Lent Book Series

Today’s Lent Book Series offering is a guest review from the patient and gifted writer Gina Vozenilek. Gina wrote about Flannery O’Connor’s Prayer Journal for the 2014 Lent Book Series, and way back she was highlighted in The Catholic Post in the “Meet a Reader” feature.

Easter is still a good way off. Today the sky is colorless and cold and the wind rocks the naked limbs of the trees. I’m glad to be inside sitting in my cozy chair, feet up by the fire. I sip coffee and read about the opposite of my present contentment: suffering.

Who wants to even think about suffering, let alone read a whole book about it?

Does Suffering Make Sense? by Russell Shaw observes how programmed we are as a society to avoid suffering in its many forms: a bad diagnosis, a tragic accident, financial hardship, natural disaster, social injustice, the pain of loss, the fear of dying, the shame of guilt, betrayals and hurts and disappointments as plentiful as the stars in the sky.

It’s not that Shaw is in favor of suffering for its own sake. (He would agree that cancer is bad and to be avoided, if possible, and he would not recommend I quit my comfy chair and go stand outside in the cold).

But Shaw notes that we expend tremendous effort to insulate ourselves and our loved ones from the suffering that inevitably finds us, at one time or another, in one form or another.

Shaw’s book invites us rather to rethink suffering and its redemptive power. He asks, “What use can I make of suffering to become a better person, which for me as a Christian means being more like Christ?”

Drawing on Scripture, papal encyclicals, and other theological writings, Shaw crafts an engrossing discussion of what suffering can offer us if instead of fleeing it—which is ultimately futile—we strive to embrace it as Jesus embraced his Passion.

When we accept suffering—when we bear it patiently, courageously, and lovingly—we suffer with Christ; in doing so, we complete his suffering in his complete body, which is the Church, and we receive in our lives and extend into the lives of others the redeeming value of his suffering.

In a way, Shaw is explaining what it means to offer it up (not that he explicitly uses this phrase). I always wondered what that really meant, and how to do it. This book bolsters understanding of the theological concepts behind that age-old phrase.

I learned a lot more from reading Does Suffering Make Sense? Shaw’s analysis of the betrayals of Judas and Peter is especially interesting. Both men recoiled at the notion that Jesus’ mission should include suffering and humiliating death—with the implication that these would also mark the path of anyone who wanted to follow Jesus.

Ultimately Peter’s faith sustained him even when he could not fully comprehend the meaning of Jesus’ suffering. Although his courage failed him and he faltered in his vocation, his abiding loyalty to the person of Jesus moved him to tears of true contrition.

But Judas lost all faith. “All that was left open to him,” writes Shaw, “was grief’s perversion: despair.”

Does Suffering Make Sense? examines the problems of sin and suffering in the wider world and our own lives. Shaw underscores our individual responsibility to respond actively, not passively, to the suffering we encounter.

He writes, “A very active response is required of us: the effort to cultivate and sustain the disposition of joining our suffering to the suffering of Jesus.” By doing so perhaps we can begin to understand better what it means to enter into Christ’s Passion, a timely reflection as Holy Week approaches.

So who wants to read a whole book about suffering? Does Suffering Make Sense? will appeal to those who seek some deep Lenten reading, the kind you undertake prayerfully with a pencil or a highlighter. It is substantial without being weighty, and although it is about suffering, it is an uplifting and empowering book that will give you new ways to think about the crosses in your own life.

*Gina Pribaz Vozenilek, her husband John, and their four children are members of St. Jude Parish in Peoria. An essayist, her work has won national awards and has appeared in Notre Dame Magazine, Brain, Child, Literal Latte, the Tampa Review, Body and Soul: Narratives of Healing from Ars Medica, and elsewhere.

Gina is the Communications Director for the Jack Pribaz Foundation, a nonprofit group started in 2012 on behalf of her nephew Jack, 5, who is one of the first known cases of a rare genetic epilepsy called KCNQ2 encephalopathy. “Jack’s Army” raises funds for research and helps families connect to find support and information about this emerging condition. By sharing Jack’s story, the Foundation has helped locate more than 90 patients and their families around the globe. Read more atwww.jacksarmy.org.

Renewal, and Books {Lent Book Series}

March 12, 2015 by Nancy Piccione

I had the great good fortune last weekend to go to the University of Notre Dame for a Catholic women’s blogging conference.

I have been scheduled and registered to attend at least three other blogging conferences in past years, but one thing or and another and another forced me to cancel plans.

So I was super grateful when local friend Bonnie of A Knotted Life invited me to attend, and even more grateful that I got a chance to ride along with Bonnie and Katie of Look to Him and Be Radiant.

I wish I could say this Lent has been all about renewal, but instead it’s more like the Lent you are given. Those are often the most fruitful Lents, but at the time it can feel like hard, hard work.

The opportunity to be with other Catholic women for an entire day, pray with them, learn from them, and just enjoy fellowship and great food, was a gift and a grace.

I must confess I enjoyed being the oldest at the conference, often by several decades. But best is that I was the learner, and I’m still soaking up super helpful and encouraging presentations by Nell of Whole Parenting Family and Rhonda Ortiz of Real Housekeeping. I also loved the general conversations and input by the other bloggers, and getting to visit the Grotto, however briefly, and eat dinner with the group at this delicious restaurant.

As shared here before, I’ve been in blogging burnout, off and on, for several years. I hoped the conference would help inspire and encourage. It’s done that and more–here’s hoping that will be reflected here a Reading Catholic in coming months. Baby steps.

No one will be surprised to learn that I spent much of my time in conversations with the other women suggesting … books. And so, as part of the Mid-Lent Reset, I’m going to share books chosen specifically for the Catholic Women’s Blogging Conference. FullSizeRender

Some books are ones I individually recommended to women last weekend, and others struck me (on a scan of several bookshelves) as apropos of last weekend’s the group. I wanted to pick a range of non-obvious books perhaps off the radar of younger women, but are worthwhile reads.

Ralph McInerny’s memoir is a good fit since the conference was at the University of Notre Dame, and he was a longtime professor there. I wrote about it briefly here (and talk about what he thought about my chocolate cake).

This one just jumped out at me. So good. Here’s my review.

I’m only about halfway through this one–one of my sisters suggested it, and I am in tears about every other page. I want to be a Jesuit when I grow up. Very good Lenten reading.

It turns out this book was updated several years ago as G-Dog and the Homeboys: Father Greg Boyle and the Gangs of East Los Angeles. Adding that to the TBR list.

I mentioned this book as several “background reading” ideas to one of the bloggers who’s working on a book. I’m not sure if her book plans are public, so I won’t name her or the topic, but I am very excited to read and review it when it does come out. Here’s my review of Gawande’s book.

Mary Eberstadt wrote what is one of the best, if not the best, retellings of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. I re-read The Loser Letters a few months back when my older teen was reading it, and I still loved it. I reviewed the book here and interviewed Mary Eberstadt here.
I read this book in late 2013 or early 2014, and my younger teen and I did a modified version of her “seven” during last year’s Lent (seven foods, seven articles of clothing, etc.). I was reminded that I still have not written about this terrific book and its impact on us yet when our family recently discovered re-runs of her home renovation show on HGTV. Someday…

Good Reads from Pope Francis’ Bookshelf {Lent Book Series}

March 6, 2015 by Nancy Piccione

This post is part of the 2015 {Lent Book Series}.
Looking for some Lenten spiritual reading inspired by or recommended by Pope Francis?

First, begin with the Holy Father’s Message for Lent 2015. Every year, the pope releases a message for Lent, and it begins and is based on a Scripture verse. This year, the Scripture verse is James 5:8: “Make your hearts firm.” Pope Francis’ theme is overcoming indifference, whether the Church as a whole, parishes or small communities, or individual Christians.

The Lenten messages are always short (this year’s is under 2,000 words—just a few pages) and reader-friendly. It is well worth taking 10-12 minutes to read and reflect on it.

Once you’ve finished that, now you’re ready for some of the Holy Father’s favorite books to jump-start your Lenten journey, here are some of the more familiar titles among his spiritual and literary favorites.

These are taken from the back-of-book page titled, “Bergoglio’s Bookshelf,” at the end of The Great Reformer, Austen Ivereigh’s recent biography of Pope Francis (click the link for my review of that book). All are easy for readers to obtain at local Catholic bookstores. Some of the “classics” are available as free or almost-free e-books.

The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of the Little Flower, by St. Therese of Lisieux. Many have read this classic by “The Little Flower,” but it’s worth a careful read any year. Something to ponder as you read or re-read this book: What does it mean that it is one of Pope Francis’ favorite books?

The Lord by Romano Guardini. Perhaps the best-known work of Romano Guardini, an Italian priest and 20th century intellectual giant, it influenced countless priests from the 1940s on, including Pope Francis as a young Jesuit. Another Guardini option is to read the accessible Learning the Virtues: That Lead You to God
a recent Sophia Institute Press re-publication.

If novels are more for you, here are two ideas from Pope Francis’ favorites:
The Betrothed: I Promessi Sposi, Alessandro Manzoni’s 1827 novel that’s the first historical fiction written in Italian. It was a favorite novel of Pope Francis’ grandmother, and he knew of it from a young age. It cover the heroism, holiness, and lack those, in priests and the faithful in 19th century Europe.

Lord of the World by English priest-author Robert Hugh Benson. Lord of the World was written in 1907 as a futuristic end-of-the-world novel. It was a dystopian novel before the genre existed, but with more depth than most of the current crop.

Have you read any of these? I’ve read Story of a Soul several times, and years ago read Lord of the World after it was suggested by a priest friend, but I don’t remember it at all. I think I tried to read The Betrothed some years back, but never got any traction on it. Maybe I need to give it another try.

{Lent Book Series} 2015: Books to Reset Lent

March 4, 2015 by Nancy Piccione

At Mass on Sunday, I actually said to a friend, well, Easter is just a few weeks away!

Turns out it’s nearly five weeks away. That is not my definition of “few,” so clearly, I am ready for Lent to be over. As I shared, I am missing chocolate something terrible.

(And, yes, I know I’m not supposed to give up chocolate but instead do great things. I use “chocolate” as a shorthand for all my Lenten practices. I do admit, however, to giving up actual chocolate every year because it’s hard).

Are you feeling the same way? Feeling like a failure already at your Lenten practices and promises? Need a boost or a mid-Lent re-set?

Me, too.

So, over the next few weeks, I and some other local writers will be sharing books to reset your Lent.

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This will end up being the 2015 edition of {Lent Book Series}. If I can be totally honest, I had really planned for this to be a full-fledged book series, running all Lent long. However, several things–mostly the busyness of life and my neglect of this space. First, I got a late start in asking writers to join in. A bunch responded. And then I just dropped the ball; life getting in the way, too. And then Lent started and I still hadn’t begun.

So, operating on the principle of better late than never, and knowing that I and many others need a Lent “reset” after a few weeks, I reframed the series. I hope you’ll find some of the ideas helpful in making your Lent fruitful.

Check back here on Friday, when I’ll share some of Pope Francis’ favorite books, and why they might make good reads on your Lenten journey. Several times a week, I or others will be sharing good reads, and before you know it, we really will be just a few weeks from Easter.

Being a Mom to Boys {Lent Book Series}

April 16, 2014 by Nancy Piccione

Today the Lent Book Series features Marcia Mattern.

Every year during Lent, I make sure to spend time cleaning my physical house in a deeper way. I, also, get to confession more often and grow virtue in those spiritual areas where Christ helps to remove vice. This Lent I read a book that challenged me to clean my mom-self.

Strong Mothers, Strong Sons: Lessons Mothers Need to Raise Extraordinary Men is Meg Meeker’s latest book. It gave me courage to keep working towards better parenting. It also calmed my fears about raising boys who are soon to be in the teenage years.

Growing up with one sister, I found the first year of marriage to be a learning curve of understanding men! Then God gifted me with three boys (and also three girls). I’ve been hurriedly reading many, many books about boys for the past ten years. This book has softened my heart to the wonder of boys in my care, yet keeping a pulse on reality.

Meg Meeker, author, doctor, and mother, doesn’t disappoint in this book. Her quote from the chapter on “letting go” hit me:

“Having children means learning that parenting is 10 percent control and 90 percent letting go.”

As a mother, I look forward and back all the time. Not because I want my child to have a parallel life to mine growing up, but that I want to make it better. I want to ponder the mistakes my parents and grandparents made and not repeat them. I want to grow a friendship with my sons (and daughters) so that when they are grown we continue to enjoy each other’s presence. But I don’t own my children. They are just this gift from God that I have for a short time.

I was pushed to consider how I multitask so often during the day after reading Meg’s book. As a homeschooling mom, I try to get dinner going during lunch and in between the math and reading. I fill the whole day with chores around the house and errands outside the home. I sandwich it all with a dose of personal and family prayer. But I want to slow down more and live each moment with these children. A Lenten goal of having less multitasking…is hard to do.

The chapter on chores and physical activity resonated with me. In the past year, we moved to acreage that required much manual labor. And my sons have joined me and my husband in doing much work.

Meg says “ Boys know exactly how they feel. They just don’t know how to express their feelings in a productive way, but usually they need a physical release.” I have found that finding a way to join a boy in a physical chore allows them to open up and share their feelings.

Meg’s chapters on media, fathers roles, spirituality and sexuality also gave me food for thought. We, as mothers, share so much in the daily conversations we have with our sons. Many times throughout the book Meg repeated the necessity of never attacking a boys character or causing them shame. She encouraged mothers to allow the everyday experiences and conversations to impact our boys on real issues rather than having one conversation or giving one lecture.

NOTE: Meg comes from a Christian background. She does not agree with the teachings of the Catholic faith in regards to sexuality and contraceptives, but has lots of thinking/talking points for moms.

So should you read Meg’s book? If you want to be an even better mother, this book is for you. Just as I find Lent to be an annual time to make my heart more attentive to God’s mercy, I found this book helpful at making my heart attentive to boys and their needs.

Marcia Mattern and her husband, Steve, attend St. Joseph’s church in Brimfield, IL. She converted to Catholicism in 1997. She worked as a Dietitian before retiring to homeschool her six children. For the past 10 years she has been moonlighting as a Doula. You can find Marcia living outdoors with her children on their growing homestead. She blogs at I Wonder Why.

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Does Suffering Make Sense? {Lent Book Series}

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Renewal, and Books {Lent Book Series}

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Good Reads from Pope Francis’ Bookshelf {Lent Book Series}

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{Lent Book Series} 2015: Books to Reset Lent

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Being a Mom to Boys {Lent Book Series}

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