These books were chosen by the book club for reading next year. We also decided on the monthly schedule for reading them. We plan to meet on the first Wednesday of each month, starting at 6:30 pm, unless there is a conflict with Ash Wednesday or another church event. Until COVID restrictions are lifted, we will be meeting in the parish gym.
Wednesday June 2nd
Reimagining the Ignation Examen: Fresh Ways to Pray from Your Day by Fr. Mark Thibodeaux
Following the example of St. Ignatius, we believe that praying the Examen will lead to a better life. The 500-year-old daily practice of honest self-assessment and reflection is a founding principle of Ignatian spirituality. What we don’t know is if St. Ignatius ever felt like changing it up a bit. Jesuit speaker and author Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, is confident that St. Ignatius would not mind a little flexibility in his prayer.
Join Thibodeaux as he guides you through new and unique versions of the Examen, totally flexible and adaptable to your life. In ten minutes, you can tailor your daily prayer practice to fit your personal and situational needs, further enhancing and deepening your meditation. Reimagining the Ignatian Examen—the only book of its kind—will lead you through a fresh and stimulating reflection on your past day, your present state of being, and your spiritual desires and needs for tomorrow.
Wednesday July 7th
Humility Rules: Saint Benedict’s Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem by J. Augustine Wetta
Saint Benedict's fifth-century guide to humility offers the antidote to the epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the language of The Rule by Saint Benedict is medieval, and its most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people?
With candor, humor, and a unique approach to classical art, Father Augustine, a high school teacher and coach, breaks down Saint Benedict's method into twelve pithy steps for finding inner peace in a way that can be applied to anyone's life.
Drawing upon his own life experiences, both before and after becoming a Benedictine monk, the author explains every step, illustrating each chapter with color reproductions of monastic art that he has embellished with comic flourishes. The winsome combination is sure to keep readers from taking themselves too seriously―which is already a first step on the path to humility.
Wednesday August 4th
Louder Than Words: The Art of Living as a Catholic by Matthew Leonard
Author, speaker, and Dynamic Catholic convert Matthew Leonard combines the stories of the saints’ triumphs and struggles along with his own personal anecdotes and wry humor to give us a fresh take on the art of being truly Catholic in a contemporary world.
“We all need help to grow spiritually, especially when it comes to cultivating a life of prayer and holiness … Matt Leonard shows us the way. Full of biblical wisdom and practical insight, readers will be inspired and challenged to grow, and then motivated and empowered to go forth.” – Dr. Scott Hahn
Wednesday September 1st
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede
When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill.
As the passengers stepped from the airplanes, exhausted, hungry and distraught after being held on board for nearly 24 hours while security checked all of the baggage, they were greeted with a feast prepared by the townspeople. Local bus drivers who had been on strike came off the picket lines to transport the passengers to the various shelters set up in local schools and churches. A middle school provided showers, as well as access to computers, email, and televisions, allowing the passengers to stay in touch with family and follow the news.
Over the course of those four days, many of the passengers developed friendships with Gander residents that they expect to last a lifetime. This book recounts the inspiring story of the residents of Gander, Canada, whose acts of kindness have touched the lives of thousands of people and been an example of humanity and goodwill.
Wednesday October 6th
Walk in a Relaxed Manner: Life Lessons from the Camino by Joyce Rupp
At age 60 Joyce Rupp did not know what she was getting into when she began a 47-day pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Joined by a friend, Joyce learned lessons that can help all of us travel on life's up-and-down journey with more grace and lightness. She shares them in this enjoyable recounting of her journey across mountains and valleys, cities, and farms.
Wednesday November 3rd
The Art of Being a Good Friend: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Friends and in Yourself by Hugh Black
Friendship is one of the soul's purest and greatest pleasures, but no matter how many friends you have, and how close you think you are to them you probably are not aware of the tremendous spiritual importance of true friendship and of how crucial it is to keeping your head and your soul in our neo-pagan society.
Author Hugh Black argues that it is actually spiritually dangerous to let friendships remain on the superficial level that all too many people settle for nowadays doing no more with their friends than going shopping or watching a football game together. He maintains that when you take friendship for granted and don't give it the care it deserves, you turn your back on a God-given source of spiritual vitality, joy, and comfort. But don't despair! Black shows you how to transform superficial friendships into soul-nourishing relationships, bringing them from shallowness and frivolity to a deep communion of mind and heart a communion that will become for you (and for them) a means for spiritual growth.
December – No meeting
Wednesday January 5, 2022
Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections by Greg Tobin
Award-winning author Greg Tobin offers a compelling guide to what will surely be one of the most important and headline-making events in modern history: the election of the new Pope. Every rule of this secretive process receives close scrutiny, as does the rich history behind the conclave and the key issues that will shape the future of the Catholic Church at a time when it is in crisis, in the U.S. and abroad. You'll discover why the election always concludes with the rising of white smoke; what powers the Cardinals hold during the vacancy of the holy See; and what startling changes Pope John Paul II made to the centuries-old procedures.
Wednesday February 2nd
My Brother, the Pope by Georg Ratzinger and Michael Hesemann
It wasn't always the case that Msgr. Georg Ratzinger lived in the shadow of his younger brother, Joseph. Georg was an accomplished musician, who for over 30 years directed the Regensburger Domspatzchor, the world-famous boys’ choir of the Regensburg cathedral. Brother Joseph was a brilliant young professor, but mostly known in German academic circles. Now Georg writes about the close friendship that has united these two brothers for more than 80 years. This book is a unique window on an extraordinary family that lived through the difficult period of National Socialism in Germany. Those interested in knowing more about the early life of Benedict XVI will not be disappointed. They will also learn of the admirable character and inspiring example of the parents, and see how the Catholic faith can shape not just a family, but an entire culture--in this case, that of Bavaria.
Wednesday March 2nd
Bakhita: From Slave to Saint by Roberto Italo Zanini
Born in a village in Sudan, kidnapped by slavers, often beaten and abused, and later sold to Federico Marin, a Venetian merchant, Bakhita then came to Italy and became the nanny servant of Federico's daughter, Aurora, who had lost her mother at birth. She is treated as an outcast by the peasants and the other servants due to her black skin and African background, but Bakhita is kind and generous to others. Bakhita gradually comes closer to God with the help of the kind village priest and embraces the Catholic faith. She requests to join the order of Canossian sisters, but Marin doesn't want to give her up as his servant, treating her almost as his property. This leads to a moving court case that raised an uproar which impacts Bakhita's freedom and ultimate decision to become a nun. Pope John Paul II declared her a saint in the year 2000.
Wednesday April 6th
An Immovable Feast: How I Gave Up Spirituality for a Life of Religious Abundance by Tyler Blansky
An Immovable Feast is a profound love story told with humor, wisdom and bite. It tells the colorful and gripping story of one man's religious path that begins with a fundamentalist Baptist childhood to an adolescence in emergent church spirituality. He moves on through hipster years as a house painter and musician, then marries and enters a seminary in Wisconsin. After years of wearing a black cassock and preparing to be an Anglican priest, he boldly joins the Catholic Church. Tyler Blanski's tale does not reject suitors of religion, but seduces them.
Wednesday May 4th
Book selection night and (maybe) a potluck dinner.