Monday, 29 April 2019
Saint Catherine Of Siena: Legenda Major by Raymond Of Capua
Paperback: This book is also known as 'The Life of St Catherine of Sienna' and is an inspiration for us all. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) had her first vision of Christ at age six and dedicated her life to his service as a Dominican. She produced an extraordinary series of Letters on spiritual education and the public affairs of the Church, as well as the Dialogue. She also served as an advisor to Pope Gregory XI and his successor, Urban VI. In 1970, Pope Paul VI named Catherine Doctor of the Church. In 1999, Pope John Paul II proclaims her Patron of Europe.
"Catherine was educated as a child that belonged to God. As soon as she began to walk alone, she was loved by all who saw her, and her conversation was so discreet, that it was with difficulty her mother could keep her at home; her neighbours and relatives would bring her to their houses in order to listen to her childlike reasonings, and enjoy her infantine sweetness. They found so much consolation in her company that they did not call her Catherine, but Euphrosyne, which signifies joy, satisfaction. Perhaps they were ignorant of this meaning, and did not know what I learned later, that Catharine had resolved to imitate St Euphrosyne; and it may be, also, that in her childish phases she uttered some words resembling Euphrosyne, and those who repeated her words gave her this name. Her youth realized the promises of her early infancy: her words possessed a mysterious power which inclined the soul to God. As soon as one conversed with her, sadness was dispelled from the heart, vexations and troubles were forgotten, and a ravishing peace took possession of the soul, so extraordinary indeed that one could only imagine it to resemble that enjoyed by the Apostle: on Mount Thabor, when one exclaimed: "It is good for us to be here." One day while she was praying in her little chamber Jesus appeared to her, and announced to her the kind of new miracle that He was going to operate in her.
Learn, my sweetest daughter, that henceforth thy life will be filled with prodigies so amazing that ignorant and sensual men will refuse to believe them. Many even of those persons who are attached to thee, will doubt them and fear an illusion caused by excess of love to me. I will diffuse in thy soul such an abundance of grace, that thy body itself will experience its effects and will live no longer except in an extraordinary manner. Thy heart shall become so ardent for the salvation of thy neighbour, that thou shalt forget thy sex and its reserve; thou shalt no more avoid as formerly the conversation of men, but thou shalt expose thyself to every species of fatigue in order to save their souls; thy conduct will scandalize many who will contradict thee and accuse thee publicly.
Jesus Himself was and is a sign of contradiction, and His saints often are contradicted. Saint Catherine was warned of this eventuality and yet faithfully followed her Crucified Saviour as should we. Catherine had much to suffer in her reputation, and in this especially appeared her admirable patience. What more precious than the reputation of a maiden, and what more delicate than the honour of a consecrated Virgin! It was in consideration of this that God would have his Mother, the Queen of Virgins, protected by no husband in the eyes of the world and on the Cross, he confided the virginity of his mother to the virginity of St John.
This book was written by Saint Catherine of Sienna's confessor, Blessed Raymond of Capua.
About the author: Blessed Raymond of Capua, OP, was a leading member of the Dominican Order and served as its Master General from 1380 until his death. He was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1899. First as Prior Provincial of Lombardy and then as Master General of the Order, Raymond undertook the restoration of Dominican religious life. For his success in this endeavour, he is referred to as its "second founder". Raymond worked also for the return of the papacy to Rome and for a solution to the Western schism. The important mystic and author, St Catherine of Siena, accepted him as a spiritual director because of his burning passion for the Church and for the revival of religious life. (Wikipedia)
Christus Vivit by Pope Francis
Paperback: For young people today, trying to find a path to holiness in a hostile world is increasingly difficult. Last year, the Church held a Synod on Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment, where Bishops from across the world gathered to discuss this issue. Now Pope Francis shares this Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation in the form a Letter to Young People and to the Entire People of God.
Written to inspire young people in their faith, the Pope writes in an engaging and highly readable way, drawing from young saints and biblical figures, and even the youth of Jesus himself to remind them - and the entire Christian faithful - that their voice must be listened to.
Yet the Pope also has some guidance to offer young people, exploring vocation discernment and encouraging friendship with Jesus. He additionally addresses the Church as a whole, reminding us of the youthfulness the Church should embody, while also considering how to renew youth ministry and emphasising the importance of attracting young people to the Church.
This is an important document to be read by anyone - young people, those involved in youth ministry, and all those who wish to help pave the way to a mission-focused Church that keeps her ears open to the fresh voices and ideas of young people.
About the author: Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.
Sunday, 28 April 2019
Saturday, 27 April 2019
Star Of The North by D B John
Hardback: Star of the North (2018) is a propulsive and ambitious thriller about a woman trying to rescue her twin sister from captivity in North Korea, and the North Korean citizens with whom she forms an unlikely alliance.
Star of the North opens in 1998, when a Korean American teenager is kidnapped from a South Korean beach by North Korean operatives. Twelve years later, her brilliant twin sister, Jenna, is still searching for her, and ends up on the radar of the CIA. When evidence that her sister may still be alive in North Korea comes to light, Jenna will do anything possible to rescue her - including undertaking a daring mission into the heart of the regime.
Her story is masterfully braided together with two other narrative threads.
In one, a North Korean peasant woman finds a forbidden international aid balloon and uses the valuables inside to launch a dangerously lucrative black-market business. In the other, a high-ranking North Korean official discovers, to his horror, that he may be descended from a traitor, a fact that could mean his death if it is revealed.
As the novel progresses, these narrative strands converge and connect in surprising ways, ultimately building to an explosive and unforgettable climax.
About the author: D B John was born in Wales. He began training as a lawyer but switched to a career in publishing, editing popular children's books on history and science. In 2009 he moved to Berlin, Germany, to write his first novel, Flight from Berlin. A visit to North Korea in 2012 inspired Star of the North. He lives in Angel, London.
Rating: 5/5
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Monday, 22 April 2019
Thursday, 18 April 2019
My Life In Christ: The Spiritual Journals Of St John Of Kronstadt, Part 1
Paperback: I do not precede my book by any introduction: let it speak for itself. Everything contained in it is but a gracious enlightenment which was bestowed upon my soul by the all-enlightening Holy Spirit during moments of deep self-concentration and of self-examination, especially during prayer. - Archpriest Ivan Ilyich Sergiev
My Life In Christ (2015) is a classic text of Orthodox Christian spiritual life. This book is a reflection of both the profound spiritual experience and the elevated theological reflection of its author, St John of Kronstadt.
This new edition features a revised and updated English translation and is enhanced by the inclusion of subject and scripture indexes. Appropriate both for beginners in the spiritual life and for those more experienced, no one will come away from reading this work without profit.
My Life In Christ will be returned to time and time again and is appropriate, relevant, and edifying reading for all Christians. The two parts of this present edition are available separately and as a complete set.
About the author: Ivan Ilyich Sergiev (1829-1908), known to his contemporaries as Fr John of Kronstadt, was the most revered figure of the Orthodox Church in Russia in the half-century leading up to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. Fr John's veneration grew even greater after his death, and in 1964, the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia formally recognised him as a Saint.
About the translator: Nicholas Kotar is a graduate of Holy Trinity Seminary, Jordanville, New York, and holds a degree in Russian Literature from UC Berkeley. My Life In Christ is revised and adapted (with reference to the original Russian text) from the translation of E E Goulaeff by Nicholas Kotar.
Wednesday, 17 April 2019
The Way Of The Cross by Donagh O'Shea OP
Paperback: Christian awareness is shaped by a particular death, the death of Jesus: his living and dying and rising are the energies that shape Christian identity.
The Way of the Cross (2003) offers reflections on the fourteen traditional stopping-places or stations which mark out a path by which Christians may walk in the footsteps of Jesus, identifying themselves spirituality with him.
And, as many do today, The Way of the Cross adds a fifteenth station, the resurrection.
Part Two is a resource for more leisurely reflection on each station. It provides scriptural texts, and it also brings us into the company of saints and mystics who have travelled this path before us.
About the author: Donagh O' Shea OP, director of the Dominican Centre Cork, has conducted retreats not only in Ireland and Britain but also in countries as diverse as Albania, Iceland, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa. His other books include In A Fitful Light: Conversations on Christian Living and I Remember Your Name In The Night: Thinking About Death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)