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7 Quick Takes About #2PopeSaints

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1. Did you know there is a hashtag for the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII? It’s #2popesaints.

2. John Paul II was the pope for most of my teen years, and most of my adult life, as well. John Paul II was the first pope I remember being pope, and such vivid memories—when he was elected, when he was shot, how he traveled the world and was so full of life.

As a young adult and beyond, I read his encyclicals, his poetry, and his books. HE’s influenced my life in so many ways. I wrote about the then-upcoming conclave that elected Pope Francis here: and reflected back on when John Paul II died and what we did. I will be getting out that scrapbook again this weekend.

To be honest, I don’t know as much about John XXIII.

I’ve had a post “in draft” for more than a week with books by/about the two popes, and I was feeling bad about not finding tons of books written by/about John XXIII, like there are of JP II. Then I was out to dinner several weeks ago with my husband and a dear friend (a bit older than both of us, who has seen more popes). He pointed out that Pope John XXIII was only pope for five years, contrasted to JPII’s 26 years as Holy Father.

This article from the Knights of Columbus “Columbia” magazine:

“Good Pope John and the Knights” was a helpful introduction to me.

Also: “Jokes, quips, wisecracks-John XXIII lived with a keen sense of humor.”  Sweet.

3.  So, books.

John XXIII is best known, book-wise, for Journal of a Soul: The Autobiography of Pope John XXIII.

This was a very moving and inspiring book.  It’s a collection of a lot of different elements–the bulk is formed of his diaries, arranged chronologically from when he was a seminarian  (for some reason, written as “seminarist” in this book) through when he was Holy Father. Things that impressed me:

*John XXIII’s deep holiness. He’s always reflecting on how to grow in holiness himself, and inspire that in others. His ideas for retreats, outreaches and

*his spiritual testament and will, showing the state of his life and faith towards the end of his life.

*prayers that he wrote for various occasions and various saints. Just one out of many that is impressive and sweet: One written in 1960 to “St. Joseph the Worker.” A lot of the language in it prefigures a major theme of the Vatican II documents: holiness in everyday life.

*in the appendices, a section of “maxims heard or gleaned from various sources” that Pope John XXIII made as a seminarian.  It contains quotes from Scripture, the saints and church documents, all pointing towards  holiness and heaven.  I have been a huge quote fan since I was young–some of my most prized possessions are various quotation books, like a number of Bartlett’s Quotations, that were gifts from my father, also a huge quote lover.  For some time, I’ve had a goal to collect various scraps of things into a commonplace book, or inspire my children to start one of their own.   Reading John XXIII’s selections is giving me a nudge to get that going this year.

4.  Books by John Paul II. So, so many. Just two of my favorites:


This was answering a series of questions put by journalist Vittorio Messori about the Catholic faith, truth in other faiths, and just human life over all.  I love this one; I haven’t read it in years but I’m pulling it off the shelf to read again.

I love the poetry of John Paul II.  I have several versions of his poetry, and I think this book includes most of them. I shared two of his poems  (read them here and here) three years ago when JPII was beatified.

5. Books about John Paul II.  Again, there are so many, but here are three (plus one not quite “out” yet).


George Weigel’s Witness to Hope is the definitive biography of JPII.  It is fantastic, and really a must-read by everyone college age on up. But at more than 1,000 pages, it is a long read.  For those who want a more popular and good introduction to the heroism, holiness and charisma of John Paul II, may I suggest Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Evert.


I really enjoyed this book.  The short biographical chapters remind us just what a remarkable man John Paul II was and why he is “the great,” and it works really well to organize the rest of the book into JPII’s five loves: young people, human love, the Blessed Sacrament, the Virgin Mary, and the Cross.  And this one is just a bit over 200 pages–much more manageable.  I plan to have my kids read this book, and hope that it whets their appetite down the road for tackling Witness to Hope.

Peggy Noonan’s John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father was a gift to me by one of my sisters many years ago, and I must confess I’ve never read it.  Pulling off the shelf to give it a go this summer, perhaps?

This book looks so promising: The Story of Saint John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope by Fabiola Garza. I downloaded this on Kindle because I didn’t think (rightly) that a print review copy would arrive before writing about JPII books.  Regrettably, there are some glitches with the e-version.  You can read and listen to it, but the illustrations aren’t there.  I think it being worked on, and I can’t wait to see a physical copy of this book, and an improved e-version.  I’ll be writing about it once I do.

6. Links about JP II

*21 Awesome Facts about John Paul II.

*Loved this “Letter to Artists” excerpts read by students at John Paul the Great University. “Beauty will save the world.”

7.  Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing–yet again!– John Paul II autotuned.  I just LOVE this one.

Linking up with Jen Fulwiler for 7 Quick Takes.

What books/videos/resources/links can you share about 2popesaints?

Dear Moms, Will You Go to a Movie with Me?

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True confession: I’m not the greatest at self-care.

Like many moms, I tend to take care of everyone else around me before me. The needs/wants/crises of kids, dogs, husband and house can seem so vital, and it’s easy to let those take over the majority of our days.

As I’ve gotten older, and my kids have gotten older, I have gotten better at self-care, but mostly in a solo way. I run, and I make the time to read a lot of books, and I make sure to get my daily quota of chocolate (especially now that Lent is over).

But I’m not very good at self-care of the “getting together with friends” variety.

As I get older, I realize how important that kind of self-care is: being intentional about fostering friendships that nourish us.

Earlier this month, I got the chance to see a screening of “Moms Night Out,” a movie coming out in a few weeks.

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I get invitations to a fair amount of movie screenings, usually family friendly ones, often by faith-based filmmakers. I wrote about “October Baby” here , and I loved that one (coincidentally— or not—“Moms Night Out” is made by the same filmmakers: the Erwin Brothers.) But I haven’t written about very many others.

Sometimes the movie, even if it’s pretty good, doesn’t seem like a good fit for a review here, or I run out of time. Sometimes it wasn’t a good fit for me—I tend not to like violence in films, or too slow-moving films. Sometimes the movie is good but not great, or it’s not very good at all.

“Moms Night Out” is a good, good movie. It’s a super-fun, going out with your friends, laugh-out-loud movie.

It’s not just a fun “faith-based movie”, or a fun “clean movie” It’s a fun movie, period.

If I haven’t convinced you already, I loved “Moms Night Out” so much that I’m not only going to see it again when it comes out on May 9 (Mother’s Day weekend, natch), but I’m organizing a group of moms to go see it.

This movie made me laugh out loud, smile a lot, and even tear up a few times.

(review portions removed until May 2, when I’m allowed to post specifics about the movie. Check back then!)

Some questions for you:

Are you good at self-care or not? What kind are you best at?

What do you plan for Mother’s Day for yourself and your family?

Will you go to Moms Night Out with me?

Here is the trailer, in case you’re not convinced:

Spiritual Combat {Lent Book Series}

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Today the Lent Book Series features Marc Cardaronella. 

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What if I told you that giving up chocolate, or any other food, will not make you truly holy?

I hate to burst your bubble during Lent, but I thought you needed to know.

Of course, fasting and abstinence are part of our Lenten disciplines, and bodily mortifications will always be an important part of Catholic spirituality.

However, according to Fr. Lorenzo Scupoli, focusing solely on fasting and other external sufferings and deprivations will not get you where you want to be. They might even do more harm than good.

So where does real Christian perfection lie and how to you obtain it? That is the subject of Fr. Scupoli’s book, Spiritual Combat: How to Win your Spiritual Battles and Attain Inner Peace. Fr. Scupoli was a Theatine priest during the Counter-Reformation dedicated to renewing the spiritual life of the Church.

Spiritual Combat was very well-known and recognized during this time as a masterpiece of spiritual teaching. It was a favorite of St. Francis de Sales and deeply influenced him. He carried this book in his pocket for 18 years.

The term spiritual combat or spiritual warfare commonly refers to fighting against Satan and/or his demons. You may have heard of deliverance prayers or casting out spirits of oppression in the name of Jesus. In this book, it’s a little bit different. Here the combat is not directly against Satan, but against yourself.

Because of the Fall, we are full of disordered passions and desires. These can lead us astray in so many ways, it’s hard to count. God’s love calls to us. It’s engraved in our hearts, but our hearts are confused. So we have to attack and destroy these wayward desires in order to follow God in truth.

To this end here are the four weapons you need to become a victor in the spiritual conflict. An explanation of these four weapons makes up the major sections of Spiritual Combat.

1. Distrust of Self

Distrust of self is the foundational element in spiritual combat. Without it, you don’t have a chance.

We really don’t have any strength on our own, and yet we convince ourselves that we are completely self-sufficient. We mistakenly think we can take care of any problem on our own. This is a bad idea.

God wants us to see that:

“He alone is the Source of all good, that all virtue and grace descend from Him to us, and that from ourselves nothing can come, not even a good thought that would be worthy of His approval” (p. 13).

 2. Trust in God

Distrust is essential, but it’s not enough.

“There is need to add to it perfect trust in God, in the hope and expectation that He alone will vouchsafe to us every good thing we need: His help and the victory…with the help of our Lord, we may be assured of success at all times, provided that, to obtain His aid, we arm our hearts with a lively confidence in Him” (p. 19).

 3. Spiritual Exercises

This is the largest section of the book. It provides very practical ways to guard your heart, have the right motivation, overcome and resist temptation, turn to God after you sin, and strive for virtue.

 4. Prayer

The final section on prayer discusses the habits necessary to enact all the previous weapons. It’s the glue that holds them together and makes them effective.

“Needful above all is prayer…by means of which we may obtain from our Lord, not only the things already named, but all other good things. For prayer is the means by which we obtain all the graces that rain down upon us from the Divine Fountain of goodness and love. By prayer, if you use it aright, you will put a sword into the hand of God, with which He will fight and conquer for you” (p. 121).

Spiritual Combat is a great exposition of the traditional spirituality of the Church. This is the way Saints are made. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s practical and effective. It’s a serious manual for those who want a powerful spirituality to overcome their temptations and sins.

Consider taking up the challenge and reading this book for Lent. It will open your eyes to the truth of the war going on inside your heart, and give you real tools to win the fight.

I guarantee you’ll never see yourself the same and never simply give up chocolate for Lent again.

Marc Cardaronella is a Catholic writer and speaker living in Champaign, IL. A former Navy pilot, he gave up the fast life for a more rewarding career as a Director of Religious Education. He is currently the father of two young boys and writes about why people believe in Jesus Christ (and why they don’t) on his personal blog. Follow him on Twitter –@MCardaronella and Google+.

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*Marc and I have known each other since both he and my husband Joseph  were both speakers at a local evangelization conference many years ago (the mid to late aughts?).  There was a dinner at a great Italian restaurant (sadly, no longer there) the night before for speakers and spouses. Joseph & I sat with Marc & his lovely wife Shannon. That night, Marc  and Shannon introduced us to the fun and relatively new app called Shazam.  I’m sure you all know about Shazam, but if you don’t go download it–our family uses it all the time to find out what song is playing on the radio.

*Shannon Cardaronella was one of the first “Readers” I featured when I began my column and the “Meet a Reader” feature for The Catholic Post. Reading through this again reminded me how much Shannon and I are  kindred spirits when it comes to books–now I need to find out if she is on GoodReads so we can compare books.

*I had to laugh when I read the first line of Marc’s contribution here–“What if I told you that giving up chocolate, or any other food, will not make you truly holy?”– since I am firmly in the camp of “I.must.give.up.chocolate.for.Lent.” One of the few comments I’ve left on Marc’s blog (though I’m an avid reader) was about that very subject, and how I don’t agree with his view.   I know what people like Marc mean when they say Lent is not just about giving up chocolate, but I personally feel it important to sacrifice for many reasons. Chiefly, I need something tangible that I love to give up and complain about during Lent, in a funny way, that doesn’t make other people miserable (like the year when I gave up caffeine–don’t ask). Yes, I can and do give up or have other spiritual practices no one knows about.  But giving up chocolate is my right as a Catholic and I’m not surrendering it.

*Lest you think I’m negating Marc’s review of Spiritual Combat, know that I’m not.  One of the best and worst things about doing this Lent Book Series is getting to learn about a lot of new or new-to-me  books that are then added to my impossibly long to-read list.  Usually each month I request one or two of the books that each “Meet a Reader” discusses, but Lent for me has been like a six-week long “Meet a Reader” with so many great books to explore.  It’s a bit overwhelming, in a good way.  Spiritual Combat is near the top of the list.

Do you have a favorite book so far in the Lent Book Series?

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.”

Meet a Reader: Father Charles Klamut

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Sharing the “Meet a Reader” feature that appears on the book page of The Catholic Post every other issue.

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How you know me: I have served as a priest in the diocese since 1999, primarily in Peoria (St Philomena, Peoria Notre Dame, and St Mark’s) and, most recently, in Champaign as chaplain at St John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois. I also write songs and release music CDs occasionally, and I recently started a website/blog called Pastoral Quotient.

Why I love reading: It’s been said that who we are in ten years depends on two things: the people we spend most time with, and the books we read. I strongly believe this!

The mind is like a field: we can let it grow wild, or we can intentionally cultivate it. One way or other, it will put forth. So why not be intentional? Proverbs 24:6 says wise guidance leads to success in battle; and through an abundance of counselors, there is victory.

Reading lets me tap the wisdom of many counselors, most of whom I will meet only through their ideas. Reading is an antidote preventing me from being a lame priest, always a fear of mine (prayer and friendship are two other antidotes). The people of God deserve thoughtful and wise shepherds, and intentional, consistent reading keeps me growing toward this goal. And growing makes me happy! Good reading enhances my pastoral intelligence and makes me a better priest, so I can serve people better.

What I’m reading now: I just finished Unlocking the Heart of the Artist
by Matt Tommey, a Christian artist from North Carolina who is part of a Christian artists’ guild. The book is a beautiful meditation on the spirituality of artists in God’s Kingdom.

I also recently read Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink, a remarkable author who combines extensive research with journalistic readability in his books on many topics of contemporary cultural concern. Drive discusses the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation — and why the latter is proving more and more to be the superior “operating system” for human motivation in business and in education in today’s creativity and knowledge economy. I think the book has profound implications for pastoral ministry as well, which I am thinking through.

I am currently reading Boundaries for Leaders: Results, Relationships, and Being Ridiculously in Charge by Dr Henry Cloud, a neuro-psychologist and high-level professional business consultant. Dr Cloud helps leaders lead more effectively by understanding how to steward the emotional climate of an organization in positive ways that actually honor the God-given ways people’s brains were meant to perform.

Next in my queue: A book on Flannery O’Connor’s spiritual journey by Lorraine Murray, which was given to me as a gift recently by the author herself after I collaborated with her husband, Jef Murray, at a recent Tolkien conference at Urbana Theological Seminary. On my website, I have a “Resources” page sharing a lot more detail about books and podcasts that have helped me.

My favorite book: The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. People make fun of me because I talk about Tolkien so much! I taught a class at Peoria Notre Dame for almost a decade on LOTR, which was some of the greatest fun I’ve had in all my priesthood. I have actually written a book on the Catholic themes in Tolkien which is currently under consideration for publication.

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.