YOUCAT Confession - YOUCAT

YOUCAT Confession
YOUCAT
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781784695552
eISBN 9781784695866
ASIN B078TLKG6J

This past year I decided to read through the Catechism in a year. And I ended up ahead of schedule, so when I finished the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I moved on to The Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. So, I decided to read DOCAT: Catholic Social Teaching for Youth and I really enjoyed it. In fact I enjoyed it so much I am now reading YOUCAT: The Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church. This year after I finished the Catechism I decided to read YOUCAT Confession. I have been going to confession for 40 years now, There were some sparsely and over the last number of years at least monthly.  This little book is an incredible read. And much as Young Adult fiction has a wide audience with adult readers, So should the YOUCAT, this book was an excellent read. 

The Sections in this book are:
INSTEAD OF A FORWARD
1. GOING TO CONFESSION
Why it's great to seek reconciliation with God and how to do it.
2. IN & OUT
A different kind of "confession mirror"
THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
How does it work?
What do you need?
What do you do?
SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR CONFESSION

The book has 4 pictographs to indicate special parts of the book they are:

" Quotations from various authors
! Information & Tips
A picture of a bible for quotes from Sacred Scriptures
A Yellow Book with a Y for YOUCAT Questions

In the first section of the book, written by Andreas Süß, INSTEAD OF A FORWARD, Father Andreas writes about his own experience with confession, and his experience at World Youth Day in 2005. He states about the Nightfever movement that grew out of that WYD, 

"Because we receive the liberating power of God's forgiveness in confession and begin again with God, and the joy that is experienced can really be seen. On one occasion a visitor addressed me directly. She had seen how a young woman had left confession completely resolved and happy. It was almost tangible to see the load that had been lifted from her shoulders. So, the woman approached me and said: "That's what I want too." She didn't know exactly how to go to confession but she had seen what happens when you do."

Further in the book they have three analogies for the book, when answering the question 'What is Confession?' the first two in the book are:

"Confession is like performing a regular update on my life. If I miss the update, then all my software is out-of-date. My Laptop is unprotected and exposed to viruses and trojan attacks."

Or

"Confession is like taking a car for service. At least every 30,000 km the car needs to go to the garage. Otherwise it will stop working and the engine will break down. At least once a year - preferably before Easter - every Catholic should go to confession."

To find out the third you will need to read the book. These three examples were excellent. They got me thinking about something that happened a few weeks ago at church. The other two children and I were going to confession, and my oldest said she would wait. My wife asked he 'Are you just going to let your sins pile up like that?' and my oldest replied 'Not if you put it like that.' It makes me think about the 'In and Out List' in this book. This book also has an amazing question and answer section on many aspects of confession, repeat sins, circumstances and more. 

This book is an excellent read. I have read sections to my children ages, 11, 10 and 7. And as I approach 50 it is just as important a read for me. This book will benefit any Catholic who reads it, or anyone who is exploring the Catholic Faith. I highly recommend it.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books from YOUCAT:
YOUCAT: The Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
YOUCAT: Study Guide
YOUCAT: Youth Prayer Book
YOUCAT: Confirmation Book: Student Book
YOUCAT: Confession Book
YOUCAT: Bible
DOCAT: Catholic Social Teaching for Youth
DOCAT Study Guide: What to Do?

...

Related Posts:

Catholic Christianity - Peter Kreeft - A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church

YOUCAT Confession - YOUCAT

Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition 

The Companion to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a Year

Catholic Catechism Dialogue blog

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ascension Edition

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume I

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume III

…

Books from the Council of Baltimore:

Baltimore Catechism One

Baltimore Catechism Two

Baltimore Catechism Three

Baltimore Catechism Four

Manual of Prayers: For the Use of the Catholic Laity - Third Plenary Council of Baltimore 

The Little Office of Baltimore - Claudio R Salvucci - Traditional Catholic Daily Prayer

…

Love's True Meaning The Message of Humanae Vitae 50 Years On - Fr Anthony Doe

Love's True Meaning: 
The Message of Humanae Vitae 50 Years On
Living the Sacraments Series
Anthony Doe
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781784695767
eISBN 9781784696641
ASIN B07FL4NRHH


So far this year I have read 25 books from the Catholic Truth Society,  this one was just released, and I checked every day until the eBook version was available. Some that I have read are more than 100 years old. To date every book I have read from CTS has been excellent. From biographies of saints and blessed to works like this on theology. This book is part of the Living the Sacraments Series. This book is really two works in one, we get Fr. Doe's Love's True Meaning and the entire text of Humanae Vitae. The sections in this book are:

Love's True Meaning:
A Prophetic Vision
What Does Love Mean in a Secular Culture?
Opposition to the Meaning of Humanae Vitae
The Two Major Themes of Vatican II
The Call to Holiness and Mission
Jesus the Healer of the Wounds of Sin
What is Love?
The Gift of Sexuality
Jesus the Healer of the Wounds of Sexuality
The Holy Spirit in the Call to Love
Marital Love in Humanae Vitae
Proclaiming the Message of Love to Others

Humane Vitae:
I. The question's new aspects, and the Magisterium's authority
II. Doctrinal principles
III. Pastoral directives and appeals
Notes on this translation
Notes on earlier translations

First a bit about our author, FR. Anthony Doe is a diocesan priest of Westminster. He was ordained in 1981, and is currently the Spiritual Director of the Venerable English College in Rome. He is a trained psychotherapist, with multiple post graduate degrees. 

Prior to obtaining this book, I had read Humane Vitae twice earlier this year. I have also now read through this book twice. There were times when I was a little younger, and a lot more immature both emotionally and spiritually, when I struggled with the church's teachings on sexuality and specifically on Humane Vitae. But as I have aged, matured and grown, I come to see how important a document it is. It is one of the key teachings that separates Catholics from most other denominations. And the culture we find ourselves in. A few years ago our oldest daughter was talking to my wife, and she was shocked to find out we had been born in the 19's. It has become a bit of a family joke. But this encyclical letter written in the '19's' is of utmost importance to us today. 

The document was a shock when it first came out. For it rejected the conclusions of the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control, that Paul VI himself had expanded. And instead of modernizing the church's teachings, reaffirmed the Catholic Church's historical orthodox view of marriage and relationships. 

As can be expected the document has had fierce opposition when it was released and that opposition has continued until today. Fr. Doe states:

"Therefore, when it was published, proclaiming the traditional catholic teaching on sexuality and moral principles with a clear presentation regarding the spiritual integrity of marriage and the transmission of life, expressed in terms of the natural law of the Church, the negative reaction in many quarters was considerable. As has already been stated, the belief in a person's right to exercise personal freedom without automatic recourse to objective moral values, not only within the marriage but also outside the marital relationship, was becoming the norm for many people by the late sixties, particularly in the case of contraception. We can now see all too clearly the terrible damage, both socially and spiritually, this re-interpretation of freedom, particularly in a relational context, has wrought in the lives of people of all ages since that time. The breakdown of the traditional concept of marriage, leading to the fragmentation of family life with its severely destructive effects, emotional and psychological, in the lives of increasing numbers of children, has created a culture of instability that has increased the illusion that personal freedom must be exercised at all costs in order to compensate for the lack of a true sense of fulfilment."

He also declares:

"As the last five decades have demonstrated, the use of contraception, with all its justificatory arguments, has facilitated lifestyles and attitudes that do not promote a deeper sense of love but rather have increased the dominance of a totally self-oriented understanding of human fulfilment. Blessed Pope Paul, in the section of his encyclical entitled "Responsible Parenthood", prophetically outlines all the symptoms of this contraceptive culture which have now become commonplace and largely go unquestioned, with all the damaging consequences that have already been referred to. Unless the "design of God the Creator" is able to come alive in a way that challenges the opposition to the encyclical in a life-giving way, the true meaning of married love will continue to die, with all its tragic consequences."

It is true Pope Paul VI could see where free love would lead. And I doubt he could have seen how sideways things could go in 50 years. But they went the exact direction he expected; they might have far overshot his prediction. But all is not woe and doom. Father Doe highlights the key aspects of the message of Humanae Vitae, and links them to personal witness and the new evangelization in a way that makes great sense, and shows us the work that all Catholics should be striving for, in personal holiness, and it witness to life.

This book was an excellent read. And I will circle back and read it again in the near future. It is one of the best of the 25 books from the Catholic Truth Society that I have read so far this year! And I have already picked up the other two books by Fr. Doe to read.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Fr. Anthony Doe:
Love's True Meaning: The message of Humanae Vitae 50 Years On
The Call to Evangelise: Founded on loving intimacy with the Lord
True Love - Passion and Purity
... 

Other books by or about Pope Paul VI:
Love's True Meaning The Message of Humanae Vitae 50 Years On - Fr Anthony Doe
Paul VI - Anthony Symondson- CTS Biographies
Wisdom from Pope Paul VI - Mary Leonora Wilson FSP
Saint Pope Paul VI  - Matthew Bunson

Paul VI - Michael Collins

...

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2018

Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2018

The readings for this weekend's mass are:

First Reading Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15, 31
Responsorial Psalm 78:3-4, 23-26 Response 24b
Second Reading Ephesians 4:17, 20-24
Gospel John 6:24-35

This week we read about the manna from heaven, and Jesus the true bread of life. And the Psalm ties the two readings together, it is a psalm of remembrance. It is remembrance that we often need as believers. We need to remember the works of God from the past, and we need to remember the works of Jesus in the New Testament, and we need to remember the works of the Holy Spirit in our lives in our communities and in our families.

The first reading from Exodus is the people are complaining, they say it would have been better to die in Egypt with a full stomach as slaves, then perish from hunger in the desert. They have already forgotten the night the Angels passed over their homes, They have forgotten the crushing of Pharaoh's army in the sea. They have forgotten, and are not remembering. But God has mercy on them and sends them quale at night and manna in the morning. And though we do not get it in this reading, if we were to read a little further, some people took more manna than they needed, not trusting yet again, and by morning it turned to maggots. And that is what happens in our lives when we try to do it on our own, it turns to maggots, to dust and ashes. Only by working with God, and allowing God to work in us will we truly bear fruit. 

This we are reminded of in the Psalm:

"Things that we have heard and known, 
that our ancestors have told us, 
we will not hide;
we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, 
and his might
and the wonders that he has done.

He commanded the skies,
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
and gave them the bread of heaven.

Man ate of the bread of Angels;
he sent them food in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy hill,
to the mountain that his right hand had won."

Then in the second reading We have Paul imploring us again to live our calling in Christ. We are reminded not to live as Gentiles, not in futility of mind; but to put away our former life and live our new life in Christ Jesus. And then we come to the Gospel. The crowd pursues Jesus after the miracle of the bread and fish from last week. And they ask for another sign. And Jesus states:

"I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

And that is the promise our faith rests on. Not the behaviour of those in authority, nor what society teaches. We come to Jesus and he feeds and sustains us. And as he established this church it will prevail even against the current political situation, and the corruption within. We need to turn our eyes back to Jesus, seek him in the confessional, and on the altar. And he will not leave us hungry.

Related Posts:

The Colors of the Church Year
The Privilege of Altar Serving
Serving God, Altar Serving and Learning to Listen
Saturday 18th Week or Ordinary Time
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2017
Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2017
34th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2017 Christ the King – Solemnity

Advent 2017 Reading Plan Preparing for the Season
1st Sunday of Advent 2017
Second Sunday of Advent 2017
Another Lonely Night - A Flash Fiction Story
Third Sunday of Advent 2017
Fourth Sunday of Advent 2017
Christmas 2017
I have sinned greatly ... a reflection.
Can you not with with me one hour?
...

Note: Link to all posts about St. Agnes Parish.

The Mystery at Midnight - Lisa M. Hendey and Jenn Bower - Chime Travelers Book 4

The Mystery at Midnight 
Chime Travelers Book 4
Lisa M. Hendey
Jenn Bower (Illustrator)
Servant Books a division of
Franciscan  Media
ISBN 9781632530387


There are currently five books in the Chime Travelers series and they were published in 2015-16. I came across them late and read book 5 first. I have since gone back and read them all. The series is excellent, and each book does a great job of bringing a saint to life. The books can be read in any order, and each book is strong enough to stand on it's own, but I would recommend reading them in the published order. My only regret about this book, is that now I have read all 5 in the series. And I have not heard anything about if there will be more books. 

Books 3 and 4 should really be read in one right after the other. For in Book 3 Patrick goes back in time and meets Francis of Assisi, and in this book, Katie travels through space and time and encounters Clare. She meets Clare before she joins Francis, but right on the cusp of that action. This book has the time travel adventure and that is a wonderfully written story by Lisa Hendey. It is also wonderfully illustrated by Jenn Bower. This is by no way a picture book, it is an middle grade chapter book with about 1 illustration per chapter. After the story there is a short section on the real Clare of Assisi, a quote from her and a wonderful prayer to St. Clare, it is:

A Prayer to St. Clare of Assisi

St. Clare, you were a light to many people during your life on earth. You gave yourself fully to service of the poor through your charity and your prayers.
Help me today to give my life and my love to all those in need: the hungry, the sick, the lonely, and those who are hurting in any way. Help me to quiet my heart, to live simply, and to see the precious face of Jesus in the people around me.

May my life be a light to others, that they will know the love of Jesus in their hearts.

Help me to give my gifts more fully to God, who has blessed me so much. Amen.

After the prayer there is a great discussion guide, that can be used as a family or in the classroom. These books have now been read many times in our house. My oldest who is almost 12 is now reading them to the younger two, her and I read them together alternating pages. And even though she is a reluctant reader she loved this series. In fact, as I was writing this review my son came by and he and I are starting this book together tonight as his reading for the day. And to be completely honest, that is one of the great strengths of this book and the series, these books can be read again and again. They hold up well even across multiple readings.

A great book in a wonderful series, recommended by the whole family from 7 through 47 years of age.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Lisa M. Hendey:
The Handbook for Catholic Moms
A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms
The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living
O Radiant Dawn: 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath
As Morning Breaks: Daily Gospel Reflection.
I Am God's Storyteller 
...

Chime Travelers Series:
The Secret of the Shamrock
The Sign of the Carved Cross
The Whisper in the Ruins
The Mystery at Midnight
The Strangers at the Manger

Contributed to:
Beautiful Mercy

Beautiful Eucharist
Small Steps for Catholic Moms
The Catholic Baby Name Book
One Body, Many Blogs: A Guide for Christian Bloggers
The Catholic Mom S Prayer Companion: A Book of Daily Reflections
The Church and New Media

A Soldier Surrenders The Conversion of St. Camillus de Lillis - Susan Peek - God's Forgotten Friends Lives of Little-known Saints Book 2

A Soldier Surrenders
The Conversion of St. Camillus de Lillis 
God's Forgotten Friends Lives of Little-known Saints Book 2
Susan Peek
Seven Swords Publications
ISBN 9780997000511
ASIN B0193OH6GO

This is the fourth book by Susan Peek that I have read. And in some ways it is the most powerful. I loved Saint Magnus The Last Viking, and found it very well written. And her handling of mental illness and especially PTSD in The King's Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland was incredible. And her handling of the crusades in Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades was masterful. But this book really hit home for me. St. Camillus de Lellis was not a saint that I was familiar with prior to reading Peek's contribution in Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories from Catholic Teen Books. But the short story had a deep impact on me and this book even more so. 

This book was hard to put down. But I needed to take a few breaks while reading it. As soon as I finished reading this I told my son about it and started rereading it with him. This saint messed up in nearly every way possible. Prior to his conversion if there was a top ten list of people likely not to become saints he would have been at the top of that list! He served in the Turks Army, He was in a dual and almost killed a man, he gambled away his last possessions, He was a brute, a brawler, a gambler, and more. And this story though Historical Fiction is an amazing read. It is a wonderful telling of a story of repentance and change. It is the story of friendship, repentance and change. As a man of Irish Catholic descent, I can really elate to Camillus, his struggle with his temper, and with learning to surrender to God. Temper and pride causes Camillus to stumble and fall 

This book serves to show that no matter how much a person struggles, if God is calling them, eventually they will yield and hear the call. It is well written, though aimed for a Young Adult market, it is very enjoyable to read as an adult. Over the past year I have read a few books about the history of the crusades. This book presents a very different side and is excellent for rounding out the historical picture. I can state emphatically that this book is an excellent read, and I look forward to more books in the God's Forgotten Friends Lives of Little-known Saints series by Susan Peek!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Susan Peek:

Novels:
Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades
Saint Magnus The Last Viking
A Soldier Surrenders: The Conversion of Saint Camillus de Lellis
The King's Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland

Saint Cloud of Gaul, The Prince Who Traded Kingdoms

...

Picture Books:
Animals of God
Animals of God, Volume Two
The Forgotten Christmas Saint: Saint Anastasia
The Man God Kept Surprising
Small for the Glory of God
...

Books published by Susan Peek:
Daily Pilgrimage to Purgatory
…

Contributed to:
Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories - Catholic Teen Books

Gifts Visible & Invisible 8 Christmas Stories for Teens
Treasures: Visible & Invisible 8 Stories for Teens

...

The Way of the Christian Samurai Reflections for Servant-Warriors of Christ - Paul E. Nowak

The Way of the Christian Samurai: 
Reflections for Servant-Warriors of Christ
Paul E. Nowak
Eternal Revolution
ISBN B002HMCLGA
ASIN 9780977223466

This is the third book by Paul E. Nowak that I have read in the last few months. Each of them has been an excellent read, but by far this is my favorite. There are many people out there who do not like military or warrior imagery being used for Christianity of Catholicism today. I tend to be on the other end of the spectrum. The church is not just a hospital or social club. The church is to be an army, that had medics and military hospitals. And this book does an amazing job of looking at precepts from the Samurai tradition and tying them to the bible and what it means to fully be a Christian.

When I was in university, 30 years ago, I led a prayer group called Prayer Warriors. We met at 630am on campus 4 days a week to pray. Pray for the campus, the city and our country. This book would have been an amazing book to work through then, and it is now. I have already recommended it to over a dozen friends.

The description of the book is:

"The Samurai were soldiers of feudal Japan who dedicated their lives entirely to their lords. In fact, the very title of samurai means "one who serves." Legends of their skill, sacrifice, and service have been passed down for hundreds of years. As Christians, we are called to be both servants and soldiers of Christ. As this book demonstrates, there is much we can learn from the teachings and example of these legendary servant-warriors of Japan. We can respond to the call of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as Christian Samurai."

And the chapters in this book are:

Introduction
A Brief History of the Samurai
About the Samurai Cited
Service
Self-Sacrifice and the Pursuit of Perfection
Resolve
Prayer of the Chrstian Samurai
Additional Resources
References

This book draws from the Samurai wisdom of: Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Miyamoto Musashi, and Yamaoka Tesshu. Of these three I had encountered 2 before and read of their works, and the application of those works in leadership or business training courses. But what Nowak does is tie them back to personal discipline, personal development, and living in service to God, the church and to others. Nowak goes back and forth from the three warrior masters, and to our call as Christians. One example of this is:

"By being secure in our goal to love and serve God, trials and tribulations will do little to sway us from our course. We must work to improve our resolve by constantly keeping our Lord in the foremost part of our mind, and remembering it is with His Spirit we will endure and overcome.

The samurai forged their spirit and resolve through rigorous training. Tesshu's school of Muto Ryo was considered especially harsh and repetitive, for he placed importance first on their resolve.

Tesshu selected his students carefully - not based on their skill or talent, but their willingness and perseverance of spirit. He would challenge applicants to attack him, and he would force them down - only to order them to attack again, and again, until they were exhausted. Tesshu would keep this up for as much as a week in order to get a feel for the trainee's determination to enter the school. Their ability to wield the sword was not nearly as important as the strength of their spirit."

Nowak walks us through so many vital aspects of life in this small volume. And it concludes with a prayer. The prayer in the book is:

The Prayer of the Christian Samurai

Lord Jesus, 

I pledge myself wholly to Your service as a loyal Christian samurai. You alone will I serve, with no other master before You. Daily I will live as dead to the world so that I may live only in You. May Your Will always come before my own.

Give me the strength to tirelessly perfect myself and serve all humanity, for each and every person in this world is Your treasure. May I never forget that I have only the present moment to act, and to joyfully press on in times of difficulty.

Although everything I have in this life will pass away, so long as I remain focused on You I have nothing to fear, for I can never lose Your Love. When all that You require of me is done, may I rest forever in your embrace as your faithful servant.

Amen.

This book was an excellent read, and one I desperately needed to read right now. I typically do not keep physical books, preferring eBooks, but because of the nature and style of this book, I plan on picking up a physical copy to keep on my shelf. That way I can randomly flip it our and read sections. Or just constantly have a book mark in it as I read it again and again. I have already read it through twice and know it will not be long before I read it again.

This book is a fantastic read, and I believe that anyone who read it with an open heart, will be challenged, motivated, and encouraged to grow in discipline and through that discipline in their relationship and service to God!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Paul E. Nowak:
The Way of the Christian Samurai: Reflections for Servant-Warriors of Christ
The Eternal Revolution: An Exhortation to the Modern Christian
I Hate Christmas! How to Identify and Overcome Your Inner Christmas Villain
The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle Chestnut
Guerrilla Apologetics for Catholics
Guerrilla Apologetics for Life Issues
The Microcapitalist Manifesto
...

Books edited or reprinted by Paul E. Nowak:
The Life and Letters of Father Damien, Apostle of the Lepers - Edited by Pamphile De Veuster
Joan of Arc - Hilaire Belloc
Characters of the Reformation - Hilaire Belloc
...

Foundations of the Faith: God, Christ, and the Church - Jeff Vehige - Find the Faith Book 1

Foundations of the Faith: God, Christ, and the Church
Find the Faith Book 1
Jeff Vehige
ISBN 9781980666745
ASIN B07BRBDM3N


I was very intrigued when I found out that Jeff Vehige had written a book. A little over a decade ago, Jeff had several blog iterations, from reviewing science fiction award winners, to discussing movies and books over gumbo. I recall that he wrote some incredibly powerful pieces, but he never seemed to stick with a theme, topic or idea. All his efforts would disappear and if those pages were not archived be lost. And every time one of his efforts ended I thought it was a loss, a loss to intellectual debate, a loss to the arts and a loss to the Catholic blogging community. I cannot think of another author, that when a block closed or stopped posting I missed as much.

Vehige has always just has a way with words. And it did not matter the topic he was writing on, I always got a little excited when an article by him showed up in my feed reader. So yes, I was very excited when I found out he had finally written a book. And it is an excellent read. Typically, I read about a book a day, at least over the last few years. But with this book I took my time and worked my way through it in sections over 5 days. I did want to race through it but
Took my time and only read it when I could sit quietly and read. Not on my commute, nor while my children where playing. I dedicated study time to this book and it was well worth it. The sections in the book are:

Preface to the Find the Faith Series
Introduction
1. Faith, Reason, and Rock-Solid Convictions
2. Why We Believe in God
3. Why We Believe in Jesus of Nazareth
4. Why We Believe in the Catholic Church
Epilogue
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About Find the Faith

The preface to the series begins with these words:

"As the title implies, the Find the Faith series is dedicated to helping people-Catholics in particular-find the truth of Christ our Lord and the Church he established. In this Preface (which opens every book in the series), I'd like to say a little about this apostolate.

In short, it's a series of books, along with an accompanying podcast, that walks through the four pillars of the Catholic faith-the creed, the sacraments, morality, and prayer. This fourfold division, rooted in the apostolic Church itself (Acts 2:42), has been used by the Church's two official catechisms: the Roman Catechism, published in 1566, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1992.

But Find the Faith is more than a simple walk through Catholic teaching. I want to help you grasp something of the theological, philosophical, biblical, and historical background of Catholic doctrine and worship. I want to explore the relationship between doctrine and morality, and how both should penetrate our spiritual life. Why so much detail? One very simple reason."

Still further in that preface Vehige explains the format, and why he uses it.

"Finally, I want to speak to the structure of this book. It's not often you read a book written in Q&A format. I first considered this format back in the spring of 2015, when I conceived the Find the Faith apostolate. I immediately rejected it as hokey. After all, the Q&A format implies a conversation is taking place. But this wouldn't be a real conversation; I would be making up the whole thing in order to write what I wanted to write. On the other hand, wouldn't I be writing what I wanted to write whether I made up questions or not?

Two years later, and after several failed drafts of the same book, I returned to the Q&A format for one rather ironic reason: I wanted better control of writing what I wanted to write. When talking about theology, I have an incredible proclivity to go down almost any rabbit hole that crosses my path. I discovered this to be especially true when writing, when I don't have the befuddled looks of students to lead me back to the discussion at hand. My tendency to pursue tangents vanished when I started playing around with the Q&A format. It took me out of the solitary act of writing and put me in a classroom setting. It forced me to keep a conversational tone instead of a technical, academic one. In a word, it reminded me of you, the reader."

The format works, and it works very well. In many ways it reminds me of reading the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Or even reading YOUCat or DOCat. This is one of those books that you can read, and reread, and reread many times over. Each time you read it you will get something more from it. Much as I read through the bible each year, and over the last few years read through the Catechism, I could easily see this as becoming one of those books I read multiple times.

This book was an excellent read. I could see it being used in a High School class, for an RCIA program, for individual or group study. It would be wonderful to work through this book with a small group digging into it and using some of the many resources listed in the Bibliography to go deeper. I am very thankful I stumbled across this book and look forward to future offerings in the series. This book is worth the time and effort to work through it. It will help you grow in your faith. Well done Vehige this book was worth the wait!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Jeff Vehige:
Find the Faith Series:
Foundations of the Faith: God, Christ, and the Church
God Speaks, We Listen: Revelation, Faith, and Prayer
The God of Jesus Christ: The Christian Doctrine of God 
The Mystery of Creation: Heaven and Earth, Angels and
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