Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 3

Whee! Coming Soon: Unforgettable Women of the Gospels

The woman at the well. The woman healed by a touch. The widow at Nain and the others. We know them only by where they were or what they did. But Jesus knew them. He knew all about them—just as he knows about us.

This eight-lesson Bible study, suitable for individual or group use, delves into each woman’s possible emotions before the encounter, and what lessons we can learn from them. Journaling prompts and discussion questions are included for lesson.

This study is for adult Catholic wo...

On the Nightstand: Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur

My sister and I have become real The Chosen devotees (we even have t-shirts) and are impatiently waiting for season 4. In the meantime, I’m going to take up this John MacArthur look at the apostles, imperfections and all, and how they helped change the world.

I’m also hoping this will help me learn to be a better version than I currently am of my favorite disciple, Andrew. Peter’s brother exceled at introducing people–to John the Baptist and then to Jesus. He didn’t self-aggrandize or get in...

On the Nightstand: Surrendering to God by Keith Beasley-Topliffe

I had not heard of the Covenant Prayer or 17th century Puritan minister Richard Alleine before I picked up this book. It’s a slim volume, not even 150 pages. I’m just about to begin the conclusion, and highly recommend the book and the prayer.

The prayer begins: “I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt….” (You can read it all at a number of places, including the United Methodist Discipleship Ministries site.)

Lots of great wisdom on abandonment of our will to the Lord’s...

On the Nightstand: Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life by Abbot Christopher Jamison

OK, so it’s still on my nightstand, but I finished it about a week ago. I think it will stay on the nightstand a good long while.

I bought this at a monastery bookstore in mid-June, never having heard of the 2005 BBC TV series The Monastery or, for that matter, of Worth Abbey. This slim book spoke to my soul, offering simple ways to create sanctuary, something most of us crave whether we know it or not. Busyness can and does happen anywhere. In this book, Jamison offers ways we can create sa...

On the Nightstand: Stumble by Heather King

The “sell” copy for this collection of Heather King essays begins:

STUMBLE will inspire you to understand that the first step on the path of redemption is a sense of humor.

The second is failure.

Why, for example, every time I go “on retreat,” do I manage to develop at least one huge resentment?

And my oh my, isn’t that the truth?

I’m a big King fan–in particular, Ravished–but I’ve never read her in short form. I’m looking forward to this; I’m pretty good at failure and embracing...

On the Nightstand: Beautiful Holiness: A Spiritual Journey with Blessed Conchita to the Heart of Jesus by Kathleen Beckman

Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (1862-1937) was a mother of nine when her husband died. It was not an easy life; she lived in Mexico City, and the Mexican Revolution began nine years after her husband’s death. Undoubtedly, she asked the Lord for many graces during those years. This is the response she received: “Ask me for a long life suffering life and to write a lot. .. That’s your mission on earth.” And so it was. Conchita, as she was known, left tens of thousands of pages of religious writings...

On the Nightstand: The Handy Little Guide: Liturgy of the Hours by Barb Szyszkiewicz

Back in the fall of 2019, I bought the 2,000-page Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours, with every intention of adopting the practice of stopping to pray five times a day (also known as the Divine Office) in 2020. I was just starting to get into this beautiful habit and then, well, covid. And I let the Divine Office go in favor of other prayers and readings that didn’t require a specific schedule. I’m embarrassed to say I let the world rather than God rule when I prayed.

But I want to reco...

On the Nightstand: How to Relax

Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, died earlier this year at age 95. I had a vague recollection of him meeting with the Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton during the Vietnam War, but that was about it. But the obituaries about him intrigued me, and I learned that a friend had been on one of his retreats in upstate New York 30-odd years ago.

Then I was at my favorite local bookstore, and saw his How to Relax, and goodness knows I can use help with that. I had to smile when I ...

On the Nightstand: Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Martha

I had the pleasure of scanning through a galley of Claire McGarry’s wonderful new book, and now I’m looking forward to holding it in my own hands as I read it. Regardless of how much we grow spiritually, I’m betting we all still identify with Martha telling Jesus, “Make my sister help me!” and Mary not coming out to greet Jesus when He arrives too late to save their brother (or so they think!). Claire interweaves personal stories with this scripture study. If you struggle to set aside your dail...

On the Nightstand: ‘Til I Want No More

I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews for this novel from Robin W. Pearson. The publisher calls it “a Christian fiction novel with a poignant story of romance, a search for truth, and a journey to redemption”–all things I look for, don’t you? It’s the story of Maxine, who has a fiance and an orderly life that is upended when a man from her less-orderly past comes back to town.

What’s on your nightstand?