Reading Catholic

Reading Catholic and catholic

Author Q&As

Gift Book Ideas for Children & Families

by

Following is my November column that appears in this weekend’s print edition of The Catholic Post.  I invite your feedback here as well as any book suggestions you have.  A few more great books have arrived since I wrote this column, so that I may need to do an update.  December’s column will feature books for adults.

Recommending books for gifts at Christmas—or any season—can be tricky. And yet books can be a great source of enjoyment and encouragement, and, at the right time and the right place, evangelization.

In the must-read Forming Intentional Disciples (my review of that book is here), Sherry Weddell writes of the thresholds that people cross on the journey towards Christ. Before any other step, a person must have a “bridge of trust” in either someone in, or some part of, the Catholic faith, before curiosity, openness, or truly seeking a relationship with Jesus can take place.

Well-designed and well-written books can foster or strengthen that “bridge of trust” that can lead to curiosity and beyond, planting seeds for future spiritual growth.

With that in mind, I’ve tried to select books that would appeal to a wide range of readers, especially those at a beginning level of trust or curiosity.

This month, the books column features books for children, and also more general “coffee table” type of books suitable for all ages. Next month’s column will feature books for adults.

women-of-the-bible-2*I was drawn to Women of the Bible by Margaret McAllister because of Alida Massari’s expressive and lovely watercolor illustrations. But after reading several of these enchanting stories, in which McAllister beautifully imagines vignettes based on women described in the Bible, I can confidently say the writing is even better. This is a delightful read-aloud for children of all ages. Highly, highly recommended.

bambinelli-sunday-a-christmas-blessing_6363_500

*Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing by Amy Welborn, illustrated by Ann Kissane Engelhart. This is the latest of three picture books by Welborn and Engelhart, and their best collaboration so far. (Here’s hoping the two do many more in future years.)

It’s a story of a boy learning from his grandfather that “Love brings all the pieces together,” even when those pieces are broken. The book is also a charming introduction to the real-life newer tradition of Bambinelli Sunday, when Italian children gather on Gaudate Sunday (the third Sunday of Advent) to have the baby Jesus figures from the family creche set blessed by the Holy Father.

822438The “Saints & Me!” series of books from Liguori Press, with clever illustrations and approachable text for younger readers, is authored by Barbare Yoffie, and illustrated by Katherine A. Borgatti.. Added this year were four new saints–Damien of Molokai, Rose Philippine Duchesne, Andre Bessette, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, as well as a Saints of North America Activity Book (pictured above), with coloring pages, word puzzles and other goodies to keep little hands busy.

91d609_b164ad51c1fba59ea03b4ea3b716549f.jpg_srz_471_726_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srzFor more mature young readers, Nancy Carabio Belanger’s newest novel, The Gate, is beautifully written story of a teen boy’s struggle through the death of his father and accidental friendship with a nursing home resident. I’ve loved and highly recommend Belanger’s other award-winning novels—Olivia and the Little Way for middle-grade readers, and Olivia’s Gift for slightly older readers (review here and author interview (with a twist) here).

Because the narrative is told by an adult looking back, there’s a certain melancholy and maturity that would be most appealing for readers further along in their faith journey; I would say a slightly older audience than Olivia’s Gift. But’s its a great read for older children and adults.

Here are some “coffee table” style books suitable for all ages:

HOLY-LAND-BOOK-full*If you’ve ever had a desire to do a Holy Land pilgrimage (raising my hand here), Fr. Mitch Pacwa’s The Holy Land: An Armchair Pilgrimage offers a lush virtual tour in a handsome, well-designed book with tons of photos and many old illustrations and maps of Holy Land sites.

The book is substantial but not oversized, so it’s perfect for couch perusal, meditation, prayer and perhaps a little dreaming about your own Holy Land excursion.

item3834_250_x_250*Three new gorgeous books offer introduction to paintings well-known and obscure, all with religious themes: Sister Wendy on the Art of Mary; Sister Wendy on the Art of Christmas (pictured above), and Sister Wendy on the Art of Saints.

Sister Wendy Beckett, who became justifiably well-known in the 1990s for her BBC art history documentaries, is the author of these slim but powerful volumes. Each section offers a reproduction of artwork, plus Sister Wendy’s prayerful and educated—but never stuffy—commentary about the work and its religious meaning.

“When you look at the pictures in this book, really look, opening your heart to take in what is there before you, you are not only responding to a particular work of art, you are practicing the habit of openness to the beauty of God as he illuminates every moment of your every day…. it changes us.”

Looking at even one picture a day, and reading the short but rich narration, is a beautiful way to introduce yourself or anyone in your family to the delight of reflecting on beauty. Gorgeous artwork made richer by Sister Wendy’s commentary makes these books well worth having and cherishing.

Q&A with Robin Davis, author of “Recipe for Joy”

by

Here is my Q&A with Robin Davis, author of Recipe for Joy.    As you can tell from my review from the last edition of The Catholic Post (click here to read that), I really enjoyed the book, and I enjoyed e-chatting with Robin about her book, faith and food, even after I learned (see final question) she is one of the rare people who doesn’t like the chocolate chip flavors at Graeter’s Ice Cream.  I’m not holding it against her (and if you’re a Graeter’s fan, you know what I mean).  Thanks, Robin!

Robin 2012

Q. Robin, tell readers more about yourself, your family and your work.

I’m the food editor at the Columbus Dispatch (that’s right in the middle of Ohio). I grew up in Dayton, but moved to California as soon as I graduated from college – I was one of those people who couldn’t wait to “escape.”

I went to cooking school, then worked for Bon Appetit magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. It was a great life, but I felt something was missing. After my father died, I moved back to Ohio to be closer to my family, my sister in particular. That’s when I met my husband who was a widower with three young children.

Q. Recipe for Joy is such a great read about your life going from single living in the city to a wife, step-mom and Catholic convert. You talk about one of the challenges of going from living alone to in a family was the bigger messes that a family of five creates. (With a sick child right now, I’m pondering that having sick kids must have been a shock to your system.) What has been the best and worst parts of being a mom from someone who never intended to be one?

A.  Having a sick child is definitely one of the hardest parts. But here’s another thing I didn’t plan on: getting sick myself. Before I was married, I got a cold about once a year. That was it. But living with three young children meant I caught everything they did – sometimes twice.

The hardest part of parenthood for me was doubting myself. I felt like I had to have all the answers, and I just didn’t. It took a long time for me to realize that no one does, and longer still for me to recognize it was OK to tell the kids I didn’t know the answer or that I was wrong about an answer I’d given them.

The best part? Never being lonely. There is an energy to living in a family that I just didn’t get living alone.

Q. One of the things I liked best about Recipe for Joy is when you shared about your sense of not fitting in–of being a step-mom versus what you at first call a “real” mom; of being a working mom among stay-at-home moms, etc. I think all moms–really, all women–can relate to that. What’s the remedy for that, or how have you learned to manage it?

The solution for me was to not look at how I was different, but to look at similarities. I may not have given birth to these three, but all the parents I knew juggled getting their kids to various activities.

Maybe I was one of the few working moms among the kids’ friends parents, but I can’t think of a single mom who didn’t struggle with getting dinner on the table every night or worry about their kids eating a healthful diet.

Q. You’ve written about how supportive your husband was about the book. What do your children think of the book?

The kids have been wonderful. I let them read the proposal before I sent it out to publishers to make sure they understood what I was going to write about. I asked them questions about some of the things in the book to see how their memories compared to mine. And I asked them to read the finished manuscript before I sent it to Loyola Press.

It gave us excellent starting points for conversations that I’m not sure we might have had otherwise.

Q. As I wrote in my review, when I finished the appetizer chapter, I made the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. I actually went out that day to buy the ingredients for friends who were coming over the next evening. It was easy to make and a huge hit (among the asparagus-eaters). What other recipes “must” I try from the book?

You have to try the Baked Goat Cheese Salad. We make an easier version several times a week with just crumbled goat cheese and whatever fruit we have on hand whether it’s the dried cranberries or fresh apples or even berries. And if you’re lucky enough to come across sour cherries this summer, be sure to try the pie. Even if you don’t want to bother with a lattice crust, a two-crust summer fruit pie (try it with blackberries or raspberries) is hard to beat.

Q. I’ve just started Michael Pollan’s Cooked, and I’m so struck by his writing in the first chapter about the importance of preparing food for yourself and those you loved. I felt like he was channeling GK Chesterton (or Robin Davis 😉 ) about the spiritual import of food and eating, more so than in his earlier books. Do you think the wider culture is more tuned into the spiritual aspects of food these days?

I do. The pendulum of food continues to swing away from fast and convenient to mindful. Before we even cook, we go to great lengths to know where our food comes from and who is producing it. We care about the larger picture of the planet because we’re all part of a community. Even for those who don’t call it spiritual or religious recognize the wholeness of feeding oneself and others.

Q. Because I’m active online, everywhere I look I seem to see so many nutritional “you-must-eat -this-way” plans out there, like paleo, vegan, real food, etc. Your thoughts on this trend, and how as Catholics we might approach this?

I believe each body is individual and responds differently to different foods and food groups. And I respect people who choose not to eat animal products because of moral convictions or push themselves to eat locally-grown produce and meats to support the local economy.

However, I grow concerned when I see people continuing to look for a magic pill of dieting or nutrition. We cut out entire food groups in the hopes of . . . what? Thinness? Health? Youth? As Catholics (as humans, really), we’re stewards of this planet. I think we do best when we choose foods grown in sustainable, humane ways that support the people who grow them.

And I think eating together – whatever you decide to eat – goes a long way in peace and understanding.

Q. You’ve been a Catholic convert now for some years. How do you find your faith changing over the years, and do you have a favorite prayer or way to pray?

My faith is less compartmentalized these days. It’s not just Sunday Mass or even grace before meals but kind of this more constant awareness of God’s presence. My prayers used to be what I called a wish list: things I wanted or needed from God. Now I try to give thanks for all the things for which I’m grateful.

And more recently, I try to silently just listen for God, to stop praying words at all, but I admit that’s really hard.

Q. Finally, I noticed among your other books is Graeter’s Ice Cream: An Irresistible History. Since I have family in Columbus (one of the few places that have Graeter’s ice cream stores) I have to ask: what is your favorite flavor?

Black cherry! Personally, I prefer the kind without chocolate chips, but I appreciate the company’s unique way of using chocolate in its chips flavors. Graeter’s is still one of my favorite places to go for ice cream.

Q&A with Randy Hain, author of “Along the Way”

by

Here is my interview with Randy Hain, author of the new book Along the Way: Lessons for an Authentic Journey of Faith. Longtime readers will recall that I reviewed Randy’s first book The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Life and Work and that I had a Q&A with him back then.  Randy is really prolific as a recent convert; he gives us cradle Catholics inspiration to really live our faith and integrate it into all we do.  Thanks, Randy!

 

HainPicture

Q.  Tell Reading Catholic readers a little more about you, your work and your writing.

Thank you, Nancy for the opportunity to do this interview!

In my professional career, I am the Managing Partner of Bell Oaks Executive Search in Atlanta and actively serve on a number of non-profit boards in the Atlanta community. I am the Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine which I co-founded with Deacon Mike Bickerstaff in 2010.

I am also am a co-founder of the Annual Atlanta Catholic Business Conference, the Catholic Business Cafe and lead the St. Peter Chanel Business Association (Faith at Work) Ministry. I am a writer and frequent speaker on a number of topics including faith, family, fatherhood, work/life integration, authenticity, leadership and human capital.

My first book was The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work, and it was released in late November 2011 by Liguori Publications. The book provides practical advice on how to integrate the Catholic faith with our work and offers inspiration through the examples of real Catholics in the workplace. The Catholic Briefcase was voted the Best Catholic Book of 2011 in the About.com Catholicism Reader’s Choice Awards.

My second book, Along the Way: Lessons for an Authentic Journey of Faith was published by Liguori Publications in November 2012. My third book, “Something More: The Professional’s Pursuit of a Meaningful Life” was released on February 23rd, 2013. My family and I converted to the Catholic Faith in 2006.

My wife Sandra and I have been happily married for 18 years and we have two sons, Alex and Ryan.

Q.  How is Along the Way a different book than The Catholic Briefcase?

AlongtheWaycover

My first book was very focused on the integration of our Catholic faith with the workplace. Much of my ministry work in the Church has focused on this topic since I became Catholic in 2006. Along the Way is distinctly different. I have long desired to chronicle my faith journey as a Catholic and this book captures what I have observed, experienced and struggled with since joining the Church.

In Along the Way, I took on the role of a “pilgrim” sharing in a very candid way what it means to aspire to an authentic Catholic life in today’s world. Based on the feedback we are receiving from around the country, this message is really resonating with readers.

Q. I appreciated your openness about your faith journey, your family, and other struggles in Along the Way. Was this new for you?

I am very open about my life and try to be as transparent as possible. I find that one of the best ways we can share our faith and have a positive impact on others is to let them see the light of Christ in us and let them know who we are, where we have been and where we are going with regards to our faith. This openness has accelerated for me since I experienced a profound personal conversion in 2005, which I discuss in the book.

Before that time, I was very compartmentalized and kept walls around the different parts of my life. Surrendering to Christ and joining the Church has broken down these walls and allowed me to lead a truly integrated life with Christ first, family second and work third on my list of priorities. I feel very blessed to be Catholic and enjoy sharing my faith with the people I encounter each day.

Q. Were you a writer or author before you became Catholic?

You might want to list this under “minor miracles”, but I never wrote a word for publication until I became Catholic! I have always read a great deal, but outside of college term papers I never wrote anything of consequence.

After joining the Church at the age of 40 and essentially embarking on a new life, I felt the need to share my experiences and observations. This desire has tapped into a passion I have developed for writing and I am fortunate to have had dozens of articles for both business and faith published over the last few years. I am a disciplined writer and this has allowed me to write a weekly blog for the Integrated Catholic Life eMagazine I co-founded and write three books over the last two years while running a business and being very involved in my active family.

The secret for me is getting up every morning at 4:00 am to pray and write before I start my busy day. It also helps me to stay focused on writing for His glory and not my own.

Q. You have another new book coming out this spring. Share with readers here about that, and any other upcoming projects. What’s next for you?

My third book, Something More: The Professional’s Pursuit of a Meaningful Life, was released in late February. This book captures my experiences interviewing professionals over the last 20+ years (I run a national recruiting firm). These interviews have a consistent thread running through them which I describe as the person’s desire to find more out of life than simply work.

I coupled my observations with interviews I did with twenty business men and women around the country who are pursuing meaningful lives. The result is a road map of sorts which provides a very candid and authentic path to a life filled with meaning and purpose.

Faith is certainly part of the book, but I interviewed people from a variety of faith backgrounds. The result is an ecumenical and honest treatment of the “meaningful life” issue most professionals face at some point in their lives. The early feedback from readers is very encouraging as people seem to have been looking for a book that addresses this topic.

Also, I am working on a book about being a Catholic dad which I hope to complete for a Spring 2014 release. I have also been recently invited to become a contributing writer for the National Catholic Register which is exciting.

Q.  Is there anything else you wish I would have asked, or would like to share?

I feel blessed and am grateful for our Catholic faith. I hope the small efforts I am making will inspire other Catholic lay people to recognize we can all make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. The New Evangelization begins with our own pursuit of holiness and a desire for our Heavenly home.

Q&A with Colleen Swaim, author of “Radiate: More Stories of Daring Teen Saints”

by

As I wrote in my March column, I’m a big fan of Colleen Swaim, who’s written a second book in a series of “teen saints” biographies.  First was 2010’s  Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, (here’s my review of that), and just a few months back Radiate: More Stories of Daring Teen Saints.

I did a Q&A with Colleen when Ablaze was released, so I knew I wanted to do another one.  Colleen is the kind of person I just know I’d love to meet for coffee and talk over books and everything else (for instance, she and her husband write a blog together called Duel to the Death), and I hope I will some day.  Thanks, Colleen, for being willing!

IMG_1971

Tell “Reading Catholic” readers a little more about you, your family, and your writing.

My husband Matt and I live in a late nineteenth-century era house in Cincinnati, Ohio with our 14-month-old son Zeke and Libby, our 10 year old English Bulldog. When we’re not writing books, I teach high school religion and English in the Diocese of Covington and Matt produces the EWTN-syndicated The Son Rise Morning Show from Sacred Heart Radio. We enjoy exploring the city, cooking together, and are really looking forward to a fun summer of seeing the world through our toddler’s eyes – everything’s new and an adventure!

–You had a lot of success with Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints, and so I’m glad you decided to write a “sequel” book with more saints.  Did you have any trouble picking the saints for the book?

Making the choices of whom to write about has been the primary challenge of each book, although with Radiate I focus on ten stories of saints, two more than the eight I originally profiled in Ablaze, so it was a little less difficult. However, my aim was the same with both books, as it was very important to concentrate on stories focused on an equal number of young men and women from all over the globe and spanning the ages of the Church.

I think that, with Saints Agnes; Gabriel of Duisco, Louis Ibaraki, Juan Soan of Goto, and Thomas Kozaki (The Japanese Martyrs); Bernadette; Lucy; Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin; Luigi Gonzaga; Rose of Viterbo; and Peter Yu Tae-Chol; as well as Blesseds Laura Vicuña and Ceferino Namuncurá, that balance was again able to be struck.

– I found Radiate more appropriate for older readers than Ablaze, both in the writing style and the content–there is more intensity in some of the martyr stories, for instance. Your thoughts on this, and who you consider to be the “ideal” reader for Radiate?

One of the things that is a goal of mine both as a writer and a teacher is to convey the saints’ stories, their hagiographies, in a way that both grabs onto the sensibilities of present-day teenagers with the sometimes high drama of these holy people’s stories – encompassing both their joys and trials/tribulations – without jeopardizing the precious commodity that is young people’s inherent integrity, including their senses of modesty and chastity. With stories like, for instance, Laura Vicuña’s, where the subject matter involves abuse, that can be a precarious path to tread, but I maintained a tone of honesty and nuance that I hope parents of pre-teens and teenagers can appreciate.

That’s why, when family members, religious educators, or others who are buying specifically for young people ask me, I recommend Radiate for students roughly in the 12-19 year old age range. Both Ablaze and Radiate are formulated for individual, small group, or classroom use, so they can really lend themselves to a variety of learning and reading environments.

– I asked this question in our last Q&A, but I think it’s worth re-visiting.  You’re a high school teacher. Other than this book, how do you challenge students immersed in the popular culture to pause and really take a look at these saints and their lives?

The single most important thing for Catholic young people living in the world today to realize is that, to paraphrase G.K. Chesterton, keeping the commandments is way more radical and counter-cultural than breaking them! Of course, personal and familial holiness are issues we all struggle with on a day to day basis, but teenagers especially need to realize that the yearning that they seem to have (and I believe that they all indeed have it) for solidity and truth is noble and needs to be nurtured.

The saints were some of the most fascinating people to ever live, they’re now with God for eternity in heaven, and they can offer us both a framework and the inspiration to do likewise amazing things. One of my favorite things when researching saints’ lives is to draw the connections between them.

I’ve never run across a saint who wasn’t deeply influenced on the path to holiness by yet another saint or blessed, and as a flawed human being who is holiness work in progress, I find that very comforting. Young people need to be imbued with the sense that sanctity is going to be foolish to a lot of people out in the world, but it is the best opportunity we have for both happiness and fulfillment, even if it can be quite arduous at times. Teenagers like a challenge, and the call to be a saint is the ultimate.

– I also asked this question when we discussed Ablaze so let me ask it again.  Do you have a favorite saint in Radiate?  If so, why?

I can honestly say that I resonated with every single saint or blessed in the book, otherwise they probably wouldn’t have made an appearance at all, but I have to say that the story of the Japanese Martyrs just blows me away. It is difficult to imagine a group of young men, part of a religious minority in a land that was intensely hostile to Christianity, acting more courageously than those teenagers led by St. Paul Miki.

Whenever I hear of a martyr group of “and companions” my curiosity is piqued – “Just who were all of those companions?” – and this situation was no exception. These young men were berated, abused, made examples of, and literally lashed to crosses to die, and they did it all with a sense of fearlessness that is just awe-inspiring. They were not the only group of martyrs to die in Japan during this time period, as its estimated that there were about 1, 200 over the course of several hundred years of persecution and the Church going underground, but the witness of their blood made it possible for about 20, 000 Japanese Catholics to keep the faith alive underground in Japan for about 250 years without an organized church.

Can you imagine living your whole life as a Catholic without ever meeting a priest? It makes you want to pray for people who are dealing with similar religious persecutions in the world today, and makes me as an American want to cherish and fight even harder for the cause of religious liberty, both here and abroad.

– What’s your next writing project?  Will there be another in this series?  If so, can you share some of the saints you might explore?

I don’t anticipate another book that is specifically a sequel to Ablaze and Radiate, however my husband Matt and I just released a new book, Your College Faith (Liguori, 2013), which is, in many ways, a natural follow-up. It is meant for high school seniors and college students who want to ignite the flames of their faith, and do it in such a way that is conducive to the college experience, whether that is at a faithfully (or unfaithfully) Catholic college or university, a state school, another sort of private institution, or anything in between.

In Your College Faith, we do profile saints within each chapter in the Alumni Directory feature, such as Saints Peter Gonzalez, Tarcisius, Monica, Augustine, Josephine Bakhita, Edith Stein, Maria Faustina Kowalska, Maximilian Kolbe, as well as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. It is also set up with some of readers’ favorite features from Ablaze and Radiate, like the reflection questions, prayers, memory verses from Sacred Scripture, practical steps to take, as well as some new features.

It was a new experience writing a book with my spouse, but one which I’m looking forward to doing again. Additionally, having written Radiate and Your College Faith while I was in the third trimester of pregnancy and then with a newborn/infant, I’ve become very interested in early childhood catechetical materials, as I seek out some for my own family, so perhaps one of my next writing projects might even span into that arena. 

Q&A With Jeff Grabosky, Author of “Running With God Across America”

by

As I wrote in my January column for The Catholic Post, I truly enjoyed Jeff Grabosky’s memoir Running With God Across America. And since I became a LIFE Runner myself last year when I ran my second marathon in St. Louis (read about that experience here and here), we are sort of “teammates.”  So grateful to Jeff for being willing to do this Q&A.

Q. Jeff, tell me a little more about yourself, your writing and your running–what you are currently doing.

I have always been a runner and have always loved my faith. I ran my first marathon in college and also received a supplementary degree in Theology while studying at Notre Dame. After graduating and dealing with personal tragedy, I continued running marathons and 100-mile races. My run across America was a way in which God called me to use my passions to bring the message about the power of prayer to others. It was difficult to leave my family, friends, and job to undertake the journey, but I felt an unmistakable call to run for the prayers of others.

After the run was over, I worked with 3rd graders at a Catholic school in Phoenix for a year. While there, I also worked part time at a running specialty store and spent my free time writing the book. I then moved back to Northern Virginia to be near family, where I now working at my previous job as store manager of a specialty running store and also coach runners. Periodically, I give talks about the power of prayer and appear at book signings. I have been so blessed and recently got engaged to a beautiful and holy woman named Mary.

I’m also the race director for the Cross Country Relay for Life, which will correspond with the 40 Days for Life (February 13 to March 24).  We are currently filling 5K segments for the relay, and encourage pro-life groups to sign up.  Visit the LIFE Runners Relay for Life page for more information about that.

Q. I was really impressed with the quality of your writing and narrative in Running with God Across America .  Since you self-published, I am curious what kind of editing help you had.  Have you always considered yourself a good writer, or was this a unique experience to share?

Whenever I would give a talk about my run across America, the first question people always asked me was when the book was coming out. I have never been a big writer, but settled into the project and approached it with the same persistence I do with anything I go after. I must have read through it a dozen times to get it as accurate and readable as possible. I had it read over for spelling and grammar, but that was it. My goal was to tell a simple story and bring people with me on the journey. I wanted the reader to feel what I was feeling at the time and to realize the power of prayer and to hopefully develop a deeper relationship and belief in God in the process.

Q. As I wrote in my review, I found myself envious of two aspects of your run; one pretty serious and one kind of funny.

First, you had so much personal time and space for prayer, and for running, of course.  This time and space helped you have a lot of spiritual and emotional breakthroughs.  Do you miss that aspect of the run, and how have you tried to bring that spirit into your daily life now?

I found that on my journey, the further I stepped back from daily life, the more I was able to concentrate on prayer and on the Lord. Spending so much time each day lost in prayer was an incredible experience that solidified my relationship with Him, especially in the midst of great discomfort. Now that I am back in a much more normal daily routine, I find myself truly missing that time alone with God. In order to incorporate prayer more into my life, I have since started praying the rosary daily. I love searching out new prayers and devotions. I try to go to confession and adoration more often. Essentially, I came to realize just how much I need the Lord in my life and it is my desire to get as close to Him as possible.

Q. The other aspect I envied was the sheer amount of food you needed to eat to keep up your weight!  I know how good food tastes after a long run or lots of exertion, and so you descriptions of some of your more memorable meals stuck with me.  Did you enjoy that aspect either during the run or in your writing?  Do you miss that now that you are living a more normal day-to-day life?

The amount of food I ate during my journey always makes for good stories. People were always shocked at how much I consumed and how quickly I made the food disappear. For the first part of my run, I really looked forward to dinner because it seemed to be the one comfort of the day. Sitting down and eating a good meal always sounded so incredible when I was out on the road and I could not wait for that moment. What I learned was that it was just that – a moment. The moment of enjoyment from dinner was so fleeting and it only sustained me for a very short time. I learned a lesson through that experience of just how fleeting the pleasures of this world really are. It made me focus more on Christ, because He is the only one who will sustain us forever. He will never abandon us or let us down. The experience only helped to deepen my desire for Christ in my life.

Q. You are a Notre Dame grad, and you ran through campus on the run.  What kind of reaction have you had from the Notre Dame community about your run and its goals?

I’ll never forget how the weather was cold and the skies were overcast as I approached the campus of Notre Dame. Just before the Golden Dome came into view, the skies opened and the sun shone down. When I caught site of campus, the dome was glistening and my aches seemed to melt away. It was essentially a 500 mile detour to run through there, but it was well worth it. I loved seeing some of my old roommates still in the area and praying at the Grotto. It was a wonderful experience and the reaction from the Notre Dame community was fantastic. I’ve been told by the Notre Dame community that my journey embodied the Catholic identity Notre Dame was meant to have. The important messages of focusing on prayer, giving glory to the Lord, and encouraging a devotion to the Blessed Mother is something inherent to Notre Dame. I am honored that the run across America for prayer can be associated with my school and I hope it makes the community of Notre Dame proud.

Q.  You wrote at the end of Running with God that you don’t run long distances any longer.  Any plans for a long-distance run in future years? 

Since finishing my run across the country, I have very little motivation or desire to compete in long distance races. In the past year I have run a marathon for fun, paced a friend through 25 miles of an ultra marathon, put in a 100 mile week, and gone out for a 30 mile run on my own. Despite these runs, the amount I have been running has decreased significantly. However, I find my passion for the sport has not diminished, but has been redirected. Through multiple coaching programs at the store I work at, I have been able to help others train for distance races and become more fit. The satisfaction I have in hearing about others finishing races is much greater than any pride I would have from completing a race of my own. I am honored to have the opportunity to help others reach their goals and I hope it is something that I can continue to do in the future.

Q. You are a LIFE Runner, and I just joined the group in to run my second marathon as a LIFE Runner.  Tell me about how you got involved with the group and what you are doing with them now.

If the wheel on my stroller had not broken in St. Louis, then I may not have become involved with the LIFE Runners. It essentially opened up a window of time where I met Pat Castle for breakfast in Alton, IL. He got me involved with the LIFE Runners as our missions were very much aligned. I am so excited to use my passion for running to help the Pro Life cause. We have a very exciting relay planned that goes over 4,000 miles across the country. I am the race director of the relay and also of the 5K we are holding in conjunction with the March for Life in Washington, DC. The LIFE Runners do so much for the unborn and also to assist the mothers and children who choose life. I am truly honored to work with such great people and for the cause of protecting the right to life for the most innocent of us.

Q. Any plans for future books?

As of now, I do not have any specific plans for another book. However, I know God works in amazing ways and if I find myself called to something that warrants another book I will gladly oblige.

Q. Is there anything you would like to add or wish I would have asked?

I would just like to add that I am no superstar runner or extraordinary human. The only thing I did was say “yes” to the calling the Lord placed on my heart. He met me where I was at and took care of the rest. Things were not always easy, but I have realized just how beautiful a picture the Lord can paint with our lives if we allow him to use us. Ever since I placed myself in God’s will for His glory, my life has taken on a completely different direction. My life has certainly been difficult and even painful at times, but it has developed into something bigger than I could have ever dreamed of on my own. I will continue to put my trust in the Lord and follow wherever he calls me to go. I am just hoping it does not involve another run across America!

"14 Minutes": Life, Death, and Faith

by

Here is my column that appears in this weekend’s print edition of  The Catholic Post.  I write in my review how I liked it because I’m a runner, but this isn’t just a book for runners–it’s a book for people who like good books! 
—
Pop quiz:  Who created the following prayer?
Please, Mother, when I die, don’t let me be afraid.  Bring me straight to heaven to your son Jesus.
When I first read it, I thought, is that St. Therese, the Little Flower?  I’m pretty sure it’s not St. Francis, but it does sound a bit like him.  Maybe one of the obscure early child martyrs?
Wrong on all counts. It was a spontaneous prayer–repeated throughout his life– by a child who had just witnessed something terrible-rescuers unsuccessfully try to revive a drowned boy.
That child grew up to be a regular person.  Okay, maybe not so regular—he’s Alberto Salazar, one of the finest distance runners ever, three-time winner of the New York Marathon and part of America’s glory days of running in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Salazar, with help from gifted sportswriter John Brant, writes about this prayer—and a whole lot more—in 14 Minutes: A Running Legend’s Life and Death and Life. 
The “14 minutes” refers to how long Salazar was without a heartbeat after experiencing a massive heart attack in 2007.  14 Minutes chronicles that (and another) near-death experience, as well as his youth growing up as a Cuban-American immigrant, his dramatic running career, and current life as coach of the Nike Oregon Project, a training program for top distance runners.

14 Minutes isn’t by any stretch a “Catholic” book, and it isn’t an “America’s running glory days” book either, thought it has a lot about both.   Salazar is especially wary of being held up as a Catholic role model, but wants to share honestly his life experience and how much faith has been a part of his journey.

Mid-book, he writes, “I am not trying to portray myself as a religious expert here, any more than I tried to make a political point when describing my father’s relationship with Castro; I’m simply relating my own experiences and interpretations.”

Instead, 14 Minutes is the memoir of someone who has lived through much, including: the excesses inherent in becoming a world-class athlete; the heartbreak of injuries and illness that cut his career short; family dysfunction and healing; depression and mental health issues; and a reflective Catholic faith.

Salazar sees the hand of God in every part of his life, but writes, “You have to look hard and long for it and accept that most of the time the touch will remain ineffable.”

14 Minutes reveals a spiritually and emotionally mature Salazar, who looks back on his achievements and his mistakes with equal measure of humility and compassion.

My disclaimer here is that I am a runner, but that isn’t why I liked 14 Minutes so much.    Even though I’ve finished a marathon, all I wanted to do was finish, unlike Salazar, who confides to a close friend in college that he plans to set a world record in the marathon (and then does just that).   It’s clear from the earliest chapters that Salazar is in a different category than the rest of us, when it comes to running.

So while there aren’t training tips to be gleaned from 14 Minutes, readers will learn much about persistence, maturity and faith, all wrapped up in a great sports story.

As I’ve said many times before, I’m decidedly not a fan of the current trend of irreverent semi-fictional memoirs, often written by people far too young to be reflecting on their life “so far.”

But as Sir Walter Scott wrote, “There is no life of a man, faithfully recorded, but is a heroic poem of its sort, rhymed or unrhymed.”  A well-told memoir like 14 Minutes is a testimony to the heroic in one man’s life, and offers each reader a chance to reflect on the heroic is every person.