Book Review: Journey of Our Love: The Letters of St. Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla

The Journey of Our Love: The Letters of St. Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla

Edited by Elio Guerriero
Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2014

St. Gianna Beretta Molla is a popular saint, not only because she was so profoundly pro-life as to give up her own life in order to save her unborn child, but also because she was a modern woman and a working mother. She is someone mothers of today can relate to and aspire to imitate as we carry out our own vocation. “Journey of Our Love: The Letters of St. Gianna Beretta Molla and Pietro Molla” allows us an intimate look at the relationship between husband and wife as they sought to establish and nurture their domestic church. While her letters were previously published, this is the first time the letters of both have been published together as Pietro Molla requested that his correspondence not be published until after his death.

As editor Elio Guerriero states in the introduction, “These letters are a convincing proof that the way of holiness does not necessarily pass through religious life or the priestly ministry, but can unfold in the midst of the world, living one’s own vocation as a Christian called to holiness with Christ in married life.”

The book offers a short biography of both St. Gianna and her husband, who met when he was 42 and she was 32. Their friendship quickly grew to love and they married in September of 1955. Their marriage would last seven short years until Gianna died soon after giving birth to their fourth child. They packed a great deal of love and joy into those years which is revealed in their letters. 

“Journey of Our Love” includes letters from their dating and engagement period as well as their marriage. They were separated frequently due to Pietro’s work travel as well as during vacations. While they did have access to the telephone and made use of it, they often wrote each other every day during these separations, leaving a wonderful record of their relationship. The copious footnotes provide the reader with background information and allow for a greater appreciation and understanding of the text.

  

In the days of their courtship and engagement, we see two people who want to make each other happy and who delight in each other. As Pietro wrote on September 6, 1955, “Your love makes everything more beautiful to me.” Their love, even in its infancy, was always rooted in prayer and references to God and the Catholic faith are frequent in their epistles.  This love, centered on God, made their relationship more blessed. 

During their married life, they shared the joy and expectation of the birth of their children and their struggles in caring for them when they were sick. The couple comes across very human as they discuss the early hour their daughter awakes, Gianna’s fear of airplanes, Pietro’s need to have teeth pulled, their in-laws, work issues, financial matters, and the simple missing of each other. These were two people living married life, coping with all the everyday matters that entails. Where their holy virtue is evident is that all of this daily living was deeply rooted in God. In addition, their love for each other always shines through.  

“Journey of Our Love” is a beautiful book for anyone who has a devotion to St. Gianna and who wants to learn more about her married life. It also provides a wonderful look at the beauty of a married life rooted in the love of God, the ideal to which Catholic married couples should aspire.

Book Review: Sisterhood of Saints

Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration
by Melanie Rigney
Cincinatti, OH: Franciscan Media, 2013

Are you in need of some daily inspiration? Do you love to learn about the saints? If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, then Sisterhood of Saints by Melanie Rigney (Franciscan Media, 2013) is a book you will want to keep close by. 

Rigney writes that researching all these women changed her life. She marvels at the similarities and differences in this select group of holy women. “They weren’t perfect. . . Sometimes they hurt people, badly. They were outcasts sometimes as well. . . They helped people who had given up on themselves, people who had never heard of God or had little use for him if they had. . . Some of them were really ordinary. . . [Others] crossed battle lines or offered up their lives in wartime. . . Others died safely in their beds. In short, they are women just like you and me.”

For each day of the year, Rigney offers a short biography of the featured saint, a quote of inspiration from either the Scriptures or the saint, and a challenge to help you live your spiritual life more deeply.

Rigney has highlighted the big-name women saints. Those looking for Mary, Therese, Elizabeth, Brigid, Catherine, Kateri, etcetera will not be disappointed, but one is especially impressed by the number of lesser-known saints who are featured in these pages. The reader will have the opportunity to make many new heavenly friends, such as Rita Amada de Jesus, Anna Wang, Giuseppina Gabriella Bonino, and Celine Borzecka. There is a saint in heaven for every woman to relate to and seek help from.

The Sisterhood of Saints would make a wonderful gift for the Catholic women in your life. It is also a wonderful resource for oneself, to deepen one’s faith and learn more about the communion of saints.

Book Review: Saint Who?

Saint Who? 39 Holy Unknowns
by Brian O'Neel
Servant Books, 2012

Most of us are aware of the "famous" saints - people such as the Apostles, St. Francis, St. Therese, St. Anthony, etc., but there are a huge number of saints that very few people know anything about. Brian O'Neel sets out to rectify that (at least a little bit) by profiling thirty-nine little-known saints that have something relevant to teach us today in "Saint Who? 39 Holy Unknowns."

For each saint, O'Neel offers a brief biography along with a reason why oneshould pay attention to this saint. In these pages, one learns about Saints Perpetua and Felicity and discovers that no reason for living is worth denying Christ. St. Bathilde, the wife of King Clovis, teaches us how to use power and possessions for good. St. Willichord, a missionary saint, offers lessons in perseverance in the face of failure, and St. Lydwine demonstrates faith and patience in the midst of tremendous physical suffering.

Perhaps the most valuable lesson is that "Each if us has abilities we can use for God. Whether it be working on our personal sanctity or trying to make this world a better place by preaching the gospel, each of us can do something that will leave a mark. It's not too late. You're still breathing. What is God calling you to do?"

Each of us is called to be a saint. In "Saint Who?" Brian O'Neel educates us about thirty-nine people who did. They are worth spending some time with.

Book Review: "A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms"

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul (Ave Maria Press)
by Lisa M. Hendey
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2011

There are many wonderful books about Catholic saints available. Most of you probably own some of them. Perhaps you even have some collecting dust in your home. They looked so interesting, but you never found the time to read them. So, why should you purchase another one? Because in the new “A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms,” Lisa Hendey has put together a very inspiring, practical guide to the saints designed especially for Catholic mothers.

Hendey, the founder of CatholicMom.com, wrote this book as the follow-up to her best selling “The Handbook for Catholic Moms.” In that book, she focused on the “importance of nurturing ourselves as moms in four components of our lives: heart, mind, body, and soul.” In this resource, she has profiled 52 saints and highlighted which of those four components they speak to in our lives. This book can be used on a week by week basis with the focus being on one saint per week, or one may simply wish to focus on a saint that speaks to whatever area of one’s life is in need of a little extra help at the moment.

For each saint, Hendey offers a variety of topics: a brief biographical sketch, reflections on lessons learned from the saint, popular traditions associated with him or her, a quote from the saint, a week’s worth of Scripture verses that are associated with the spirit of that holy person, activities to do either alone or with your children, a prayer asking for the saint’s intercession, and questions to ponder throughout the week. Of course, one is under no obligation to do or reflect on all of that information, but it is good to have options. Each person reading this book will find something that appeals to her and her preferred way of learning and praying.

The variety of saints that Hendey profiles should also be noted. Beginning with our Blessed Mother, “the first and best Catholic mom,” she includes many of the well-known saints you may already know and love, such as Teresa of Avila, Sebastian, Maria Goretti, Patrick, Martha of Bethany, John Paul II, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. But, she does seem to have made a concerted effort to focus on saints that are less well-known. It is possible that readers may find some new friends in the communion saints as they read and reflect on individuals such as Josephine Bakhita, Isidore of Seville, Louis and Marie-Azelie Martin, Chiara “Luce” Badano, and André Bessette.

In “A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms,” Lisa Hendey has compiled and created a very useful and inspirational book. It can be used alone, with your family, or as part of a Catholic women’s book club. No matter how it is used, your life will be enriched as a result.

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

Book Review; Mother Teresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship

by Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Non-fiction, 192 pages

     Popular Catholic author,  and ETWN series host,  Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle was a young mother when her life was changed forever with an encounter with the 20^th Century’s most famous woman, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in her convent in Washington DC. . In “Mother Teresa and Me” Donna tells the story of a decade of friendship, beginning each chapter with a letter to her from Mother Teresa, and sharing how their meeting became the inspiration for her own apostolate, sharing her message of self-giving love. At first, Donna, is awed by the contact with the celebrity “In fact, I think my heart stopped for that moment. This same woman who traveled the world ministering to the “poorest of the poor”, a woman highly respected by popes and presidents and millions of people, had just spoken to . . .me”. Soon, Mother Teresa’s warmth overcame Donna’s awe and they had a conversation which flowed easily. “That first encounter with the saint . . .penetrated my heart, and etched an unforgettable message that remains to this day.”

      In her motherly style, Donna engages the reader in her close spiritual friendship with the future saint. Photocopies of Mother Teresa’s letters and photos of her with Donna and her children add to the feeling that you are sitting on a sofa with Donna, pouring through her personal scrapbook, sharing her treasured memories of her best friend and mentor. Her self effacing style lends charm to her account of spending a weekend with homeless women in the Missionaries of Charity shelter in Harlem.

      Mother Teresa’s counsels Donna in times of joy; the birth of her son Joseph, and consoles her in times of suffering; when a car accident left her with constant pain. Mother Teresa presides over the birth of Donna’s apostolate to console the suffering by using her unique gifts “I am very glad that you are using this gift God gave you to spread His love and mercy to all”. She urges Donna to use her suffering in her apostolate; “May you yourself be a Veronica to Jesus who is suffering in so many people; the sick, the incurables, the aged, and the unwanted- to bring them solace and strength.”

     Donna shares in riveting detail how her apostolate brought joy and peace to neighbors and strangers alike, as Mother Teresa’s prayers and wisdom began to have a ripple effect through her to touch thousands. She quotes from Scripture and Pope John Paul II  to create a brief yet profound introduction to Mother Teresa’s life and spirituality. Through the power of personal testimony the towering figure of Mother Teresa becomes a beloved friend who inspires the reader to become Christ to the suffering all around us.

     I was fortunate to see Mother Teresa address my diocese in 1985, and to receive a letter from her in 1990, inviting me to visit her convent in the Bronx. Her profound humility and devotion to serve Christ in the poor inspired my work as a social worker and teacher of immigrants, but most of all, to serve my family in love. I realized that I was fortunate to have had such contact with Mother, and cherish her parting words to me in her letter, “Put your hand in Mary’s hand and she will lead you to Jesus”. Since Mother has left our midst, such firsthand accounts as Donna Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s book “Mother Teresa and Me” are precious and serve to provide the emotional immediacy of an encounter with sanctity which can transform our hearts into fertile ground for Christ’s love to grow.

Book Review: Take Five - Meditations with John Henry Newman

Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman
by Mike Aquilina & Fr. Juan R. Velez
Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2010

I approached "Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman" knowing very little about this recently beatified Cardinal. I finished it wanting to know much more. Cardinal Newman was a "teacher, editor, administrator, and clergyman - and he still found time enough to write books that have been profoundly influential in the fields of theology, philosophy, history, and fiction." "Take Five" begins with a short biography of Newman's life, from his education and life as an Anglican to the reasons for his very public conversion to Catholicism. It then offers 76 short reflections. Each one features a short excerpt from Newman's work that focuses on a given theme. A few key points are highlighted in "Think About It" which is followed by a quote or two from scripture and a take-away statement to remember.

Newman's wisdom focuses on how to incorporate faith into everyday life. His words ring true and are very relevant over a hundred years after his death. This little book provides much food for reflection and offers a wonderful introduction to Newman's thought.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Take Five - Meditations with John Henry Newman.

Book Review: "Saint Francis"

Saint Francis (Christian Encounters Series)
by Robert West
Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010

St. Francis, who lived and preached in the 13th century, is one of Christianity’s most beloved saints. Like many saints, however, time has served to separate him from the actual life he lived. In many minds, he is known only as the lover of animals. He is usually seen with birds, often as a statue in a garden. While St. Francis certainly had that side to him, he was much more than that. “Saint Francis” by Robert West, a book in the Christian Encounters series by Thomas Nelson, sets out to show Francis in all his complexity. He was a saint, yes, but like all saints, he was also very human.

This is a no-holds-barred biography of Francis. West does not gloss over Francis’ wild youth. In fact, he makes much of it in order to contrast it with the man he later became. Yet, the charisma that would make Francis such a compelling preacher and leader was already at root in the boy and young man. Francis was meant to be a leader.

West discusses Francis’s conversion and does his utmost to make his love of “Lady Poverty” understandable to the modern mind. He shows the battles Francis had with his own bodily desires and the lengths he would go to in order to overcome them. He wanted nothing to come between him and God. West also examines his relationship with the men that would come to join him as well as his relationship with St. Clare, who also gave up everything to follow him.

Francis’ life was certainly not without its challenges. His way of life was so austere that many begged him to relax his rules for those who followed him, but he would not relent. As a result, there was infighting among the brothers, especially when Francis was not physically present. It took considerable effort for his order to be recognized by the Pope. His dream of converting the Muslim Sultan during the crusades did not go the way he had hoped.

Yet, Francis is most known for his miracles, his communing with nature, and the stigmata he bore on his body. West examines some of the legends that grew up around the life of Francis, and despite a healthy skepticism, is willing to admit that at least some of them were possible.

West’s “Saint Francis” is a highly readable well-researched biography. It serves as a valuable introduction to the life of the man behind the statues.

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

Discover a Modern Day Hero of Divine Love

Most of the saints we learn about and love lived a long time ago. As much as we can study their lives and, when available, read their writings, it can be difficult to imagine them as living, breathing human beings who struggled with life. That is one reason why it is so amazing to watch “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love,” a new DVD about a saint who lived in our own time. The DVD is a visual delight, featuring photos and home movies of St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962. One gets to see her getting married and playing with her children and living out her career as a doctor. Viewers see her laughing and smiling and loving life. This is a real woman. She is someone like us. Sadly, one also has the opportunity to get a glimpse of the outpouring of mourners at her funeral. She was truly loved in her community and admired for her sanctity.

Here we get to know a woman like so many of us who struggled to balance work and family. She was highly intelligent, excelling in her studies. She also loved music and art and being in the mountains. She loved her family above all else, but saw her career as a physician as a calling from God. Not only did she run her own practice, she was an active volunteer and sought to bring medical care to those who needed it, especially mothers and children. She would tell other doctors that “when you have finished your earthly profession, if you have done this well, you will enjoy divine life ‘because I was sick and you healed me.’”

St. Gianna was raised in a Christ-centered family and sought to raise her children the same way. Her life was one of service and was deeply rooted in prayer. She attended daily Mass as often as possible and prayed her rosary daily. She was always ready to encourage others in their relationship with God. She was a woman who viewed life as a gift from God and trusted in the power of prayer. Totally pro-life, her ultimate sacrifice was to give birth to her last child, even though she was advised against it and knew it might result in her own death. After giving birth, she bravely bore her final suffering with grace and prayer. She died on April 28, 1962 at the age of 39. Beatified in 1994 and canonized in 2004, Pope John Paul II held St. Gianna up as a role model for mothers, physicians, and the pro-life cause.

Watching “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is an opportunity to discover a wonderful woman devoted to God who can serve as a model for all of us struggling with life as mothers.

To order this DVD produced by Catholic Action for Faith and Family, please visit www.stgiannaphysicians.org.

Book Review: St. Gianna Beretta Molla - A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love

St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love
by Thomas J. McKenna
San Diego: Catholic Action for Faith and Family, 2008

At the canonization of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Pope John Paul II stated “The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to find fulfillment.” St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962, was a woman of our own time. A physician, she was a working mother who lived a life of service to her family and her community. In the booklet “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love,” Thomas J. McKenna provides a brief biography that will help introduce readers to the life of this modern day saint.

Raised in a devout Catholic family, she was devoted to Christ and the Church from her earliest days. As a teenager, she was deeply affected by attendance at a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Soon after, she became active in the Catholic Action movement, “a lay spiritual movement that helps its members follow Christ by emphasizing prayer, service, and sacrifice.” She chose to study medicine because she felt it was the best way she could help people in both body and spirit. She would ultimately choose to specialize in pediatrics. She always felt that her role as a doctor was a calling from God.

She was an active woman with many interests, among them painting, music, and mountain trips. In 1955, she married Pietro Molla and devoted herself to Christian marriage and motherhood. She gave birth to three children in quick succession, and then suffered two miscarriages. In September 1961, she was expecting her fourth child when doctors found a large fibroid in her uterus. She was given three choices: remove the tumor, the unborn child, and her uterus (the only sure way to save her life); remove the tumor and the unborn child; or only remove the tumor. Even though she knew it was the riskiest course of action, she chose the last option and instructed her husband that if he was forced to choose between herself and the child, to choose the child. April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela was delivered via Cesarean Section. After suffering for a week, St. Gianna died on April 28, 1962 at the age of thirty-nine.

This booklet also contains excerpts from St. Gianna’s own writings which allow readers to get real insight into her thoughts and observations, as well as a collection of prayers to ask for St. Gianna’s intercession.

Brief, easy to read, and full of information, “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a wonderful introduction to the life and spirituality of this saint.

To purchase, please visit: St. Gianna Booklet

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

Archbishop Fulton Sheen; the Movie Trailer

Book Review: "Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life"

Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life
By Don Brophy
New York: Bluebridge, 2010

Don Brophy’s new biography of St. Catherine of Siena is subtitled “A Passionate Life.” This is truly an appropriate description of how Catherine lived. The Latin root of “passion” means to suffer or submit. In our modern day English, it implies great intensity of feeling. Catherine lived all these definitions. She submitted her life totally to Christ; she suffered intensely, both through her self-inflicted sacrifices and penances as well as through the disapproval of others; and she always acted with great intensity. She lived only thirty-three years, but in that short period of time, she challenged the expected roles of a woman of her era, changed the course of history, and left a legacy remembered through the ages via her letters, prayers, and book, “The Dialogue” also known as “The Treatise on Divine Providence” (all of which were dictated to scribes). Canonized in 1461, she was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970, one of the first two women to receive this honor.

In his “Author’s Note,” Brophy states that “the main focus of this biography is Catherine’s ‘public’ life rather than her private, interior life that pious biographies have focused on in the past. To accomplish that, it has to describe the political and social world she moved in.” He acknowledges, however, that it is impossible to fully separate her public role from her spiritual core. “Her motivation for engaging in events of her day flowed out of her conviction that she was called to the task by God. There is simply no way to appreciate her life or guage her place in history without exploring that conviction.” Brophy succeeds in his task. While those who are searching for a full discussion of her spirituality would be better served elsewhere, those who are looking for a discussion and exploration of her role in political and Church events of her day will be well served by “Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life.”

It is evident that Brophy did copious amounts of research in order to compile this biography. He provides very informative notes on the text. He also displays a solid understanding of the Italian world of the time period, as well as a thorough grasp of Catherine’s spirituality. The Catherine presented here is immensely human, a task not always achieved in biographies of saints. She is no less holy, but she is a woman who struggles, and with God’s help, perseveres. “Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life” is a worthy addition to the body of literature about this remarkable woman.

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

Book Review: Brother Andre

Brother Andre: Friend of the Suffering, Apostle of Saint Joseph
by Jean-Guy Dubac
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2010

On February 19, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI announced that Blessed Brother Andre Bessette of Canada is scheduled to be canonized on October 17, 2010. Brother Andre was a humble porter at Notre Dame College in Quebec, Canada. He had very little formal education and wrote nothing, yet he became known internationally. At his death in 1937, more than one million people filed by his casket, acclaimed as a saint by the people long before the Church formally made that designation.

In “Brother Andre: Friend of the Suffering, Apostle of Saint Joseph,” Jean-Guy Dubac relates the life story of this simple man. He also includes a history of his family as well as background information on Saint Joseph’s Oratory which Brother Andre helped to build. Brother Andre was known for two main things – his devotion to St. Joseph and his ability to work cures in God’s name. Despite life-long physical illness, he lived an ascetic life – both eating and sleeping little. He spent many hours in prayer and was scrupulous in performing all his duties as a Brother of the Congregation of the Holy Cross.

One of the earliest cures attributed to Brother Andre’s intercession was of a young boy in the college infirmary. He asked the child, who was sick with fever, why he was being so lazy. When the boy responded that he was sick, Brother Andre told him to get up and go play with the other boys. When he did so, suddenly healed of his illness, it was to the astonishment of all. He was cured, with no explanation. Over the course of his lifetime, countless sick would come to seek Brother Andre’s aid. He greeted all with love, cured many, and directed all to seek St. Joseph’s help.

“Brother Andre: Friend of the Suffering, Apostle of Saint Joseph” offers an interesting, highly readable introduction to the life and times of one of the Catholic Church’s newest saints. From Brother Andre, one can learn much about patience, simplicity, and devotion to St. Joseph.

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

Mother Teresa's Secret Fire

My review of "Mother Teresa's Secret Fire" is in this weeks National Catholic Register. If you want to set your prayer life aflame, this is the book you have been waiting for!

You can read it online at Catholic.net