“Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book” St. John Bosco once said. In a similar though more urgent manner, St. Alphonsus Liguori is quoted as saying, “Without good books and spiritual reading, it will be morally impossible to save our souls.” Maybe that seems a bit extreme, but the saints through the ages have mentioned the importance of incorporating spiritual reading into one’s prayer life.
Spiritual classics are always available, but newer reads that address us as 21st-century Catholics should also be added to our lists. In our annual spring book review, we feature new releases that address the challenges of our present age, such as Christian communication through new media, the truth about the Real Presence and how to foster a love for Christ in the Eucharist in a world that doesn’t believe, how to be the best steward of your money, parenting advice, and the importance of virtuous friendships. We also feature a new memoir, a travel guide to Catholic America and a few devotionals. And as always, several books on the lives of the saints and holy men and women — including a married couple, the female Doctors of the Church and St. Joseph — are included so we can learn from the timeless lessons of those who have gone before us. So get your shopping cart ready and get reading!
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“Be Bold in the Broken: How I Found My Courage and Purpose in God’s Unconditional Love”
Author: Mary E. LenaburgSummary: Mary E. Lenaburg, author of “Be Brave in the Scared,” is back with another humorous, raw and encouraging book. After years of wanting to fit in with society’s expectations of who she should be as a women, Lenaburg listened to her own father’s advice — “Just be you, do your best, and let God figure out the rest” — and began her journey to self-acceptance, learning to make sense of who she was and what she had to offer to the world. As the website description reads, “Following Lenaburg’s example in ‘Be Bold in the Broken’ will give you the courage and inspiration you need to accept who you are — the good, the bad, and the awkward — and become the woman [or man] God made you to be.”
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“Beholding Beauty: Mary and the Song of Songs”
Author: Father Gregory Cleveland, OMVSummary: As Sonja Corbitt writes in the book’s preface, the Song of Songs “can intimidate and even put off the casual reader. But this is no casual book.” Instead, Father Gregory Cleveland presents this love poem found in the Bible and pairs it with a figure many of us already know: Mary, the mother of Christ, the daughter of the Father and the spouse of the Holy Spirit. Through Mary’s example, Father Cleveland extends the invitation to all readers to discover their baptized calling to union with the Trinity.
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“Spiritual Direction from Dante: Ascending Mount Purgatory”
Author: Father Paul PearsonSummary: Earlier this year, on the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, Pope Francis called the famed Italian poet a “prophet of hope.” Indeed, his life and works remain a lasting treasure that embodies the virtue of hope so desperately needed in today’s world. In the second book in his trilogy exploring “The Divine Comedy,” Oratorian Father Paul Pearson draws out the great spiritual insights hidden in Dante’s work, focussing on the mysterious reality of purgatory — a reality that should offer hope to all Christians. As the book description says, “Purgatory is God’s merciful plan for allowing us to rediscover the joy and freedom of being human, the joy for which we were created but which sin has smothered and distorted.” If you’re intimidated yet intrigued by Dante’s work, Father Pearson’s book is the perfect place to start.
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“Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America”
Author: Marion AmbergSummary: Most people are itching to make plans to travel, both near and far. If you fall into that category, make sure to order a copy of “Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles,” a full-color guide of more than 500 holy sites to visit across the United States. From grand cathedrals and tiny chapels, to miracle shrines and underwater statues, this book has it all. It also includes stories about architecture, religious history, religious artifacts and answered prayers. Organized by state and region, this book can help you plan your next vacation or pilgrimage. Websites, phone numbers, addresses and other pertinent information are included to make planning as easy and enjoyable as possible for years to come.
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“Being Catholic: What Every Catholic Should Know”
Author: Suzie AndresSummary: Written for the average Catholic who desires to learn more about their faith and culture, “Being Catholic: What Every Catholic Should Know,” by Suzie Andres, focuses on Catholic customs, traditions and practices — many that have long been at the heart of the Faith but now are in danger of being forgotten. Andres writes in a warm, conversational tone, and covers the following: the sacraments; the layout of a church; the order of the Mass; the doctrine of the Blessed Mother; the communion of saints; the liturgical year; popes, bishops, priests and religious life; the different Catholic rites; the Bible and tradition; and how to pray. It’s a good resource for those in RCIA or who simply want to learn more about what Catholics believe.
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“#Rules_of_Engagement: 8 Habits for Being Good and Doing Good Online”
Author: Ann M. GarridoSummary: Compassionate, truthful and honest are probably not the words most of us would use to describe our interactions on social media. Instead, they are often mean-spirited, inflammatory and untruthful. Yet, as Christians, we are called to use the “digital continent” to accomplish good. So, what can we do to change that? In her latest book, Ann M. Garrido offers eight practices to equip Catholics to be a force of good on social media: clarify your purpose, know your sources, understand bias, value the person, lead with curiosity, talk about intent and impact, privilege face-to-face encounters and manage your energy. As Father Harrison Ayre wrote in a review, this book “proves an invaluable tool for navigating the digital content that is now part of the mission fields for the new evangelization.”
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“Women of Hope: Doctors of the Church”
Author: Terry PolakovicSummary: Fifty years ago, St. Teresa of Ávila was the first woman named a Doctor of the Church. Since then, three others have joined her in this distinction: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Hildegard of Bingen and St. Catherine of Siena. In “Women of Hope,” Terry Polakovic, co-founder of Endow (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women), introduces these amazing women who became beacons of hope during the troubled times in which they lived and persevered. For Catholics today who continue to face old and new challenges in our world and Church, these women remain as models of courage, wisdom and trust.
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“Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth”
Authors: R. Paul Stevens and Clive LimSummary: “It hardly needs confirmation that money is an important part of everyday life for individuals as well as a crucial dimension of the productivity of the whole society,” say authors Paul Stevens and Clive Lim of “Money Matters.” They add, “Jesus must have understood this, because he talked more about money than prayer and heaven.” The authors approach “Money Matters” judiciously — by avoiding the prosperity gospel and the demonization of material wealth. Stevens’ and Lim’s wisdom is theological, historical and practical and focuses on what it means to live with faithful integrity in our contemporary global economy. “Money Matters” provides insights to help readers, churches and society to become faithful stewards of money in today’s economic system.
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“30 Days with Married Saints: A Catholic Couples’ Devotional”
Authors: Kent and Caitlin LasnoskiSummary: In “30 Days with Married Saints,” authors Kent and Caitlin Lasnoski have written a simple yet profound devotional to help Catholic couples journey closer to Christ and to each other. Structured across a 30-day time frame, each day begins with a short prayer followed by a reflection on the virtues of married saints, including Mary and Joseph, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, St. Monica, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, and others. Each day also includes three “spiritual practice” action items to work on together. The Lasnoski’s state the goal of the book in their introduction, writing, “We hope the vivid portraits of heroically virtuous spouses … will inspire you and your spouse in this journey of sanctity.”
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“way | truth | life, New Testament (NABRE)”
Publisher: OSVSummary: “Thomas said to him, ‘Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me’ (Jn 14:5-6). In a new edition designed specifically for teens and young adults, this New Testament (from the translation used for the Mass in the United States) is an invitation to know Christ through his Word, vibrant images that encourage deeper reflection, and 21 original essays by young adults about how Scripture has changed their lives. If you have a young person in your life whom you wish to help encourage in their relationship with God, this would be a great resource to introduce them to the Word himself.
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“Salt and Light: The Spiritual Journey of Élisabeth and Félix Leseur”
Author: Bernadette ChovelonSummary: Born into a wealthy French family, Élisabeth would meet medical doctor Félix Leseur. Both came from Catholic families, but shortly before their wedding, Élisabeth learned that Félix was an atheist. “Salt and Light,” by Bernadette Chovelon, shares the story of a couple who faced the seasons of life together; their relationship was tested, and both were called to a deep spiritual transformation. Élisabeth offered her sufferings for the sake of her husband’s conversion. After Élisabeth’s death, Félix discovered his late wife’s writings. Félix converted while in Lourdes and offered the rest of his life to God as a Dominican priest. The story of this couple will resonate with many married couples, especially those with a spouse struggling with a lack of faith.
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“Running for a Higher Purpose”
Author: Bishop Thomas John PaprockiSummary: Keeping fit has brought both physical and spiritual benefits to Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois. He is a marathon runner, a hockey player and is eager to share in “Running for a Higher Purpose” the eight steps to spiritual and physical fitness. These steps include the following: review where you are in your fitness; identify how to improve; resolve to put change into effect; don’t quit; renew your physical and spiritual wellness; balance physical and spiritual exercise with the need to rest; feel personal satisfaction and reward by achieving your goals; and integrate a sound mind and body on the way to eternal happiness. The book is filled with practical running guidance, nutritional advice and faith exercises. Bishop Paprocki shows how running can improve our trust in Christ.
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“Parenting Your Kids with Grace” and “Parenting Your Teens and Tweens with Grace”
Authors: Greg and Lisa PopcakSummary: Family therapist Greg Popcak and his wife, Lisa, have updated and revised their best-selling book “Parenting with Grace,” first published 20 years ago. Now split into two books — “Parenting Your Kids with Grace” (birth to age 10) and “Parenting Your Teens and Tweens with Grace” (ages 11-18) — the Popcaks provide up-to-date research to help guide parents through each stage of child development, offering practical solutions for common problems all parents face. More importantly, their advice is rooted thoroughly in the Faith, as raising faithful children — especially teens and tweens — can seem like an impossible mission today. In each of these books, Greg and Lisa Popcak give parents the best tools to help keep Christ at the center of their families.
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“365 Days of Catholic Wisdom: A Treasury of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness”
Author: Deal W. HudsonSummary: Author Deal W. Hudson’s “365 Days of Catholic Wisdom” is a book that is meant to be read and reread. Hudson has mined 2,000 years of the Church’s history and has an understanding that the Church thinks with the mind of the theologian and philosopher, but also with the heart of the saint and with the eye of the poet. His 365 insights offer words of wisdom, truth and beauty from Catholic minds that include theologians, philosophers, saints, mystics, poets, novelists and historians. He then offers a brief backgrounder of each Catholic thinker. Saints range from Augustine, Ambrose and Thomas Aquinas to Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and St. Teresa of Calcutta — all relevant for people of faith living in a disordered age.
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“Brilliant! 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People”
Summary: A few years ago, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University published data showing one of the main reasons young Catholics are leaving the Faith is because of their belief that the Church’s teachings are incompatible with science. David Michael Warren’s new book for young readers counters that false narrative, offering 25 men and women as examples of how Catholics for centuries have been behind groundbreaking discoveries in science and math. From names you may know (such as St. Hildegard of Bingen, Louis Pasteur and even Pope Francis) to those you may not, Warren tells the stories of their lives and how they contributed to a wide array of scientific disciplines, including astronomy, physics, microbiology, genetics and more.
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“How to Be Miserable and Alone (Or Discover A Life that Truly Matters)“
Author: Kaiser JohnsonSummary: “Every minute of the day, we’re told to feel a great lack in our lives as they are, and that the only improvement to be found comes in the perspective du jour,” writes Kaiser Johnson in the prologue of “How to Be Miserable and Alone.” Johnson wants us to know that the advice we take from our culture is ruining our lives. He tackles these lies and comes up with the solution: “The Incarnation of God. Jesus Christ and his Mystical Body, the Church, are the answer to every question we could possibly conceive.” For many of us Catholics, we forget to look to our faith. He presents the culture’s advice, and then counters it with advice from a Catholic thinker, and then expands that the world’s solution is not “the” solution.
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“True Friendship: Where Virtue becomes Happiness”
Author: John CuddebackSummary: Over the past year, one of the more interesting societal aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the maintenance and cultivation of relationships. Isolation and loneliness took their tolls, and together they highlighted just how important true friendship is in our lives. John Cuddeback’s book “True Friendship” was originally published in 2010, but its updated second edition has come at an opportune time. Cuddeback, a professor of philosophy at Christendom College, uses Aristotle’s teachings on the connection between happiness and virtuous living to lay the foundation of what true friendship is. He then builds upon that foundation by incorporating lessons from Scripture, the saints and others to give readers an understanding of how fostering authentic friendships can help us to develop a true and lasting friendship with God.
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“Our Friends in Heaven: Volume 1 and Volume 2“
Authors: The Daughters of St. PaulSummary: In 2019, Pope Francis said that the saints in heaven are not unreachable human beings, but that they “are people who have experienced the daily toil of existence with its successes and failures, finding in the Lord the strength to always get up and continue the journey.” In the fourth edition of “Our Friends in Heaven,” the Daughters of St. Paul offer intermediate readers an opportunity to journey with these saints every day of the year. From saints they know well to those they might be meeting for the first time, the Daughters of St. Paul make these holy men and women come alive by telling the unique and inspiring stories of their lives. What better way to form new saints than by introducing young people to those who dedicated their lives to holiness?
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“A Man Named Joseph: Guardian for Our Times”
Author: Joe HeschmeyerSummary: In his apostolic letter Patris Corde announcing the Year of St. Joseph, Pope Francis wrote that “each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.” In his new book, “A Man Named Joseph,” author, podcast host and blogger Joe Heschmeyer examines the life of a humble carpenter who became the foster-father of Jesus and the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Heschmeyer helps readers answer the question, “What is it that St. Joseph offers the Church — and each one of us — today?” Heschmeyer leans on Scripture and the teachings of the earliest Christians to show readers that whatever we may be facing in life, we can go to Joseph for his example, his protection and his prayers.
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“Real Presence: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?”
Author: Timothy P. O’MalleySummary: In his latest book, Our Sunday Visitor columnist Timothy O’Malley tackles one of the key areas where more catechesis of the faithful is needed. In 2019, the Pew Research Center reported that nearly 70% of Catholics believe that Eucharist offered at Mass is merely a symbol for Christ’s body and blood and that he is not truly present. In “Real Presence,” O’Malley explores not only Church doctrine on the matter, but also what the early Church Fathers believed and taught about transubstantiation and the Eucharist. To take it a step further, O’Malley explores practical ways to foster a deeper devotion to Christ in the Eucharist, which will lead readers to grow in communion with God and neighbor.
