So...what are you reading?

[Dhanaraj]

You have said it rightly, Barbara about John Paul II and Benedict.
And I have begun reading a biography on Pope Francis.

[Barbara]

Dhanaraj wrote: "You have said it rightly, Barbara about John Paul II and Benedict.
And I have begun reading a biography on Pope Francis."

That sounds very good! I'm reading Jesus The Evangelist, by Allan F. Wright; It's a guide to the New Evangelization based on gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry and what it means for us today. Practical, insightful and very readable!

[Dhanaraj]

Seems an interesting book from your description. Happy and blessed reading.

[Kathy]

Cl

[Barbara]

Dhanaraj wrote: "Seems an interesting book from your description. Happy and blessed reading."

Thanks. You too!

[Dhanaraj]

Recently read a poetry collection by Fiona Sampson titled COMMON PRAYER. There are some wonderful poems and more importantly there are some poems which have the theme of prayer. The poems that have the theme of prayer are wonderfully written. Try them out and you would like them.

[M]

Today I'm going to start reading (and meditating on) The Agony of Jesus: In the Garden of Gethsemane by Padre Pio.

[Dhanaraj]

Michelle wrote: "Today I'm going to start reading (and meditating on) The Agony of Jesus: In the Garden of Gethsemane by Padre Pio."

Looks an interesting book for the Lent but then now we are in Easter. That is just a joke. There is no time separately set to meditate on the Passion of Jesus. Have a meditative reading and tell us bout it later.

[Kaye]

I just finished a re-read of The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene, and posted a review of this wonderful book of fiction.

[Dhanaraj]

That is a fantastic book Kaye. And the unforgettable character, "the whiskey priest."

[Kaye]

Yes, it was even better the second time around. It's also a powerful statement about fallible people experiencing the grace of God and continuing to reach for it.

[Dhanaraj]

"It's also a powerful statement about fallible people experiencing the grace of God and continuing to reach for it." That is well said.

And the best story that we can find in the Bible is that of the Prodigal Father's love for his prodigal son.

[Kaye]

So right! And I've had a few prodigal sons in my family--may even have been one myself. :)

[Howard]

Started reading "Mass of the Early Christians", Aquilina. So far very enjoyable and informative.

[Dhanaraj]

Howard wrote: "Started reading "Mass of the Early Christians", Aquilina. So far very enjoyable and informative."

That looks like an interesting book. There is another book titled MASS AND ITS FOLKLORE. If you are interested look into it too.

[Dhanaraj]

Finished a short biography on the new Pope Francis in Italian. It revealed few human elements of Pope Francis and some new but enriching information on both Pope Francis and Benedict XVI.

[Dhanaraj]

Finished a biography from the Ignatius Press titled The Shadow of His Wings. To tell the truth for the first time I was a bit disappointed with the Ignatius press book. I read the life stories as my spiritual enrichment. But this this life presented itself as an adventurous hero. Only the last additional part by Joseph Seitz on Fr. Goldmann's missionary work in Japan in his later days was enriching.

[Scott]

Prayers, Promises, and Devotions for the Holy Souls in Purgatory by Susan Tassone is an absolutely wonderful devotional drawing on many sources from the Catechism, Church Fathers, Saints and Scripture. I've just started working my way through it, but it's beautiful.

[Dhanaraj]

Reading through John Donne's On Death. These are Lent and Easter sermons that he gave as a pastor of the Church of England back in the 17th century. But then they are interesting in parts as there are many references to Church fathers and saints. At times he confronts Catholic Church but then they are very minimum and shallow. After all he was originally a Catholic and remained such for many years.

[Howard]

Started reading "The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic", by Matthew Kelly. This just may be a must-read for all Catholics.

[Dhanaraj]

Began the biography of SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI by G. K. Chesterton. I am into first three chapters and am already loving it. To read the biography of St. Francis in the words of G. K. Chesterton is a different experience.

[Dhanaraj]

Finished reading G. K. Chesterton's Saint Francis of Assisi. There were few interesting reflections and interpretations. But it is more of a literary piece than a spiritual piece.

[Anne]

Wonderful Fool, by the great Shusaku Endo.

[Dhanaraj]

Anne wrote: "Wonderful Fool, by the great Shusaku Endo."

Endo is a superb writer. How was Wonderful Fool? I have not read it. I have to read more of Endo.

[Anne]

Wonderful Fool is....wonderful. Absolutely haunting. When I started it, I was a little worried that it would be light reading relative to his other books, but soon realized that this would not be the case. It may not be as polished a book as Silence or The Samurai (though this may be the fault of the translation), but I find myself thinking about the characters long after I put down the book. Endo truly is one of the great authors of the 20th century. Every book is shaped by his Catholic faith, even when faith is never mentioned. I am anxious now to get my hands on the next Endo book on my list!

[Dhanaraj]

Anne wrote: "Wonderful Fool is....wonderful. Absolutely haunting. When I started it, I was a little worried that it would be light reading relative to his other books, but soon realized that this would not be t..."

After reading Silence, I remained suspended with the characters in the book for some days. Only after few days I could get my hands on any other book. And even today the characters from that book haunt me in a positive sense. And now it is nice to hear from you some more ideas of him and more specially of his other books. Will have to try him soon. Thanks for reawakening my interest in Endo.

[Anne]

"suspended with the characters"....well put. That is precisely how I feel.

[Vicki]

Will soon be reading On God's Side by Jim Wallis. Cover: What religion forgets and politics hasn't learned about serving the common good. NYT best selling author. One reviewer stated| "There are few people on the scene who can put together mature Christianity with mature politics without compromising either. Jim Wallis does it best - and does it again here."

[booklady]

Thank Vicki for the tip on On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good. I will check it out. That reviewer's statement is so true.

[Kathryn]

I'm nearly finished with James Hitchcock's History of the Catholic Church.

[Anne]

Just started "The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity" by Robert Louis Wilken.

[Dan]

Kathryn wrote: "I'm nearly finished with James Hitchcock's History of the Catholic Church."

How do you like it? It's up next on my "to read"

[Vicky]

Smith wrote: "Vicky wrote: "This isn't Catholic either but I'm reading "Anna Karanina""

Anna Karania? What is that about? Who is the author?

---Smitty"

It was written by Leo Tolstoy. It's about a woman who leaves her husband and son for another man.

[Ann]

Hi I have just joined the group (Sydney Austrlia). I am reading Answering the new atheism -Dismantling Dawkins' case against God. It is a scholarly work and completely shows up Dawkins' rhetoric and belligerence for what it is - hollow and without proper reasoning or logic. It demonstrates with great clarity that to a large extent, Dawkins' thought processes are driven by his motivating imperative to prove that there is no God, regardless of evidence and reason. Anyone wanting to hone their skills in Apologetics to be able to rebut the ever increasingly aggressive attacks on Those of the Christian faith, should read and digest this

[Ann]

Also reading 'The One Thing Needful' by Archbishop Andrei. Reflections on Gospel readings for the Orthodox Year. Spiritual wisdom and value added insights into Scripture.

[Barbara]

I just started re-reading The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn. It's been a while since I read it and I just find myself irresistibly drawn to re-exploring the connection between Revelation and the Mass. If anybody's read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[Dhanaraj]

I had read it. I also loved the way he connected the scene in Revelation to the everyday celebration of Eucharist. That was striking. The lamb in the midst of the heavenly court and the surrounded angels and saints chanting "holy holy" and the way Eucharist is celebrated with the accompanying liturgy in which Holy Holy appears in the important phase...That was a lovely way of seeing the mass. And the inference that every Eucharistic celebration is a heavenly liturgy and that the Eucharistic table is surrounded by both heavenly beings and the earthly creatures is an image held my attention much. The whole universe (heavenly and earthly) is together in the praise of the Lamb. Lovely......

[Vicky]

I read it several years ago. It was a new idea for me that the message of Revelation is for all Christians and not just about the end times. I need to re-read it.

[Jon]

Hi everyone!

Im new here

Currently reading The Defects of the Saints, an english translation of the Spanish book of Jesus Urteaga. And im enjoying it!

Nice to find this group.

Enjoy you reads!

Jon

[Dhanaraj]

Welcome Jon.

[Billie]

I am reading The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Anne Catherine Emmerich; it is very good and keeps your attention! Lots of interesting details to think about!

[Dhanaraj]

Billie wrote: "I am reading The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Anne Catherine Emmerich; it is very good and keeps your attention! Lots of interesting details to think about!"

That book looks interesting. Will have to try it soon. Thanks......

[Dhanaraj]

I am about to begin The Soul of a Lion: The Life of Dietrich Von Hildebrand.

[Dhanaraj]

Reading through a short interview with Hans Urs Von Balthasar and almost completed it (the title is: . Test Everything: Hold Fast to What is Good: An Interview with Hans Urs Von Balthasar). The interview contains many interesting ideas on Catholic theology and are expressed well.

[Kathleen]

On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century
by Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Rabbi Skorka

[Kathleen]

On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century
by Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Abraham Skorka

[Dhanaraj]

Kathleen, that books seems to be an interesting one. Found many good reviews on it. Hope, you too are having a good time.

[Billie]

I just started reading -

Pray for Me: The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope from the Americas, by Robert Moynihan

It's very enjoyable and informative.

[Dhanaraj]

I had read an Italian biogrphy of Pope Francis. It was interesting. Any biography on him should be interesting, because Mario Bergoglio/Cardinal Bergoglio/Pope Francis is an interesting personality.

[Mark]

I just finished reading three awesome essays from Fr. Joseph De Torre: 1) "The Power of Christian Philosophy to Transform man and Society" http://catholiceducation.org/articles...

2) "Human Rights, Natural Law, and Thomas Aquinas" by Fr. Joseph De Torre http://www.cssronline.org/CSSR/Archiv...


and 3) "Morality and Christian Morality" by Fr. Joseph De Torre http://maritain.nd.edu/ama/Hancock/Ha...