An Open Book #openbook September
I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading or working on for the past month.
Catholic and Curious: Your Questions Answered by Monsignor Charles Pope
Synopsis: Do you ever feel confused, befuddled, or just plain lost when it comes to the Catholic Faith? Do the teachings and practices of the Church leave you scratching your head? Then this is the book for you.
In Catholic and Curious: Your Questions Answered, Monsignor Charles Pope tackles 500 tough questions on just about every subject imaginable. In easily digestible question-and-answer format, this book covers everything from God and the Bible to the liturgy, the sacraments, Catholic moral teaching, Mary, the saints, and life after death, all organized by topic for quick reference. In this book, you’ll find not just straightforward answers but a deeper understanding and appreciation of the truth of the Catholic Faith.
My review: I bought this book after watching a YouTube video of the author giving a talk. I haven’t read the entire book yet, but what I have read is excellent. Highly recommend.
Brave Water by Sarah Robsdottir
Synopsis: Girls are disappearing on their way to the spring…
Will fear stop Talitha, the sole water gatherer for her hut, from searching for her friend—even if it means scaling the walls of the mine owners’ compound, where locals are shot on sight?
And will terror block Moses’ path—or can this teenage hunter battle an underground human trafficking ring with ties to the cities on the other side of Great Mountain?
Join Talitha and Moses on their journey, one marked with violent drug lords, crippling jealousy, blinding anger, but also…tremendous beauty. And, the flutters of first love.
Meet other villagers and colorful characters along the way, all of whom are grappling with dire loss after a recent mine explosion. Become acquainted with multiple generations of a missionary family who sacrificed all, moving out to the African bush to fulfill a driving passion—one that most would call a crazy dream. Listen, as ageless questions are carried in on the hot winds of the Great Red Valley: Do you know what it means to truly be brave? And, what if you had to risk your life for a simple cup of water?
Dive into Brave Water and decide!
My review: On my to-read list!
Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore
Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration
Synopsis: To be published soon!
“We sometimes encounter the Lord only in hiddenness. It can seem impossible to believe that Jesus Christ is present in difficult people, especially with some personalities we may have to work with or live with. The more quality time we spend before the substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the more apt we become to find Him even in dislikeable persons.”
Fr. Basil Cole, OP, Retreat Leader and Professor at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC
“Godhead Here in Hiding—Whom I Do Adore: Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration is a unique collection of meditations and reflections on the gift of Eucharistic Adoration from the experiences of the members of the lay fraternities of the Order of Preachers. As Dominican nuns with the special charism of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we encourage everyone to use this book to foster and deepen their own prayer of adoration.”
Sr. Mary Catharine of Jesus Perry, OP, Prioress of Corpus Christi Monastery in the Bronx, NY
“Hidden within these pages, the reader discovers the God who has chosen to dwell within the Tabernacle of the human heart. Each reflection is its own monstrance, bearing the shape of its unique human author, while manifesting our heavenly Father’s Spirit of Truth. Here you will find thoughts and events that are ordinary and surprising, instructive and lyrical, worthy of both cross and crown. The common life of the early Dominicans was called ‘the holy preaching.’ The sons and daughters of St. Dominic who have contributed to this volume continue in that apostolic witness to the divine mercy of our Eucharistic faith.”
Fr. Bruno M. Shah, OP, Assistant Professor at Providence College, and Religious Assistant to Our Lady of Divine Providence/St. Thomas Aquinas Fraternity in Providence, RI
My review: I had the honor of helping to format and proofread this wonderful book and highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to further deepen their appreciation and love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Synopsis: Coming soon from FQP! When a dead man’s body is found in the upper basin of a historic fountain in Boston Common with a cryptic message in his pocket, Detective Brooks reluctantly calls in Father Tom and Angelo to help solve the clues in the hunt for a killer set on justice and revenge. Fallen Graces, the fifth book of the award-winning Father Tom series, delves into the psychological and religious complexities of a killer who becomes as equally unpredictable as dangerous to the parish neighborhood of St. Francis, and Father Tom has no choice but to become more involved, risking his own life to find the answer.
