"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:19 - 20
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2013 - Christian Book Review Inserts
Worthy is the Lamb: The Biblical Roots of the Mass – Thomas J. Nash
Original publication year: 2004
Pages: approx. 248
Common objections to the Catholic Mass are that it is outdated, ritualistic and unbiblical. What Nash shows in this scholarly yet readable work is that the Sacrifice of the Mass is always current, exciting and the most biblical practice a Christian can participate in. Not only does Nash show the reasonability of the Mass, but also the certainty of the culmination of this celebration, which is Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist. The most interesting piece of this work is how Nash bridges the gap between the Old and New Testaments, showing how essential the Old is in prefiguring the New and how the New completes the Old. This book will not only help you better appreciate the Mass, but the Bible, from which our heavenly Mass is based.
Some memorable quotes from Worthy is the Lamb:
“Lambs usually follow. But the biblical story of the Mass is all about following the sacrificial lamb, from Abel’s worthy offering…to the One who laid down his life for the world.”
“We need to learn the biblical story of the Mass, but, most importantly, we need to live it.”
“The Mass is a miraculous event in which heaven and earth intersect.”
Peace of Soul – Venerable Bishop Fulton J. Sheen
Original publication year: 1949
Pages: approx. 264
Though better known for his television and radio programs, Bishop Sheen was also a prolific social and spiritual writer. Expounding on the most prominent themes of his ministry, the “peace of soul,” Sheen explains in an understandable way, why our souls are not at peace, why nothing of this world can bring peace and, most importantly, where one can find true peace of soul. While Sheen was well-educated in the areas of philosophy, psychology and literature, he was first and foremost a teacher. He wrote in a manner that would best teach. This book is a prime example that we have much to learn.
Some memorable quotes from Peace of Soul:
“Unless souls are saved, nothing is saved; there can be no world peace unless there is soul peace.”
“Hospitals are built because men have sick bodies, and the Church builds confessional boxes because they also have sick souls.”
“When we die to something, something comes alive within us. If we die to self, charity comes alive.”
The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei) - Pope Francis
Original publication year: 2013
Pages: approx. 90
In the first encyclical of his pontificate, Pope Francis begins by expounding on the foundational virtue of faith. Francis writes specifically on the light of clear thinking that faith brings if we persevere in it. Using the Old and New Testaments, he gives concrete examples, from Abraham to Our Blessed Mother, of those who first believed then understood. This book is a perfect introduction to the thinking of our new pope on a perpetually important issue and acts as spiritual fuel as we run the race of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Some memorable quotes from Lumen Fidei:
"The Church is a Mother who teaches us to speak the language of faith."
"Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey."
This document is available for free at:
The Catholic Perspective on Paul – Taylor Marshall, Ph. D.
Original publication year: 2010
Pages: approx. 270
Other than Christ Himself, no one in Christian history appears more divisive than this Pharisee turned Apostle, responsible for much of the New Testament. Many words of St. Paul are used as the basis for non-Catholic Christian traditions, and it is for this reason that one must properly understand the ideas that helped provide the Church with the very basis for the priesthood and the Sacraments, as well as support for the doctrine of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. It is when one has this proper understanding of this great Saint that one realizes his role in the unification of Christians as he sought to bring all into the Church, the “body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27). Rest assured, St. Paul was indeed Catholic in his beliefs and this book explains exactly how.
Some memorable quotes from The Catholic Perspective on Paul:
“This book presents…not a new perspective on Paul. In fact, it’s the oldest perspective on Paul – a perspective that is almost two thousand years old.”
“While salvation is a gift, it requires our effort. If you receive the gift of a bicycle, it is worthless until you actually get on the bike and start peddling.”
“If Paul were alive today and the Christian husband should ask the Apostle for a job description of husbandry, the Apostle might merely hand a crucifix to him and say, ‘Study this.’”
Why Do Catholics Do That? – Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph. D
Original publication year: 1995
Pages: approx. 304
As Catholics there are many aspects of our Faith that we may not immediately understand. There are so many parts to the Catholic faith that it takes a lifetime to learn, understand and appreciate them all. In this book, nearly every question specific to the Catholic faith is answered. It assumes issues like God's Existence of the Divinity of Jesus because the intended audience is practicing, maturing Catholics and other curious Christians. This book answers questions pertaining to things unique to Catholicism like, “Why is the Catholic Bible different from other Christian Bibles?” and “Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory?”, that many non-Catholics and non-Christians take issue with the Faith.
Some memorable quotes from Why Do Catholics Do That?
“Remember, the Church doesn't teach something because it's in the Bible, it's in the Bible because the Church has always taught it.”
“[…] the Church doesn't stand between Tradition and the rest of the human race like a filter, letting only some of Christ's teachings through. She works more like a lens, focusing here or there as needed, to illuminate shadows wherever they fall.”
“Tradition is the teachings of Christ that you stubbornly stick to, no matter what anybody says.”
Confessions – St. Augustine
Original Publication Year: 398
Pages: approx. 352
In his most well-known and influential work, St. Augustine “confesses” the part of his life where he tried to run away from God. He also gives his conversion through the grace of God. Here you can see the progress of a very holy and intelligent person who follows the path from sin to salvation through Jesus.
Some memorable quotes from Confessions are:
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”
“I was born into this life which leads to death—or should I say, this death which leads to life?”
“But my sin was this, that I looked for pleasure, beauty, and truth not in him but in myself and his other creatures, and the search led me instead to pain, confusion, and error.”
The Story of a Soul – St. Therese of Lisieux
Original publication date: 1898
Pages: approx. 306
Here, the reader is taken through the spiritual life of one of today’s most popular Saints, “The Little Flower,” Therese of Lisieux. This diary, a spiritual classic, was not originally made for the public but was published after the Saint’s death. It was here that the Church was enlightened to many of St. Therese’s spiritual discoveries, those that later promoted her to a great teacher of the Church. This book is also where millions of Catholics were introduced to the “little way” that Therese took to Sainthood.
Some memorable quotes from Story of a Soul:
“Our Lord's love makes itself seen quite as much in the simplest of souls as in the most highly gifted, as long as there is no resistance offered to his grace"
“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.”
“In heaven God will give His chosen their fitting glory and that the last will have no reason to envy the first.”
Why is that in Tradition? – Patrick Madrid
Original Publication Year: 2002
Pages: approx. 222
Perhaps one of the most challenging questions posed to Catholics by non-Catholics is why the Catholic Church adheres to Tradition. What Madrid shows in this book is the important difference between “tradition” and “Tradition”, that not all Tradition is bad or wrong, and that these Traditions were practiced by Christians in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, all the way through the 21st Century. This book provides a comprehensive set of quotations by Catholic Christians through the ages that display their adherence to many of the contested Traditions of today like the Pope, Purgatory and the Sacraments.
Some memorable quotes from Why is that in Tradition?
“Praising the beauty of God’s creations is another form of rendering praise to God himself. It never competes with our worship of God alone. Rather, it completes it.”
“We must accept Sacred Scripture on God’s terms, not our terms.”
“[…] Sacred Tradition is simply the ongoing lived interpretation of God’s Word […]"
True Devotion to Mary – St. Louis de Montfort
Original Publication Year: 1863
Pages: approx. 328
The motto of Blessed Pope John Paul II was “Totus Tuus,” meaning “Totally Yours,” referring to his personal consecration to Jesus through Mary. This derives from the spiritual classic, True Devotion to Mary, which sought to instill personal devotion to the Blessed Mother. True Devotion has inspired countless Saints, including Maximilian Kolbe and John Paul II, and has borne spiritual fruit the world over. Like any great Catholic book on devotion or theology, True Devotion is steeped in the Bible as well as the rich Tradition of the Church. If you want to increase your love for Mary, increasing your love for her Son, consider True Devotion to Mary.
Some memorable quotes from True Devotion to Mary:
“If we do not risk anything for God, we will never do anything great for Him.”
“[Mary] is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God. If you say ‘Mary,’ she says ‘God’.”
“If you put all the love of all the mothers into one heart it still would not equal the love of the Heart of Mary for her children."
Faith of Our Fathers: Being a Plain Exposition and Vindication of the Church Founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ – James Cardinal Gibbons
Original publication year: 1917
Pages: approx. 390
Drawing from his extensive knowledge of the Scriptures and the writings of early Christians, Cardinal Gibbons gives one of the best defenses of the Catholic faith from an historical perspective ever written. Ranging from our belief of Purgatory to the Pope, Gibbons first gives the biblical basis for every belief and then substantiates that belief with writings of the first Christians, showing that the Catholic Church has always believed what it does. If one wants a comprehensive guide to defend the faith, this is it.
*This book is also available for free in digital format on Amazon.com.
Some memorable quotes from Faith of Our Fathers:
“Our Divine Savior never speaks of His Churches, but of His Church.”
“The Church, in fine, is called in Scripture by the beautiful title of bride or spouse of Christ, and the Christian law admits only of one wife.”
“Let the Popes leave Rome forever and in five years grass will be growing on its streets."
The Reed of God – Caryll Houselander
Original publication year: 1944
Pages: approx. 128
Considered by many a modern classic in Marian spirituality, The Reed of God reflects on the events and words of Our Lady from the Bible and relates them to the redemptive actions of Christ. It also relates to each of us in explaining how we are to see Mary: the Mother of God and our Mother. The Reed of God artfully parallels the words of Mary to the words of Jesus, emphasizing the Catholic belief that Mary is the perfect reflection of Jesus. The most profound theme in this book is the role Our Lady had in physically bringing Christ to the world, and how we are to spiritually emulate her in everything we do. If one wants a short, readable book to grow in the Catholic Church’s beautiful Marian devotion, The Reed of God could not be more highly recommended.
Some memorable quotes from The Reed of God:
“…it is Our Lady – and no other saint – whom we can really imitate…She is not only human; she is humanity.”
“Yet it is really through ordinary human life and the things of every hour of every day that union with God comes about.”
“Devotion to Our Lady is the treasure of the Catholic Church. If proof were wanting that she is Christ’s church, none could be surer than this.”
Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith – Fr. Robert Barron
Original Publication Year: 2011
Pages: approx. 279
Written with his documentary series on the Catholic faith, Fr. Robert Barron provides much of the same information in a written format. Fr. Barron writes clearly from a wide variety of religious and non-religious sources. This book is able to take very abstract religious ideas and make them concrete to the reader, making theology understandable to everyone. This is an extremely helpful resource and will give one an even more comprehensive look at Catholicism.
Some memorable quotes from Catholicism:
“Part of the genius of the Catholic tradition is that it never throws anything out.”
“On that cross, God went to the limits of godforsakeness and made even death itself a place of hope.”
“[…] think of God as an absolutely intense white light that, when refracted in creation, expresses itself in an infinite variety of colors. The saints reflect particular colors […]”
Led by Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide – Immaculée Ilibagiza
Original publication year: 2008
Pages: approx. 205
Immaculée’s first book, Left to Tell, tells of her experience in hiding during the Rwandan Genocide that took her entire family. Led by Faith acts as a sequel, following Immaculée’s experiences after surviving. Readers are taken through her work at the United Nations, her marriage, her move to America and finally her work on Left to Tell. This memoir is highlighted by her ongoing struggle of reconciliation, first with those responsible for the murder of her family, and more importantly, with God and herself. This culminates in her ability, by the grace of God, to do both.
Some memorable quotes from Led by Faith:
“Our relationship with the Lord is the most glorious love affair we will ever experience, but like all relationships, it demands nurturing.”
“Although I had believed in God and had been to praying to Him…I had never felt His power in me more than at the moment when my heart learned to forgive.”
“God does work in mysterious ways…but sometimes He makes things pretty obvious.”
“Happiness is like a weed – with a little light, it will grow anywhere.”
Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) – Blessed Pope John Paul II
Original Publication Year: 1995
Pages: approx. 176
The Gospel of Life was written in response to the growing problems related to what John Paul II calls the “culture of death”. Here, he states the Catholic Church’s position on modern issues regarding life while providing reasons from the Bible and other Church sources. John Paul II seamlessly weaves his own extensive knowledge of morality with the Sacred Scriptures, especially verses pertaining to the sanctity of human life. Here is one of the most eloquent writings by one of the most influential people of the 20th century.
Some memorable quotes from The Gospel of Life:
“True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing another’s pain”
“It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable right of individuals are founded and from which they develop.”
“The Gospel of Life is for the whole of human society. To be actively pro-life is to contribute to the renewal of society through the promotion of the common good.”
This document is available for free at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae_en.html
Mother Teresa: In My Own Words – Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Original publication year: 1989
Pages: approx. 109
In the past century, we have been given the gift of living during the same time of a Saint, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity. Though she was not a prolific writer, she shared a profound, heartfelt, and truly Christian wisdom with everyone whom she came into contact through her many speeches and interviews. Here is where these pearls have been compiled and organized so that we can better know the love this woman had for Christ and her neighbor, because she saw Christ in her neighbor. In areas ranging from holiness, Mary, suffering, to her trademark message of seeing Christ in the poor, we, in a small way, experience the life that she gave.
Some memorable quotes from In My Own Words:
“I ask you one thing: do not tire of giving but do not give your leftovers. Give until it hurts, until you feel the pain.”
“Good works are links that form a chain of love.”
“The greatest gift we can enjoy is the possibility to share in Christ’s passion.”
"wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
- St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Smyrnaeans
(110 A.D.)