Review of "Blessed Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood"

We still buy the lie. Women are told that if they want to be successful in the world, they have to be more like men, or like a how-to-succeed-in-business stereotype. Aggressive, detached from commitments; and self serving. No softness, no vulnerability, and certainly no thinking of others. We have to put ourselves first or we will never succeed and be fulfilled. Its in every women's magazine, in daytime talk shows, self-help books and on the web. We have to put off having children and getting married, putting our work lives in first place above all, before our marriage. That will bring us happiness, they promise.Women wait so long to get married that they often miss their opportunity to have children and pursue costly IVF procedures in a desperate attempt to 'have it all'.
We see this model of success at all costs in Hollywood, yet what do the biggest starlets long for, the ones who have it all, fame, money, the best roles, the perfect body and the enviably handsome man? They want time off from Hollywood to have children, to have a private life where they can devote themselves to those they love, their children and their husband.
That should tell us something.
The desire to be receptive to love and to give of ourselves completely in love is built into the female heart. It is the key to fulfillment as a woman, no matter what role you play in the world. Pat Gohn in "Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious; Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood" takes the reader by the hand and gently talks to her inmost soul where these desires lie ignored, gently coaxing the reader into allowing her innate femininity flourish, and blossom into authentic womanhood.
Using down-to-earth, inspiring stories from her own life, Pat demonstrates how women can learn the ironic truth; that humility, receptivity and generous self-giving do not render us powerless, they are the keys to unlocking God's powerful grace in our souls. Pat describes how Mary is the quintessential example, she humbly received Christ into her womb by the most generous act of self-giving possible, and the world was forever changed as a result. The humblest "handmaid of the Lord" became the most revered and respected woman of all time "all generations shall call me blessed".
I was moved by Pat's honest personal stories of how she evolved from a "I am woman hear me roar" feminist to the authentically Catholic, happy, fulfilled, self-giving woman she is today. She overcame tremendous challenges in her life and, thanks to friends who built her up and mentored her, she grew in her ability to love and give of herself.
Its that warm mentoring which makes "Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious" the must-read self-improvement book of the year.

Review of "The Things Lily Knew"

Few novels are rich enough in characters to become a series, but the Lily Trilogy belongs in this rare company. The characters around Lily, a woman with Down syndrome who has a profound affect on the world around her are so vividly drawn, so realistic and multifaceted,  that they become friends with whom you want to stay in touch. So when novelist Sherry Boas announced that she was publishing another Lily book, "The Things Lily Knew" I was couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

 In this book, we learn about Annabel Greeley the woman whose life Lily indirectly saved from abortion. Aannabel  is a brilliant geneticist and a Rhodes Scholar who has lived a charmed life. As the novel begins, she is faced with an enviable choice, two attractive, successful scientists are in love with her and she must choose between them. One, the gorgeous ladies man, Brad Beauchamp, is a former lover who jilted her for an ex-girlfriend,  is offering her a once in a lifetime career opportunity, and makes it clear to Annabel that his feelings for her will lead to a renewed love relationship. Annabel fears her past attraction for him well up every time he mentions rekindling their old romance and cause her to forget Brad's infidelity. The other man in her life is Logan Horne,  who, despite being an intellectual snob, is devoted to her happiness and proposes to her at a gala celebrating his greatest accomplishment. Both men have the world at their feet, they are renowned geneticists with prestigious careers and promise Annabel lifelong devotion, yet Annabelle is unable to make up her mind between these men without knowing why.
She, the Oxford scholar, seeks the  wisdom to make her decision in two of the most unlikely places; the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, and in the former home of Lily. In the contentment of the poor of Jamaica and the marriage of a woman with Down syndrome, the intellectual discovers the secret to happiness is not necessarily where the world would tell you to find it; success, wealth, fame, physical beauty and intelligence. Happiness is found in love, but the world has lost sight of the essence of true love, and the men who say they love Annabel cannot convince her that they do either. Annabel discovers that Lily knew love within her brief but happy marriage, and by learning about her life through her niece Beth, she is led to someone who can show her the true meaning of love; self-sacrifice.
"The Things Lily Knew" is edifying, challenging, and as the three novels before it, an absorbing read. Bring it with you on that summer vacation, because you won't be able to put it down!

Movie Review: Iron Man 3 - PG13

Tony Stark faces his latest nemesis, The Mandarin, and finds his whole world ruined, and those he cares about in danger.   But the plot is bigger than that, and Tony must stop a conspiracy that is more extensive and involved than first thought.  

There is tons of action, and the special effects are spectacular, and one of the coolest features is how fast Tony can now suit up as Ironman. The plot is somewhat more involved than you'd expect in a super-hero movie, and both Pepper Potts Colonel Rhodes are more involved in the action than before.  

There is also a good plot twist regarding the Mandarin.  

The ending was especially good, as it wrapped up the story lines very nicely.

Excellent!  Don't miss it! 
 

http://marvel.com/ironman3

App Review: DGems: Daily Gospel Reflections by Fr. Philip Heng, S.J.

DGems: Daily Gospel Reflections is a collaboration between  Fr. Philip Heng, S.J. and Valent Richie, a Catholic app developer.  (I've also reviewed a few of Valent Richie's other apps on this blog before).    

This app provides the Gospel reading for each day, with a reflection by Fr. Philip Heng. If you can't attend daily Mass, you can easily read the Gospel for each day.  
It even has links to Fr. Heng's homilies for further reflection

A couple of very useful features in the app are: You can set a daily reminder if you wish to read the Gospel at a specific time each day.  

Do you see the little WI-FI symbol at the bottom right of the below screen shots? If you  touch it, you can easily share that day's Gospel reflection on Facebook or Twitter, or by email or text.  

A very useful app, and very well-designed!  
Of all the apps I've reviewed, this is the one I will personally use most often. 

  Here are a couple of screen shots of the app:

 

DGems Daily Gospel Relections is for iPhone, iPod and iPad. 
It  is available as a free download HERE or on iTunes.

 

http://valent.co/

Music Review: Angels and Saints at Ephesus

 
After reviewing their last CD, Advent at Ephesus, I was eager to hear this latest CD by the Benedictine Sisters. And I certainly was not disappointed  :)  

There are 17 tracks, most honoring God, Jesus and Mary.  There are a couple for Angels, and St. Joseph and St. Patrick each have a track :)  

The songs are sung in Latin or English.  Either way, the sisters' crystal-like voices give the whole CD an angelic quality.  You'll truly feel like you're in the presence of angels and saints.

 I very much enjoyed listening to Angels and Saints at Ephesus.  I recommend it for anyone  who appreciates traditional Catholic hymns.  Those who enjoy chant will also love this CD.

 

http://benedictinesofmary.org/content/angels-saints-ephesus

Movie Review: Ring the Bell - PG

Big city sports agent Rob Decker heads to a small town in search of a hot prospect for the majors.  He is very business-oriented and focused on money, but what struck me about Rob is that he comes across as a genuinely nice guy.  

Rob's trip is extended by car trouble, and he gets to know the locals.  Their faith really gets his attention.  Rob doesn't quite get what he wants, but he definitely gets what he needs.  

The end was pretty touching, but it did leave a couple of open questions for me.  

A very entertaining and inspirational movie.
 

http://ringthebellthemovie.com/

Book Review: Imitating Mary

Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom

by Marge Fenelon

Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2013

What can mothers today learn from a poor Jewish woman who lived two thousand years ago? If the woman in question is Our Blessed Mother, the answer is everything. Marge Fenelon explores ten of these lessons in the new book, Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom. Fenelon writes Mary is “the answer for all moms . . . with God’s grace and Mary’s example, we can overcome any obstacles to becoming the loving, wonderful mothers we’re meant to be.” 

Fenelon focuses on ten scriptural events from Mary’s life and explores the virtues Mary exhibited in each of those instances.  We can all learn from Mary’s patience as she waited for Joseph to make a decision about their marriage, her trust as God’s handmaiden, her obedience in God in all things, her endurance as she gave birth in a stable, her courage, her hope, her faith, and her joy. 

Fenelon writes in a friendly, conversational style. She has an intimate relationship with Mary and this is evident in her words. As a mother with grown children, she understands all the stages of mothering. She shares experiences from her own life and her hard-earned wisdom with all of us in the trenches. She knows the challenges of modern mothering and how we often struggle with self-doubt. She wants to encourage mothers in their vocation:

“You’re a better mother than you think you are. Mothers have an innate tendency toward self-criticism. . . We also like to compare ourselves to other mothers, and that only makes things worse. You can’t be that other mom; you can only be you and you are beautiful – inside and out! Take time every single day to acknowledge something good about yourself.”

Each chapter of Imitating Mary features a relevant excerpt from scripture, Fenelon’s reflections, thoughts to ponder, and questions to consider. This book would be wonderful to use in a mom’s book group or Bible study. There is so much each of us can learn from Mary’s example.

Movie Review: This is Our Time

This a story of 5 friends who graduate from college together.  They are all seeking to follow God's plan for them.  (A couple of them consult with one of their professors).  Luke and Ale' go to India, Ryder and Katherine each enter the corporate world, and Ethan is working at his father's restaurant.  

When tragedy strikes one of them, all are affected and question what  God is calling them to do.  But they leave themselves open to His will. 

  It is very refreshing to see young people so intent on following God's will. It is very real and easy to relate to, not just a 'holier than thou' story.  And there are some pretty well-known actors appearing:  Eric Roberts, Erik Estrada and Dawn Wells.  

Although  not a true story, it does lead up to the 'Embrace A Village' organization (http://www.embraceavillage.org) which helps people afflicted with leprosy.  

A very gripping and inspirational story.  
 

http://pureflix.com/portfolio/this-is-our-time/

Review of "The Quest for Shakepeare"

I have enjoyed Shakespeare all my life, and when my daughter attended a high school class which interpreted his famous sonnet "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" as a man-love poem, I was outraged, pulled her from the class and decided to do some Shakespearean research to discover who William Shakespeare really was. Thankfully, Joseph Pearce's "The Quest for Shakespeare" had just been published. I had found the perfect book to discover what your English teacher will never tell you about William Shakespeare; he as a devout Catholic in the days when it could cost him his life.
Pearce's theory is that William Shakespeare is a recusant (secret) Catholic in the days of intense persecution of Catholics under Anglican Church founder King Henry VIII's daughter with Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth.
 The book reads like a fascinating spy novel, where clues to Shakespeare's hidden yet bold Catholicism are uncovered and discussed in indisputable detail. The adventure begins with the recent discovery of William's father's will in the roof of his home where he declares that he never left the Faith. So it appears that William Shakespeare like many recusant Catholics during this time of martyrdom, a double life. He was officially Baptized an Anglican to save his skin but spent time during his impressionable years when he was deciding what path to follow in life in the company of famous Catholic martyrs Fr Robert Southwell and St Edmund Campion. Pearce maintains that he dedicated a volume of his plays to Robert Southwell as "RS" and even boldly celebrated Queen Elizabeth's death in 1603 with a play entitled, "All's Well That Ends Well".
If you note that the Catholic Church is treated with respect in such plays as "Romeo and Juliet" it seems unlikely that Shakespeare was an Anglican. He was just keeping the authorities at bay while he lived an intensely Catholic life. His wife Anne Hathaway was related to such Catholic outlaws as Guy Fawkes who unsucessfully tried to foment a revolution to take back England for the Catholics.   When Pearce tells you about Shakespeare's attic in London you are sure that the Bard of Avon was a secret Catholic who was clever enough to avoid capture and execution but unfortunate enough to be savagely misinterpreted by modern heretics.
Reading "The Quest for Shakespeare" would be a fine way to inspire your teenager to a noble life of academic excellence and of bold standing for their faith in the public square, beginning with that classroom where the Catholic faith is held up as the number one evil influence in Europe.
Note; Joseph Pearce tells the story of "The Quest for Shakespeare" in a riveting EWTN series which you can purchase in their online bookstore or listen to as MP3 files here.

Book Review: Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up! by Troy Schmidt

We've all heard the story of Jonah and the whale from the Old Testament, but have you ever heard it from the whale's perspective?  That's the premise of this humorous children's book.  

This story from the whale's point of view also teaches a couple of important lessons:  although we may want to 'run away' from God's plan for us,  he will use us in his plans, which are always for our good.  

And if we cooperate with God's plans for us, he will multiply that good to help others.  

This is a good book that will both entertain children and share important lessons with them.  I recommend this book...I'm giving mine to my great-nephew  :)

 

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/books/products.asp?p=9781433679643