Good Philip by Alfonso Cardinal Capecelatro

About the book: Many lives of St Philip have been written. They have now mostly disappeared and you will with difficulty find a copy of a biography in English which is likely to attract ordinary folk. It is only by reading and thinking deeply about a holy person that we can get to know him and make him such a part of our lives that we naturally turn to him when we need help; try to do as he would have us do; love every word he said and every thing he did.

It is our hope that this charming book in its simplicity and its many pictures of St Philip's life as well as of the places where he lived and did his work for souls will draw you to love the Saint. For those of you who are already his old acquaintances, we hope that this book will serve to renew your friendship with one of the kindest of fathers - who is so condescending that he deigns even to work miracles for those who read his life as if they had prayed to him during that time. 

The name of "Good Philip" - Pippo Buono - which we have chosen for this book is connected with his boyhood, while most people think of him as the old man we see in pictures. It has been our wish to show that, however much he may have changed in age and appearance, Philip's heart, miraculously enlarged as it was by the Holy Ghost, and on fire with Divine love, was always young and loved young people.

St Philip Neri is one of the most extraordinary saints in the annals of the Holy Catholic Church. He spent his life seeking very actively to be despised. He read jokes aloud when distinguished visitors visited his cell to see "the Saint" and ended by asking them what they thought of his library of excellent books. He escaped repeated efforts of the popes to raise him to the cardinalate, finally telling Gregory XIV, "I will myself let [you] know when I wish to accept the dignity of Cardinal." He mortified himself and his disciples with such tasks as taking a dog for a walk in their arms through the streets of Rome, wearing fur coats in the heights of summer, singing the Miserere at weddings and speaking of the wellbeing of his cat before cardinals! Yet, the more this holy fool-for-Christ's-sake sought to make others scorn him, the more they loved and esteemed him.

St Philip once had a penitent whose name was Francesco Zazzara, who was studying law with an absorbing eagerness that he might make his way and obtain advancement at court. The Saint saw that there was in Francesco an inordinate desire of the glory and rewards of the world, and so one day he sent for him. The youth came and knelt at his feet, and Philip set out before him, one by one, the daydreams of his youthful ambition. "Happy you, dear Francesco," he said; "you are studying now, and then one day you will be doctor, and will gain money and raise your family; and then one day you may be even a prelate, till you have nothing more to long for." He went on speaking of other greatnesses and honours to which Francesco might aspire, repeating again and again the words: "Oh, happy you!" Francesco was somewhat surprised, but it all seemed quite natural to him. These were the very dreams of his fancy and his hope and Philip entered into them and approved them! Then Philip drew the youth's head tenderly to his heart, looked earnestly at him, and whispered in his ear: "Then?"

These words, which bring before us the fleetingness of time and the vanity of all that exists only in time, were often on Philip's lips, and sank deep into the heart of his disciple. Francesco left the world and gave himself to God.

When St Philip embarked upon his apostolic life, it was his first thought to go to the Indian mission. The Cistercian monk whose advice he sought, had a vision of the Holy Evangelist St John and the next day made known to Philip what the saint had told him: "Your India is to be Rome!" It is our hope that the story of this gentle saint, Good Philip (1926; corrected, 2008), may inspire a new generation of young persons to give themselves, like Francesco Zazzara, to a life of humility, love and toil in the work for the salvation of souls.

Where will your "India" be?

About the author: Alfonso Capecelatro (Marseille, 5 February 1824 – 14 November 1912) was an Italian Archbishop of Capua, ecclesiastical writer, Vatican librarian, and Cardinal. He was descended from the family of the dukes of Castelpagano. His father served under Joachim Murat, adopted the political principles of the Napoleonic period, and voluntarily exiled himself to Malta and Marseilles, when Ferdinand I of Naples, after his restoration by the Congress of Laibach, set about the repression of political Liberalism.

The family returned to Italy in 1826 and to Naples in 1830. At sixteen, Alfonso entered the Oratory of St. Philip Neri at Naples. Ordained priest in 1847, he devoted himself to the confessional, preaching, and various charitable enterprises, but also to ecclesiastical studies, giving especial attention to ecclesiastical history. He was particularly drawn to Peter Damian, Catherine of Siena, Philip Neri, and Alphonsus Liguori, whose biographies he wrote.

He attacked Ernest Renan's "Life of Christ", then widely circulated in Italy, and afterwards himself published a "Life of Jesus Christ". He devoted three volumes to an exposition of Catholic doctrine and two to the Christian virtues, and published several volumes of sermons.

Meanwhile, he maintained personal relations with various persons, particularly priests and religious at Naples, among them the Franciscan Ludovico da Casoria, whose biography he wrote, and two priests Ignatius Persico and Casanova, with whom he often discussed methods of catechetical instruction. He corresponded with other Liberal Catholics, among them Manzoni, Cesare Cantu, Dupanloup, and Montalembert. Pope Leo XIII summoned him to Rome, together with Luigi Tosti, and made him assistant librarian, wishing thereby not only to honour a learned man, but also to make use of him for the work of reconciliation which occupied his mind until 1887.

In 1880, Capecelatro was appointed Archbishop of Capua. There he passed his life in the administration of his diocese, literary labours, and works of charity. He was made a cardinal by Leo XIII in 1885. He received some votes in the papal conclave of 1903.

In the pastoral letters and other minor works published in the last years of his life, he treats the great questions of modern times, especially those relating to public life in Italy. He had little influence in ecclesiastical politics, and in the end was overwhelmed by the course of events in the modernist crisis in the Catholic Church. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Life Of St Philip Neri by his disciple Antonio Gallonio

About the book: The Life Of St Philip Neri (2005) is a contemporary life of St Philip, written by a Father of the Roman Oratory and translated by Father Jerome Bertram of the Oxford Oratory.

St Philip Neri is one of the best-loved saints of all time. Known as the ‘Apostle of Rome’, he set in motion a great renewal of Christianity at the heart of the Church's capital city during the 1500s. St Philip’s foundation of the Oratory began by stimulating young laymen to conversion, prayer, and apostolic works, and through them gradually brought about a reform of the entire Church, at all levels of society. St Philip inspired many through his words, his miracles and his spiritual gifts, which show many similarities with other great saints such as Padre Pio and St John Vianney.

This account of Philip's life, written by his disciple Antonio Gallonio soon after the saint’s death, captures well his holy zeal for God’s work in the face of a corrupt and decadent Rome; his great sense of humour, which he would often use to remind people of hidden spiritual realities; and the many extraordinary miracles and conversions wrought by St Philip both during his lifetime and after his death.

This is the first ever English translation of the affectionate biography, published originally in Latin in the Jubilee Year 1600. Unusually for the time, it was written in chronological order; it also bears the original footnotes by Gallonio, in which he refers to eyewitnesses and makes comparisons with the lives of canonised saints, intending thereby to assist in the promotion of Philip’s cause for elevation to the altars. 

Additional notes and a comprehensive index make this a most interesting and useful book for devotees of St Philip, as well as a very readable introduction to the saint for those who do not yet know him.

About the author: Fr Antonio Gallonio is a close friend and disciple of St Philip Neri. He joined the Roman Oratory as a young man, and became the personal attendant on St Philip during his last years, including his final illness. Immediately on the saint's death, Gallonio began to collect evidence for his sanctity and was prominent in the official Process for his Beatification. He wrote the first version of his life of St Philip (the one here) in time for it to be published during the 1600 Holy Year. 

About the translator: Fr Jerome Bertram Cong Orat is a member of the Oxford Oratory and the author of a number of published works on history and religion.

Philip Neri: The Fire Of Joy by Paul Türks of the Oratory

About the book: Philip Neri (1515-1595) is one of the most lovable and popular of saints, a 'St Francis of modern times'. Christian humanist, practical joker and one of the Church's great contemplatives, he had such an impact on the degenerate Rome of his day that he quickly became a leading figure in the recovery of Catholic spirituality and culture that we associate with the Counter Reformation (and indeed, was canonised on the same day as Teresa of Ávila, Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier).

In the midst of the Roman Renaissance, St Philip was able to prove by his own example and in the lives of those who followed him that Christianity is the way to true and lasting happiness. His burning love for Christ found visible and tangible expression in the many visions and miracles recorded by those around him. Every evening, he gathered his disciples to read and discuss the New Testament and then to pray together silently for half an hour. His aim, as he himself said, was to make people 'saints in their own homes'. He has been described as 'the Christian Socrates' for his gentle friendship with the young, and as 'the Apostle of Rome' for his success in drawing multitudes of people from all strata of society to a living practice of their faith.

The congregation founded by St Philip is known as the Oratory, and its communities have grown up in towns all around the world. Inspired as it was by the life of the primitive Christianity, the Oratory was chosen by John Henry Newman and Frederick Faber as the most appropriate vehicle for the evangelisation of England. Newman once said: 'Whether or not I can do anything at all in St Philip's way, at least I can do nothing in any other.' He saw in the Oratory his best way of helping to bring (through personal influence, 'heart to heart') the sacramental and evangelical concerns of the Oxford movement to their final fruition in a Second Spring for the Catholic faith in its own land.

Philip Neri: The Fire Of Joy (1986, reprinted with corrections, 2010) was the only major biography of Philip to appear in his 400th anniversary year of 1995. The beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman, Philip's 19th century disciple and founder of the Oratory in Birmingham, brings new attention to St Philip and inspires this reprinting of a work that draws on the most recent scholarship to paint a vivid, brilliant portrait of one of the most attractive and inspiring figures of Christianity. 

Philip Neri: The Fire Of Joy is translated from the Spanish by Daniel Utrecht of the Oratory.

Information on Oratories throughout the world can be found at the website of the Procurator General of the Oratory: https://www.oratoriosanfilippo.org/

About St Philip Neri: St Philip, born at Florence in the sixteenth century, left everything to serve the divine Master and founded the Congregation of the Oratory. The Holy Ghost had inflamed him with such love for God that the palpitations of his heart bent two of his ribs. He would spend whole nights in the contemplation of heavenly things and the Spirit of Truth "taught him true wisdom". His conversations with Jesus filled him with such intense joy that he exclaimed: "Enough, Lord, enough!" He loved young men: "Amuse yourselves," he said to them, "but do not offend God." He died in 1595 on the feast of Corpus Christi. 

About the author: Paul Türks (1920-1998) was one of the founders of the Aachen Oratory. For two six-year terms, he served as Delegate of the Holy See for the Oratory, a position which entailed making visitations to all the Oratories of the world, and gave him a unique understanding of how St Philip's way of life can be translated into many different contexts.

About the translator: Father Daniel Utrecht is a priest of the Oratory of St Philip Neri, Toronto. He is a graduate of the University of Dallas (BA Philosophy), and the University of Toronto (PhD Philosophy). He joined the Oratory in 1980 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1985. Father teaches in St Philip's Seminary, directed by the Fathers of the Oratory, and is Pastor of St Vincent de Paul Church in Toronto. Previous publications include a translation of a biography of St Philip Neri, Philip Neri: The Fire of Joy by Paul Türks.

The Complete Visions Of Anne Catherine Emmerich

About the book: Under the appearance of a simple nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich (Coesfeld, 1774 – Dullmen, 1824) hides one of the great catholic mistycs of the last centuries. Since her earliest childhood, she was a soul of exceptional kindness, devotion and purity. Her life and her legacy will enlighten for centuries Christianity and all mankind. 

French writer Léon Bloy said: “If the book “Life of Anne Catherine Emmerich”, written by Father Schmoeger, was read by twenty people in each diocese, God would change the face of the world”. The potential of the legacy of this extraordinary Augustinian nun could not be described any better.

As incomprehensible as it may be to us, Anne Catherine was already blessed since her early childhood with a gift, according to her intense devotion: to have access to a direct knowledge of the life of Jesus, of the Holy Family, of the apostles and of other saints. Those are her “visions”, through which she does not only contemplate historical events, but she is also able to perceive the feelings and thoughts of the protagonists. In the literature on mysticism it is explained how a similar capacity comes occasionally to spiritually developed people.

The extremely detailed, profound and truthful account of her visions about the life of biblical characters and of Jesus Himself, gives the reader an intimate understanding of Christianity that goes beyond that of other Holy Scriptures. Her visions are eloquent, beautiful, powerful, a must read.

For many people today, believing that there has been such a miracle, that someone through visions can access knowledge of past events, is unacceptable. In this regard, it is interesting to consider this account by Anne Catherine Emmerich herself, looking back on a conversation she had as a child with her devoted father, Bernard Emmerich, a humble and self-sacrificing German peasant:

“I had to go out to the country with my father and take a horse, drive the reins and do all kinds of work. When we would turn around or stop, he would say: “How beautiful this is! Look, from here we can see the church of Koesfeld and contemplate the Blessed Sacrament and adore Our Lord and Our God. From there, He is seeing us and blessing our work”. When they officiated mass, he took off his hat and prayed, saying: “Let’s hear Mass now!”. As he worked, he said: “Now the priest is saying the Gloria; now it reaches Sanctus; and now we must ask with him this or that and receive the blessing”. Afterwards he sang or repeated some tune. When I raised the corn, he said: “People are frightened when they hear the word “miracle”, and behold, we live by pure miracle and grace of God. Look at the grain in the earth: there it is and from it comes a stem that produces a hundred for one. Is not this a great miracle? “On Sunday, after eating, he referred the sermon to us and explained it in a very edifying way. He also read us the explanation of the Gospel.“

The story of her visions has come to us thanks to her friend the writer Clemens Brentano and her doctor William Wesener, who transcribed and ordered the detailed explanations that she narrated of her visions. Clemens Brentano was a fiery romantic writer who converted to Catholicism after his contact with Anne Catherine. William Wesener was convinced of the spiritual height of Anne Catherine when she revealed to himself secrets of his personal life that no one could know. 

In regard to the reason for these visions, Anne Catherine herself refers to us as follows: “Yesterday I fervently asked God to stop giving me these visions, to see me free from the responsibility of referring them. But the Lord did not want to listen to me; rather, I have understood, as I have done on other occasions, that I must refer everything I see, even if they make fun of me and I do not understand the benefit that results from this. I have also known that no one has ever seen these things in the degree and extent to which I see them, and I have understood that they are not my things, but of the Church. “I give you these visions, the Lord told me, not for you, but to be consigned: you must, therefore, communicate them. Now is not the time to work outward wonders. I give you these visions and I have always given them to you, to show that I am with my Church until the end of the centuries. But the visions, by themselves, do not make anyone blessed: you must exercise, then, charity, patience and all virtues. The admirable visions of the Old Testament and the numerous visions of the lives of saints were communicated to me by the goodness of God, not only for my instruction, but also for me to publish them and make known so many things hidden and ignored. Many times this mandate was instilled in me. I should have died long time ago. I have known through a vision that some time ago I should have died, if it was not for the fact that I had to make these things known through the Pilgrim (that was the name she used to refer affectionately to the writer Clemens Brentano). He must write everything. It is my sole responsibility to communicate my visions. When the Pilgrim has ordered everything and everything is finished, he will die too.“

The visions of Anne Catherine have a capacity to make Christianity understandable and a potential for renewal and intimate approach to the message of Jesus, which is difficult to find an event of such significance in recent centuries. It is now up to each one of us to make the small effort to get closer and know His message. 

The story of The Complete Visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich (2014) is an immeasurable spiritual treasure. 

The above synopsis is taken from http://annecatherineemmerich.com/

About the author: Anne Catherine Emmerich, CRV (also Anna Katharina Emmerick; 1774-1824) was a Roman Catholic Augustinian canoness of the Congregation of Windesheim in Germany. During her lifetime, she was a purported mystic, Marian visionary and stigmatist. Emmerich was born in Flamschen, an impoverished farming community at Coesfeld, in the Diocese of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, and died in Dülmen, aged 49, where she had been a bedridden nun (Wikipedia).

Her parents, both peasants, were very poor and pious. In her childhood, the supernatural was already ordinary to her. Our Lord would appear and speak to her and she could tell whether an object had been blessed. At twelve, she was sent as a worker to a farmer and later was a seamstress for several years. Of delicate constitution, her parents sent her to study music, but finding the organist’s family very poor, she gave them the little she had saved to enter a convent and waited on them as a servant for several years. She was at times so pressed for something to eat that her mother brought her bread at intervals, parts of which went to her master’s family.

In her twenty-eighth year, she entered the Augustinian convent at Agnetenberg, Dulmen. Here she was content to be regarded as the lowest in the house. However, her zeal disturbed the tepid sisters, who were puzzled and annoyed at her strange powers and weak health, and treated her with some antipathy. Despite this additional cross, she discharged her duties cheerfully and faithfully.

When Jerome Bonaparte closed the convent in 1812, she was compelled to find refuge in a poor widow’s house. In 1813 she became bedridden. Blessed Anne foresaw the downfall of Napoleon twelve years in advance. She displayed a marvellous knowledge when the sick and poor came to her seeking aid; she knew their diseases and prescribed remedies that did not fail. She prayed and suffered much for the souls in purgatory whom she often saw, and for the salvation of sinners whose miseries were known to her even when far away. Soon after she was confined to bed, the stigmata came externally.

At the end of 1818, God granted her prayer to be relieved of the stigmata. The wounds in her hands and feet closed. However, the other wounds remained, and on Good Fridays all wounds would reopen for the duration of the day. In 1819 the government sent a committee of investigation, which discharged its commission most brutally. She was moved to a large room in another house and kept under the strictest surveillance day and night for three weeks, away from her friends except for her confessor. The commission departed without finding anything suspicious.

Klemens Brentano, the famous poet, was induced to visit her about this time. To his great amazement, she recognized him and told him he had been pointed out to her as the man who was to enable her to fulfil God’s command, namely, to write down the revelations made to her. During their meetings, he would write down her comments and then read to her what he wrote and make changes until she gave her complete approval. Like so many others, he was won over by her purity, her humility and patience under great sufferings.

Among the books written based on the visions of Blessed Anne are: The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Meditations of Anne Catherine Emmerich and The Life of The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Sister Emmerich died at Dulemen, in 1824. A rumour that the body had been stolen caused her grave to be opened six weeks after her death. The body was found fresh, without any sign of corruption. In 1892 the process of her beatification was introduced by the Bishop of Münster (EWTN).

Pope John Paul II beatified Emmerich on 3 October 2004, highlighting her personal virtues and Catholic piety. The purported “House of the Virgin Mary” in Ephesus is piously associated to her name (Wikipedia).

The Chicken Sisters by K J Dell Antonia

About the book: Three generations. Two chicken shacks. One recipe for disaster.

In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s have spent a century vying to serve up the best fried chicken in the state – and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. 

No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi’s before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie’s. 

Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. 

But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.

The last thing Brooklyn-based organisational guru Mae Moore, Amanda’s sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, Food Wars becomes her chance to step back into the limelight. Mae is certain she can make the fading Mimi’s look good – even if that pits her against Amanda and Frannie’s. With a greedy producer stoking the flames, their friendly rivalry quickly turns into a game of chicken. 

Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: will they fight with each other, or for their heritage? 

The Chicken Sisters (2020) is an instant New York Times bestseller and a Hallmark+ original series.

About the author: KJ Dell’Antonia is a New York Times best-selling author whose novels The Chicken Sisters and In Her Boots explore the same themes she once explored as a journalist: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy and the need to value the life we are living more than the one in our phones and laptops, every single time. Her third novel, Playing the Witch Card, throws magic into the mix, but witchcraft, like reality TV and literary fraud, rarely really solves anyone’s problems. She is also the former editor of the New York Times’ Motherlode blog, the co-host of the #AmWriting podcast,  and a passionate bookstagrammer (@kjda).  She lives in Lyme, New Hampshire, with her husband, children and assorted dogs, cats, chickens and horses.

Rating: 5/5

The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson

About the book: The acclaimed chef featured in the Emmy-Award winning US PBS series The Mind of a Chef and the Netflix docuseries Chef's Table explores the rich baking tradition of the Nordic region, with 450 tempting recipes for home bakers.

Nordic culture is renowned for its love of baking and baked goods: hot coffee is paired with cinnamon buns spiced with cardamom, and cold winter nights are made cozier with the warmth of the oven. No one is better equipped to explore this subject than acclaimed chef Magnus Nilsson. 

In The Nordic Baking Book (2018), Nilsson delves into all aspects of Nordic home baking - modern and traditional, sweet and savoury - with recipes for everything from breads and pastries to cakes, cookies, and holiday treats.

No other book on Nordic baking is as comprehensive and informative. Nilsson travelled extensively throughout the Nordic region - Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden - collecting recipes and documenting the landscape. The 100 photographs in the book have been shot by Nilsson - now an established photographer, following his successful exhibitions in the US.

About the author: Magnus Nilsson is the head chef of Fäviken Magasinet restaurant in Sweden. After training as a chef and sommelier in Sweden, he worked with Pascal Barbot of L'Astrance in Paris before joining Fäviken as a sommelier. Within a year, he had taken over the running of the restaurant, which was ranked the 57th best restaurant in the world and won two Michelin stars in 2016. 

Magnus is the author of the Fäviken cookbook (2012) and Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End (2020), also published by Phaidon. He features in the Emmy-Award winning US PBS-TV series, The Mind of a Chef, and the Netfix docu-series, Chef's Table. In 2015, he was awarded the White Guide Global Gastronomy Award. In May 2019, Nilsson announced that he plans to stop working as of 14 December 2019 and focus on his family and his hobbies.

The Nordic Cook Book by Magnus Nilsson

About the book: The Nordic Cookbook (2015) offers an unprecedented look at the rich culinary offerings of the Nordic region with 700 recipes collected by the acclaimed Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson featured in the Emmy-Award winning US PBS series The Mind of a Chef and the Netflix docuseries Chef's Table.

The Nordic Cookbook, richly illustrated with the personal photography of internationally acclaimed chef Magnus Nilsson, unravels the mysteries of Nordic ingredients and introduces the region's culinary history and cooking techniques.

Included in this beautiful book are more than 700 authentic recipes Magnus collected while travelling extensively throughout the Nordic countries – Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – enhanced by atmospheric photographs of its landscapes and people. His beautiful photographs feature in the book alongside images of the finished dishes by Erik Olsson, the photographer behind Fäviken.

With Magnus as a guide, everyone can prepare classic Nordic dishes and also explore new ones. The Nordic Cookbook introduces readers to the familiar (gravlax, meatballs and lingonberry jam) and the lesser-known aspects of Nordic cuisine (rose-hip soup, pork roasted with prunes, and juniper beer).

Organized by food type, The Nordic Cookbook covers every type of Nordic dish including meat, fish, vegetables, breads, pastries and desserts. These recipes are achievable for home cooks of all abilities and are accompanied by narrative texts on Nordic culinary history, ingredients and techniques including smoking and home preserving. Additional essays explore classic dishes made for special occasions and key seasonal events, such as the Midsummer feast.

The Nordic Cookbook joins Phaidon's national cuisine series, which includes Mexico, India, Thailand, Peru and others, and is the most comprehensive source on home cooking from the Nordic countries.

About the author: Magnus Nilsson is the head chef of Fäviken Magasinet restaurant in Sweden. After training as a chef and sommelier in Sweden, he worked with Pascal Barbot of L'Astrance in Paris before joining Fäviken as a sommelier. Within a year, he had taken over the running of the restaurant, which was ranked the 57th best restaurant in the world and won two Michelin stars in 2016. 

Magnus is the author of the Fäviken cookbook (2012) and Fäviken: 4015 Days, Beginning to End (2020), also published by Phaidon. He features in the Emmy-Award winning US PBS-TV series, The Mind of a Chef, and the Netfix docu-series, Chef's Table. In 2015, he was awarded the White Guide Global Gastronomy Award. In May 2019, Nilsson announced that he plans to stop working as of 14 December 2019 and focus on his family and his hobbies.

Way Of The Ascetics: The Ancient Tradition Of Discipline And Inner Growth by Tito Colliander

About the book: The Way of the Ascetics (1960) is an introduction to the narrow way that leads to life. It is a simple yet profound exposition of the spiritual life taught by the Orthodox Church for two thousand years. 

It is a portal to the vast spiritual experience of the desert fathers, and an insight into the spiritual lives of the saints. Reminiscent of the Ladder of St. John Climacus, "Way of the Ascetics" compels us to again begin the struggle to climb away from the world to the Kingdom of Heaven.

In our era of new-age spirituality and homemade religion, the simple patristic style of this work is consoling. In our age of spiritual naiveté, the simple and understandable instructions offered herein are enlightening and inspiring. 

We also offer this text here on the internet for the first time, so that all spiritual neophytes in need of simple and easy to follow instructions may once again set out on the time-tested way that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Note from the Author: This work is based on the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church and consists largely of direct or freely rendered extracts from their writings, together with some necessary interpretation and practical application. Scriptural quotations are from the Authorized Version, except those from the Psalms, which follow the Prayer Book Psalter.

About the author: Tito Fritiof Colliander (1904-1989) was a Finnish Eastern Orthodox Christian writer.

Converted By The Devil: Pierre Le Gouvello de Kériolet (1602-1660) by Fr Athanase, ODM

About the book: A hardened sinner is saved from hell thanks to a small remnant of Marian devotion.

Pierre Le Gouvello, Lord of Kériolet, was a Breton penitent born in Auray on 14 July 1602, who died in the odour of sanctity in 1660. He was ordained a priest on 28 March 1637. He transformed his château into a hospice for the poor.

Born into a wealthy noble family, Pierre de Kériolet seemed to be in the grip of the devil from childhood. He loved doing evil. His studies with the Jesuits in Rennes did not help, on the contrary. Always short of money, he stole from those around him.

At the age of twenty, he tried to join the Ottoman Empire to become a Muslim. But obstacles stood in his way, and he never succeeded. He fell victim to brigands while crossing Germany: the only survivor of the attack, he implored Our Lady of Liesse to save him. Granted his wish, he did not keep his promise and, for over fifteen years, led a debauched life, during which he may have signed a pact with the devil. 

In 1635, he returned to France to collect his father's inheritance, and bought a position as councillor at the Parliament of Brittany. He used his power as a magistrate to foster hatred between litigants, taking satisfaction in doing evil.

On several occasions, he escaped death, as if an invisible, all-powerful protection were extending over him. Instead of reflecting on this, he congratulated himself on his exceptional good fortune.

In the hope of being noticed by the young Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIII, Pierre de Kériolet accompanied the latter to Loudun in 1636, along with other members of parliament. A case of witchcraft was rocking the town. During an exorcism in the church of the Holy Cross in Loudun, the devil, speaking through the mouth of the possessed woman, publicly called out to Pierre de Kériolet, revealing who had protected him and explaining the reasons for this, citing the miracles of protection from which he had benefited. In closing, the devil made it clear that he was there to take him to hell, shouting, “If it hadn't been for Her (Mary) and your angel, I'd have taken you away!”

The next day, the devil exclaimed on seeing Kériolet again: “Well, here's the gentleman from yesterday again! If he keeps on like this, he'll rise as high in Heaven as he would have sunk with us in Hell. Ah, if you only knew! She (Mary) put her arms in the mire up to her elbows to pull him out of his filth, just because he still had a tiny bit of devotion left for her! And to think we're ourselves are damned for one sin!!!”

In fact, Kériolet was saved for having, all his life and whatever his faults, kept the promise he had once made to his mother: to say a Hail Mary every day, come what may, in honour of Our Lady. Although he was renowned for his avarice, he always gave generously in alms, even if he claimed it was not for the love of God. But “almsgiving covers the multitude of sins”, in the words of St Gregory the Great.

Kériolet eventually became a priest. He continued to experience demonic attacks for the rest of his life, as hell hates to let go of its prey, but it was all in vain. You cannot take from Our Lady what is rightfully hers.

© Marie de Nazareth 2024

Association Marie de Nazareth 75 rue de Lourmel 75015 Paris – France

Converted By The Devil: Pierre Le Gouvello de Kériolet (Second Edition, 2009) is translated from the French. 

My Malaysian Food Journey by Kalsom Taib

About the book: My Malaysian Food Journey (2024) had its genesis in a fortnightly column on ‘Culinary Inspirations’ that appeared in The Star newspaper during 2023 and into 2024. The author, having previously co-authored and published three cookbooks, each the recipient of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, decided it was time to pay tribute to her personal food heritage-to her hometown Muar, where she was brought up by both her maternal and paternal grandparents among a wider family interested in the best of traditional Malay cooking, especially Johorean cuisine, and well-known for its exceptionally talented cooks.

Although an avowed ‘armchair cook', the author pays special tribute to Mak Li, her family’s exemplary long-time cook, who first inspired her food journey as she watched Mak Li make dishes when she was a teenager and jotted down what she saw. This led to a lifelong interest in collecting cookbooks and recipes not only of her forebears but also from friends.

The chapters in this collection range from individual specialities perfected by family members to personal favourites, and from culinary inspirations drawn from Malaysia’s multiethnic heritage to reminiscences and stories of family gatherings, all centred around food. Many of the original articles in The Star have been expanded, with more information, recipes and photographs, while others have been added.

About the author: Datin Kalsom Taib holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and a Diploma in Education from the University of Malaya. She taught in secondary schools for five years before joining the private sector, in human resources, in Shell Malaysia, Malaysia Mining Corporation and Nestle Malaysia. After her retirement in December 1997, she became a writer and publisher, starting with three books about family members.

She then co-authored three Gourmand award-winning cookbooks: Johor Palate: Tanjung Puteri Recipes (2015), a compilation of hard-to-find Johor dishes; Malaysia’s Culinary Heritage: The Best of Authentic Traditional Recipes (2020), a compilation of 230 recipes that capture the unique flavours and textures of Malaysian food, including 213 foods that had been gazetted as traditional foods by the Department of National Heritage Malaysia under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645); and Recipes Are For Sharing (2022), a compilation of 200 Malaysian Recipes that are simple and speedy to make.

Kalsom has been a columnist for The Star since 2023. She has compiled her articles in My Malaysian Food Journey (2024), which marks the culmination of her rich and colourful career in heritage cookbooks. This book is on the list of nominees for the 30th Gourmand Awards in the Food Heritage category.

Chopsticks Or Fork? by Jennnifer Wong & Lin Jie Kong

About the book: Chopsticks or Fork? (2024) is a collection of stories and recipes from Chinese restaurants in regional Australia, based on the six-part ABC series created by Lin Jie Kong and Jennifer Wong.

The book lovingly captures the stories of ten very different families who run Chinese restaurants, from Queensland's Hervey Bay to Western Australia's Dunsborough, and features 32 classic Australian Chinese recipes. 

As well as revealing the secrets behind everything from sizzling Mongolian lamb to deep fried ice cream, Chopsticks or Fork? includes trivia on the lazy Susan, encounters with the country's biggest Chinese restaurant fans, a game of Chinese restaurant bingo just waiting to be played on your next night out, and more Chinese restaurant 'takeaways' than you can poke a (chop)stick at.

Chopsticks or Fork? is a unique celebration of an integral part of Australian cultural and culinary history.

About the authors: Jennifer Wong is a writer, comedian, and presenter of Chopsticks or Fork?. Jen's writing on food, culture, and mental health has been published by Monocle, ABC News, ABC Everyday, SBS News and SBS Food. She has appeared on ABC TV, ABC Radio National, SBS TV and Al Jazeera, and has performed sold-out stand-up shows at comedy and arts festivals in Australia, Shanghai and Edinburgh.

Lin Jie Kong is a cinematographer, production allrounder, and director of Chopsticks or Fork?. To help her learn English as a child, Lin Jie's parents let her rent as many movies as she wanted from Blockbuster during the school holidays, which kick-started a lifelong obsession with telling stories. Lin Jie has produced and directed a vast range of shows and documentaries for the ABC, including Good Game, What is Music and Comedy Next Gen.

Sama Sama by Julie Lin

About the book: 'Season the dish until the ghost of our ancestors tells you to stop!'

In Malay, sama sama (‘same same’) is a way of saying ‘you’re welcome’ to reinforce the idea of togetherness and equality in this everyday exchange. 

From successful restaurateur and Saturday Kitchen favourite Julie Lin, Sama Sama (2025) celebrates all parts of Julie’s identity (Malaysian, Chinese and Scottish) through 90 delicious recipes and heartfelt tales of self-discovery.

Always encouraging simplicity for maximum joy in the kitchen, Julie teaches us to cook with soul, trust our palates and broaden our ideas of authenticity. 

Enjoy accessible dishes with explosive flavours, such as Chilli Crisp Puttanesca, Steak au Sichuan Poivre and Kaya Croissant-and-Butter Pudding.

About the author: Julie Lin is a Malaysian-Scottish chef, writer, TV presenter and restauranteur. Julie has a successful restaurant in Glasgow, GaGa, Michelin recommended and named Best Restaurant in Scotland in 2022. Some of her recent work includes regular appearances on Saturday Kitchen, featuring on The Hairy Bikers Go Local and hugely popular Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, as well as cooking for Judi Dench on Countryfile. Julie has also contributed to several publications including the Guardian, Observer, BBC Good Food and Vice. She has a Substack and accompanying podcast, Use Your Noodle, on which she shares recipes and anecdotes from her week. In 2024, Julie was named Food Influencer of the Year at the Golden Chopsticks Awards and was named Women of Influence’s Woman to Watch.

Find her online at julielin.co.uk and on Instagram @julielincooks and @gaga.glasgow

Convents Of The Saint Maur Sisters: A Nostalgic Road In The East by Chen Yen Ling

About the book: Retrace the road of progress for women pioneered by the St Maur Sisters, visit their convents to experience nostalgia in pictures and marvel at their achievements for more than 170 years. Known presently as the Infant Jesus Sisters, their epic journey through Malaya transitioning into Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand was one filled with perils, hardship and sacrifices in their early days.

Still they prevailed, operating numerous schools to educate girls, raising countless orphans and caring for the abused, sick and desolate. Every country has its own story, greatly influenced by its political and social developments. In Malaya – then including Singapore – increasing territorial control by the British created the need for English medium education; while in Japan, learning European languages gained popularity as the country westernised following the Meiji Restoration.

World War II was cruel to all. In Malaya, English education was forbidden while in Japan most of the sisters’ buildings were flattened by bombs. But it did not break the spirit of the survivors and soon their schools were flourishing again. In Thailand, consequent to the unavailability of Malayan schools following a surge in demand by locals, the sisters’ mission and schools were re-established.

Convent school education continues to present day, albeit in varied manner in each country. But all remain unified to the principle of being “Simple in virtue and steadfast in duty”, promulgated by the no nonsense nuns.

Convents Of The Saint Maur Sisters: A Nostalgic Road In The East (2024) is written in memory of Mother St Mathilde, the pioneer sisters and all who have risked, laboured and sacrificed to change the lives of others through education.

About the author: Chen Yen Ling is a chartered and certified public accountant by profession and presently writes features for the media and non-fiction books. She holds a certificate in freelance journalism, Writers Bureau and also undertook a short study stint in anthropology at the University of Adelaide in Australia. She is the author of Lessons from My School, The journey of the French Nuns and their convent schools, the precursor to this book. 

Participating in all these works is Dr Etta Chatterjee, her great friend and classmate at St Anne's Convent who acted as a discussion companion, editor and advisor. She is a lawyer by profession, graduated from the National University of Singapore and holds a PhD Classics from King's College London, University of London.