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Reading Catholic and catholic

Saints

Do Sundays “count” during Lent? Good question!

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Bringing back and updating this popular post of mine from Lent 2011!

Do Sundays “count” during Lent?

This issue comes up every year. Do you do your Lenten penances on Sunday?

I’ve heard varying opinions on this. Sundays are not counted among the actual 40 days of Lent, so some say Lenten penances should not apply on Sundays. Others think the whole season is penitential, and so therefore we should continue our disciplines. I read once a commentator say that Jesus didn’t take a break during his 40 days of fasting in the desert. Katherine of Team Whitaker falls firmly in the “Sundays count” category.

Here’s a link to a Q&A on Lent from EWTN, and it includes an answer about Sundays. Basically, there’s no official rule, so you are free to choose.

Here’s also another interesting article from a blogger with the Archdiocese of Washington who offers insight on celebrating Sunday.

Count me in the “celebrate Sunday” camp. At our house, we tend to mark Sundays as a day of Resurrection. I might have a piece of chocolate (or not) on Sundays, but my husband, who goes meatless for Lent, usually doesn’t eat meat on Sundays during Lent. Since I’m giving up my Fitbit during Lent (and still sad), I put it away and I’ll bring it out on Easter. (Update: I now go grayscale for Lent, and do not go grayscale on Sundays).

That “Sundays don’t count” wouldn’t apply, obviously, if you were trying to break a bad habit, like smoking or swearing. But if you’re giving up sugar in your coffee or tea, it seems appropriate in some ways to celebrate the mini-Easter that is every Sunday (yes, even a Sunday in Lent) by having it then.

We also celebrate feast days during Lent. In recent Lents, St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), St. Joseph’s Day (March 19), and the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25). We especially celebrate St. Joseph’s day, as we have two in our house (and both granddads were Joseph), with homemade savoiardi and usually a special dinner. To me, they are not just a little “break” during Lent, but a way to really celebrate those important holidays in the liturgical year.

And I know we weren’t alone last March 13, right in the middle of Lent 2013, when we heard “Habemus Papam” and Pope Francis became our pope? We had beef and red wine and chocolate that night, even if they weren’t Argentinian, and I hope you did too.

But when it comes down to the end of the day, Sundays definitely “count” because they are the most important day of the week!

So what about you? At your house, do Sundays “count” during Lent, or do you celebrate a little? How is your Lent going this year?

“Exorcism” Book a Powerful and Well-Reasoned Read on Why We Should Choose Good Over Evil

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This is my column that appears in this week’s print edition of The Catholic Post.

When I mentioned to my editor, Jen, that I was considering reviewing a book on exorcism, she said it would be timely because there’s a related new film out. It’s called “The Pope’s Exorcist,” and the movie is (very) loosely based on the life of exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist of Rome for many years before his death in 2016.

I say loosely because after watching the preview online (a mistake, but I’ll get to that later), I immediately thought about a line from Fr. Vincent Lampert’s recent book Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons:

“(Exorcisms) are never performed in an abandoned house, on a dead-end street, at midnight, during a thunderstorm. That might make for a good movie, but it is not reality.”

After watching the preview, it’s clear that “The Pope’s Exorcist” doesn’t line up with reality. And since I’m not a fan of horror films, that movie is a hard pass from me.

Why I Did End Up Reviewing a Book About Exorcism

But why would I be interested in, or want to review, a book about exorcism? Two reasons:

*First, I heard a podcast interview recently with Fr. Lampert, the author of Exorcism, and I found him sensible, restrained, and well-spoken, infused with a good sense of humor. That last quality is a surprisingly helpful and good quality in an exorcist, especially one who has written a book about his experiences.

*Second, because of the classic C.S. Lewis quote from the preface to The Screwtape Letters, his book imagining letters between demons on how to tempt humans:

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Exorcism: The Battle Against Satan and His Demons tells the story of how Fr. Lampert became an exorcist for the diocese of Indianapolis, how he was trained, and all about exorcisms, the presence of evil and how to avoid it.

If you’re wondering— yes, Fr. Lampert does share some of the chilling and appalling encounters he has experienced during exorcisms. But the book’s strengths lie in educating readers —ultimately — how to have a healthy, well-integrated spirituality that neither ignores the reality of evil, nor over-emphasizes it.

Why Faith is So Important

“The key ingredient in defeating the devil is faith,” Fr. Lampert writes.

One of the most intriguing chapters was “Practical Insights from the Gospel of Mark”; Fr. Lampert details four exorcisms in Mark’s Gospel, and the spiritual insights we can glean from them.

Other chapters of the book explain the rite of exorcism, the different ways the devil inserts himself into our world, but throughout, explaining how God desires what’s best for us, and the devil wants us to be as miserable as he is.

“God wants a sense of cohesion and unity in his creation. The devil just wants a bunch of broken pieces,” says Lampert.

For those interested in modern spiritual reading that is both informative and thoughtful, Fr. Lampert’s book is an absorbing and reassuring read.

“Saints Around the World” is a Welcome Gift for Both Children and Parents

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This is my column that appears in this week’s print edition of The Catholic Post.

When my now almost-grown kids were very young, we had a saints book written for children. Let’s just say it wasn’t a smashing success.

You see, I starting reading to them one saint every bedtime so the kids could learn about the women and men who lived lives of virtue and heroism. Edifying and inspiring? Not so much.

Unfortunately, many of the stories were written in an appalling way, describing in frightening detail their martyrdoms or terrible sufferings endured for Christ. Though it was written for a younger audience, the actual result was scared kids and a flummoxed mom.

Isn’t it good to introduce our kids to the saints? It’s good for our kids to know that you can be heroic?

But I knew something was wrong about how the content was conveyed, not the content itself.

I learned two lessons from this:

  1. Don’t read saint books at bedtime.
  2. Go carefully when you introduce children to tough topics.

Over the years, I learned to “rephrase” some of the saint stories—never at bedtime, mind you—so that I could share the truth of the saints’ heroism, while preserving youthful imagination. I wasn’t trying to “water it down,” but I wanted to communicate the lives of the saints in a way that young minds could absorb. Sometimes I did this well, and sometimes I fell short, but I did try.

That’s why I’m thrilled there is a saints book written in way that respects children, but is profound enough for adults to enjoy and pray with.

Saints Around the World by Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Meg Hunter-Kilmer’s Saints Around the World—charmingly illustrated by Lindsey Sanders—is that book.

Consider this description of St. Jerome, the 4th century monk who translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin, and is also known for his strong temper.

“But he never stopped losing his temper. And he never stopped repenting and trying to be better. That’s what makes a Saint, after all; not that you never mess up, but that you always seek forgiveness. And Jerome was always asking for forgiveness. He wanted to be holy, he really did. It was just so hard.”

Or ponder the gentle guidance Hunter-Kilmer gives after sharing that St. Germaine Cousin, a 16th century French girl, was treated harshly by her stepmother:

“I hope that if someone is treating you very badly, you will tell a grown-up. And if that grown-up doesn’t fix the problem, I hope you will tell another grown-up and another and another until somebody helps you. God doesn’t want you to be treated badly, he wants you to be loved and cherished.”

Hunter-Kilmer will be familiar to many Catholics online: she is a self-described “hobo” for Christ’s kingdom, who travels the world sharing her love of Jesus and the Catholic faith, armed with two theology degrees and a rare gift for speaking and connecting with her audiences.

Saints Around the World is Hunter-Kilmer’s first book, and her writing style is just like she talks: approachable, enjoyable, and on fire with the Faith.

The front of the book features a map dotted with all the saints’ locations on a watercolor world map, overlaid with the Scripture from Isaiah: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Each spread features on the left-hand side a saint story written by Hunter-Kilmer, and on the right-hand side an illustration by Lindsey Sanders.

Sanders’ illustrations are beautifully crafted and rich with imagery of the saints lives, what they loved, and by what they were known.

The icon-illustration of newly beatified teenager Blessed Carlos Acutis is almost crammed with things he loved, from skis, to the Eucharist in a monstrance, to his laptop and Playstation.

Each saint illustration contains a caption explaining the image. For instance, the illustration of Blessed Benedict Dawsa’ (a 20th century South African father of eight children, educator, and martyr) includes him wearing dress work clothes, holding a soccer ball in one hand and one of his children in the other. The caption tells readers that he “is wearing a tie, which he called ‘the rope of honor’ and required of all male teachers.”

This treasure of a resource includes 100 saints and blessed, with a diversity of time, geography, situation, and more.

The message of Saints Around the World? Anyone can be a saint, and everyone has friends and intercessors in the saints.

What a gift this book is—not just to parents & children, but to people in every walk of life.

The Essential Things: “Through the Year with Jesus” Offers Lovely, Useful Resource to Growth Faith & Community

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Following is my book review column that appears in the current print edition of The Catholic Post. I welcome your comments!

Basics or Essential?

I wanted to write that Katherine Bogner’s new book is a “back to basics” approach to living out the Catholic faith, using liturgical seasons and weekly Gospel Readings as framework.


But that would underestimate the rich and multilayered resource that Bogner, a local teacher with a global reach online, has created in Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Reflections and Readings.

“Essentials” might be a better term.

Katherine (Katie) Bogner is a multi-talented creative—she’s an artist, writer (she is a fellow member of The Catholic Post book review team), and religious catechist.

Locally, she serves as Junior High Faith Teacher at St. Philomena Parish in Peoria. But some may not know that Bogner is widely known and esteemed far beyond central Illinois.

That is because Bogner has spent the last decade creating excellent art, content, and ideas to countless teachers, catechists, and families (worldwide! that is not an exaggeration) at her website Look to Him and Be Radiant. Bogner also has a popular Instagram account (@katherine.bogner), sharing these web resources and her art.

Because of her wide influence and reach online, Emmaus Road Publishing editors reached out to Bogner to consider writing a book. Through the Year with Jesus is the fortunate result of this.

Through the Year with Jesus

The book contains seven sections—two for Ordinary time, one for the Sacred Triduum, and four for the remaining liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

Each section includes pages for the holy days and Sundays within that season, including weekly Gospel reflections, and at least one “Visio Divina”—a print of a classic work of sacred heart, along with a description and reflection questions.

Each Gospel reading is followed by several short elements: “Tell the Story”—describing the reading in context and incisive questions; “Live it Out,” with suggestions for incorporating the season into one’s daily life, and a “Lectio Divina” sidebar offering helpful prompts for the ancient practice of reading, meditating, praying and contemplating Scripture.

Visio Divina for Reflection and Prayer

The “Visio Divina” is one of my favorite parts of the book, offering helpful ways to engage with the Scripture art prayerfully.

So, for instance, in the season of Easter, one of the Visio Divina pages is at 17th century painting called “Landscape with Christ and His Disciples on the Road to Emmaus.” After an introduction, one question reads, “Would you want to get to your location quickly and invite Jesus to stay, or would you hope to linger and spend time together on the journey?”

Bogner’s appealing hand lettering and what she calls “liturgical doodles” appear sprinkled throughout the chapter titles, headings, and other places, lending a winsome touch. Readers of her website will be familiar with her distinctive style and appreciate the book’s similar feel.

Not just for families & classrooms

Bogner’s creative work online mainly assists families and fellow catechists and teachers for religious education and formation. But Through the Year with Jesus is even more widely relevant.

Though the book is family- and classroom-friendly, it is not family or classroom exclusive. Groups (such a small Bible study groups), individuals, and couples would also find Through the Year spiritually fruitful.

The book is easy to implement. Simply reading the Gospel, the “Tell the Story” reflection, and the “Live it Out” section, along with the Lectio Divina sidebar (perhaps while contemplating the artwork) itself would be a great preparation for Sunday Mass. Individuals can do this on their own or with a small group; classroom teachers can implement it, and families (and not just of young children, but all ages) would benefit enormously from this.

This kind of multi-faceted resource is especially important when people cannot attend Mass in person, as is common during our current time.

Catholics can derive spiritual benefit from developing the practice of reading and reflecting on the Gospel and readings ahead of Sunday’s Mass. Through the Year with Jesus makes it enjoyable, comprehensive without being overwhelming.

What’s great? The book is not pegged to a particular calendar year or cycle, so is flexible enough to allow readers to engage with it as much or as little as time allows, year after year.

Bogner’s book is a beautiful gift to everyone!

“Humility Rules” Offers Timeless, Convivial Advice

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The members of my family, God bless them, have to put up with me sharing so many personal development tips, tricks, and hacks. 

I really, truly enjoy books, articles, and podcasts about ways to improve one’s time management, relationships, energy levels, and much more. If you’re a person like me, you know what I mean, and how much you love to share what you are learning.

But depending on the source, there is something missing from “self-improvement” references, and I try to incorporate Catholic belief and practice into these often helpful guides. (That is why a book like The Mindful Catholic is especially helpful, integrating our Catholic faith & practice with evidence-based information about the benefits of mindfulness, because God made us that way).

A recent book that also integrates these themes well is the engaging and well-written Humility Rules: Saint Benedict’s Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem, by J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B. 

Fr. Wetta, a Benedictine monk of St. Louis Abbey in St. Louis, is a longtime writer and teacher.

Self-improvement gurus might recoil at the word “humility” in the title, but rightly understood, it is the key to holiness and happiness. 

As Fr. Wetta writes, humility is:

 “not focused on the self at all, but on how to relate to one another and to God in light of our strengths and weaknesses… (S)such clarity of vision begins to develop only when you take the focus off yourself and devote yourself body and soul to a higher purpose. … Genuine self-esteem is a form of holiness.”

Humility Rules is a modern take on The Rule of Saint Benedict, the famous sixth-century plan of life for monks. Since that time, countless religious communities have used The Rule as a basis for their communal life. Even families and small groups use The Rule to help organize their life along Christian and practical human principles. 

At first glance, Humility Rules seems to be the antithesis of the self-improvement or personal development genre. 

Indeed, Fr. Wetta’s modern “description of Saint Benedict’s “Ladder of Humility” begins with rules that are the opposite of the typical, Disney-movie type advice. For example, Step 2 is “Self-Denial,” and its description is “Don’t be true to yourself.” And Step 3, “Obedience,” is “Don’t follow your dreams.”

But that’s what makes “Humility Rules” so refreshing and versatile: a keen sense that what is most important in “personal improvement” is not one’s self, but a dependence on God, healthy awareness of our own shortcomings, a willingness to keep trying; and optimism and confidence in that knowledge.

“Humility Rules” structures itself around Saint Benedict’s “Ladder of Humility,” (a chapter within “The Rule”) twelve virtues that help promote holiness and flourishing.

Each chapter of the book covers a virtue, with an introduction, and stories and thoughts about the virtue in thought, word, and deed.

Fr. Wetta’s style is conversational and accessible without being too simplistic, likely because of his work as a high school teacher and coach. 

This highly readable quality makes the book ideal for young people; or— let’s be honest—for many of the rest of us who wish for more manageable reading during these Covid days when attention spans have been shortened.  

In the section, “Fear of God”: 

“So yes, it’s better to love God; but when you are not feeling the love, at least try to feel the fear.. .. it’s not the ideal, but it’s a start.”

Prudence: 

“A prudent person knows when to keep an open mind, and when to close it.”

Silence: 

“When you meet a wise person, listen to him and you will learn wisdom; when you meet a foolish person, listen to him and you will learn patience; when you are alone, listen to God, and you will learn everything else.”

Each chapter section ends with “homework.” So, for instance, in “Fear of God in Deed” the homework reads: “Secretly do someone else’s chores.” In “Perseverance in Thought,” — “Spend the whole day without correcting anyone.”  The homework offers great small, manageable ideas.

In an unusual feature, Humility Rules includes charming illustrations. 

Every few pages contains an illustration, either a painting or icon, with a subtle something extra added—-something you might not even notice. For instance, on the front cover, Saint Benedict is holding a skateboard. In a portion of an illustrated manuscript, a monk is shown speaking on a cellphone. In another illustration, monks ride a rollercoaster, in a mash-up of a photo and artwork. And the artwork was created by the author using works from museums & churches around the world. (The cover image was created by the author’s mother, a well-known painter).

There are so many good, quotable sentences and passages in Humility Rules. Readers who delve into the book will encounter many of those.  Here is one from the section “Reverence,” an appropriate “last word” in these strange times:  

“Let the name of Jesus be that silver bell for you—a reminder of who you are, where you stand, and what you stand for. Then, in the midst of all the chaos of life, when you start to feel lost, just whisper that name, and it will bring you back to yourself.”

Extraordinary Times Call for Extraordinary Calm

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Following is my column that appears in the current print edition of The Catholic Post.

Years ago, in a column here, I told the story I love about St. Charles Borremeo, the16th century saint and archbishop.

The story goes that he was playing cards with two priest friends. Someone near them asked what they would do if they knew the end of the world were to happen within an hour.

One priest said, “I would run to Church to be with our Lord.” The other priest said, “I would call upon the name of the Lord.”

St. Charles Borromeo said, “I would finish this game of cards.”

A few years ago, thinking of that was a nice reminder that if one’s life is well-ordered, whatever we are doing at the moment can be the right thing.

But thinking of that story during our extraordinary times is another thing.

Right now we see our world—not end, perhaps, but change in dramatic and enduring ways.

It is normal and even healthy to have genuine worries and concerns about what the coronavirus means for our families, our health care system and our world in the coming weeks and months.

But at the same time, we all would do well to pray (on repeat) the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

How do we achieve—or renew—that serenity? Many saints and other holy people struggled with distractions (think St. Therese of Lisieux) or “wandering of the mind” (St. Teresa of Avila), so those of us who do so as well are in good company.

We are fortunate that in our Catholic faith offers so many opportunities to reflect on beautiful things, from mysteries of the Rosary to Scripture to holy art. But what is a way to improve our attention to the present moment so we can focus on those?

A new book, The Mindful Catholic: Finding God One Moment at a Time, (and a companion children’s picture book) used evidence-based research to improve mindfulness and attention for the reader, from a Catholic perspective.

“The Mindful Catholic,” written by Dr. Gregory Bottaro, a clinical psychologist and director of the Catholic Psych Institute, is a helpful resource that demonstrates how mindfulness practiced from a Catholic perspective can be spiritually and psychologically fruitful. That is especially helpful in these unprecedented times.

“(M)indfulness does not mean turning off the thoughts in your mind, but using them a a door to greater awareness of yourself.”

-Dr. Gregory Bottaro, The Mindful Catholic

This quote shows one of the ways that Catholic mindfulness is vastly different from Eastern-based forms of meditation. The latter often instructs people to “empty” their minds. As Catholics, “we want to fill our minds with reality,” says Bottaro.

Practicing mindfulness is what actually changes a person’s brain, so the book offers exercises at the end of each chapter for readers to use to exercises and meditations.

Practicing mindfulness is what actually changes a person’s brain, so the book offers exercises at the end of each chapter for readers to use to exercises and meditations.

Surely I am not the only person whose mind wanders during a Rosary, Mass, or another prayer. Rather than getting frustrated with this wandering or “autopilot” mode, mindfulness allows for awareness of this, and tips to practice mindfulness.

Dr. Bottaro explains often that acceptance is key to encountering mindfulness—not fighting against our thoughts but having curiosity, and gently turning our thoughts back to what we intend, such as prayers that we are.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church even addresses distraction in prayer and how that “turning back” is a key part of prayer:

“The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. It can affect words and their meaning in vocal prayer; it can concern, more profoundly, him to whom we are praying, in vocal prayer (liturgical or personal), meditation, and contemplative prayer. To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart.”

–Catechism of the Catholic Church 2729

The Mindful Catholic is full of research and other information about why mindfulness—“paying attention the present moment, without judgment or criticism” is so healthy for humans, and how God made us this way. Bottaro also offers exercises to practice every day to increase a readers ability in this area.

One phrase Dr. Bottaro repeats often and encourages readers to adopt, is “Ever-present God, here with me now, help me to be here with you.”

I have found both the written book and the audio book very helpful in different aspects of practicing mindfulness, and being aware of my thoughts without fighting them, as well as staying in the present moment.

Peter Kreeft, the prolific Catholic author and philosophy professor at Boston College, wrote the foreward. In his characteristic sensible style, he endorses the book as a way to help focus on prayer. “You can’t focus on God if you can’t focus,” Kreeft writes, and he is right.

The Mindful Catholic also includes two appendices—one an exploration of how mindfulness is eminently consistent with our Catholic faith & practice, of a Novena of Surrender to the Will of God.

There is also a companion book for children. It’s called, Sitting Like a Saint: Catholic Mindfulness with Kids, and Bottaro and his wife Linda—also a psychologist— co-authored this work. The book explores mindfulness helps kids to be calm even in the midst of chaos.

What I love best about this book is it really provides easy, bite-sized meditations for families to read through and pray to help calm and . Even though we do not have any little kids any more, both teens and adults at our house have found these brief reflections both calming and meditative as a precursor to prayer, or just to be a calming interlude in our day.