Good Friday 2017
The Tabernacle is empty and the Altar is bare.
Photo's St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church Waterloo, Ontario.
Friday, 14 April 2017
Thursday, 13 April 2017
Holy Thursday 2017 - Photo's from St. Mary's Cathedral Kingston
Holy Thursday 2017
Photo's are from Saint Mary's Cathedral Kingston Ontario, taken a few years back.
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Author Profile and Interview with Marilee Haynes
1. If you had not become a writer what do you think you would be doing for a living?
I would love to be a teacher - or a children's librarian - something that combines kids, learning and lots and lots of books!
2. Who were some of your biggest supporters and contributors to your early success?
My husband was always willing to read my work - and he always laughed in all the right places. I have a good friend and neighbor who is a successful young adult author who showed me the ropes and helped me believe I really could write a book someone would actually want to read. And my kids. They were very young when I started writing, but have always been so excited about and proud of the fact that their mommy is an author!
3. Which books or authors had the greatest impact on your work?
Beverly Cleary's books are the first ones I remember devouring as a child. I was so excited about the characters and the stories and thrilled to keep reading about Ramona and Ellen Tebbits and all her wonderful characters. My love of writing about families and friendship and real life can likely be traced to my early - and everlasting - love and admiration for Beverly Cleary's books.
4. What were some of your favorite authors in your teen years who helped shape you?
As a young teen, I read a lot of classics as well as contemporary realistic fiction. I loved anything by Paula Danziger and read and re-read Little Women and anything else by Louisa May Alcott. I also discovered and adored the works of Jane Austen.
5. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you nurture that dream?
Being a writer was a long-held dream. It was always a someday thing until I had my third child and found myself turning 40 with three kids under 3 ½. I decided that was as good a time as any to dust off the old dream and give it a try. The most important thing I did - and continue to do - to nurture my work as a writer was to read. Read, read, and read. The two most important things I do to continue to grow as a writer are simply to read and write. Learning from what touches me and inspires me as a reader is as important as regularly sitting down and getting words onto the page.
6. What does your writing process look like? Takes us through the steps from idea to publishing?
My writing process is a little disorganized. I get an idea - typically a character - and find myself inspired. I sit down and start to write - no outline, little to no written notes. I just write and see where the story takes me. This makes for some fun and interesting surprises as well as some long and complicated revisions and edits. I usually share a completed draft with a couple trusted writer friends and use their feedback and my own to revise and edit. Revising and editing can take a good while. Then it's off to either a list of potential literary agents or to my editor at Pauline Media and hopefully, after what seems like a very long time but is actually a little more than a year, I have a book in my hands I can share with others.
7. Do you use a playlist when writing? Are certain books written while predominantly listing to the same music?
I am not someone who uses music to write - sometimes I'll have music on in the background, but it is not part of my process and does not impact my stories.
8. What current projects are you working on or are in the back burner in some stage of development?
I have two projects I am working on. One is in a similar vein to what I have already had published - realistic middle grade fiction - but it pulls at the heartstrings a bit more than my other works. I love this character and his story and hope to finish it over the next few months. The other project is a bit of a departure as it includes some fairy tale-like elements and would be considered a bit of a fantasy. At its core, however, are themes of family, friendship and self-acceptance - so not so different from my other works after all.
9. One of the greatest strengths in your books are the characters, they are so solid and believable. The characters you create, are they reflections of people you know, composites of different people you know or entirely your creations?
Characters come to me as they are - very nearly fully fleshed out and all their own. They are simply themselves. Some minor characters may be influenced by people in my life - past or present - but most of my characters simply arrive in my imagination and introduce themselves as they are.
10. Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
This is a hard question!
I simply love and adore Gabe Carpenter from a.k.a. Genius and Genius Under Construction. He's so awkward and confused and wonderful. I would have to say Gabe's grandfather is probably the person I most wish I had in my own life. To have someone support and accept and encourage you is a true gift. Gabe was lucky to have him.
11. I once heard Madeleine L'Engle state that her characters were real to her and almost an extended part of her family, she said once that at the dinner table she sat up and stated "Meg just finished her PhD." Are your characters real to you, do you ever get glimpses of what they are up to now, or once you finish a book is that it?
My characters are very real to me. When I'm writing, I genuinely worry about them when things aren't going well and it can be painful to write scenes that are difficult for my characters. During my writing process and long after, I find myself talking about them as if they are real people. And to me, and hopefully too many of my readers, in their own way they are.
12. Do you think we will see Gabe and his friends again in another story?
Never say never. I'm not working on anything right now, but I would like to take Gabe and his friends through 8th grade graduation.
13. Your books are also marketed mainly to teen and youth and yet I have read them and recommended them too many adult friends who loved them. You also appear to have a large adult audience. Do you see yourself writing a book aimed at the general fiction audience?
I really don't. I write for the middle grade audience because that is what feels natural and real to me. I love kids. And I have loved reading my entire life. I think books can have a tremendous and long-lasting impact on kids in a way that writing for the adult market cannot.
14. What are some of your favorite contemporary religious authors to read?
I like to read books by some of my favorite Catholic moms - Lisa Hendey, Danielle Bean and Sarah Reinhard are some of my favorites. And I enjoy reading the Time Travelers series with my kids by Sr. Maria Grace Dateno.
15. Completely off topic but what TV shows or movies do you enjoy?
My husband and I loved watching the first season of This is Us and can't wait to see more. I don't watch a lot of television, but when I do it's usually something on the Food Network or HGTV.
16. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 books to read again and again, what books would you want with you?
No response.
17. What advice would you give to young aspiring authors and artists particularly those looking to have their art reflect their faith?
Write authentically and from the heart. Don't have an agenda or try to teach your readers a lesson. Make their faith a part of who your characters are and the rest will follow. And always, always, read. Read to learn and to enjoy. Just read.
Marilee thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. It is great to get to know a bit more about you and your writing process. If you have not read any books by Marilee I highly recommend them, and hope this interview entices you to give them a try. If you have read her books, like me I am sure you are eagerly anticipating new releases to come.
Books by Marilee Haynes:
a.k.a. Genius
Genius Under Construction
Pictures of Me
Author profile and interview with Marilee Haynes.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Monday, 10 April 2017
The Donkey at the Waterwheel - Malcolm M. Kennedy - The Lay Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá
The Donkey at the Waterwheel:
The Lay Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá
Malcolm M. Kennedy
Scepter Press
ASIN B06XBXWG51
This booklet is now available in a new eBook format. It has been completely redone and is a wonderful little gem. I believe that there were originally just over 200 booklets in the series that were available in English and it is a great blessing that they are being made available again. I do not know if Malcom M. Kennedy wrote any other booklets in this series but this one is a great little read.
The chapters in this booklet are:
Introduction
Opus Dei is born
A hunted priest
Human and supernatural
Work not an obstacle
Jesus the artisan
A triple dimension
A clerical misunderstanding
God plays with his children
To be little
Fires of hope
Homily: Passionately Loving the World
About Scepter
The first part of the book is part history of Opus Dei, Part biography of St. Josemaria Escriva and a bit of personal reflection from the author. The second part of the book is one of Saint Josemaria's homilies, Passionately Loving the World. And together the 42 pages in this volume bring encouragement, and reminders about what we are here, and what our role should be. Here are a few of the sections I highlighted while reading through this book. I hope this sampling will pique your interest in pursuing this read.
"Try to remember what a donkey is like - now that so few of them are left. Not an old, stubborn, vicious one that would give a kick when you least expected, but a young one with his ears up like antennae. He lives on a meagre diet, is hard working and has a quick cheerful trot. There are hundreds of animals more beautiful, more deft and strong. But it was a donkey Christ chose when he presented himself to the people as king in response to their acclamation. For Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What he likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, attention to his affectionate word of advice. That is how he reigns in the soul."
"No! We cannot lead a double life if we want to be Christians. There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled with God. We discover the invisible God in the most visible and material things.
There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him. That is why I can tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurrences and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ."
"I must finish now. I told you at the beginning that I wanted to announce to you something of the greatness and mercy of God. I think I have done so, in talking to you about sanctifying your everyday life. A holy life in the midst of secular reality, lived without fuss, with simplicity, with truthfulness. Is this not today the most moving manifestation of the magnalia Dei (Sir 18:5), of those prodigious mercies which God has always worked, and does not cease to work, in order to save the world?"
And then the book concludes with these words from Saint Josemaria Escriva: "Faith, finally, my beloved daughters and sons, to show the world that all this is not just ceremonies and words, but a divine reality, by presenting to mankind the testimony of an ordinary life which is made holy, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and of holy Mary."
This is one of the original Scepter booklets; in fact it was booklet 165. It is now available for in a wonderful eBook edition, along with many other booklets from the series. Scepter is in the process of updating all of the old booklets and making them available in a new format and presentation. I have read a number of the booklets and look forward to them all being available again. This book and the whole series are amazing resources to help you grow in your faith. And you really cannot beat the price!
PDF for free from Scepter.
Or Kindle edition for great price.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
The Lay Spirituality of St. Josemaría Escrivá
Malcolm M. Kennedy
Scepter Press
ASIN B06XBXWG51
This booklet is now available in a new eBook format. It has been completely redone and is a wonderful little gem. I believe that there were originally just over 200 booklets in the series that were available in English and it is a great blessing that they are being made available again. I do not know if Malcom M. Kennedy wrote any other booklets in this series but this one is a great little read.
The chapters in this booklet are:
Introduction
Opus Dei is born
A hunted priest
Human and supernatural
Work not an obstacle
Jesus the artisan
A triple dimension
A clerical misunderstanding
God plays with his children
To be little
Fires of hope
Homily: Passionately Loving the World
About Scepter
The first part of the book is part history of Opus Dei, Part biography of St. Josemaria Escriva and a bit of personal reflection from the author. The second part of the book is one of Saint Josemaria's homilies, Passionately Loving the World. And together the 42 pages in this volume bring encouragement, and reminders about what we are here, and what our role should be. Here are a few of the sections I highlighted while reading through this book. I hope this sampling will pique your interest in pursuing this read.
"Try to remember what a donkey is like - now that so few of them are left. Not an old, stubborn, vicious one that would give a kick when you least expected, but a young one with his ears up like antennae. He lives on a meagre diet, is hard working and has a quick cheerful trot. There are hundreds of animals more beautiful, more deft and strong. But it was a donkey Christ chose when he presented himself to the people as king in response to their acclamation. For Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What he likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, attention to his affectionate word of advice. That is how he reigns in the soul."
"No! We cannot lead a double life if we want to be Christians. There is just one life, made of flesh and spirit. And it is this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy and filled with God. We discover the invisible God in the most visible and material things.
There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him. That is why I can tell you that our age needs to give back to matter and to the most trivial occurrences and situations their noble and original meaning. It needs to restore them to the service of the Kingdom of God, to spiritualize them, turning them into a means and an occasion for a continuous meeting with Jesus Christ."
"I must finish now. I told you at the beginning that I wanted to announce to you something of the greatness and mercy of God. I think I have done so, in talking to you about sanctifying your everyday life. A holy life in the midst of secular reality, lived without fuss, with simplicity, with truthfulness. Is this not today the most moving manifestation of the magnalia Dei (Sir 18:5), of those prodigious mercies which God has always worked, and does not cease to work, in order to save the world?"
And then the book concludes with these words from Saint Josemaria Escriva: "Faith, finally, my beloved daughters and sons, to show the world that all this is not just ceremonies and words, but a divine reality, by presenting to mankind the testimony of an ordinary life which is made holy, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and of holy Mary."
This is one of the original Scepter booklets; in fact it was booklet 165. It is now available for in a wonderful eBook edition, along with many other booklets from the series. Scepter is in the process of updating all of the old booklets and making them available in a new format and presentation. I have read a number of the booklets and look forward to them all being available again. This book and the whole series are amazing resources to help you grow in your faith. And you really cannot beat the price!
PDF for free from Scepter.
Or Kindle edition for great price.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
Scepter Booklets:
5 Steps to a Financially Healthy Marriage - Joseph D. Salem
A New Beginning - Walter Macken
A Plan of Life - Josemaria Escriva
A Profile of St Thomas More - M. Alvarez
A Treasury of Prayers - James W Albrecht
Bright and Cheerful Homes - James Urteaga
Catholic Teachings on Sex - Daryl Glick
Celibacy, Personality and the Gift of Self - John B Torello
Censorship - Cormac Burke
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith - Declaration on Certain Questions of Sexual Ethics
Devotion to St. Joseph - F Delclaux
Diary of a City Priest - George William Rutler
Dispositions for Faith - John Henry Newman
Divine Ways on Earth - Cardinal Sergio Pignedoli
Francis Luna - How to Pray
Freedom From What For What - Cormac Burke
Frequent Confession - S Feirgle
How to Pray – Rev. Francis Luna
In Gods House - Paul Nitta
Increase and Multiply - J. A. Garcia-Prieto and J. L. Pastor
Is Purity Possible - JL Soria
Legacy A Story of Generosity - James B Stenson
Life of Faith - Josemaria Escriva
Living in God’s Presence - Francis Luna
Making the Most of Confession - Francis Luna
Marriage in Crisis - Cormac Burke
Montserrat Grases - Mercedes Eguibar
Norms of Piety - JM Muntadas
Novena to St. Josemaria Escriva for Work
Novena to the Immaculate Conception - St Josemaria Escriva
On the Encyclical “The Splendor of the Truth” - Russell Shaw
Order - Joseph L Soria
Parents, Children and The Rules of Life - Cormac Burke
Popular Devotions and Theology - JJ Espinosa
Priests for the New Millennium - John C McCloskey
Reinventing Dad - Denis Helming
Sanctifying Ordinary Work - Andrew Byrne
Scepter Christmas Carols
Seeking Christ in Reading - Rev Eugene Boylan
Sir Thomas More The Making of a Saint - Thomas J. McGovern
Sowing Abundant Doctrine - Joseph A. Vidal
The Angels - Cardinal John Wright
The Apostle Who Couldn't Believe - George Chevrot
The Ark and the Dove - Joseph W. McPherson
The Christian in the World - Russell Shaw
The Donkey at the Waterwheel - Malcolm Kennedy
The Galileo Affair - George Sim Johnston
The Gospel Truth - Michael Giesler
The Laity’s Role in Today’s Church - John Paul II's Christifideles Laici
The Limits of Dissent - John Myers
The Priest and His Image - Alvaro del Portillo
The Reasonableness of Christianity - Peter Kreeft
To Make a Good Retreat - David Chandler
When God Calls - Rev. Federico Suarez
Winning Converts - John McCloskey
With All Your Mind - Rev. Federico Suarez
Women’s Liberation and Feminism - Jutta Burggraf
Work as Fufillment in the thought of John Paul II - John F Cloverdale
…
The Original List of Scepter Booklets:
001 Loyalty to the Church
002 Sowing Abundant Doctrine
003 Time is a Treasure
004 "Increase and Multiply"
006 Human Virtues
007 Bright and Cheerful Homes
008 Freedom From What? For What ?
009 Christ's Presence in Christians
010 Mother of God, Our Mother
011 Supernatural Aim of the Church
012 That All may be Saved
014 The Angels 016 A Priest Forever
017 Marriage, Christian Vocation
018 With All Your Mind
019 Dispositions for Faith
020/021 A New Beginning
022 Sanctifying Ordinary Work
024 Is Purity Possible
025 Life of Prayer
026 Ascension of Our Lord
027 The Religion of the Pharisee
028 To Jesus Through Mary
029 The New Barbarism
030 Passionately Loving the World
032 Montserrat Grases
033 The Great Unknown
034 Love of God and Love of Neighbor
035 Popular Devotions and Theology
036 Towards Holiness
037 "Things New and Old"
038 Christ Triumphs Through Humility
039 Judge Among Men
041 Divine Ways on Earth:
042 interior Struggle
044 The Eucharist: Mystery of Faith and Love
048 Living in God's Presence
049 Marriage in Crisis
050 The Priest and His Image
051 Freedom and the Church
052 Freedom A Gift of God
053 Censorship
054 Christ the King
055 Humanae Vitae
056 With the Strength of Love
057 Devotion to St. Joseph
058 The Christian Vocation
060 Woman Today
063 The Way of the Cross
064 Surrender to God
066 Conscience and Truth
069 Will You Also Go Away?
070 Twenty Questions to Msgr. Escriva
071 Have You Received the Spirit?
072 The Christian's Hope
073 Marxism and Christianity
074 The Apostle Who Couldn't Believe
075 God's Work
076 Heaven
080 Conversion of the Children of God
081 Full of Grace
082 St. Thomas More: A Profile
083 Justice Alone is Not Enough
085 "Your Sins Are Forgiven You"
087 Here and Now
088 In the Footsteps of Christ
089 Before and After Holy Mass
090 The Greatness of Ordinary Life
091 The Communion of Saints 092 The Blessed Trinity
093/094 Ideals in Youth
095 How to Understand the Bible
096 How the Bible Has Come to Us
098 What is the Church For?
099 Msgr. Escriva De Belaguer: His Love for the Church
100 Parents Children and the Rules of Life
101 Before God and Men
103 On the Feast of Corpus Christi
104 Fatima and Its Pilgrims
105 Authority Faith, and The Individual
106 Letter to Priests
107 Growing in Parenthood
109 Detachment
111 Population and Development
112 Reaching and Teaching Your Children
113 Strangers and Exiles
114 Woman Today: Her Role in the Family
115 Christ's Death Is The Christian's Life
116 The Need for Penance
117 Our lady's Place in Your Life
118 Commentaries on the Holy Mass
119/120 Letter on the Holy Eucharist
121 Why Suffer
123 Man Essential Part 1
124 Man Essential Part 2
125 Sir Thomas More: The Making Of A Saint
126 The Ventures of Faith
127 The Mystical Number Three
128 The Ark and the Dove
129 Come Holy Spirit
131/132 Family, Become What You Are
133 Friendship Of Christ
134 Freedom to Love
136 Conscience and Authority
137 Seeking God in the World
138 Priesthood of Today and Tomorrow
139 A Year of Jubilee
140 Evolution
141 The Black Madonna
142 Christ in his Church
143 Meeting the Press
144 Will Being Good Make Me Happy?
145/146 Letters to a College Student
147 A Game Plan For The Christian
148 Catholic Understanding of Marital Intimacy
150 Process Theology and Secularization
151 Opus Dei & Its Critics
152 Reading: Learning to Choose
153 Liberation Theology
154 Joys & Sorrows St. Joseph
155 Alive to God
156 Keeping God in the Closet
157 Freedom and Obedience
158 With Respect to Sex
159 The Individuality of the Soul
160 Work and the Spiritual Life
161 Women at Work
162 20 Questions to Mgr. Alvaro del Portillo
163 Go For It!
164 Speaking from the Heart
166 Talking About God
167 The Intelligence in the Service of Christ the King
168 Penance
169 Law and Morality
170 Sex & Education
171 The Romance of Orthodoxy
172 Marriage And The Priesthood
173 In Her Will I Dwell
178 The Gospel Truth
179 To Make a Good Retreat
180 Contraception
181/182 Sucessful Fathers
183 The Laity's Role in today's Church
184 Spiritual Direction
187 Reasonableness of Christianity
190 The Christian in the World
191 Seven Words From The Cross
192 The Beatification of Msgr. Escriva
194 Mass: The Hidden Treasure
197 Evangelization in the U.S.
199/200 Order
201 The Galileo Affair
…
204 Reinventing Dad
…
Sunday, 9 April 2017
20 Answers Death & Judgment - Trent Horn - 20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers
20 Answers - Death & Judgment
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers Book 11
Trent Horn
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781941663950
eISBN 9781941663974
ASIN B01HC83O1O
Trent Horn has written 9 of the 20 books in the Catholic Answers series. To date I have read 6 of the books he has written in the series and have read 17 of the 20 in the whole series. I am now almost finished the 20 Answers challenge. The goal was to read all 20 books in the 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers during Lent. Currently during lent 2017 you can get all 20 books for 50% off, an amazing deal, and you still have time to get them! Trent writes in a very engaging way, his arguments are clearly laid out. But as he states in this book, many people today do not like to think about the fact that we will all die; and as we as Catholics believe then face a judgement.
The opening paragraph of this book is: "Eschatology is a branch of theology that studies the "Last Things," of which there are roughly two kinds. The first are the four traditional Last Things every individual must face-death, judgment, hell, and heaven. Every person will face the first two, but their choices in this life will decide which of the last two they will participate in for all eternity. Eschatology sheds light on what these things are and how we can prepare for their inevitable appearance in our own lives." And the rest of the book is a concise treaty on the first two of those four last things. The 20 Questions Trent tackles in this book are:
What is death?
How do we know there is an afterlife?
Is reincarnation possible?
What is the particular judgment? Are souls aware of anything after death?
What is purgatory?
What are some common objections to the doctrine of purgatory?
How do I stay out of purgatory?
Are the souls in the next life aware of what is happening to people in this life?
Should we pray to saints in heaven?
Are we living in the end times?
What does the Catholic Church teach about the end times?
What do other Christians believe about the end times?
What is the general judgment?
What is hell?
Is the doctrine of hell unjust?
Is it possible that no one will go to hell?
What will happen to those who never heard of Jesus?
What is heaven?
Will there be a new earth and a new heaven?
How do I get to heaven?
This book is a challenging read. There are many who will read it and not want to believe it. It follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. But it is very well written and really should be read by all Catholics so they can answer some of the common objections to Catholic teachings.
Having now read 17 of the 20 books in this series, I can say there starts to be a bit of overlap. Some very similar questions get answered a few times; but usually by different authors and from different angles. But overall the series and this book specifically are excellent. Of the 17 books in the series I have read 15 have got a 5/5 star rating and the other two both got 4 stars. So even with this being one of the more difficult topics it is well worth the time to give it a read.
This is a great book in a great series, I highly recommend both.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!
Note 2: Lent 2017 this is an amazing series of books is being offered at a 50% discount through the end of Lent 2017. But the challenge is to read the 20 books in the 20 Answers series over Lent. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 eBooks for just $34.95! If you want a way to go deeper this Lent give this series a try! #20AnswersChallenge
20 Answers Series:
20 Answers Abortion - Trent Horn
20 Answers Angels & Demons - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Atheism - Matt Fradd
20 Answers Death & Judgement - Trent Horn
20 Answers Divorce & Remarriage - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers End of Life - Jason Negri
20 Answers Faith & Science - Trent Horn
20 Answers God - Trent Horn
20 Answers Islam - Andrew Blezad
20 Answers Jehovah's Witnesses - Trent Horn
20 Answers Mary - Tim Staples
20 Answers Miracles - Karlo Broussard
20 Answers Mormonism - Trent Horn
20 Answers Salvation - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Scripture and Tradition - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Bible - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Eucharist - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Papacy - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Real Jesus - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Church - Trent Horn
20 Answers Witchcraft & the Occult - Michelle Arnold
20 Answers Apparitions & Revelations - Michael O'Neill
20 Answers Bible Prophecy - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Homosexuality - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Reformation - Steve Weidenkopf
20 Answers The Sacraments - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Bioethics - Stacy A. Trasancos
20 Answers Conversion - Shaun McAfee
20 Answers Faith and Works - Jimmy Akin
Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...
20 Answers Series from Catholic Answers Book 11
Trent Horn
Catholic Answers Press
ISBN 9781941663950
eISBN 9781941663974
ASIN B01HC83O1O
Trent Horn has written 9 of the 20 books in the Catholic Answers series. To date I have read 6 of the books he has written in the series and have read 17 of the 20 in the whole series. I am now almost finished the 20 Answers challenge. The goal was to read all 20 books in the 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers during Lent. Currently during lent 2017 you can get all 20 books for 50% off, an amazing deal, and you still have time to get them! Trent writes in a very engaging way, his arguments are clearly laid out. But as he states in this book, many people today do not like to think about the fact that we will all die; and as we as Catholics believe then face a judgement.
The opening paragraph of this book is: "Eschatology is a branch of theology that studies the "Last Things," of which there are roughly two kinds. The first are the four traditional Last Things every individual must face-death, judgment, hell, and heaven. Every person will face the first two, but their choices in this life will decide which of the last two they will participate in for all eternity. Eschatology sheds light on what these things are and how we can prepare for their inevitable appearance in our own lives." And the rest of the book is a concise treaty on the first two of those four last things. The 20 Questions Trent tackles in this book are:
What is death?
How do we know there is an afterlife?
Is reincarnation possible?
What is the particular judgment? Are souls aware of anything after death?
What is purgatory?
What are some common objections to the doctrine of purgatory?
How do I stay out of purgatory?
Are the souls in the next life aware of what is happening to people in this life?
Should we pray to saints in heaven?
Are we living in the end times?
What does the Catholic Church teach about the end times?
What do other Christians believe about the end times?
What is the general judgment?
What is hell?
Is the doctrine of hell unjust?
Is it possible that no one will go to hell?
What will happen to those who never heard of Jesus?
What is heaven?
Will there be a new earth and a new heaven?
How do I get to heaven?
This book is a challenging read. There are many who will read it and not want to believe it. It follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. But it is very well written and really should be read by all Catholics so they can answer some of the common objections to Catholic teachings.
Having now read 17 of the 20 books in this series, I can say there starts to be a bit of overlap. Some very similar questions get answered a few times; but usually by different authors and from different angles. But overall the series and this book specifically are excellent. Of the 17 books in the series I have read 15 have got a 5/5 star rating and the other two both got 4 stars. So even with this being one of the more difficult topics it is well worth the time to give it a read.
This is a great book in a great series, I highly recommend both.
Note 2: Lent 2017 this is an amazing series of books is being offered at a 50% discount through the end of Lent 2017. But the challenge is to read the 20 books in the 20 Answers series over Lent. That is right you can get all 20 physical books or all 20 eBooks for just $34.95! If you want a way to go deeper this Lent give this series a try! #20AnswersChallenge
20 Answers Series:
20 Answers Abortion - Trent Horn
20 Answers Angels & Demons - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Atheism - Matt Fradd
20 Answers Death & Judgement - Trent Horn
20 Answers Divorce & Remarriage - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers End of Life - Jason Negri
20 Answers Faith & Science - Trent Horn
20 Answers God - Trent Horn
20 Answers Islam - Andrew Blezad
20 Answers Jehovah's Witnesses - Trent Horn
20 Answers Mary - Tim Staples
20 Answers Miracles - Karlo Broussard
20 Answers Mormonism - Trent Horn
20 Answers Salvation - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Scripture and Tradition - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Bible - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Eucharist - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Papacy - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Real Jesus - Trent Horn
20 Answers The Church - Trent Horn
20 Answers Witchcraft & the Occult - Michelle Arnold
20 Answers Apparitions & Revelations - Michael O'Neill
20 Answers Bible Prophecy - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Homosexuality - Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Reformation - Steve Weidenkopf
20 Answers The Sacraments - Fr. Mike Driscoll
20 Answers Bioethics - Stacy A. Trasancos
20 Answers Conversion - Shaun McAfee
20 Answers Faith and Works - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Anti-Catholic Myths - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers The End Times - Jimmy Akin
20 Answers The Rosary - Tom Nash
20 Answers Seasons & Feasts – Michelle Arnold
20 Answers New Age - Michelle Arnold
20 Answers Catholic Social Teaching – Mark Brumley
20 Answers Prayer – Hugh Barbour O. Praem and Sebastian Walshe O. Praem
20 Answers Faith & Reason – Christopher Kaczor
20 Answers The New Testament – Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Protestantism – Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Marriage & Sex – Todd Aglialoro
20 Answers The Early Church – Jim Blackburn
20 Answers The Old Testament – Jimmy Akin
20 Answers Judaism – Michelle Arnold
20 Answers The Sacraments – Father Mike Driscoll
...
Other Books from Catholic Answers:
Hard Sayings: A Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties - Trent Horn
A Daily Defense: Apologetics Lessons for Every Day - Jimmy Akin
The Apostasy That Wasn't: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church - Rod Bennett
Answering Atheism - How to Make the Case for God with Logic and Charity - Trent Horn
Persuasive Pro Life: How to Talk About Our Culture's Toughest Issue - Trent Horn and Fr Frank Pavone
The Protestant's Dilemma: How the Reformation's Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism - Devin Rose
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines - Tim Staples
Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians - James L. Papandrea
Demons, Deliverance, Discernment: Separating Fact from Fiction about the Spirit World - Fr. Mike Driscoll
Navigating the Tiber: How to Help Your Friends and Family Journey Toward the Catholic Faith - Devin Rose
100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura - Dave Armstrong
The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You from Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life - Jimmy Akin
The Truth is Out There (Brendan and Erc in Exile Book 1 - Brother Amadeus and Amadeus
...Memorize the Reasons! Defending the Faith with the Catholic Art of Memory - Kevin Vost
Marching Orders: A Tactical Plan for Converting the World to Christ - Dan McGuire
The Fathers Know Best - Jimmy Akin
Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love - Trent Horn
The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did - Eric Sammons
What the Saints Never Said - Trent Horn
...
Saturday, 8 April 2017
Afternoon Hike 2017-04-08
Afternoon Hike 2017-04-08
Grand River Country Trails
A Photo Essay
Grand River Country Trails
A Photo Essay
Today I went on a little ramble with my three children. We hiked for about 90 minutes. It is the first time all three of them have walked the whole time, up until this year we have had a large double stroller and the younger two often rode. We had some fun, but need to take some garbage bags for next time (see picture 5 below).
Pulled both of these out from the shelf. The kids are old enough to start trying some other adventures.
Katherine Jacob
The Record
ISBN 9780969765318
Grand River Country Trails 2
Katherine Jacob
The Record
ISBN 9780969765318
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