With Lent about to begin, I can’t think of a better time to read this short book and to implement it in your life.
There are many references to fasting in Scripture. In Saint Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 5, Jesus puts the solution in front of us when he says, “When you fast.” He doesn’t say “If you fast,” but “When you fast.” As Christians, we’re supposed to imitate Jesus. Jesus fasted before every major event in His life.
Leave a CommentAs a parent, I most often hear myself repeating the same instructions, “Hurry up,” “Leave your brother/sister alone,” or the ever-favorite, “Get off of the…
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During Advent, the Christmas books are slipped off of the shelves for bedtime reading. Our hodgepodge collection includes Christian and secular Christmas stories, old and new. Some are cheap Scholastic books about characters who are little more than a cog in the marketing machine. (Those, I try to avoid.) Others are classics we relish every year.
We also give each child a book as part of their Christmas gift. As the kids grow older, the books grow longer, and I’m more frequently looking for selections from my fellow authors at Catholic Teen Books.
Here are some ideas that I hope will find a spot under the Christmas tree of a child you love.
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I perused the books I’ve read this year and have come up with ten that would make excellent Christmas gifts!
Six are fiction, and four are nonfiction, because fiction is my favorite (and I make no apology for that).
I noted whether a book would be best for a particular age or gender. The novels, written by Catholic authors, would appeal to most anyone – whether of strong or little faith, Catholic or otherwise. The nonfiction books would appeal most to Catholics who practice their faith, at least to some degree.
3 CommentsYou only get one life. Live it to the fullest. Follow your calling. Give it your all.
I am a Third Order Franciscan, often called a “Secular” Franciscan because we still live in the world. Some Secular Franciscans are married. Many work regular jobs, but we all seek to pattern our lives after Jesus in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis of Assisi has been my inspiration for giving myself completely to whatever I do.
Do you know the story of St. Francis of Assisi? Regardless of your faith, his life is very inspiring. He gave it all to God, holding nothing back. But even before his calling, he went “all in” no matter what he did.
Leave a CommentIn Matthew’s Gospel with concern to prayer, Jesus says, “Pray then like this,” then follows up with the glorious words of The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father. Oblivious for most of my life of the origins of this prayer, I often resisted reverting to it while in prayer. Ironically, spending my time in my conversations with Jesus asking him to teach me how to pray better, how to grow closer to Him, and how to be more faithful to His teachings.
Had I opened the Scriptures or maybe even paid a little more attention during the readings at Mass, perhaps I would have discovered this connection much sooner. The quote from St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!” was quite fitting of my situation.
Have you heard the Christmas song “Grown-Up Christmas List”? Many singers have recorded it, but the version I am most familiar with is on Amy Grant’s Home for Christmas album.
The lyrics reflect back on childhood when Christmas included writing out a wish list and sending it to Santa Claus. As children, we hope for the magical appearance of presents underneath the tree on Christmas morning. However, as we grow up, our Christmas wishes change. We realize that we care less about material goods, and we begin hoping for less tangible gifts like peace, joy, friendship, and healing.
Last week, that song came to mind as I was sitting in the Adoration chapel at my church. My children were completing their week of Vacation Bible School, and I was closing out my own “Grown-up VBS.”
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I’m linking up with Theology is a Verb and Reconciled to You for #WorthRevisit Wednesday Linkup.
This remains one of my most-shared posts, on a subject I return to in my thoughts and memories each May.
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