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Positively Catholic: 25 Really Good Reasons to Love the Faith, Live the Faith, and Share the Faith
What's so great about being Catholic?
If you posed this question to the average Catholic, there’s a good chance they’d look a little puzzled and confess, “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.”
Well, national best-selling author Michael Leach has thought about it—a lot! In Positively Catholic , Leach joyfully explores and explains 25 really good reasons for Catholics to love their faith, live their faith, and ultimately share their faith. From Mary to the Mass, from guardian angels to parish festivals, each chapter offers yet another often surprising reason for Catholics to rejoice—and rediscover their faith.
For anyone looking for reasons to be positive about, and encouraged by, the Catholic faith, Positively Catholic provides inspiring ideas that will lead to a stronger engagement with the faith as a whole, to a more passionate participation in the local parish, and to a heartfelt celebration of all things Catholic.
If you posed this question to the average Catholic, there’s a good chance they’d look a little puzzled and confess, “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.”
Well, national best-selling author Michael Leach has thought about it—a lot! In Positively Catholic , Leach joyfully explores and explains 25 really good reasons for Catholics to love their faith, live their faith, and ultimately share their faith. From Mary to the Mass, from guardian angels to parish festivals, each chapter offers yet another often surprising reason for Catholics to rejoice—and rediscover their faith.
For anyone looking for reasons to be positive about, and encouraged by, the Catholic faith, Positively Catholic provides inspiring ideas that will lead to a stronger engagement with the faith as a whole, to a more passionate participation in the local parish, and to a heartfelt celebration of all things Catholic.
- GenresFaith
154 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2016
6 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 26, 2018
*sigh* This was a book that had started off with so much promise! I was genuinely excited to read it, and for a while, was really enjoying myself. Leach has a great writing voice, and the short chapters made it easy to get immersed. However, around the halfway point, I started to get a couple blips on my radar. Something just didn't seem quite right. After reading a few chapters more (most notably 12, 13, and 20), I realized that something was definitely wrong.
Leach makes comments on the Church's stance on topics such as gay marriage, birth control, and female priests, and quickly follows it up with a breezy comment that the Church will eventually change it's stance. He also speaks highly of priests who taught things contrary to Church teachings, but were determined to stay Catholic because they "like being Catholic," even going so far as to suggest that excommunication is not enough to keep you away from being in the Church if you "like it." Excommunication is meant to be a warning to change your ways! How can you like being part of a group if you don't even subscribe to its philosophies?
It's as though I became a baseball coach, and said "You know what would make this so much better? Instead of hitting a little ball with a stick, we should have a bigger ball and everyone should kick it. And instead of running around the bases, we should try and get it into the other team's goal." And when someone say that's not how you play baseball, I'll reply "Well, that's how it will be in the future. It's not a matter of if the rules will change, it's a matter of when." And if you ask me why I'm even a baseball coach if I clearly want to play soccer, I just reply "Because I like baseball!". But, it doesn't even make any sense. And it doesn't make sense in religion, either.
I'm not entirely sure who this book was written for. I guess Catholics who are struggling with their faith might find this a catalyst to coming back into the Church, but certainly Catholics who are stronger in their faith, and more closely aligned with Church teachings, will struggle with this one. I would not recommend.
Leach makes comments on the Church's stance on topics such as gay marriage, birth control, and female priests, and quickly follows it up with a breezy comment that the Church will eventually change it's stance. He also speaks highly of priests who taught things contrary to Church teachings, but were determined to stay Catholic because they "like being Catholic," even going so far as to suggest that excommunication is not enough to keep you away from being in the Church if you "like it." Excommunication is meant to be a warning to change your ways! How can you like being part of a group if you don't even subscribe to its philosophies?
It's as though I became a baseball coach, and said "You know what would make this so much better? Instead of hitting a little ball with a stick, we should have a bigger ball and everyone should kick it. And instead of running around the bases, we should try and get it into the other team's goal." And when someone say that's not how you play baseball, I'll reply "Well, that's how it will be in the future. It's not a matter of if the rules will change, it's a matter of when." And if you ask me why I'm even a baseball coach if I clearly want to play soccer, I just reply "Because I like baseball!". But, it doesn't even make any sense. And it doesn't make sense in religion, either.
I'm not entirely sure who this book was written for. I guess Catholics who are struggling with their faith might find this a catalyst to coming back into the Church, but certainly Catholics who are stronger in their faith, and more closely aligned with Church teachings, will struggle with this one. I would not recommend.
June 11, 2018
The best audience for this book is Catholics who are either going through the motions, or attend Mass a few times a year. Leach speaks with honesty about his own journey, and presents the beauty of the faith in everyday language. His honesty will be a turnoff for devout believers (if a recent book club meeting is any indication!) but will appeal to those who aren't sure why they are still Catholic.
Chapters are short and easy to read. Would be a great gift for someone looking to examine their own ties to their religion.
Chapters are short and easy to read. Would be a great gift for someone looking to examine their own ties to their religion.
May 2, 2018
It had its moments. Why the author stsys Catholic, and why I stay Catholic are often the same reason.
April 8, 2017
This book was "okay". A lot of forward thinking about changes that could come in the church. Many insights into things of the past that can create great book discussion. A lot to think about. ..and Yes, I'm still Positively Catholic!
May 3, 2017
Really liked the first two-thirds or so of this book. Then he lost me! I thought that some insincerity was creeping in after that. Too bad because I thought it was so uplifting until then.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews