Monday 1 November 2021

Hold My Beer - Father Mark Goring - An Apocalypse

Hold My Beer:
An Apocalypse
ISBN 9798520657439


This was the second book I have read by Father Mark Goring CC. The first was Saint Joseph the Protector: A nine-day preparation for entrustment to St. Joseph, and is very different than this volume. When I finished that first one I picked up this and also, In His Zone 7 Principles for Thriving in Solitude. I wish this and the other books by Father Mark Goring were available electronically. With my dual form of dyslexia, eBooks are far more accessible, as the page color, font, and even font spacing can be changed to make reading easier. But most of Father Goring’s books are short enough I can make do using a colour film over the page. But back to this volume. I believe this is Father Goring’s only work of fiction to date. And some might read it and assume it is satire or farce. But that is not the impression I get from this book, though it is at times very humorous and entertaining. The description of the book is:

“A routine airport drop-off turns into an escape to the wilderness. The world’s communications systems are down and Father Pedro’s five VIP passengers know exactly what’s going on – the Media Reset.

The global elite are establishing a New World Order and silencing opposing voices. A remote island hunting camp becomes a place of refuge and surprises.”

The chapters in this book are:

A Place to Hide
Conspiracy Reality
Shotgun Visit
Shopping Spree
Ice Cold
Island Time
Need Coffee
Dictator for life
Freeze
Treasure Chest
Burst of love
Glassy Sea

The story has six main characters, Father Pedro and the 5 conference attendees he was driving to the airport. And an accomplice, known as Mr. Mister. And to be honest every time we encounter him in the book, even from the first mention of his name, I could not help but picture John Voight, as Mister Sir in the movie Holes. 

““What’s your friend’s name?” Mother Elijah asks.
“Mr. Mister,” I answer.
Christie holds back a laugh. “Mr. Mister?” She asks.
“That’s what everyone calls him,” I reply.”

The main characters are:

Ralph: Podcaster The Ralph Report conservative commentary, a Catholic Traditionalist.

Christie is a beautiful African American woman, mid-twenties journalist with the Pro-Life News Service.  Convert to Catholicism

Texas, a gentleman from Arizona, Don’t ask. Tall, blond, YouTube channel Extremely Catholic. Wild and crazy and popular with youth.

Mother Elijah a nun from Louisiana, author of several books on Christian Spirituality. Dominic a religious friar with the Order of Preachers, a Dominican. Originally from Vermont.

Father Pedro: A young priest who was just driving the other 5 to the airport after a conference. 

The 6 had been participants at The Kingdom Media Conference that takes place in Ottawa Ontario every October. So our story begins with 5 well known American Catholics and a local Canadian priest. As they do a drive by at the airport they see 2 Franciscans they knew from the conference being arrested. They head to Father Pedro’s place and soon are warned that they are being looked for by the police. And so they head north and see the help of Mr. Mister. 

This book sat on a table for a few weeks. Because I prefer eBooks. My youngest daughter kept asking about it because she found the title amusing. So one night I took it upstairs and read it between putting her to bed, and her brother. They book can easily be read in under 2 hours. It is an entertaining tale. The title does appear in the story several times, and becomes a bit of an in joke among the cast of characters. It is an interesting presentation of theories many believe today. And as an apocalypse far funnier than any others I have read. 

It is an interesting and entertaining read. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan

Books by Father Mark Goring:
Disciple Notebook: Discipleship. Living in the Spirit. Evangelization 2018
Disciple Notebook: Discipleship. Living in the Spirit. Evangelization 2019

Non-English Editions:
San Jose el Protector: Una Preparacion de Nueve Dias para Consagrarse a San Jose
Duc Thanh Giuse Dang Bao Tro: Chin Ngay Chuan Bi de Dang Minh Cho Duc Thanh Giuse
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