Book Review: "Do I Have to Go?"

Do I Have To Go?
by Matthew Pinto and Chris Stefanick
West Chester, PA: Ascension Press, 2008

"Do I Have to Go? 101 Questions about the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life" is primarily written for teenagers and young adults who are questioning the reason for needing to go to Mass each Sunday. Yet, Matthew Pinto and Chris Stefanick have gone far beyond their intended purpose. This book is a succinct study in why our Mass is the way it is and the benefits it holds for our lives. It is worthwhile for anyone who wants to learn more about the Mass. The question and answer format makes it very readable. The questions are ones that many may have asked. Examples include, "How do we know that God exists?" "Why does Mass have to be so boring?" "Do I really have to go to Mass every Sunday?" and "What evidence is there that the early Church believed in the Real Presence?" Pinto and Stefanick are able to take some very complex realities and make them understandable. "Do I Have to Go" is also a great resource for when someone asks a question about our Mass and you aren't exactly sure of the answer. In reading this, I learned several things about why we use the words we do and make the gestures we do at certain points in the liturgical celebration. I highly recommend "Do I Have to Go?" for anyone who has questions about the Catholic Mass.

Reviewed by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur.
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Fr Wauck on "Angels and Demons"

Fr Wauck of Opus Dei, which received much bad publicity in "The Da Vinci Code" tells Zenit that Dan Brown is 'cashing in' on Catholicism. The blend of history, religion Brown includes in his novels can be found nowhere else but in the Vatican.

Dan Brown reminds me of James Joyce who left Ireland and the Catholic Church, yet he never wrote about anything else. Could he be resisting the baying of the Hound of Heaven close at his heels?

Here is Fr Wauck's list of scientific advances supported by the Church, in response to Dan Brown's accusation that the Church was the suppressor of scientific knowledge:
"Universities are an invention of the Church. Copernicus was a Roman Catholic cleric, and he dedicated his book on the heliocentric universe to the Pope. The calendar we use today is the Gregorian Calendar, because it was promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII, who was working with the best astronomers and mathematicians of his time. Galileo himself always remained a Catholic, and his two daughters were nuns. One of the greatest Italian astronomers of the 19th century was a Jesuit priest, Angelo Secchi. The father of modern genetics, Gregor Mendel, was a Catholic monk. The creator of the "Big Bang" theory was a Belgian priest, Georges Lemaitre."
And this list leaves out my favorite saintly scientist, Dr Jerome Lejeune, who discovered the cause of Down syndrome and is up for canonization.

Read the rest of the interview here.

HT Spirit Daily

Book Review: The Passion of Mary Margaret

“The Passion of Mary-Margaret”
by Lisa Sampson
Nashville, TN: 2009

For me, the sign of a truly great novel is that I am sad when it ends. “The Passion of Mary-Margaret” by Lisa Sampson was so good that I just wanted it to keep going. Mary-Margaret Fisher is a School Sister of St. Mary who has been asked to write her memoirs for future sisters that might come later. She is the daughter of a woman who had been about to make her final vows of religious life when she was raped by a seminarian. Her mother died in childbirth, and Mary-Margaret feels destined to enter religious life and take the place that her mother would have filled. She is also a mystic and has many face-to-face conversations with Jesus, a fact that she keeps secret from everyone. In one of these conversations, Jesus tells her to take a different route, one shocking in its self-sacrifice but which will ultimately lead to her fulfillment and another’s salvation.

There was so much I enjoyed in “The Passion of Mary-Margaret.” The story was extremely well-written and fast moving. I hated to put the book down. The themes of second chances and God having a plan were very comforting. Sampson had some wonderful insights into the human condition and the meaning of faith. She dealt with very adult themes of rape, incest, and prostitution in a very respectful manner with the point of showing that there is nothing so bad that God can’t bring some good out of it. God is there even in the suffering. One of my favorite quotes from “The Passion of Mary-Margaret” comes near the end when Sr. Mary-Margaret is reflecting on the whole of her life: “Jesus asked a lot of me, yes, but it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? And these days, that’s something nobody wants to hear about. But I tell you this, my sisters, because sometimes it takes many decades for all to become clear.”

“The Passion of Mary-Margaret” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys Catholic fiction or simply appreciates a good story.

Reviewed by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Find Catholics on Twitter

Through this helpful guide compiled by Fr. Roderick a Tweet Catholic superstar for the Catholic School Chronicle.
Connect with me, CauseofOurJoy and join the Catholic Twibe. Together we can influence the culture of death, one tweet at a time!

Book Review of "The Thrill of the Chaste"

What non-fiction book can rivet your attention so that you suspend normal activities until you have finished it without the 'obligatory sex scenes'?"The Thrill of the Chaste" of course!

Dawn Eden, former agnostic, NYU graduate, Sex in the City practitioner, writer for Rolling Stone, The New York Post and the Daily News was the least likely candidate to become a pro-life, chaste Catholic single woman.

"The Thrill of the Chaste" takes the reader back into her past when she was a typical professional urban woman looking for lasting love in a series of sexual encounters where each found herself lonelier than the last. She found herself holding back more and more of her herself as a relationship became more sexually intimate, in order to prepare for the inevitable emotional wreckage of the breakup. Dawn shares with the reader the poignant details of the emotional cost of the lifestyle which fails to satisfy, and her painful, yet steady climb out of it. Her evocative storytelling ability makes the story a great read as well as a valuable guide to those who are leaving sexual immorality behind for something far better. Her book draws from the wellspring of Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body as she

discovers her true vocation as a single woman and her renewed hopes for a future of true intimacy in married life.

This book should be on the bookshelf of every high school. So many young women today are suffering the painful loneliness inherent in unchaste lifestyles and fear that there is no starting over. Dawn's intimate testimony is proof that God's merciful grace is always sufficient to begin anew, and has awakened hope in thousands who have had the experience of reading it, or attending one of her talks.

I first met Dawn when I lived on Long Island, and she gave a Faith on Tap talk on her book. Because of her 'coming out' as a pro-lifer while working at the New York Post, and subsequently losing her job, I summoned up the courage to come out as a pro-life writer at Suffolk County Community College where I was an adjunct professor. We next met in 2007, as we gave presentations on the Catholic blogosphere at the Annual Meeting of the Catholic Society of Social Scientists at St John's Law School. Dawn has an engaging humility about her, she never acts like the celebrity, no matter when we meet, she warmly remembers me as a fellow blogger, further evidence of her profound conversion. She is a wonderful role model for single Catholic women striving to live a life of grace in a hostile, pornographic society.

Last fall Dawn spent some time in Baltic, my hometown in Eastern CT and was interviewed by Friar Roderick on AIR MARIA. We just met in Washington DC in January in the John Paul II Cultural Center where she was conducting a chastity workshop, and I promised to review her book here. Dawn recently held her own on The Today Show where the Sex and the City practitioners gave her a run for her money.

She blogs at The Dawn Patrol.

The Catholicism Project

Anyone who reads about the Catholic Church in the mainstream media knows that we are in serious need of a public relations expert. God knows this, and He has a plan. Enter Fr Robert Barron, professor at Mundelein Seminary and preacher from Word on Fire Ministries. I recently attended a childrens' birthday party where the enthusiastic hostess insisted her guests watch his DVD Seven Deadly Sins in the midst of hyped up kids on cake. I was riveted. Fr Baron is that good. See his video review of Grand Torino which I posted here.

Now, add film from locations around the world, including the Holy Land, and The Catholicism Project is looking truly extraordinary.
For this world-spanning, all-encompassing series, Father Barron is telling the story not chronologically but in essential themes. Everything works toward his second equally important goal: “to evangelize the culture using the riches of the Church. We weave in a lot for artwork because the greatest artwork in the Western world is about Christianity.”
Pope John Paul II was a big influence on him. Father Barron explains that “after the [Second Vatican] Council there was bad formation in Catholicism. Frankly, my generation has been taught a watered-down Catholicism.”
Consequently, he wants to re-educate and reintroduce people to the faith intellectually and visually, and then to reach out beyond the Catholic world and evangelize the culture.
Read the entire story on the National Catholic Register blog.

Book Review: Dark Night of the Soul

I have heard about the "dark night of the soul," when one feels abandoned by God. But I had never read the famous book of that name by St. John of the Cross. The book is primarily aimed at spiritual directors, but it's also a good background on the concept and what to expect.

The idea has its roots, really, in the story of Job, who is alternately rewarded and punished by God. In Dark Night, St. John compares the dark night to gold being refined by fire. The process is painful, but necessary for the ore to become something beautiful, pure, and precious. All the dross is melted away as the soul becomes more like its Creator, the better to become one with Him: "Souls begin to enter the dark night when God is drawing them out of the state of beginners, which is that of those who meditate on the spiritual road, and is leading them into that of proficients, the state of contemplatives, that, having passed through it, they may arrive at the state of the perfect, which is that of the divine union with God." (Ch. 1)

There are two stages: the Night of the Sense and the Night of the Spirit. The Night of the Sense is the first stage and, frequently, many who begin the journey go no further. Many beginners fall into the sin of pride--much like the Publican in the parable, they are proud of their devotion, their sacrifice, their good works. But as they grow, they become humble, looking at others as better, "regard(ing) them with a holy envy in their anxiety to serve God as they do." (Ch. 1)

St. John goes on to list and explain other spiritual sins that beginners make. These mostly have to do with our human need to feel (both physically and emotionally), to see, to hear, to taste. Our bodies distract our souls from the perfect contemplation of God and Satan uses these weaknesses to his advantage. During the first night, "God is now changing that light into darkness, and sealing up the door of the fountain of the sweet spiritual waters, which they tasted in God as often and as long as they wished." (Ch. 8) No comfort is found in things of God, nor in "created things." St. John then goes on to explain how those who have entered this first night are to behave and the necessary role of a spiritual guide.

Once this stage is completed, a person may stop there or may experience only a respite for the much more rigorous dark night of the spirit. This stage requires much more from the spiritual director because those going through it feel completely abandoned by God. They must continue on their journey with complete and utter faith in Him. The length of time required for this dark night may be months or years. There may be periods were God shows His Face and His Love is directly and powerfully felt, but then withdrawn, forcing the seeker to trust and believe. And to pray--always prayer.

The end is complete union with God. St. John intimates that for most of us, Purgatory will be our Dark Night of the Soul; very few reach the state of perfection while here on Earth. (This is probably as good an explanation for Purgatory as any I've heard.)

This edition, translated by David Lewis and published by Saint Benedict Press Classics, is 189 pages, heavily footnoted, with short chapters. But the text is really dense. I found I could only read a chapter or so at a time because the prose is a bit clunky. And it can be repetitive, in the manner of a teacher who says, "Have you got this yet?" I haven't read any of St. John's other works which might have helped. A study guide, either a person or a booklet, probably would have helped as well. But Dark Night of the Soul did shed some understanding of what Blessed Mother Teresa experienced and wrote about.

When Mother Teresa's spiritual trials were revealed, I read comments by some Christians that were rather disparaging, mostly from those who hold to sola scriptura. The "dark night" might be a peculiarly Catholic tradition--although I wouldn't be surprised if this is also understood in the Orthodox religions as well, since they have a monastic tradition.

Biographical background about St. John of the Cross can be found in Wikipedia. I was kind of surprised by the list of those influenced by his thoughts, which included Dorothy Day and Pope John Paul II.

This isn't Catholic-lite. And it's not a book that I understood at first reading. It deserves more study than I'm prepared to give at this point, but I would like to return to it and to St. John's other works, as well as those of St. Teresa of Avila.

This review was written as part of The Catholic Company product reviewer program. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Dark Night of the Soul.

crossposted at The Mad Tea Party

The Genesis Initiative

A new company in Hollywood, dedicated to providing authentic Catholic films is always good news. The Genesis Initiative states in its mission statement:
The Genesis Initiative’s purpose is to ensure that great movies, reflecting great Catholic stories and themes, are properly produced as magnificent works of art so we can re-establish a Catholic presence in the culture for future generations.

The Genesis Initiative has some ambitious projects in mind; feature length films on Our Lady of Fatima, Blessed Father Junipero Serra, and 16 Carmelite Nuns who died trying to quell the violence of the reign of terror in 16th Century Spain. These are stories of courage and miracles which should be told, and if they are done well, may be quite successful.

Take a look at their website and see if you can support their work.

Some Reflection on the Battle Theme of Prince Caspian

Peter Pevensie has grown physically since his last foray into Narnia, yet he still carries the schoolboy swagger that causes trouble for him in school in London, and on the battlefield of Narnia. He has forgotten that he was no king until crowned by Aslan, whose death and resurrection made the stunning victory over the White Witch possible. Prince Caspian who has never known Aslan personally, does not know how to rely on his power, and is driven by a sense of revenge and a desire for justice. It takes young Lucy whose faith has kept her heart open to Aslan, to remind the young men from whence their power comes, and turn tragedy into triumph.
How often in Western Society, we are full of the pride of our technical, economic, and military capabilities, and are tricked by the enemy into feeling that we have outgrown our need for God. We look down upon less educated, poorer nations like the Philippines where their Catholic faith is still vibrant, certain we have little to learn from them. We are wrong, according to the author of “Prince Caspian”. We are sowing the seeds of our own decline.

CS Lewis lived in the century of the fiercest persecution of Christians in the history of the world, and Prince Caspian is centered on a battle. What kind of battle is he suggesting? A battle for freedom from oppression in which Aslan, or Christ guides us, and the pure of heart are leaders. The oppression is a spiritual one; we have enslaved ourselves to our own pride, materialism and secularism. Perhaps this allegory should be seen as an indictment of our culture where religion is relegated to the realm of innocuous hobbies, in an attempt to dissuade us from entering the fray. The beauty of society is dimmed as our lack of faith allows evil to creep in, one court ruling at a time. This is a dramatic representation of the facts presented in "Expelled".

Pope Benedict recently said, at a meeting at the Pontifical Council for Culture,

"the secularization that is present in cultures as an arrangement of the world
and of humanity without reference to Transcendence is today invading every
aspect of daily life, and is developing a mentality in which God is effectively
absent, in whole or in part, from human existence, and understanding. . .It
deeply undermines the Christian faith from within, and in consequence undermines
the lifestyle and daily behavior of believers.
They live in the world and are often not affected, if not determined by the culture of the image that imposes contradictory role modes and impulses in the practical denial of God: there is no longer any need for God, for thinking of Him and returning to Him.
And furthermore, the predominant hedonistic and consumerist mentality fosters,
among both faithful and pastors, a tendency towards superficiality and
egocentrism. . .there is a risk of falling into spiritual atrophy and into an
emptiness of heart, sometimes characterized by surrogate forms of religious
membership and vague spiritualism. (Caspian resorting to witchcraft in the film)

It is clearly more urgent than ever to react to this trend, through recalling the lofty values of existence, which give meaning to life and can calm the disquiet of the human heart in it’s search for happiness: the dignity of the human person and it’s freedom, the equality among men, the meaning of life and death, and of that which awaits us after the conclusion of earthly existence. ”
March 9, 2008
HT Spero News.

Both CS Lewis and the Holy Father say we must not forget that we are merely pilgrims on earth, that heaven is our home, meanwhile, we must take up our swords, and plunge ourselves into the culture wars.

“put on the armor of Christ that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.” St. Paul in Ephesians 6:11-12 DR

As Aslan gently reprimands Lucy for taking so long to seek his help out of fear of the opinion of others, one must ask; what’s holding me back?

Book Review: Seven Archangels: Annihilation

The story begins with Remiel, one of the Seven Archangels that stand before God, dancing in a studio. She's checking out one of the latest musical trends to see if it is, in fact, music. Saraquael, another of the Seven, comes to find out what she is doing. Instead, Remiel starts a game of Tag that eventually encompasses several angels and the entire Universe. She even coaxes Gabriel out of his library and into the game.

Unfortunately, that leads Gabriel into a trap set by Satan and his minions: Mephistopheles, Beezelbub, Asmodeus, and Belior. And one more fallen angel: Camael, Remiel's twin brother. Memphistopheles, a Cherubim like Gabriel, has discovered how to kill an angel and Gabriel is their first victim. By destroying Gabriel, they hope to cripple Raphael, a Seraphim who is joined to Gabriel, and to exploit what they see as a weakness in God's design, thereby proving Satan as God's equal.

Camael is captured by Michael and Remiel assumes her brother's aspects in hopes of thwarting Satan's plans. This, however, causes problems for Remiel, who must continually deny who she is in order to remain undetected as Camael.

And, in fact, Hell's plans don't succeed, at least not completely. Gabriel is not killed but he is mortally wounded. And God, because of His gift of Free Will, will not interfere. The angels must discover how to repair Gabriel's soul and repair Remiel's psyche.

Initially, I was caught off-guard by the modern aspects of Heaven. Mary in blue jeans and a pony tail? Baking cookies? Angels in hiking boots and turtlenecks? Rock-climbing? Playing tag? I've always thought of angels as near-perfect beings, so it was odd to read about personality quirks and clashes.

But, as the author, Jane Lebak, explains, each angel is a "facet" of God. So it makes sense that each angel would be unique and individual. And if they didn't have personalities, the story would be very dull indeed! And that brings out some interesting discussions about Free Will and choice, repentance and redemption, how hate perverts God's order and design, and finding the inner strength to do what God's will. Not bad for a book under 300 pages!

Once I got into the milieu, I was truly absorbed into the story. (Okay, when Jesus says to Mary "Thanks, Mom," for a cookie, I laughed.) Towards the end, I was even feeling sorry for Mephistopheles. And, since there are seven archangels, I'm hoping there are six more books.

One critique: I wished Ms. Lebak had included an organizational chart at the beginning of the book. Several of the angels have similar names and I would forget which choir they belonged to. And a brief description of each choirs quirks would also have been helpful, especially at the beginning. (Cherubim are the "absent-minded professors", Seraphim are healers (and quick-tempered), Thrones stand in front of God, singing His praises--that sort of thing.)

On the March Hare scale: 4 out 5 Golden Bookmarks

crossposted at The Mad Tea Party

Book Review: Mr. Blue

I read Mr. Blue way back in high school at the recommendation of my freshman religion teacher. (My copy cost 65 cents and still bears the return address stickers I used back then.) Some months ago there was a discussion floating around some of the Catholic blogs about Mr. Blue, so I retrieved my copy and re-read it.

Much of what I remember about Mr. Blue remained true. Some of it I rediscovered. And some of it I now read with the eyes of a 50-something adult, who bears responsibilities for a husband, children, mortgage, and job.

This made for some very slow reading, even though the book itself is rather short.

The author, Myles Connolly, was a Catholic who lived in Boston. He attended Boston College, was a reporter, and eventually went to work in the movies as a story writer/editor. Mr. Blue was written in 1928 and I doubt very much that such a character could exist in modern times.

The narrator, who remains unnamed, first hears of Mr. Blue in a bar in New York. The superintendent of a high-rise office building tells of a man who lives on the roof, a man "who's so happy he's almost crazy." The superintendent takes the narrator to meet this young man, who has only a gaily painted packing crate for shelter. The narrator listens while Blue expounds on his philosophy: how if the poor lived on the roofs of the buildings, lifted from their squalor, how their souls would be uplifted as well. How you could see the world from the tops of the buildings. How they were both lucky to be Christians.

"I think," he whispered half to himself, "my heart would break with all this immensity if I did not know that God Himself once stood beneath it, a young man, as small as I."

In high school, we went up to the fourth floor and released balloons in honor of Mr. Blue. (That was back in the day before we understood the ecological damage we were doing. We had the rather romantic idea that someone would find the messages we had tied to the strings, kind of like messages in a bottle, and be uplifted or inspired by them.) Reading the passage about Mr. Blue flying his kite or releasing his balloons brings back some of the innocence and excitement I felt 40 years ago. Because I was excited about my faith, my relationship with God. Despite Vietnam, despite the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, despite the Civil Rights riots in the South, it was an optimistic time. Vatican II was encouraging the laity to become involved in the Church. The Mass was in English and we were trying to find new ways to make the Church a real community. Rev. King was giving stirring speeches; Bobby Kennedy was the Senator from New York.

By the following fall, the national mood went from optimistic to cynical. The Summer of Love degenerated into merely sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll.

Until I read the review of Mr. Blue by Fr. John Breslin, S.J., I didn't think of the contrasts between J. Blue and Jay Gatsby. Both are young men. Both have a dream. Both ultimately die because of it. But one believes in God; one believes in nothing except his "ideal woman," who is all too human and shallow.

When I was 14, I wanted to be Mr. Blue. 40 years later, I find I'm the Narrator. I'm much more practical, even about my faith. I tend to take sunsets and stars for granted. My scope of thought has narrowed from infinity to the next 24 hours. That Myles Connolly was able, as a middle-aged man, to find that part of his soul and create Mr. Blue so I can rediscover it, is something of a miracle. Thank you, Mr. Connolly. Thank you, Mr. Blue

On the March Hare scale: 5 out of 5 Golden Bookmarks

cross-posted on The Mad Tea Party

Tom Cruise, not a great choice for Godfather, Jaylo!

It breaks my heart when I remember the storyof Tom Cruise's diffucult youth, son of a single mother, enrolled in a Catholic Junior Seminary, helping his mother through difficult times, and then see him as a major advocate for the cult of Scientology. And now Jennifer Lopez has convinced her husband Marc Anthony to allow Cruise to be the Godfather of their twins, Max and Emme.
Let's hope they find a priest who sets them straight on this issue. Or, better yet, leads Tom Cruise back to the faith of his childhood. What a great story that would be!
Read the entire story here.

New Catholic Media Campaign for Lapsed Catholics

Catholics Come Home
There’s a new advertising campaign originating out of Phoenix called Catholics Come Home. Using slick commercials and a high-tech web site, the campaign seeks to goad the conscience of lapsed Catholics to re-discover (or discover for the first time) why their Catholic faith is important to their lives, their families, and their eternity.
They have three commercials at the moment: “Epic 120”, which is a two-minute tour through the impact the Catholic Church has had on history and still does today; “Movie” which reminds us that after our lives end we will review our lives (like a movie) and will get to evaluate what we have done; and “Mix”, which shows individual Catholics explaining how they left the Church, why they came back, and what a difference it’s made.
The local Phoenix Catholic newspaper, The Catholic Sun, did a story on the start of the campaign in that diocese recently. They say the average Phoenix household will see the commercials 13 times between now and Easter.
And if it’s successful—and they have the money for it—they’ll expand into other dioceses. Looks promising.
I don't know about you, but this looks like a good place for my Lenten almsgiving.

The Guadalupe DVD is out!

The DVD is now out on the beautiful film "Guadalupe", which I saw at the theatre on December 17, 2006. The film takes place in modern day Mexico and and tells the story of a brother and sister team of Spanish archeologists, Jose Maria and Mercedes, who decide to investigate newly discovered information in the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What they learn changes their lives forever. Through their scientific research, the two discover, each in their own way, the true message that the Blessed Virgin Mary reveals at Guadalupe: that we are to live in harmony and peace with one another and to have faith and hope.

Guadalupe is not a high budget film, but a simple one, with intriguing parallel story lines. It is a Spanish movie with English subtitles so be prepared to read quickly - there's no snoozing during this movie. I liked it and so did my husband.

This is a wonderful movie for the family to learn about the history of Mexico and the meaning behind many of its traditions related to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This movie is a gem. While the characters and dialogue seem a little simplistic at times - the message is powerful one - and the story is one you won't forget. It contains very touching and tender love stories on both the human and the spiritual levels. It is guaranteed to melt your heart. This is a film the entire family will enjoy.

I give it three *** of 4 stars. It is very good. Don't miss it!

You can view the trailer and learn more about the film here.