Late Lenten Reading
by Daria Sockey in Reviews on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 6:00 AM
Maybe you didn’t get around to picking extra spiritual reading for Lent. Or maybe the choices you made aren’t working for you. Or maybe you’ve been so dedicated to your lenten reading that you’ve already finished what you chose, and need something more. Here are a couple of things that are worth looking into. And don’t forget, you can get them faster by purchasing an e-book edition.
Never Give Up: My Life and God’s Mercy
by John Janaro
Servant Books 2010
Think you have problems? Five years ago John Janaro, a Catholic father of five, was a successful theology professor. Then he was forced to leave the work he loved due to the chronic effects of lyme disease and fibromyalgia. On top of this he has been dealing with a lifelong tendency to depression and OCD. This spiritual journal is his brutally honest, sometimes humorous, and often inspring account of how he manages to trust God and even find joy in all of this. “We must never lose our trust in God,” Janaro says. “We must hold on to him, in the midst of the fury, with our understanding that his promise is true. For we know that his mercy is at the end of all things…This book is a journal of the joys and struggles of my soul in times of trial and a witness in praise and thanksgiving to the God who has never failed me.” No further comment about talking the talk and walking the walk is needed here. This is the book to read when suffering leaves you crying our “Why me?”
The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us
by Anthony DeStefano
Doubleday 2011
This is a great book for anyone who wants an easy and pleasant read that will boost their faith. It’s a pleasant combination of basic apologetics with amazing stories of miracles, answered prayers, angelic activity, sprinkled with quotes from C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Father Corapi. And although it’s a light read, the contents are not Religion Lite. DeStefano hooks the reader with a discussion of those strange events or coincidences that put us in touch with the supernatural, and from there goes over the existence of God, heaven, hell, angels, demons, grace, and the redemptive value of suffering. The Invisible World is very much a “guy” book. It’s short and to the point. It’s perspective is that of a man who returned to the practice of his faith in adulthood and well understands the temptation and struggles that men face.
Life’s Purpose: Wisdom from John Henry Newman
Pauline Books & Media 2010
Blessed John Henry Newman was a prolific writer. There are many volumes of his sermons, lectures, and other writings in print. This short collection of excerpts for daily meditation is just the thing for anyone who are interested in Newman but are a bit intimidated by his reputation as an Intellectual Giant. These selections can each be read in a few minutes, but will leave you with food for thought as well as pleasure in Newman’s mastery of the English language. This is a small, slender volume that will fit in your purse, and use while waiting to pick someone up, or as a meditation after mass. Also includes a short biography in the introduction.
—Faith & Family senior writer Daria Sockey blogs at Coffee and Canticles.
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