The Book of Jotham - Arthur Powers

The Book of Jotham
Arthur Powers
Tuscany Press
ISBN 9781939627001
eISBN 9781939627025
ASIN B00B1Z7VWI
 

Very few books completely surprise me. This book has been on my radar for several years and been on my kindle for a few. I finally got around to reading it, when a different Catholic author I respect asked if anyone has read it. So, it jumped to the top of my to be read pile.

It is an easy book to read, and an easy book to understand. But it is not an easy book to process. I have been thinking about it a lot over the last few days. And it is not just the story, but how the story is told that is having a lasting impact upon me. The writing reminds me of the styles of both Noah ben Shea and Paulo Coelho. There are books by both of those authors that I have returned to time and time again. And this book feels like it might fall into that practice.

The description of the volume is:

“Jotham is a mentally challenged man-child who, like the other apostles, follows Jesus as Christ carries out his ministry and experiences death by crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Yet the other apostles—the dedicated Mary, Peter, Thomas, and the rest—while they care for Jotham and look out for him, don’t understand why Jesus loves him so. Thomas even says, after Jesus offers a parable, “I don’t see why all the pots can’t be strong and beautiful.”

Jotham may be different, but through him, we come to see Jesus and Jotham not just with our eyes, but also with our hearts.”

Some reviewers speculate that Jotham has Downs Syndrome, I think it just as likely that he is on the Autism spectrum. But the specific challenge he faced are not the issue. It is his interactions with Jesus, the disciples, Mary the mother of god, and Mary of Magdala. The power in the story is both the portrayal of Jotham’s view of events, but also how others in Jesus’s circle saw and interacted with Jotham. There is immense power in the story of his being cleaned up. And also having his feet shod.

I myself have a dual form of dyslexia, and throughout my schooling from grad 2 to 20 years in university I interacted often with special needs students, or students with disabilities depending on the school and what was politically correct at the time. My disability is not physical and is not obvious to many. Others were more like Jotham, it was clear that there were differences physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Reading this book has me reflecting back on some of the other students I encountered more often. Thinking about how they saw and interpreted those interactions, and how I myself behaved. And to be honest the book will have a lasting impact on my interactions with people going forward.

I am grateful that I finally got around to reading this book. It is not an easy book to review. But I can state that I highly recommend it and challenge you to give it a read and see what sort of impact it has on your life.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Arthur Powers:
The Book of Jotham
A Hero for the People
Sketches/Rio de Janeiro & Other Poems
Edgewater
…

Contributed to:
Just So Stories
Sky Songs II: Spiritual SF
…

The Reason for the Seasons - Fr. James V. Schall - Why Christians Celebrate What and When They Do

The Reason for the Seasons:
Why Christians Celebrate What and When They Do
Fr. James V. Schall
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781622826902
eISBN 9781622826919
ASIN B07JQ94JRY


This version of this book was published in 2018. It looks to be a revised and expanded version of Rejoice and Be Glad (ISBN 9781622822966) that was published in Match of 2017. The subtitle of that earlier edition was ‘Celebrating the Great Feasts of the Church’. Both subtitles work. I will admit the book is not nearly what I was expecting, I was expecting something along the lines of The Church's Year: Unfolding the Mysteries of Christ by David W. Fagerberg. But this book is a collection of 52 essays and articles. And there are some real gems in this collection. Many of the pieces appeared previously across 10 publications and websites. The pieces had appeared in:  The Catholic Thing, Catholic World Report, Gilbert Magazine, Crisis Magazine, MercatorNet, Aleteia.org, The Hoya, National Review, Inside Catholic, and The University Bookman. And as with any anthology or collection like this one there are pieces you will absolutely love, some you will like and maybe a few that just do not do it for you. I can state that many deeply impacted me and I will likely return to the volume and reread it following the seasonality of the pieces.

In the introduction Father Schall states:

“Over the years, I have written a number of relatively short essays on various Church feasts. These feasts are always an occasion to ask: “What is the point of the celebration?” “Why is it a case, not just of rejoicing, but of knowing the truth that makes real joy possible?” We cannot be joyful without ultimately knowing why we should be joyful, without having something to be joyful about.

In particular, I have written (and include here) many reflections on Christmas, Easter, and the days surrounding them. Also in this text are considerations of Pentecost, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day as well as of the “End Times” that come up in the last Sundays of the Liturgical Year.”

And that is evidenced by the weighting in the sections. The book is broken into 5 sections, and the sections have between 21 and 3 reflections. They are:

Part 1 From Christmas to New Year’s (21)
Part 2 From Ash Wednesday to Easter (15)
Part 3 From the Ascension to Pentecost (5)
Part 4 Ordinary Time (3)
Part 5 From All Saints to the Immaculate Conception (8)

At the end of each piece that was previously published it references the source and publication date. In the conclusion Schall states:

“At the beginning of this book, I quoted five authors — Josef Pieper, G. K. Chesterton, Samuel Johnson, St. Augustine, and Karl Adam. My selections were not arbitrary. They are designed to anticipate, to alert the reader to the flavor and thought that goes into the various texts that follow. As the reader goes through the book, the themes found in these initial citations keep recurring.”

And he does just that. There is part of me that wishes the sections in the volume were more evenly balanced. Or that Lend received as much weight as Christmas. But Father Schall has his reasons. And as the author of over 70 books there is much I could read across other subjects. In that conclusion he also states:

“Each year the liturgical cycle, in contrast to the chronological counting of days, but reflective of it, leads us through the history and nature of our salvation. No doubt, in one year, we can but touch on the riches that are found in each of the events of our redemption. As can be seen in these chapters, each year, each feast or memorial becomes a new starting point. We look again, with the new events of our own life and times, at the fact of Christ’s presence in this world, during the time of Caesar Augustus.”

And further along:

“No better way can be found to make sense of our own lives than to see them in the light of the drama of God’s calling us through Abraham, through the Incarnation and Redemption of Christ on the Cross, through the awareness we have that neither we ourselves nor the world itself is made fully to satisfy us, even though it can satisfy us in many good things.”

One of the pieces that impacted me most was his essay on Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson’s novel The Lord of the World, and that pieces and some of his references to C.S. Lewis have stirred in me a desire to return to the writings of Lewis, Benson and Chesterton.

This was one of those books I could hardly put down. But it is also one that I should have taken more time with. I will likely return to it and next time only read an essay every day or two. It is an excellent volume that any Catholic would benefit from reading.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
 

Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer - Jacques Philippe

Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer
Jacques Philippe
Timothée Berthon (Editor)
Neal Carter (Translator)
Scepter Publishers
ISBN 9781594173363
eISBN 9781594173356
ASIN B07NBVWJRN

My introduction to the writings of father Jacques Philippe was Time For God, which I first read 12 years ago. I have reread that book four times now and every time I read it, I get something more out of it. And when he has a new book come out in French, I eagerly await it being available in English. This time it looks like the two editions are publishing at the same time, and this is the second book I have read in the Nine Days Series. Nine Days to Welcome Peace, was an excellent read, and this one was also. I picked it up even before I finished this one, and will be extra diligent about keeping my eyes open for other books in this series. Father Philippe states about this series that:

“The “Nine Days to” collection offers a guided retreat to be lived at home or on vacation, in the subway or on the train, for people who have little time but wish to devote ten minutes a day to spiritual growth.

Each book in the collection offers nine days of inspiring meditations that surround a specific theme for advancement in the spiritual life. Each serves as both a school of prayer and an authentic tool of self-transformation.

Two meditations are offered for each day. One can be experienced in the morning and the other at any opportune moment during the day or evening.

The journey includes reflection exercises, the Word of God, a meditation from a saint or another great spiritual author, and a resolution—all geared to help the participant dive into an authentic spiritual experience.”

When I read this book the first time time I did part in the morning and part at lunch. Returning to it at lunch helped to focus my afternoon in a new way. 

The chapters in this volume are:
First Day:
Responding To A Call
Second Day:
 Putting God First
Third Day:
 Praying Freely
Fourth Day:
 Living Heaven On Earth
Fifth Day:
 Prayer Makes Me Know God
Sixth Day:
 Discovering My Profound Identity
Seventh Day:
 Prayer Makes Me Capable Of Loving My Neighbor
Eighth Day:
 The More I Pray, The More I Become Free
Ninth Day:
 Unifying My Life

And each of the nine days follows this pattern:

Introduction
Invitation To Contemplation
Sign Of The Cross
Prayer To The Holy Spirit
The Word of God
Meditation From Fr. Jacques Philippe
Prayer
Light From A Faithful Witness
The Light Of The Saints

The sections in each day vary slightly from the other volume currently available in the series. The section The Light of the Saints sometimes comprises quotes from more than one source. Each day is preceded by a full color photo and in this volume, they appear to all be photo’s of mosaics. We are not told where the excerpts from Father Phillipe are from, or if they were written specifically for this book, or this series. But in the grand scheme of things that does not matter. In the preface to the other volume it states that these meditations are available as a pamphlet or on CD. So I assume the original French versions come from retreats that Father Philippe has lead. And even if in English we do not have access to the audio, the book itself makes a wonderful 9-day personal retreat. Or it could even be used by a group or family. 

This is another wonderful resource for spiritual growth from Father Philippe. And I know I will be reading them all as the series becomes available and will return to them again and again. An excellent little volume. I highly recommend this and also the other Nine Days book that is available.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan! 

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
…

Stations of the Cross - Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman

Stations of the Cross
St. John Henry Cardinal Newman
TAN Books
ISBN 9781505116816
ASIN B084ZVKNXC


This lent I have read and compared two different editions of Stations of the Cross by Saint John Henry Newman. This is one of three new editions of works from this saint. And it is an excellent version. The other two volumes that were released at the same time are Meditations on Mary, Our Mother and Prayers Before The Eucharist. If they are as good as this volume, we are in for some great reads. But back to this volume. There is only one image in this volume it is The Crucifixion by Gustave Dore. 

This book is a completely new typeset. The chapters are:

Editor’s Introduction
Prayers Before The Stations Of The Cross
The First Station
The Second Station
The Third Station
The Fourth Station
The Fifth Station
The Sixth Station
The Seventh Station
The Eighth Station
The Ninth Station
The Tenth Station
The Eleventh Station
The Twelfth Station
The Thirteenth Station
The Fourteenth Station
Final Prayers

We are told in the introduction:

“As our world gets busier, less supernatural, and more complicated, Catholics need, more and more, to take just a small amount of time to focus on the supernatural, and with great simplicity. Thus, we have provided the text of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Stations of the Cross, adapted from the book of his meditations.”

And also:

“These meditations on the Stations of the Cross were written for his parishioners in the Birmingham Oratory Church, who were far from erudite scholars. Their education was minimal, and their available time even less, and they loved Newman all the more for the simple and easy way in which he led them to deeper devotion.

Thus, in our time, these meditations can aid us with the simple and singular focus on Christ’s passion and our own failings which contributed to it. We have given them slight editing for modern English as well as having added additional prayers to round out the work. May all who avail themselves of these meditations draw grace from the deep meditation.”

One of the things I love about this edition is that the Responses and prayers at with each station. So that you do not need to constantly flip back and forth. I also appreciated the grounded-ness mentioned in the introduction. This is a simple humble way of the cross. But one that will draw us in, either in personal, communal, or corporate praying of the stations. The main part of the reflection is very similar to other editions by Newman. Only some slight changing of language to make it more accessible.

This is a wonderful little volume that will enrich your experience of Lent, of throughout the year as you take time to reflect on the stations. Both the eBook and physical editions are beautifully set. And it is a book I can highly recommend!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

Reviews of other books by John Henry Newman:
Stations of the Cross
Meditations on Mary, Our Mother 
Prayers Before The Eucharist

…

CTS books about Newman:
John Henry Newman: Lead Kindly Light -Dr. Raymond Edwards
Newman His Life and Legacy – Fr. Ian Ker
John Henry Newman Apostle to the Doubtful - Meriol Trevor and Leonie Caldecott
Newman Prayer Book - The Birmingham Oratory (ed)
The Mind of Cardinal Newman: From His Own Writings - Charles Stephen Dessain 

Daily Christian Living with John Henry Newma

A Newman Prayer Book - The Birmingham Oratory

St John Henry Newman: A New Doctor of the Church - Fr Hermann Geissler, FSO 

Saint John Henry Newman: His Life and Works - CTS

Cardinal Newman The Story of A Miracle - Peter Jennings 

Benedict XVI and Blessed John Henry Newman the State Visit - Benedict XVI

…

CTS Books by John Henry Newman:
Meditations on Stations of the Cross
Christ upon the Waters - CTS Onefifties Book 3

The Second Spring

Two Discourses on Our Lady The Present and Future of British Catholicism

…

Reviews of other books about Newman:
Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman -  Mike Aquilina and Juan Velez

Brave Leader, Big Heart - Father Juan Velez

…

Bernard Of Clairvaux - J.B. Midgley - CTS Great Saints

Bernard Of Clairvaux
CTS Great Saints
J.B. Midgley
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860826979
CTS Booklet B735


I have been working on tracking down and reading all 28 books by J.B. Midgley. Twenty-six of those books were for the Catholic Truth Society.  And 6 of those were from the CTS Great Saints Series. I have also read many in the CTS Biographies and also Saints of the Isles Series. And have loved most of them. Lately I have been focused more on this series, and a couple of others, almost alternating books in each series, and still have over a dozen in this series I want to read.  On top of finishing all the books written by Midgley. This volume was published in 2010 and as of the date of this review there is no eBook edition. To begin with I can easily state this is a great book, by an excellent author in an amazing series! 

The description on the back of the book is:

“Saint Bernard (1091-1153) reminds us that questions about God and the meaning of life cannot be answered without prayer and contemplation. Bernard led the influential Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux for thirty-eight years and put the love of God and Jesus Christ at the centre of his writings. He shows us that without deep faith in God that is strengthened by prayer, contemplation and an intimate relationship with Our Lord, our reflections on the divine mysteries risk being mere intellectual excursions that lose credibility. Saint Bernard is famous for his writings on Mary, the Mother of Jesus.”

And the chapters in this little volume are:

The Honey-tongued Doctor
The Early Years
Citeax: a life of Asceticism
Clairvaux Monastery
Bernard’s wider mission
Schism and its Aftermath
Eugenius III and the Second Crusade
The Good and Faithful Servant
The Writings of Saint Bernard
Devotion to Saint Bernard
Epilogue

It was intriguing to read of the life of this monk. He committed to living a life set apart, and of work and service. But in taking vows of obedience, he also chose the life of a servant. And when his superiors, bishops, cardinals, the pope and even kings called upon his. He tried to live for God and in obedience answered the calls. Reading about his many trips and journeys in this volume, I believe Saint Bernard travelled more miles in his life after entering the monastery that I have travelled, including all my work travels. 

What impressed me most was here was a man of great intellect. And yet he chose a life of service, And he served through his writings which still bear much influence today. And he severed by his obedience, and example of his holy life. This book left me wanting more. I have added some of his works to my to be read list and also want to track down a more detailed in depth biography.

This is a great read in an excellent series.  

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by J.B. Midgley:
Advent & Christmastide with the Saints
Antonio Rosmini
Benedict - Patron of Europe
Bernard of Clairvaux – CTS Great Saints
Charles Borromeo  - CTS Great Saints
Companion to St. Joseph
Companion to the Feasts of Mary
Companion to Saint Peter
Companion to Saint Paul
Companion to the Angels
Companion to the Feasts of Our Lord
Companion to the Passion of Our Lord
Dominic - CTS Great Saints
George: Patron of England - CTS Great Saints
Dewi Sant: St David Patron of Wales
Francis de Sales – CTS Great Saints
John Baptist de La Salle – CTS Great Saints
John Vianney – CTS Great Saints
Lent with the Saints
Nurturing the Young
Robert Bellarmine
Saint John the Baptist 
Stations of the Cross and Resurrection with the Saints
The Eucharist with the Saints
The Four Evangelists
Thomas Becket – CTS Saints of the Isles
Vincent de Paul – CTS Great Saints
Witchcraft, Sorcery and Magic
…

Contributed to:
First Fridays and First Saturdays The Devotions Explained 

Devotion and Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

...

Books in the CTS Great Saints Series:
Antonio Rosmini - J.B. Midgley
Bernard of Clairvaux - J.B. Midgley
Benedict Patron of Europe - J.B. Midgley
Charles Borromeo - J.B. Midgley
Dominic - J.B. Midgley
Elizabeth of the Trinity The Great Carmelite Saint - Jennifer Moorcroft
Francis de Sales - J.B. Midgley
Gemma Galgani Gem of Christ John Paul Kirkham
George: Patron of England - J.B. Midgley
John Baptist de La Salle - J.B. Midgley
John of the Cross - Jennifer Moorcroft
John Vianney - J.B. Midgley

Louis Marie de Montfort His Life, Message and Teaching - Paul Allerton SMM

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Foster 

Martin de Porres - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
Patrick Missionary to the Irish - Thomas O’Loughlin 

Rita of Cascia - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
Robert Bellarmine - J.B. Midgley
Saint Anthony of Padua - Jude Winkler
Saint Dominic and the Order of Preachers - Richard Finn
Saint Francis of Assisi - Jennifer Moorcroft
Saint Ignatius of Loyola – J.A. Philips
Saint John the Baptist - J.B. Midgley
Saint Padre Pio A Holy Priest - Jim Gallagher
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux - Vernon Johnson
Thomas Aquinas - Vivian Boland
Vincent de Paul - J.B. Midgley

Augustine of Hippo - Ben O'Rourke

Saint Catherine of Siena - Sister Mary O'Driscoll OP

Saint Teresa of Avila - Jennifer Moorcroft

Clare of Assisi - John Paul Kirkham 

John Bosco - Jennifer Moorcroft 

Hildegard of Bingen - Angelo Amato

…

Blessed Virgin Mary Devotional - Wyatt North

Blessed Virgin Mary Devotional
Wyatt North Publishing
ASIN B0847Q65X1
 

Several years ago, I read a number of books from Wyatt North, and picked up a number. That I never got around to reading. But because of the title of this book and the contents it was a volume I started reading almost as soon as I had it on my device.

The sections in this volume are:

How to Use This Book
Chapter 1: The Church and Marian Devotion
Chapter 2: Mary in Church Doctrine
Chapter 3: Mary in Sacred Scripture
Chapter 4: Marian Prayers
Chapter 5: Praying the Rosary
Chapter 6: Chaplets, Scapulars, and Medals
Chapter 7: Marian Apparitions
Chapter 8: Marian Feast Days
Chapter 9: Mary Gardens
Chapter 10: Marian Titles

The book begins with these words:

“Catholics have always had a special love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Devotions to Mary are wide-ranging and diverse. Within the pages of this book, we will explore a tremendous variety of Marian devotional practices, including prayers honoring Mary, such as the Rosary; devotional articles; and a Mary garden, filled with plants representing events from her life.”

And later in that section we are told:

“Each chapter contains short sections, which are accessible whether read chronologically or simply chosen at random.”

And though that may be true it is always a little harder to do with an eBook over a physical book that you can randomly flip open. We are also reminded that:

“According to Pope Francis, when “faith makes a place for the Mother of God, we never lose sight of the center: The Lord, for Mary never points to herself but to Jesus.” Mary always points to God through her words and actions.”

This volume is a wonderful little book. It is a great introduction to Mary in the church and in history. It is also an excellent introduction to many things Mary. From various prayers and devotions to Mary. To overviews of the different scapulars and medals. The section on Marian Feast days is a great starting point. If you want to go further track down J.B. Midgley’s Companion to the Feasts of Mary, as it will go much deeper on that topic. I also really appreciated the chapter on Marian titles. And can state that I had never heard of a Mary Garden prior to reading this book.

This is an excellent little read to grow your knowledge, serve as a refresher, or as a starting point to pick a few Marian topics to go deeper with. A good volume for any Catholic, or any Christian in Mary and her role in the Catholic church and history.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament - Brant Pitre and John Bergsma

A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament
Brant Pitre
John Bergsma
Ignatius Press
ISBN 9781586177225
eISBN 9781642290486
ASIN B07H46F524


I read this in parallel to reading the old testament using The Catholic Study Bible, from Oxford University Press. It was a bit of over kill. Even for someone who spend 20 years as an undergraduate in University. When I read this volume again, I will use a normal bible with minimal notes and one of the translations I really enjoy reading, like the Jerusalem Bible. But that being said this book was a most excellent read.

As mentioned, I spent the better part of 20 years in University. I hold a Religious studies degree with specialization in Roman Catholic Thought. This book would have been an amazing resource during my university career. I attended St Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo, there were three other Church collages and the Religious Studies and Theology Departments spanned the 4 collages and faculty at main campus. This book would have been great for some of my essays, especially for Professors from other denominations.

The book is written in such as way that it can be used academically. But it is engaging enough that most lay people could read it and benefit from that reading. Coming in at just over 1000 pages it is not a small commitment. But What I found was that once I started reading a chapter on a specific book I found I could not put it down. The book is very engaging.

This is one of those more expensive books that I held off on purchasing. I waited more than a year to see if a paper back edition would be released or if the eBook would drop in price. I regret not having picked up the book right away. And when Volume 2 on the New Testament releases, I will not hesitate to pick it up right away.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who considers himself a professional or amateur Catholic Theologian. And to be honest it should be in the home of every Catholic family. It is an excellent resource, if you read it from beginning to end, or pick and choose around specific passages or books. I highly recommend this volume!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!