Catholicism- Robert Barron

About the book-
“What I propose to do in this book is to take you on a guided exploration of the Catholic world, but not in the manner of a docent, for I am not interested in showing you the artifacts of Catholicism as though they were dusty objets d’art in a museum of culture.  I want to function rather as a mystagogue, conducting you ever deeper into the mystery of the incarnation in the hopes that you might be transformed by its power.” –Father Robert Barron

What is Catholicism? A 2,000 living tradition? A worldview? A way of life? A relationship? A mystery? In Catholicism Father Robert Barron examines all these questions and more, seeking to capture the body, heart and mind of the Catholic faith.

Starting from the essential foundation of Jesus Christ’s incarnation, life, and teaching, Father Barron moves through the defining elements of Catholicism – from sacraments, worship, and prayer, to Mary, the Apostles, and Saints, to grace, salvation, heaven, and hell – using his distinct and dynamic grasp of art, literature, architecture, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy, and history to present the Church to the world. 

Paired with his documentary film series of the same title, Catholicism is an intimate journey, capturing “The Catholic Thing” in all its depth and beauty. Eclectic, unique, and inspiring, Father Barron brings the faith to life for a new generation, in a style that is both faithful to timeless truths, while simultaneously speaking in the language of contemporary life.

Includes over 100 black and white and color photos.

Based off his new series, Fr Robert Barron's new book Catholicism is very comprehensive and informative.

Chapters include:
The Revelation of God become Man
The Teachings of Jesus
The Ineffable Mystery of God
Mary, the Mother of God
Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventures
The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church
The Mystery of the Church's Sacrements and Worship
The Communion of Saints
Prayer and the Life of the Spirit
Last Things

He has such a way with words that really brings things to life.  I love this line "Catholicism is a matter of the body and senses as much as it is a matter of the mind and soul, precisely because the Word became flesh."

I love when he talks about a painting in pointillism style and compares God to the artist.  When viewed up close (by us) it just looks like a bunch of dots and doesn't make sense.  But when you see it from Gods view, the entire painting (His plans) becomes clear.  Fr Barron has such a great way of describing things.

It's a great book on Catholicism.  I recommend it for anyone that wants to learn more about the beautiful faith.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

St. Peter's Bones - Thomas J Craughwell

This is a short book (only 102 pages) that contains a lot of information about the bones of St Peter- how they were lost and found and lost and found again.  I really like how the story is written - it switches between the archeological digs to the history of St Peter's life and other more modern information.  I think it if were organized differently - with all the information on the archeological dig, it might get a tad bit boring.  But with it woven together the way it is, it really works.

I enjoyed the book and learned a lot along the way.  I think it was the perfect length and contained the right amount of detail.

This is the second book I've read by Thomas Craughwell.  The first was Saints Behaving Badly, which is another great book!

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Walking with Mary - Edward Sri

As my Advent reading, I chose Walking with Mary.  This book is an excellent little read.  It's only 118 pages long but it is filled with helpful, prayerful information.

The book is broken down into nine steps
Step 1 - An open heart: Mary in dialogue with God
Step 2 - A servant of the Lord: Let it be done to me
Step 3 Magnify the Lord: The humility of Mary
Step 4 - Keep and ponder: The Mother at the Manger
Step 5: Sharing in the sword: Mary's participation in her Son's suffering
Step 6: Walking in darkness: She who did not understand
Step 7: She still says yes: Mary's choice at Cana
Step 8 Total surrender, total trust: Standing at he cross of Jesus
Step 9: Persevering in faith: Mary, crowned with glory

I love that the author first presents the steps in relation to the Bible and then brings it home with application to our lives.  It really helps me 'get it'.  Another thing I love is how the book intertwines Old Testament and New Testament verses to tell the story.

This is not a book that I will read and put away but one I think I will refer to often over the course of my life.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.