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Book Reviews

Time for First Confession Prep {Lent Book Series}

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The Lent Book Series today features Grete Veliz.

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Here we are in the middle of Lent. Have you been to confession?

If you are in 2nd grade at my parish, you’re just getting ready to go to confession for the first time. This year, my eldest child, 8-year-old Maria, is preparing to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist for the first time. While I feel pretty  confident about teaching her about the Sacraments, I was excited to have a new book to help: A Little Book about Confession for Children by Kendra Tierney.  She’s also the blogger behind Catholic All Year.

This well-crafted book is written especially for children (and their parents), and I really appreciate that Mrs. Tierney chooses to explain the different aspects of Confession in simple but not “dumbed-down” language. She knows that children can understand even complicated theological questions, like “How can I know whether a sin is mortal or venial?” especially with a parent by her side to talk it over.

The majority of the book is in question/answer format which my daughter and I read together. The questions were a great starting point for discussion. Since this is our oldest daughter preparing for confession, I haven’t had to teach anyone yet about the why and how of confession before. Mrs. Tierney’s book came at the perfect time for our family. The Catechism and Bible references included could also lead you to further discussion and understanding exactly what our Church says about confession.

Calling on the powerful intercession of the saints might be just what we need in order to prepare for confession. Confession for Children also highlights five saints who have a particular connection to the Sacrament. We can ask for the intercession of these holy men and women, from St. John Vianney, who spent eighteen hours a day in the confessional hearing the sins of penitents, to St. Mary Magdalene, who became a special friend to Jesus after repenting of her sinful ways.

One of the things I especially appreciated about the book is the Examination of Conscience questions. This carefully developed list of questions, based on the Ten Commandments, is listed for children to use in preparation for confession, and even as a daily practice. I especially appreciate the delicate wording regarding the more “grown-up” aspects in the Commandments.

As a side note: Our diocese (the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois) distributes a nice pamphlet that contains another great “Examination of Conscience for Children” that also handles these delicate questions with respect.

This book would make a great gift. The actual book is small, with thick glossy pages and colorful text. My daughter also wanted me to point out that she really liked the drawings. So, we’d like to give credit to illustrator Maria Ashton, as well.

Finally, I love Mrs. Tierney’s recommendation of celebrating the penitent’s first confession by taking her out for ice cream. This is to remind us of the sweetness of God’s mercy. I plan to carry out this recommendation. I just hope no one will notice if we have to suspend our Lenten sacrifices for an afternoon.

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photo by Laura McNeil of Maple Seeds Photography

Grete Veliz is wife to Mark, mom to three daughters, ages 8, 6, and 4 and two sons, ages 3 and 1. She keeps busy by homeschooling, reading, baking, sewing, knitting, reading blogs and hanging out with her husband (and the kids, too). She and her family are members of St. Mary’s Parish in Metamora.

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*Grete is a young mom I really admire since I see her at daily Mass at our parish pretty often for a mom of five young ones.  I recall so vividly how bringing my once-little kids to daily Mass was alternately despair-inducing (the wiggles {and sometimes the actual Wiggles}, the occasional loud noises, the every-so-often mean looks and even mean anonymous letters) and how alternately great (the kind words from the older parishioners, the overwhelming graces at times, seeing my kids at Mass now).   And I want to say, Grete, keep on keepin’ on: Don’t feel compelled to come every day, and yet don’t stay away.  It’s good for you and good for the kids, and good for the rest of us. Plus, my “old kids” loves to smile at your kids.

*Grete was gracious enough to do a Q&A with me  several years ago on two pregnancy books.  You can read that exchange here.

*Elsewhere on the Internet, Grete did a guest post on Bonnie Engstrom’s Advent series at A Knotted Life several years back.  Her contribution: “Advent in Our Home.”

Local Priest Has New Website, E-Book

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Following is another article of mine that appears in this weekend’s edition of The Catholic Post.

A local priest and author Father Charles Klamut, chaplain of St. John’s Newman Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign, has a new website called Pastoral Quotient: Disruptive Christian Leadership with the mission of “Equipping and inspiring Christian leaders for a smarter, more effective church.”

On Pastoral Quotient, Fr. Klamut posts thought-provoking blog posts like, “Five Leadership Lessons from Gandalf.”  He also has a new e-book out called, What Does Discipleship Look Like?

In What Does Discipleship Look Like? Fr. Klamut offers a challenge for Catholic leaders, and really, any Christian, who wants to share the faith in an intentional and eternally effective way. In a way, he’s “throwing down the gauntlet” to create real, active disciples who will desire to share their faith, as well as understand that faith.

“The church is not a self-referential, self-protectionary tribe fostering its own interests,” writes Fr. Klamut. “The church is commissioned by Jesus and empowered by the Spirit to go forth, announcing God’s Kingdom victory to all people, especially those farthest away, lost on the margins and peripheries.”

What Does Discipleship Look Like? provides, under the framework of core values of teachability, responsibility and missionary discipleship, a starting point for leaders to consider being bold and creative in evangelization. This e-book is a quick read, but the ideas shared, and the helpful Scripture resources at the end, provide a lot of food for thought, prayer and action.

Also of interest:

*Father Charles is featured in this weekend’s issue of The Catholic Post as the “Meet a Reader.”  That Q&A will post tomorrow.  Check back for it, or sign up to receive e-mail updates at the upper right corner of any page here on Reading Catholic.

*Visit Father’s new website Pastoral Quotient here. My favorite recent article, as described above, is “Five Leadership Lessons from Gandalf” as I am a huge LOTR fan, as well.  I also enjoyed “The Minister as Artist“–I haven’t seen the movie Babette’s Feast in years, but Father writes about it here; I think it’s time to go find it again.

*Last year, Father Charles’ writing was featured in America magazine in “That Man is Me,”  writing about how the novel, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, gave life to his priestly vocation.  It was much shared at the time and is well worth a read, or re-read.

Time for a Mid-Lent Re-Set

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Following is my column that appears in this weekend’s print edition of The Catholic Post. I invite your feedback.

It is a truth not universally acknowledged—but it should be—that the best ideas are often difficult—not easy— to explain in a meaningful way. The hallmark of good writing or speaking is simplicity, but nearly always getting there is very hard work.

Case in point: I have a vivid memory from years ago of a good friend, a mom of many, sharing her annoyance at a talk she heard about how mothers always live the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. For instance, the speaker argued that when we feed our children, we are “feeding the hungry,” and so on. My friend was bothered by how gimmicky the talk sounded, and how spiritually unsatisfying it was, despite the promising subject matter.

When I read and love a book like Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned and Keep Your Day Job by Kerry Weber, I might be tempted to think, “Well, that must have been an easy book to write—try to live out the corporal works of mercy during Lent, and write about it.”

But the book excels not just because of a “good idea,” but Weber’s fresh voice and clear Catholic perspective—and a lot of hard work.

Mercy in the City indeed tells the story of how Weber, managing editor of “America” magazine, tries to live out the Corporal Works of Mercy one Lent in New York City, but it succeeds because of her spiritual maturity and natural ability to share her life and faith.

There are clever touches, like each chapter’s witty title, reminiscent of a 19th century novel, describing what will occur (“In which I attempt to create a Lent-appropriate date”). Those make me smile. But her reflections, some poignant, some gently ironic, on how and why to live mercy, is what makes Mercy in the City great.

Weber invites readers to join her journey trying to the corporal works of mercy, and we see her real stumbles, doubts and successes. She also offers a gentle challenge to us consider ways in which we can be more in tune to the needs of those around us, and live Lent well, no matter where we are.

Mercy is the City is a great mid-Lent re-set book. You know how spirits flag in the middle of Lent—giving up chocolate seems so hard (at least for me!)—so it’s good to have a reminder of what we are meant to do during Lent: pray, fast, and give alms.

Or, as Weber so aptly puts it, “It’s easy to feel broken down in these first weeks of Lent .. when trying to balance the things we want to do with the things we should do, and trying to create as much overlap between the two as possible. And above all, trying to unite these two things with God’s will for us.”

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*Author Kerry Weber is the sister of Matt Weber, author of the humorous Andy Rooney-style book, Fearing the Stigmata: Humorously Holy Stories of a Young Catholic’s Search for a Culturally Relevant Faith. (Read my review of that book here–I really, really enjoyed it).   Clearly, this family knows how to write substantial and yet fun-to-read books that leave readers with both amusing and edifying stories, as well as a gentle invitation to live in the world as a more intentional, faithful and better person.

*Also, frequent and careful readers of Reading Catholic may notice that one of the Lent Book Series guest writers already reviewed Mercy in the City.  Sue Wozniak reviewed this book for the Lent Book Series earlier this month. It’s clearly a book worth reading.

A Lesson in Letting Go {Lent Book Series}

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Today the Lent Book Series features Mary McKean, who’s written here before about her love of Fulton Sheen.

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I never used to worry until I had kids.

Now I worry all of the time.

I suffer when they suffer. If they are sick, I want to make them better. If they have troubles, I want to alleviate them. I want to make their lives less difficult. I want to spare them the sufferings of life.

One of the most difficult things, for me, about being the mother of adult children is to realize that I am not in control. Never was. Never will be. What I would choose may not, in the end, be the best thing anyway.

Being a mother is a lesson in letting go. It’s a difficult one to learn.

Amazingly, the number one thing that has helped me in this journey is a book I read with my Catholic book club, He Leadeth Me by Father Walter Cisek.

No other book has changed my outlook and perspective as much as He Leadeth Me. The funny thing is, I would never have picked it up on my own. It’s about suffering, Russian labor camps in Siberia, and untold hardships. Not usually my cup of tea. But, it grabbed my attention from the very beginning, and I could not put it down.

He Leadeth Me is autobiographical, and tells the story of an American Polish priest who felt a calling to serve the people of Russia. He trained in Rome and found his way across the Iron Curtain. Disguised as civilians, he and another priest went to work in a factory in hopes of reaching the workers there, and perhaps uncovering any remnants of Faith that might still be present in Russia. They were discovered and separated. Fr. Cisek spent years in solitary confinement at an infamous prison before finally serving fifteen years in the hard labor camps of Siberia.

Fr. Cisek’s first book, With God in Russia tells the grueling facts of his life there. He Leadeth Me, essentially a sequel to that book, answers the questions that everyone asked afterwards….How did he survive? What was his strength? How did he face such hardships day after day?

The answer touched me beyond anything I expected. It is simple in its telling, beautiful in its theology, but incredibly difficult in its execution. The answer: to trust and embrace the Will of God. What that means I found penetrating to the core. Conformity to the Will of God was learned “only through the constant practice of prayer, by trying always to live in the presence of God, and by trying to always see everything as a manifestation of His Divine Will” no matter what.

Father Cisek went on to say, “No matter how close to God the soul felt, how blessed it was by an awareness of His presence on occasion, the realities of life were always at hand, always demanding recognition, always demanding acceptance. I had continuously to learn to accept God’s Will—not as I wished it to be, not as it might have been, but actually as it was at the moment. And it was through the struggle to do this that spiritual growth, and a greater appreciation of His Will took place”

What that meant concretely, was that this humble priest could see God’s hand in everything. God knew his situation. God loved him, and cared for Him so much so that He was willing to allow these sufferings to cleanse and purify his soul. Fr. Cisek let go of his worries. He let go of his desire to control his destiny. He placed his life and his future in the hands of God, and was happy in each moment, knowing that he was where God wanted him to be. He tried to do everything he did with perfection, as an offering to God for the Russian people. Because of Fr. Cisek’s obedience and embracing of the Divine Will, many were able to receive the sacraments and to know the love of God.

Life is a journey, and I struggle to let go and see everything through the same lens. As Our Lord once asked St Catherine of Siena, “Why will you not put your trust in Me, your Creator? Because your trust is in yourself.”

Exactly. Sometimes, I even want to tell God the details of how He might go about accomplishing all the many things I ask of Him. I am learning. Each day I learn a little more. Each event which occurs requires me to relinquish my will a little more. I have learned what little control I really have in the end. My adult children are free and independent.

Life and death is not up to me. Suffering and pain is not up to me. Like Fr. Cisek, I am trying to embrace God’s Will, even in the smallest aspects of my life. Unlike this holy man, I still have a long way to go. But at least now, I have a vision. I know where I need to be. In the end, it is a great sense of relief and joy to know that I can turn my life over to One who loves me with so great a love, and wants what is best for my eternal soul.

Mary McKean and her husband, Pete, have been married 35 years and are the parents of  eight adult children. and grandparents of 22 (and counting), where they are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Bradford.  

Mary’s been a parish organist for more than 40 years (she started as a young teen).   Mary and Pete were Peace Corps volunteers in Ecuador as newlyweds in 1977.

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Practicing Mercy {Lent Book Series}

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Today the Lent Book Series features Sue Wozniak (writing about one of my recent favorite books!).

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Ever since last Lent, I have been thinking about doing something different for Lent this year. Sure, I will do the usual fast, abstinence, and daily Mass attendance as often as I can.

But that “giving up” thing just doesn’t seem to work for me anymore. What is left to give up? We watch what we eat so sweets and desserts are already gone. We are not big drinkers and I don’t smoke. We eat as little fatty food as possible. So giving up is not really a sacrifice.

I heard a great homily last year during Lent. Fr. John Alt at St. Rita in the Desert parish in Vail, Arizona,  spoke about almsgiving as an alternative to “giving up.” He encouraged his parishioners to focus on one of the Corporal Works of Mercy each week of Lent. That concept appealed to me but I didn’t do much with it last year.

This year, I was determined to try to perform at least one of the Corporal Works of Mercy each week during Lent. I was looking for something to read during Lent that would inspire me to achieve my goal. I found a great book that has given me just what I need: Mercy in the City: How to How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job by Kerry Weber.


I wanted practical advice on how to carry out the Works of Mercy in everyday life, especially some of the more difficult ones such as “freeing the Imprisoned.” I mean really, how is someone like me a supposed to free a prisoner?

Kerry Weber, the author of Mercy in the City, is a twentysomething young woman, who lives and works in New York City. She writes about her journey during Lent to complete all the Corporal Works of Mercy. While she and I are very different ( she is a writer, I am a retiree), I found that her approach and the story of her journey during Lent was just what I was looking for.

As Weber looks for ways to carry out the Corporal Works, she learns that there are many creative solutions to each of the them. She learns to look at people on the subway—actually look them in the face. She reflects that street people are someone’s father, brother, mother, sister, child. They are human beings. We have a tendency not to look, and not want to see people on the street.

In the past year, I seem to see more and more people begging on street corners. It is probably because I have spent quite a bit of time in some major cities, such as Chicago, Tucson, and Anaheim. But they are on the corners of Peoria too. I have always wondered, do I give them money? Will they just spend it on drugs and alcohol? I give to Catholic Charities and Salvation Army so that is what I can do. But, really, I see now that is not really giving enough of myself to “feed the hungry.” Weber’ has similar questions and she observes that one of those people on the street might be Jesus. She thinks she can share half of her sandwich with someone; she volunteers at a bread line.

Throughout the book, Weber describes each Corporal Work of Mercy and how she approached them. She writes to a chaplain at San Quentin and eventually visits the prison and interviews some of the prisoners. She realizes that many of the prisoners are good men who have done bad things. The chaplain conducts religious education programs within the prison. She discusses meeting these men and learning their stories.

While I am not planning to visit San Quentin, my brother recently asked if some of the family could write to a prisoner at Menard. So I will begin my actions by writing this man a letter telling him that God does love him and that we are thinking about him. I have begun taking dollars bills and placing them in a part of my purse that I can reach easily and will be dropping them in the can as I pass a homeless person on the street. So what if they don’t buy food with it, it really might be Jesus and I will look the person in the eye and say “get yourself something to eat.”

I plan to keep a journal during Lent about my own reflections and spiritual growth as I carry out the Corporal Works of Mercy. I hope that I can continue by regularly volunteering at the food pantry or at Hospice after Lent is over. I pray that I am successful in giving of my inner self to those in need and showing others God’s love through my actions.

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Sue Wozniak is the retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL. Sue has been married to Ken for 46 years. They have five children and four grandchildren. She is a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Peoria.

Closer to Joseph, Closer to Christ {Lent Book Series}

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Today the Lent Book Series features the clever and well-read Bonnie Engstrom.
An aside from me first– Happy Feast of St. Joseph, everyone! This is one of our favorite feasts in the years–we have a Joseph-heavy family, and we shall be celebrating much like we do every year (read about that here).  I hope you’re celebrating too.
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Father Gary Caster was my college chaplain. I consider myself spoiled because of it.

Father Caster is a magnificent homilist. He’s funny, passionate, intelligent, and orthodox. He doesn’t mind crying babies, he gets a kick out of restless kids, and he knows how to use the microphone to wake up anyone silly enough to not be paying attention.

If Father Caster wasn’t your college chaplain you don’t have to be jealous, you can read his books and it’s almost as good as being with him in person. Almost.

When I sat down to read Father Caster’s latest book Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus, I was delighted that the introduction read just like a dinner party conversation, with Father telling stories about his family and friends and faith.

The introduction did a beautiful job of setting the tone for the book, establishing why St. Joseph is so important to Father Caster; for me it created a lens with which to read and better appreciate the book. It set the tone for a book that is actually deeply personal and not just another theological look at Mary’s husband.

The book itself is rich with Scripture and references to the Catechism, two things that I really appreciate because it shows that Father Caster is speaking not on his own authority but with the Church.

The meat of the book is fifteen chapters that look at Joseph through a specific title, beginning with “The Spouse of Mary” and “The Father of Jesus” and then moving to “Man of Obedience,” “Man of Faith,” and so on. Fr. Caster uses the chapters to not only teach us about Joseph and his role in Jesus’ life, but to also call us forward in our own pursuit of God and His Will.

Highlights from Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus:

…the chapter on obedience, which was especially beautiful and moving for me.
…the chapter “Man of Poverty” which inspired me to work on creating a home that could be described as Joseph’s: “a place of reverence for the Law, simplicity of life, and respect for human labor.”
…the introduction, in which Father writes endearingly about his mother’s devotion to St. Joseph;
…the chapter “Shepherd, Protector, Guardian” on St. Joseph’s patronage.

Perhaps my favorite section of all is from the chapter “Man of Courage”:

“Joseph becomes a living witness of Mary’s Magnificat. He accepts the strength of God’s arm and is lifted up with the lowly. He is filled and sustained by the good things of God, and this faithful servant receives the help of God. With the courage that comes from trusting God, Joseph comes to possess the lowliness of heart that is the hallmark of Jesus’ own heart.”

In the end, it is Jesus’ own heart that Father Caster and St. Joseph want us to see, know, and love. Reading Joseph: The Man Who Raised Jesus not only brought me closer to Joseph, like the point of every saint, it brought me closer to Christ.

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Bonnie Engstrom is a central Illinois wife, mother and writer.  She blogs at A Knotted Life, and is a regular contributor to the online magazine Ignitum Today.  She’s also a co-founder of the Behold Conference.  Bonnie and her husband Travis are the parents of five small children—Lydia, Bennet, James, Teresa and Joseph. They are members of St. Luke parish in Eureka.  Their third child, James Fulton, was stillborn and came back to life after being without a pulse for sixty-one minutes.  His alleged miracle is attributed to the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen.  On March 6, the reported miracle was unanimously approved by a Vatican panel of medical experts , another step on the way to Sheen’s beatification.