., Baruch, Wisdom, etc. Knowing this, you could get this Bible for children who are Protestant or Orthodox. However, if you just buy it for Catholics, then this is the perfect gift for First Communion. I highly recommend this Bible for children ages 8 to 10, and I think it belongs in every house, classroom, or Sunday School if you have children in that range.

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

On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering (Pauline Books and Media)

On February 11, 1984, Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Letter entitled On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering. 30 years later, Pauline Books and Media issued an anniversary edition with commentary by Fr. Myles N. Sheehan. The actual letter is divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. The World of Human Suffering
3. The Quest for an Answer to the Question of the Meaning of Suffering
4. Jesus Christ: Suffering Conquered by Love
5. Sharers in the Suffering of Christ
6. The Gospel of Suffering
7. The Good Samaritan
8. Conclusion

Pope John Paul II begins by comparing and contrasting sickness and suffering. He explains, "Suffering is something which is still wider than sickness, more complex and at the same time still more deeply rooted in humanity itself." He then goes on to cite several examples of man suffering in Sacred Scripture. He then elaborates on how the reality of suffering is closely tied to "What is evil?" Section Four focuses on Jesus and His conversation with Nicodemus. God gave us His Son Jesus to provide us with a way of salvation. This salvation is not the opposite of temporal suffering, but eternal suffering by being separated from God in eternity. This hope of salvation "throws a new light upon suffering." The rest of this letter addresses how we can share in Christ's suffering and how we can help others in their suffering, like the good Samaritan.

Like other anniversary editions of Pope John Paul II's words, this book contains the full text and reflection sections at the end of each part. These reflection sections include words to Ponder, a place to Pray, and guidance to Act on. Fr. Sheehan takes these sections very seriously though, not that other anniversary edition commentators didn't. Compared to other commentators, his Ponder sections are much longer and focus heavily on Scripture. He then concludes the Ponder section with both discussion and reflection questions. Also unlike other commentators, his Pray section isn't a personal prayer he wrote, but guidance on what to reflect and pray on. This Apostolic Letter is one that is still relevant 30 years later and the commentary on it is helpful when reading it. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to other Pope John Paul II anniversary editions that Pauline Books and Media will publish.

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

Our Lady's Garden and Windows into Christ (Pauline Books and Media)

Coloring has been a favorite activity for kids for what seems like forever. Many kids think they are just having fun, but it actual has numerous benefits. It promotes self-expression, teaches color recognition, hand coordination, motor skills, and it can just be considered relaxing. A recent trend has emerged in the book publishing world - adult coloring books. The main themes of these coloring books are either new age (yikes!) or popular literature (think Harry Potter). However, Pauline Books and Media has recently ventured into this space to bring us two new adult coloring books - Our Lady's Garden and Windows into Christ.

Our Lady's Garden is an adult coloring designed for prayer and meditation. The images in it are primarily flowers arranged in beautiful patterns or forming hearts. In addition to flowers though, there are images of birds, butterflies, fish, and the Blessed Mother. These images surround various prayers to Mary and different words Mary delivered at her apparitions. Some of the prayers included are the Hail Mary; Hail, Holy Queen; and Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And some of the apparitions are Fatima, Lourdes, and Guadalupe. Overall, it is a very beautiful coloring book, but I think it is one that my wife would be better at than I would be as some of these patterns are too complex for my poor coloring skills.

Windows into Christ is an adult coloring book that contains images of the stained glass windows found in the Cathedral of Chartres, France. The images begin with the four major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel) carrying the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It then walks us through the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, starting with the Annunciation and ending with Pentecost. Each image then contains a prayer or Scripture passage to meditate on while coloring. The images in this book are more simplistic in nature, but they do not lack in beauty. If I were one who wanted to color in a religious coloring book, this is the one I would pick as it looks to be more my skill level.

Adult coloring books are not my cup of tea. In all honesty, I didn't like coloring when I was a child, and I still don't as an adult. However, if one is into coloring, then these books are a welcome Catholic alternative to the new age ones that are out there in the market. I am curious to see how long this trend of adult coloring books will stay hot, but while it does I hope the Catholic publishers use their resources to continue to publish these books and combat the secular society.

These books were provided to me for free by Pauline Books and Media in exchange for honest reviews.

Guardian of the Redeemer (Pauline Books and Media)

On August 15th, 1889 (the Feast of the Assumption), Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical entitled on Devotion to St. Joseph. You wouldn't think the Church would need to be reminded of such an important saint, but for centuries, this third member of the Holy Family was largely ignored/forgotten. One could feel bad for him because of this, but I'm sure he prefers it that way. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of this encyclical, Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Guardian of the Redeemer. Pauline Books and Media released a special 25th anniversary edition with commentary by Dr. Joseph C. Atkinson. The Apostolic Exhortation is divided into the following six parts:

1. The Gospel Portrait
2. The Guardian of the Mystery of God
3. A Just Man - A Husband
4. Work As an Expression of Love
5. The Primacy of the Interior Life
6. Patron of the Church in Our Day

The first section is very brief, which is not surprising. since Joseph doesn't appear in Sacred Scripture much. However, the section focuses primarily on Joseph's interaction with Mary and finding out that she is pregnant. It is presented in contrast with the Annunciation and provides a fascinating parallel. Part Two focuses on Joseph's fatherhood. We see the nativity, Jesus' circumcision and naming, his presentation in the Temple, the flight from Egypt, and other key events in which Joseph's fatherhood and protection of Jesus was demonstrated. The other sections focus on Joseph as a husband, a carpenter, and his interior life, which was reflected by his outward silence. The last part focuses on the importance of St. Joseph for the Church today. Just like he was the defender and protector of the Holy Family, so too is he the Church's defender and protector.

Like other anniversary editions from Pauline Books and Media, the text is presented in its entirety with each portion concluding with three sections - Ponder, Pray, and Act. In the Ponder section Dr. Atkinson presents us with three key points to focus on, a tried and true number often used by effective presenters. He also relies heavily on the Catechism in this section, which shows a good grounding in the Church's beliefs and teachings. The Pray sections contain original prayers that are brief but poignant, and the Act sections invite us to both rely on St. Joseph more and imitate the way he lived his life. This book is the perfect complement to Mother of the Redeemer and I recommend you pick up copies of both to read, especially if you are a parent. After all, these are the two best earthly examples of parents that there ever were.

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