Quiz: What's your theological worldview?

What's your theological worldview?

You scored as a Roman Catholic!

You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you.

• 93% Roman Catholic
  
• 89% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
• 75% Fundamentalist
  
• 57% Neo orthodox
  
• 39% Emergent/Postmodern
  
• 36% Reformed Evangelical
  
• 32% Classical Liberal
  
• 18% Modern Liberal
  
• 18% Charismatic/Pentecostal
  

I found this Quiz at Dappled Things, and thought I would give it a go. It's good to know all that Catholic Spiritual Reading has not gone to waste.

Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato by: S. William Shaw

Sherman Oak and the Magic Potato.
S. William Shaw
Lulu Press
ISBN 9781430322207
www.swilliamshaw.com

I picked up this book for a few reasons. In part, I did so because I have read William Shaw's blog for a while now and followed the journey of this book's development. In part, it was because every so often I find a good teen fiction book to be a nice change of pace. Finally, the tile just grabbed my attention.

Now to be honest I have had a few self-published books come my way and have yet to be really inspired or impressed with them. This book exceeds all expectations.

First, I would state that the writing is better than any of the Harry Potter books. It is not as good as Lewis or Tolkien, but give Shaw time and I am sure he will get there if he continues to pursue the path of writing.

The book follows a young man 'Sherman Oak' as he goes from being the most bullied kid at school, and the butt of the other students' jokes, even his two older sisters, to a young man on a quest to free not only his parents but his tormentors from school. He has been told the quest will take 'as long as it takes', yet time and time again, Sherman presses on, when a rest and wait are possible. He grows and develops as a person throughout the book.

Oak is a very well-written character; he is not flat or stifled. He becomes very real to you and you find yourself cheering him on.

Shaw does some great things with this story, and unlike many other writers today, he comes up with his own creatures and his own stories, not just retelling old tales. Some of the creatures you will meet are truly creative and wonderful. The story will draw you in and compel you to keep reading.

Most people do not know that Eragon was originally self-published, and look at the literary and film success that it has had. I believe this book has the same potential. You can purchase it from the website below in either a print or electronic format. This book will surprise you, make you laugh, make you cry, and if you cannot see some of our reluctant hero in yourself, you're clearly not getting the book. So this is a book I would recommend to a person of any age. It may be written for teens, but the child in all of us will respond to the story. Also check out the author's blog if you have an interest in writing or publishing or are just curious to know more about the person who created this wonderful book.

This is an awesome book. I cannot wait till my daughter is older to read it to her and hopefully it will be one of her favorite's and we will read it together many time over the years. I am sure if you pick it up it will challenge and inspire you ant those you share it with also. I also look forward to reading other offerings that come available from Shaw.

http://stores.lulu.com/swilliamshaw
or Amazon.com
www.swilliamshaw.com

(First Published in Imprint 2007-06-01 in the book review column!)

Searching for and Maintaining Peace by: Jacques Philippe

Searching for and Maintaining Peace:

A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart
Father Jacques Philippe
St. Paul's - Alba House
ISBN 0818909064

ISBN 9780818909061
eISBN 9780818915277

ASIN B004Z4IYK0

I have had Father Jacques Philippe's books recommended to me on a number of occasions and by a number of different people. I have picked up the four I can find that are available in English. The title of this book, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, just grabbed my attention and had to be read first. The subtitle of this book is: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart, yet for a small book of 110 pages, it really packs a lot of punch.

This book was so good I have already put it back on my pile of books to be read. I know that I cannot glean all the great stuff from it in just one reading. For who in this hectic crazy world would not like a simple tool to help them find peace and to keep it once they have found it? This book will help you do just that. It is one I will add to my all time favorite list!

Here are some sample quotes from the book:

"The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us." P.5"Because only this peace of heart truly liberates us from ourselves, increases our sensitivity to others, and renders us available to our fellow man." P.7

"It is that Christian life is a combat, a war without mercy." P.8

"Every Christian must be thoroughly convinced that his spiritual life can in no way be viewed as the quiet unfolding of an inconsequential life without any problems; rather it must be viewed as the scene of a constant and sometimes painful battle, which will not end until death - a struggle against evil, temptation and the sin that is in him. … And this combat is, correctly viewed, the place of our purification, of our spiritual growth, where we learn to know ourselves in our weakness and to know God in His infinite mercy." P.9

"One of the dominant aspects of spiritual combat is the struggle on the plane of thoughts." P.13

Then the second section lists and goes over the causes of our loss of peace and how to regain it. There are some great tools for the spiritual life in this section.

The third section in this book is a series of quotes and excerpts from a number of Saints on the process of searching for peace, and on how to maintain that peace. These saints are:

     Juan de Bonilla

     Francis de Sales

     Teresa of Avila

     Marie of the Incarnation

     Francious-Marie-Jacob Libermann

     Padre Pio

These extended quotes will support and expand upon the information in the first two sections of this book. 

This book is a must for anyone who really wants to grow deeper in their walk with God and in living in the peace that Jesus Christ promised to his followers. 

Other Books By Fr. Jacques Philippe
From Scepter:
Called to Life
Time For God
Interior Freedom
In the School of the Holy Spirit
The Way of Trust and Love - A Retreat Guided By St. Therese of Lisieux
Thirsting for Prayer
Real Mercy: Mary, Forgiveness, and Trust
Fire and Light: Learning to Receive the Gift of God
The Eight Doors of the Kingdom: Meditations on the Beatitudes
Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer
Nine Days to Welcome Peace

Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith 
Priestly Fatherhood

Prayer: Oxygen for the Soul

…

St Paul's Alba House:
Searching for and Maintaining Peace
Discerning Your Vocation: A Catholic Guide for Young Adults (Forward)

...

Pauline Books and Media:
Time For God

...

SingTala:
Time For God
I Choose to be Free: the Power of Faith Hope & Charity (a different edition of Interior Freedom)

...

Contributed to:

Beautiful Hope
…

For a list of all books that are part of Father Mark Goring's Saint Mark’s School of Reading click here.

(These are all his books I have been able to find in English; if you know of any others or how to get them, let me know please.)

Meme - 8 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged!! Eight things about me meme. Ebeth from A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars tagged me on this meme…list 8 things about myself. I am supposed to list 8 things about me and then tag 8 others to continue the meme. Everyone who gets tagged must do the same, however, I will just leave it open and let whoever wants toplay, just talk about yourself for a minute and enjoy the moment! Here goes!

1. I struggled with wanting to be a priest for over a decade.
   
2. I have a dual form of dyslexia.
3. I collect Nalgene water bottles. (Photo of my Nalgene Stained Glass)
4. I collect rosaries, and when people I know travel I often ask them to bring them back from shrines and other sites.
5. If I was independently wealthy I would go to school till I die.
6. I have filled 24 volumes of journals since August 1994.
7. I love to cook, and make an amazing Irish Soda Bread from scratch.
8. My wife is wonderful and incredibly patient with me and my obsession with reading, writing and school.

So if you want to play just link back here, thanks Steven. I did a different version of this meme called 5 Random things about me a while back. I tried not to duplicate answers.

Catholic Carnival 121

The Carnival is up at 'just another day of Catholic pondering...' this week is 'better late than never! Check it out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

In Conversation With God: Volume #2: Lent and Eastertide By: Francis Fernandez Carvajal

In Conversation With God
Volume #2: Lent and Eastertide
By: Francis Fernandez Carvajal
ISBN 0906138213
Scepter Press
7 Volume Set
ISBN 0906138191

Sometimes when I start to read a book, I know it will be so good I do not mark in it the first time I read it through. This series falls into that category. However, this being my second time through these books for the second year in a row, I am now underlining, making notes in the margins and reading much deeper than my first time through last year. These books are an awesome devotional series of books and deserve the time and attention of a 6 or 7 page devotion each day. They will help you grow closer to Christ, and through that, to the other people in your life.
This volume spans the time from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday. Therefore this book will lead you through Lent, Easter and the 5 weeks of Easter leading up to Pentecost. If you cannot afford the whole set, start with this volume and the Advent and Christmastide volume, then add the others over time. It is usually cheaper to buy the boxed set but sometimes that amount of money is not available up front.

My review of the whole series highlights some of the aspects of the series as a whole. Here I will just give you some sample quotes:

"Each of us must draw up a specific plan of mortification to offer to God every day during this Lent."
p.5

"The person who abandons mortification is inevitably ensnared by his senses and becomes incapable of any supernatural thought."
p.8

"Let us make up our minds to keep close to Our Lord during these days by contemplating his most Sacred Humanity in the vivid and memorable scenes of The Way of the Cross. Let us see how, for our sakes, he wakes along the Path of Sorrows."
p.18

"It is not only the person who never falls who sanctifies himself, but the person who always rises again. Having defects is not what is bad - all of us have defects - but making a pact with them and ceasing to fight. Christ then, the Physician, cures us and then helps us to struggle."
p.22

"The devil exists and acts in people and society. His activity is mysterious, but real and effective."
p.31

"We are all children of God, and being children, then heirs. The inheritance is the sum of incalculable good things God has prepared, and of the limitless happiness He has willed for us."
p.106

"This is how we must travel along the way of self-giving: the Cross on our shoulders, a smile on our lips and light in our hearts."
p.160

Hopefully those few samples will draw you in and inspire you to work your way through these books.

Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.

About the Complete Series:

The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.

This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.

There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.

Books edited by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Year of Faith Treasury: Prayer 

Year of Faith Treasury: Holy Communion 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Roman Pontiff 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Sacrament of Confession 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Faith

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Fortitude 

In Conversation with God:

Volume #1 Advent and Christmastide

Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide

Volume #3 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-12

Volume #4 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-23

Volume #5 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-34

Volume #6 Special Feasts January-June

Volume #7 Special Feats July -December

Complete Set 7 Volumes

In Conversation with God eBooks:
Volume 1 Part 1 Advent 
Volume 1 Part 2 Christmas and Epiphany
Volume 2 Part 1 Lent and Holy Week
Volume 2 Part 2 Eastertide
Volume 3 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-6
Volume 3 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 7-12
Volume 4 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-18
Volume 4 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23
Volume 5 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-28
Volume 5 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 29-34
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March
Volume 6 Part 2 Special Feasts April-June
Volume 7 Part 1 Special Feats July -September
Volume 7 Part 2 Special Feats October -December

Books by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Overcoming Lukewarmness

Through The Winds and Waves

The Day that Changed My Life

Life of Jesus

...

Catholic Carnival 120

The Carnival is up at A Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars the theme this week is 'The Catholic Worldview'! Check it out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.