The Eight Doors of the Kingdom Meditations on the Beatitudes - Jacques Philippe

The Eight Doors of the Kingdom: 
Meditations on the Beatitudes
Jacques Philippe
Scepter
ISBN 9781594172755
eISBN 9781594172762
ASIN B07G7FL916

My introduction to the writings of father Jacques Philippe was Time For God, which I first read 11 years ago. I have reread that book for 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. Thankfully for this book the wait was less than a year. This book combines two of my favorite things, the incredible spiritual writings of Father Philippe and the beatitudes. If I may digress for a sentence or two, it was in part the beatitudes that helped me return to the church. Specifically, Matthew 5:6 'Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.' At a low point late in my teen years I had wandered away from the church. I was searching and in a used book store a bible that that verse and one other marked in the front cover. After finding and reading the passage I knew it described me and where I was at. And so to have a book by father Philippe on these 8 beatitudes is I am certain a blessing for all who will read it.

This book is short and to the point. There is a brief introduction, then a chapter on each of the beatitudes. There is no specific conclusion. For each of the 8 has a conclusion in the chapter. The Chapters in the book are:

Introduction
1. The Poor In Spirit
2. Happy Are Those Who Mourn, For They Will Be Consoled
3. Happy Are The Meek
4. Happy Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Justice. They Will Be Satisfied
5. Happy Are The Merciful For They Shall Obtain Mercy
6. Happy Are The Pure Of Heart
7. Happy Are The Peacemakers
8. Happy Are Those Persecuted For Justice

Father Philippe in this book draws from several sources to provide examples to his points. Some of the authors he draws from are:

Thérèse of Lisieux
Raniero  Cantalamessa
Catherine of Siena
John Eudes
John of the Cross
Maria Faustina Kowalska
Etty Hillesum

And Several others. At the end of the book there is a brief sections on the works cited. It provides details not only on the work cited but which translation was used in preparing this book. 

Each chapter in tis book follows the same format. It begins with the specific Beatitude. This is followed by one or more other biblical passage that reflects the point. Then father Philippe unpacks the meaning, of the phrases of the beatitude. And then he expands upon that in several sections. If we take for example the fourth chapter Happy Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Justice. They Will Be Satisfied, the sections in that chapter are:

The Desire For Holiness
Desire Salvation For All
The Desire For Truth
What Is My Deepest Desire?
May The Thirst Of Jesus Become Our Thirst
Repair The Fundamental Injustice That Leads Others Astray

In this chapter father Philippe causes us to reflect he says:

"The fourth Beatitude points to a question: What is my deepest desire?

Hunger and thirst are images of desire for in what is most vital and essential. It is good to put this question to one's heart: What is my deepest desire? What do I really hunger and thirst for? What desire is the principle of unity for my life?

It is natural that one have several desires, yet this can be a source of interior division and the accomplishment of some of our desires can lead us to an impasse or deceive us. St. Paul speaks of the need for a certain filtering or discernment, to distinguish those that come from the "flesh" (our wounded psyches) from those that come from the "spirit" (our authentic aspirations for what is really good for us and the promptings of the Holy Spirit).

But among all our desires one is dominant in that it gathers together and unifies all the others. We find in one of the Psalms this wonderful prayer: "Teach me thy way, O LORD, that I may walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name." And Jesus says: "He who does not gather with me scatters." In failing to direct their desire toward God, people risk 'scattering' themselves."

And that is just the beginning of the section that leads us most to apply the teaching to our life. And this chapter concludes with these words:

"In the end, then, to be hungry and thirsty for justice means ardently desiring that God be better known and loved. It means desiring to respond to ingratitude by a surfeit of love. It means wanting to embrace God, love God, and trust God to make up for all those who do not embrace, love, and trust him."

As can bee seen from these few brief examples on one of the beatitudes this book has a depth of meaning and can have an even deeper impact upon our lives. After reading a book like this one, I want to shout from the rooftops about it. I mention it frequently in conversations, I give copies of it away to friends and clergy. This is a book that will have a lasting impact upon its readers. I have loved all the books I have read by father Philippe, each of them has garnered 5/5 stars, but this might be the best of the lot. If you are a fan of his writings run out and pick up this book. If you are unfamiliar with his works, this book will be an incredible introduction into his writing style and thought. An incredible read!


Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 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
…

Last of the Romantics St. Josemaria in the Twenty-First Century - Mariano Fazio

Last of the Romantics: 
St. Josemaria in the Twenty-First Century
Mariano Fazio
Scepter Publishers
ISBN 9781594173332
eISBN 9781594173349
ASIN B07H8HYGHJ


Some books you read leave an immediate impact upon your life. I find that is true with all the books by or about Saint Josemaria Escriva that I have read. I have been reading books about this man since I started researching him for a university paper about 20 years ago now. I eagerly anticipate new title as they become available in English. And this book did not disappoint. The description of this book is:

"I love the freedom of others," said St. Josemaria, "yours, that of the person passing by right now on the street, because if I didn't love it, I couldn't defend mine. But that's not the main reason. The main reason is this: that Christ died on the Cross to give us freedom, so that we could live in the freedom and glory of the children of God."

St. Josemaría Escrivá referred to himself as the "last of the Romantics," and under this title Mariano Fazio portrays the founder of Opus Dei as a passionate defender of freedom. As he does so, Fazio offers an orderly, clear, and attractive presentation of many of St. Josemaría's key teachings. These teachings will challenge his readers and hopefully awaken in them the same love of freedom that St. Josemaría bore in his heart. "Don't let me be 'the last of the romantics,'" he would say. "This is Christian romanticism: to love the freedom of others, with love and affection."

And this book is being released on the 90th anniversary of St. Josemaria receiving the vision of what would become the Work. Fernando Ocariz the Prelate of Opus Dei in the forward to this book states:

"With the nostalgic words, the "last of the romantics," St. Josemaría wanted above all to challenge his listeners, to awaken in them this same love of freedom that he bore in his heart. "Don't let me be 'the last of the romantics.' This is Christian romanticism: to love the freedom of others, with affection."

With this as the key to our reading, we approach in these pages several aspects of the view of the gospel that God inspired in St. Josemaría: the joy of being children of God, work as a locus of holiness, the positive character of secularity, the importance of family life and of love, the value of pluralism, the social repercussions of the life of each Christian. The author has undertaken this task with an eye to synthesis and accessibility, which ensures a thought-provoking and pleasant reading experience. This book, moreover, takes on a special relevance as we approach the ninetieth anniversary of the moment when God opened St. Josemaría's eyes to this panorama of holiness in the middle of the world."

This book is by no means a large volume. Though there are many large volumes about Escriva, in fact two different books that span three volumes. But this one focuses on a specific passion, and challenge to us. The author in the introduction himself states:

"The book you hold in your hands is not a biography: many fine ones have already been written. Nor is it a theological study-these, thanks be to God, are already abundant as well. Nor is it a simple collection of texts. Rather, it's an orderly presentation of some of the consequences of the light received by St. Josemaría ninety years ago, which remain relevant today. Obviously, the order and themes selected will follow a personal vision. The message is a rich one, allowing for various emphases. Here we are in the realm of opinion, where, as St. Josemaría would say, freedom ought to reign."

He then goes on to outline what the book will cover. He states:

"In Part One, we will stop to consider the intervention of grace in his soul on that second day of October-the call to sanctification and apostolate in ordinary life-and the means he used to spread this teaching throughout the world. In Part Two, we'll endeavor to outline some distinctive features of the spiritual life of Opus Dei's founder, following a threefold outline. In Part Three, we will analyze the "places" where we are called to sanctify ourselves: the Church and the world. The next three chapters-which make up Part Four-will address the great theme of freedom as a necessary condition for living out our vocation to holiness. Finally, in Part Five, we will dedicate a few pages to the three basic areas of ordinary life, which we are called to sanctify: work, the family, and civil society."

The exact sections in the book are:

Foreword
Introduction
Part 1: The Divine Pathways of the Earth
1. October 2: Ninety Years Ago
2. The Grace of God, Twenty-Six Years, and Good Humor
Part 2: Contemplatives in the Middle of the World
3. The Centrality of Christ
4. Children of the Merciful Father
5. Docile to the Holy Spirit
Part 3: In the Church and in the World
6. Love for the Church
7. Passionately Loving the World
8. Like the Early Christians
Part 4: Freedom: A Gift from God
9. The Freedom of the Children of God
10. Freedom of Consciences
11. There are no Dogmas in Temporal Matters
Part 5: At All the Crossroads of the World
12. Work: Born of Love, Manifestation of Love, Ordered to Love
13. Bright and Cheerful Homes
14. Civic Responsibility
15. Only One Race: The Race of the Children of God
16. Among the Poor and the Sick
17. Friends of God and Men
Conclusion: The World Is Emmaus
Appendix: Holiness as a Human Reality

This book draws extensively from the writings of St. Josemaria, how could it not. In fact the vast majority of the conclusion is an extended excerpt from Friends of God 313-314. So some would ask why read this book. And I would say because it is the connections between his writings and talk spanning time that make this book so worthwhile. If Escriva's writings are the meat of the meal, then words of Fazio are the vegetables and gravy that turn it into a magnificent stew. The writing is wonderful in this book. It illuminates passages I was already familiar with and shed new light upon them, their meaning and how to live them out in my own life. 

There are books that I reread every year. Some I read for a few years and they end up falling off the list. Some like Escriva's own; The Way, Furrow, and The Forge have been read and reread many times.  This book will be joining that list. And as such I challenge you to give it a read, you will never be the same. 

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

Books by St. Josemaria Escriva:
Christ Is Passing By
Conversations with Saint Josemaria
The Forge
Friends of God
Furrow
Holy Rosary
In Love with the Church
The Way
The Way of the Cross

The Way of the Cross - Booklet Illustrated Michael O'Brien

Praying the Stations of the Cross with St. Josemaria Escriva

The Way, Furrow, Forge (3 in 1 Edition)

Points of Meditation About Our Lady from St. Josemaría

...

Books about St. Josemaria Escriva:
A Man Who Knew How to Forgive: Lessons from the Life of St. Josemaria Escriva - Francesc Faus
Josemaria Escriva - Helena Scott and Ethel Tolansky - CTS Biographies
Last of the Romantics: St. Josemaria in the Twenty-First Century - Mariano Fazio
Praying 15 Days with St. Josemaria Escriva - Guillaume Derville

Loving Christ Through St Josemaría Escrivá - Holly Melita Rodriguez

Coached by Josemaría Escrivá - Henry Hanson, O. Praem.

...

Volumes in the St Josemaria Escriva's Collected Letters:

Introduction

Letters 1: Singuli dies, 24 March 1930

Letters 2: Videns eos, 24 March 1931

The Burgos Letters (1938-1939): Three Circular Letters

Letters: Letter 3: Res omnes, 9 January 1932

Letter 4: Vos autem, 16 July 1933 : Letter 4: Vos autem, 16 July 1933 

Letter 5: Euntes ergo, 2 October 1939 

Letter 6: Sincerus est, 11 March 1940

Letter 7: Quem per annos, 24 October 1942 

Letter 8: Legitima hominum, 31 May 1943 

…

Other Posts:

Prayer of the day Pray with Saint Josemaría Escrivá

Pray to the Holy Spirit from Saint Josemaría Escrivá

A Prayer of the Day St Escriva Prayer for Vocations

...

Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2018

Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2018

The readings for this weekend's mass are:

First Reading Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Responsorial Psalm 54:1-4, 6 Response 4b
Second Reading James 3:16-4:3
Gospel Mark 9:30-37

The church year is winding down, including today there are ten Sundays left in the church year. I have already begun looking to next years liturgical readings. Year B is about to end, and we will begin Year C for the Sunday readings. I recently found out that where I normally get my annual copy of "Workbook for Lectors, Gospel readers, and Proclaimers of the Word 2019 Canadian Edition" So now I need to find someone in Canada who has it. Either that or use a different tool for preparing these weekly meditations next church year.

This weeks reading had a deep impact upon me. From the first time I read them, until the fourth time this morning again. The reading from the book of Wisdom is a prophesy of what will happen to Christ. But it is also commentary on wickedness in general. It speaks to the way that the wicked will do what they can to attack and oppress the righteous.  

The first section of the psalm is often my prayer. We pray:

"Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.

But surely, God is my helper;
the lord is the upholder of my life.
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, for it is good.

R. The lord upholds my life."

The second reading focuses on actions and attitudes that bring and breed disorder, as opposed those that bring order. I have never like conflict. Often when I was younger I would avoid conflict for the wrong reasons. Sometimes fear and sometimes just a personal unease with the strong emotions involved with conflict. I find that the older I get, especially over the last few years I am more willing to engage in conflict. I still do not like it, but I have realized that there are times it is needed. But I strive for a conflict that will bring peace and bring reconciliation. When I avoid it now it is out of prudence and to wait and see how the situation will unfold. 

The gospel reminded me of two of my daily prayers. The first is:

"Prayer of Humility

 O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine. From the desire to be esteemed, deliver me. From the desire to be honored, deliver me. From the desire to be praised, deliver me. Teach me to accept humiliation, contempt, rebukes, being slandered, being ignored, being insulted, being wronged, and being belittled. Jesus, grant me the grace that others be admired more than I; that others be praised and I unnoticed; that others be preferred to me in everything; that others be holier than I, provided I become as holy as I should; that I might imitate the patience and obedience of Your mother, Mary. Amen."

And the second is part of the Consecration To Merciful Love:

"…Finally, I believe, my God, that you can and will make me into a saint, even if I won't see it, even if I have to struggle all my life against vice and sin, even if I have to wait until the very end. This blind hope in your mercy, O Lord, is my only treasure.

And now, to confirm my resolve and to console you for so much rejection of your mercy, I OFFER MYSELF, THROUGH THE HANDS OF MARY IMMACULATE AS A VICTIM OF HOLOCAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking you to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within you to overflow into my soul, and that I may thus become a martyr of your love, O my God, and a gift of mercy to so many others.

I ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen."

Therefore, this week's readings remind me that I still have a long way to go. I am a work in progress. Through prayer, confession and the mass I am striving to become the best version of myself. 

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?
I need God and I need the Catholic Church
...

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

The Cries of Jesus from the Cross: An Anthology - Reverend Fulton J Sheen

The Cries of Jesus from the Cross: An Anthology
Reverend Fulton J. Sheen D.D.
Allan J. Smith (Editor)
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781622826209
eISBN 9781622826216
ASIN B07HCPHZCZ

Over the last three years I have read a dozen books by or about Reverend Fulton J. Sheen. A couple of the others were anthologies after a form and excerpts of Sheen’s own writings compiled by an editor. One was a flop and I never bothered finishing it. The books of Advent and Lenten meditations are well done but leave a reader wanting more. But I often find when I read something by Rev. Sheen, I want more. And this book falls in that category. Of the 4 or 5 books I have read that were compiled of Sheen’s works this is by far the best. Allan J. Smith is the editor of this amazing volume, and though his name does not appear on the cover, credit is due. From the introduction of the volume we are told:

“Given their importance and the impact they had on society, it seemed appropriate to bring together in this anthology some of Archbishop Sheen’s meditations on the words of Jesus and Mary from seven books he wrote from 1933 to 1945: 

The Seven Last Words (1933)
The Cross and the Beatitudes (1937)
The Rainbow of Sorrow (1938)
Victory over Vice (1939)
The Seven Virtues (1940)
Seven Words to the Cross (1944)
Seven Words of Jesus and Mary (1945)

This anthology has been arranged into seven chapters, each of which addresses one of the seven last words spoken by Christ on the Cross. And for each chapter, a passage from each of these books has been selected to provide seven unique reflections for study and meditation. 

1. The words spoken by Christ from the Cross
2. The Beatitudes
3. Sorrow and suffering
4. The seven deadly sins
5. Seven virtues
6. Groups who reject the Church and Christ’s teachings
7. The unity of Jesus and Mary

These reflections may be read one after another as they appear in this book, or they may be read randomly as the reader chooses. Since this anthology comprises seven Sheen titles, the reader may also read one complete book at a time. For example, by reading the fourth reflection from each chapter of this anthology, the reader will have read Sheen’s Victory over Vice; or by reading the third reflection from each chapter, he will have read The Rainbow of Sorrow.”

And for each of the seven chapters we have seven sections. So the actual sections in the book are:

Introduction
First Word
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
1. Father, Forgive Them, for They Know Not What They Do!
2. Blessed Are the Meek
3. Unjust Suffering
4. Anger
5. Fortitude
6. A Word to the Humanists
7. The Value of Ignorance

Second Word
This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.
1. This Day Thou Shalt Be with Me in Paradise
2. Blessed Are the Merciful
3. Pain
4. Envy
5. Hope
6. A Word to the Sinners
7. The Secret of Sanctity

Third Word
Woman, behold thy son; behold thy mother.
1. Woman, Behold Thy Son
2. Blessed Are the Clean of Heart
3. Suffering of the Innocent
4. Lust
5. Prudence
6. A Word to the Selfish
7. The Fellowship of Religion

Fourth Word
My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken me?
1. My God! My God! Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?
2. Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
3. God and the Soul
4. Pride
5. Faith
6. A Word to the Intelligentsia
7. Confidence in Victory

Fifth Word
I thirst.
1. I Thirst
2. Blessed Are They That Hunger and Thirst After Justice
3. The Need for Zeal
4. Gluttony
5. Temperance
6. A Word to the Moderns
7. Religion Is a Quest

Sixth Word
It is finished.
1. It Is Finished
2. Blessed Are the Peacemakers
3. A Planned Universe
4. Sloth
5. Justice
6. A Word to the Sensationalists
7. The Hour

Seventh Word
Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.
1. Father, into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit
2. Blessed Are They That Mourn
3. Eternal Freedom
4. Covetousness
5. Charity
6. A Word to the Thinkers
7. The Purpose of Life
Acknowledgments
About the Author: Fulton J. Sheen

The beauty of the way this book has been compiled is that it can be read many ways. You can read it in the transitional method of starting at the beginning and proceeding until the end. You can read thematically and read numbered sections in each chapter, for example read the second sections ‘Blessed are …” chapters. Or read through the fifth sections on the virtues. Or you can randomly open it and read any section for spiritual reading or deeper reflection. Smith states in the Introduction:

“For example, by reading the fourth reflection from each chapter of this anthology, the reader will have read Sheen’s Victory over Vice; or by reading the third reflection from each chapter, he will have read The Rainbow of Sorrow.”

For fans of Sheen’s works this book ties together the seven separate books and shows us the bigger picture of Sheen’s thought and theology. For people just beginning their foray into the works of Sheen this book will serve as an amazing introduction. The print edition is a round 400 pages, and the eBook edition comes in at 320. By today's standards where so many books are being published at under 250 or even right around 200 pages this book is a larger volume. But trust me it is worth it. This book is an incredible read. I average over 100 books read a year, and more than double that the last few years. This book is one of the best Christian books I have read in the last few years. 

Let me reiterate that, of the hundreds of books read in the last few years, one of the best!

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

Books by Fulton J. Sheen:

God and Intelligence in Modern Philosophy
The Seven Last Words

Philosophy of Science

The Eternal Galilean

Calvary and the Mass

The Cross and the Beatitudes

Seven Words of Jesus and Mary
Seven Words of Jesus and Mary: Lessons on Cana and Calvary

Communism and the Conscience of the West

Peace of Soul

Three to Get Married

Life Is Worth Living Series 1-5

Way to Happiness

Way to Inner Peace 

Life of Christ

Missions and the World Crisis

The Power of Love

Footprints in a Darkened Forest

Lenten and Easter Inspirations

You
Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen

Finding True Happiness

Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book

Advent Meditations with Fulton J. Sheen

Lenten Meditations with Fulton J. Sheen

God's World and Our Place In It
The World's First Love

The Cries of Jesus from the Cross

Your Life Is Worth Living

The Way of the Cross for our Enemies – 1938

The Way of the Cross – 1932

The Way of the Cross – 1933

…

Contributed to:

Beautiful Eucharist

...

Books About Fulton J. Sheen:

The Archbishop and I
Fulton Sheen - Louise Merrie - CTS Biographies

...

A Prayer of the Day Prayer Fulton Sheen Canonization Prayer

...

How to Think Like Aquinas The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers - Kevin Vost

How to Think Like Aquinas:
The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers
Dr. Kevin Vost
Sophia Institute Press
ISBN 9781622825066
 

I have been a fan of Dr. Kevin Vost's writings since first encountering them in 2006. That was the year he published his first Catholic book, since that time he has published 18 works, covering a wide range of topics. But one he comes back to often is memorization. And in this new book he uses the tools of Saint Thomas Aquinas to help us learn how to build a memory palace, and to use the powers of the intellect and the will and to train both. The introduction begins with this statement:

"We should all strive to think more like Aquinas, but only if we desire to know what is true, to love what is good, to grow in happiness and holiness while wayfarers on earth, and ultimately to share in eternal beatitude with God and the communion of saints when we arrive home in heaven. You see, in all of human history, St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was among the very best guides to fulfilling these desires. Dozens of popes have sung his praises as philosopher and theologian, the Catechism of the Catholic Church abounds in references to his writings, and even secular scholars have acknowledged his monumental contribution to the field of philosophy.2 They praise him foremost for what G. K. Chesterton called in his biography of Thomas "that unusual human hobby: the habit of thinking.""

I raced through this book the first time I read it. I could hardly put it down. I am now working through it a second time, this time taking my time. And really working through the exercises and suggested practices to apply the skills and truths taught. The description of the book is:

"In these pages, you'll learn St. Thomas Aquinas's unique powers of intellect and will, and how he can train us to perfect them. Best-selling author of The One-Minutea Aquinas offers here a fully guided, illustrated tutorial of exercises to perfect your intellectual powers of memory, understanding, logical reasoning, shrewdness, foresight, circumspection, practical wisdom, and so much more that lead to happier and holier lives. You'll also learn:

The connections between thinking, happiness, and holiness
How to perfect intellectual powers you may not now you possess
Why a failure to understand human nature impairs our ability to understand anything
The three fundamental acts of practical wisdom
The eight parts of prudence every Catholic should keep in stock
How training our memories can make us deeper thinkers
How critical thinking alone is insufficient for reaching the truth
Why Catholics should cherish reason as well as faith and know how to use it!
How to spot twenty common logical fallacies

How thinking like Aquinas can inoculate you from twenty damaging isms and worldviews wreaking havoc in our world today."

In many ways this book is the culmination of Dr. Vost's earlier works. It ties together themes from many of his works and ties them together in a practical and applicable way. Even though Vost is a brilliant man and scholar he writes in such a way that the general public can engage and benefit from reading this book. The sections in the book are:

Introduction: Why You Should Think Like Aquinas (and How)
Part 1
Navigating the Small Streams of Knowledge
1. Speak Slowly and Carry a Big Heart and Mind
2. The Power of Pure Prayer
3. From the Cell to the Wine Cellar: On Crafting a Study Space You Can Love
4. The Benefits and Perils of Friendliness to Study
5. Set Your Intellect Free by Avoiding Worldly Entanglements
6. The Imitation of Christ (and of Those Who Imitate Him)
7. Loving Truth Regardless of Its Source (and On the Perfection of Memory)
8. How to Read Any Book: On the Power of Understanding
9. Filling Your Mental Cupboard to the Brim: On Building a Knowledge Base
10. Knowing Your Mental Powers - and Their Limits
Conclusion to Part 1
Part 2
Fathoming the Depths of Wisdom
Prologue to Part 2
11. Reason Gone Wrong
12. Premises of Sand
13. Wrong Thinking about the Faith
14. Mnemonic Master Table
About the Author
Bibliography

Each chapter in part one of the book ends with a section called Doctor's order, a sort of prescription for learning the lesson of that specific chapter, and tool to help lock the teaching in. These Doctor's orders are broken into three sections, Reflect, Read, and Remember. The Reflect section is to help you apply what you have learned. The Read section is some examples of how to take the lesson further. And the Remember section will help you sink in the lesson. And Chapter 14 provides a Mnemonic Master Table of all we have learned in Part 2 of the book.

When reading books by Kevin Vost I realise how much more I have to learn. And each of his books has served as a guide along that path. I believe this book is his best to date. I do not know any Christian who would not benefit from reading this book. And I look forward to when my children are a few years older and I can share this book with them, and that is the highest praise I can give a book. This book is an excellent read by an amazing author.

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

Books by Dr. Kevin Vost:
Full Range of Motive (2001)
Memorize the Faith! (2006)
Fit For Eternal Life (2007)
From Atheism to Catholicism (2010)
Unearthing Your Ten Talents (2010)
St. Albert the Great (2011)
Tending the Temple (2011)
Three Irish Saints (2012)
Memorize the Reasons! (2013)
One-Minute Aquinas (2014)
Hounds of the Lord (2015)
Seven Deadly Sins (2015)
Memorize the Mass! (2016)
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (2016)
The Porch and the Cross (2016)
The Catholic Guide to Loneliness (2017)
The Four Friendships (2018)
How to Think Like Aquinas (2018)
Memorize the Latin Mass! (2018)
12 Life Lessons from St. Thomas Aquinas (2019)
Aquinas on the Four Last Things (2021)

20 Answers St Thomas Aquinas (2022)

What is God? (2022)

…

Books Contributed to:
Man Up! (2014)
…

Author profile interview with Dr. Kevin Vost.

Johann Gruber & Jacques Bunel Victims of the Nazis - Helena Scott and Ethel Tolansky - CTS Twentieth Century Martyrs

Johann Gruber & Jacques Bunel Victims of the Nazis
CTS Twentieth Century Martyrs
Helena Scott
Ethel Tolansky
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781860820687
CTS Booklet B655


That is the eighth and final book co-written by Helena Scott and Ethel Tolansky, That I have tracked down and read. These eight books are wonderful reads, I have already each of them twice and will likely read them again, either with my children or on my own. This book and Sophie Scholl and The White Rose: Resistance to the Nazis, are the only two of the 8 that are part of the CTS Twentieth Century Martyrs series. And this is the only biography they wrote that covers two people. It is the story of both Johann Gruber and Jacques Bunel two men who were Catholic priests, both were imprisoned at Gusen 1, a sub camp of Mauthausen concentration camp. And both lived to serve others, often at great personal sacrifice and risk.

The back of the book states:

"Heroic sanctity and goodness could be thought of as things of the past, of other ages, for the saints of old. The 20th century has witnessed some of mankind's most demonic actions, from the Nazi concentration camps, the Soviet Siberian camps, to the killing fields of Cambodia. Some say this proves God is dead. But, like so many others of our times, Johann Gruber and Jacques Bunel, two priests interned at the infamous Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp during the Second World War, bore witness in their flesh that God is far from dead, but alive. Their faith, courage and love unto death saved countless fellow prisoners."

The chapters in this book are:

Introduction
The Mauthausen Concentration Camps
Conditions at Mauthausen
Father Johann Gruber
Austria and the Nazis
Mauthausen Gusen Concentration Camp
A Different Kind of Patriotism
Tending to Physical Needs First
The 'Gruber Organization'
Extra Food for the Prisoners
Arrest and Death
Father Jacques Bunel
The Bunel Family
Lucien's Illness
Childhood - and Vocation
Contemplative Vocation
St. Joseph's School, Le Havre
The Little School at Avon
The Fight Against anti-Semitism
A Place of Shelter
Taking Jewish Students
Under Arrest
The Transit Camp of Compiegne
Neue Breme Camp, near Sarrebruck
Exercising His Priestly Ministry
Celebrating Mass in the Concentration Camp
The End of the Battle

The introduction of this book begins with these words:

"There is a clear link between the two priests who are the subjects of this booklet. Father Johann Gruber, an Austrian priest, and Father Jacques Bunel, a French Carmelite priest, were both imprisoned by the Nazis in Gusen I, a satellite camp of Mauthausen concentration camp, and were both instrumental in saving the lives of many of their fellow prisoners. "

We know that Father Jacques arrived at Mauthausen on April 23rd 1944, only 16 days after Father Gruber has been executed. And that he was at Gusen I by May 18th. They both showed their faith in how they lived. In their charity, their service and their devotion to other people. People who were sent to Mauthausen had a short life expectancy; they were worked hard, and worked to death. Mauthausen and its satellite camps were among the most brutal, cruellest of the concentration camps. And it is here that these two priests found their selves, and where they lived their calling as priests and followers of Christ. The poet Jean Cayrol stated:

"Father Gruber was amazing. On the day he met me I had about fourty-eight hours to live: I was starving and desperately cold, had almost no clothes, and was at the very end of my strength. I was working in the quarry. Somebody said to him, "Something's got to be done quickly. Cayrol is one of the ones in most urgent need of help." He came to find me, and brought me five litres of potatoes mashed up in water. I called a friend, and between the two of us we ate it all in five minutes. Father Gruber has tears in his eyes as he watched.
  He was a little round man. We used to call him Papa Gruber because we truly owed him our lives. He was an absolutely unbelievable person. He risked his life to find us food.""

This booklet is full of stories about both priests. We will never know the number of people they saved. There is no list. But there are many, many testimonies. I never particularly enjoy reading books about World War II, especially about the concentration camps. But I know that they are important books to read. We need to remember our history so that we do no repeat the mistakes. This book shows us what truly living the gospel mean, especially living it in some of the worse conditions humans have known. It shows the valiant faith of Johann Gruber and Jacques Bunel. They lived the gospel, and their lives are an example to us.

This book is at times a hard read. And from the beginning we know the ending will not be pleasant. But Scott and Tolansky do an amazing job of telling the story of these two priest. It is a book that will challenge the reader, and inspire them. It is another faith filled book from the Catholic Truth Society! 

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 Scott and Tolansky:

Pius XII
Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan
Benedict XVI
Josemaria Escriva
Alvaro Del Portillo
A Pope of Surprises: The First Five Years of Pope Benedict XVI's Papacy
Sophie Scholl and The White Rose: Resistance to the Nazis
Johann Gruber and Jacques Bunel: Victims of the Nazis
...

Author profile and interview with Helena Scott.

Books in the 20th Century Martyrs Series:
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose: Resistance to the Nazis - Helena Scott and Ethel Tolansky
Johann Gruber & Jacques Bunel Victims of the Nazis - Helena Scott and Ethel Tolansky
Maximilian Kolbe, F. Jagerstatter, K. Leisner, R. Mayer: Victims of the Nazis - Franz Jagerstatter
Edith Stein, Marcel Callo, Titus Brandsma: Victims of the Nazis – Matthew Monk
Saint Maria Goretti: Teenage Martyr for Chastity - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
The Atlas Martyrs – Jean Olwen Maynard
Jerzy Popieluszko Victim of Communism - Grazyna Sikorski
Isidore Bankanja - Jean Maynard
Gianna Molla - Jean Olwen Maynard

Oscar Romero: Martyr for Faith - Ashley Beck

Pedro Poveda - Bernadette Lally

Marcel Callo Worker For Christ - M.N.L. Couve de Murville

The Gypsy Saint 'El Pele' Cerefino Jimenez Malla - Jean Maynard

...

Other CTS Martyrs Books:

Martyrs of Nagasaki - Lucian Hunt  

Martyrs of Uganda - Joanna Bogle   

Martyrs of Vietnam - Bob Bloomfield  

Martyrs of Korea - Richard Rutt

Forty Martyrs of England and Wales - James Walsh

...

Played by Ear - Daniel A.Lord S.J.

Played by Ear
Daniel A. Lord S.J.
Loyola University Press
ISBN 9780829400496
1956
 

Reading this book was both a great joy and a terribly frustrating, It was a joy to read such an incredible autobiography. It was frustrating in all the books he has written that he mentioned and many of the books he mentions that shaped him are all out of print and proving very hard to track down. Even tracking down this book proved not easy. This is the fourth book or booklet by Daniel a. Lord S.J. that I have read this year but it is by far the longest. My introduction was I Don't Like Lent, and it was wonderful. My youngest daughter then received two children's books by Father Lord, for her first communion, and they were wonderful reads for the whole family. Then after many tries I was able to track down this volume through inter-library loan to read.

This autobiography is unlike any that I have read. It was written as a series of letters, from the author to various people. He stated that he wrote in this form because it was natural to him. He also stated he tried not to duplicate too much that is included in his other books, but often touches upon them or refers to them. (The more the pity they are all out of print.) In the introduction we are told:

"He wrote exactly thirty adult books and twelve booklets.  His pamphlets must number nearly three hundred. He wrote forty-eight children's books.  He wrote twenty-five plays, twelve pageants, three musicals; and he published five separate musical compositions, not to mention the tunes incorporated in his pageants, some written in collaboration with others."

From my research only 2 of those books for adults are still in print. And about 50 of the pamphlets are available electronically. The booklets he wrote for children seem to still be available in beautiful hard cover editions. But the rest of his works are very difficult to track down. In the first letter he is writing to young parents and he states about his own school days:

"What I remember most clearly about grammar school was the competition between a group of us for the largest number of books read each week.  We were spurred on by Sister Mary Blanche, who loved books simply and intelligently.  We considered it a feat comparable to athletic victories to score high in the records of books taken from our school library, read, and returned in jig time.  I cannot recall that any of these books were ever assigned for class reading.  They seem to have been the object of supererogatory love."

His love of books and knowledge is a theme that runs through the letters and throughout his won life. And it appears to be something he holds in common with readers who discover his works. Outside of the two passages from the book already quoted, two other passages really had an impact upon me. I took pictures of the text and printed the paragraphs to have them up on my desk at work. In part as a reminder and in part to reflect on them.

First speaking about his early school days he states:

"Yet often, as my priestly life progressed and I have spoken to small college bodies on Catholic campuses, I have bragged in this fashion: "I am a graduate of a small college in a run-down building situated in the very center of Chicago's darkest Ghetto.  Yet I would not trade what I got there for the most spectacular college education the universities of the world could offer."  And I have meant sincerely what I said."

Another speaking about finances while growing up he says:

"Of a Satruday evening my dad simply tossed the pay envelope on the table in the kitchen.  On Monday morning my mother gave him the money he would need for carfare, lunches and incidedntal expenses of the week.  For the rest, his was the generosity and trust, hers was the financial managements that came in its small way close to genius.  When I hear moderns protesting the terrible lack of money, once more I smile.  Times are changed, no doubt of that; and money has no longer the purchasing power that once it had.  But I wonder if in domestic matters it is nearly as much a question of "how much income" as it is of "how well managed and with what generosity, loyalty, good humor, and love.""

I truly enjoyed reading this book. But having it on inter-library loan I felt rushed. I did not have long to read it, and it was an old and frail copy. I could only read it during dedicated times, and because of the condition, would not carry it to read on my commute to work. I would love to eventually track down my own copy of this and take my time and reread the letters at a more leisurely pace.

Lord was a man, a priest, and a Jesuit from a different time. His faith was contagious, to those who knew him, and like me those who encountered him via his writings. I was encouraged and challenged while reading this book. A few times I stopped and took notes, and at other times, stopped and prayed. If you can lay your hands on this book it is a wonderful read!

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

Books by Daniel A. Lord:
Father Finn, S.J., The Story Of His Life Told By Himself For His Friends Young And Old
Played by Ear
…

Children's Books:
The Our Father: Our Prayer to God
The Hail Mary Our Mother in Heaven

Novels:
Red Arrows in the Night

Pamphlets:
Our Nuns: Their Varied and Vital Service for God and County
I can read ANYTHING!? All right! - then read THIS!
Confession is a joy?
Religion and Leadership
Fashionable Sin - A Modern Discussion of an Unpopular Subject
My Mother, The Study of an Uneventful Life
You Can't Live That Way
The Call to Catholic Action
Our Part in the Mystical Body
I Don't Like Lent

Three Great Catholic Writers That You Might Never Have Heard Of!  Curtayne - Lord - Powers