It was fun to put my thoughts together recently about
the books I've read so far this year. I noticed one large concern during the process:
I was struck by how little spiritual reading I'd done this year. Granted, there are still six or so months left to 2015, but it was convicting to see so little related to my faith on the list.
Now, I've read some edifying
online articles during this time but not enough books. Fr. Roderick's
Geekpriest was a sincerely enthusiastic memoir about his journey to the priesthood, use of new media, and Church teaching, wrapped up in geekery. I also dipped my toe into
The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest by Elisabeth Leseur.
But any books on deepening prayer? Scriptural study? Apologetics? (At least not straight up apologetics- lots of the memoirs have apologetics in them by way of explaining conversion stories.) Church history? Life of a saint? No.
To rectify this, I've made a Spiritual Reading Plan. (
And it's not even Lent!) I am going to:
purchase the latest Magnificat and begin morning and evening prayer with it. For the unfamiliar, morning and evening prayer isn't just one prayer in the morning and one in the evening. It's a grouping of sacred hymns, Psalms, Scripture, and Canticles. I'll read the other readings and offerings in the magazine as desired. (
Try Magnificat for free!) I could pray morning and evening prayer directly out of the Divine Office or find it online, but this is screen-free and seems more doable.
read Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus by Sherry A. Weddell.
Nancy at
Reading Catholic named it
the best book she'd read in 2013. I've always remembered
her review, and I'm ready to dive in. This book has been talked about quite a bit in the Catholic world for the last couple of years.
read Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? by Guy Consolmagno, SJ and Paul Mueller, SJ. When I heard about this book on
The Jennifer Fulwiler Show, I made a mental note of it and picked it up at the bookstore. I've already started it, and it's very accessible. I just have to choose to read something besides the fiction I've been escaping to while we prepare our house for market. The authors' backgrounds are admirable: Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ is a graduate of MIT, a Vatican astronomer, and a Jesuit brother. Paul Mueller, SJ is a graduate of the University of Chicago, a Vatican Observatory research staff member, and a Jesuit priest. I know I will finish this book wishing I'd read the rest of it sooner because faith and the cosmos is a subject I am currently nerding out on.
read Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers That Even I Can Offer by Leah Libresco. I'm not a regular reader of Libresco's blog,
Unequally Yoked, but I poked around it a little bit after I heard about her atheist-to-Catholic conversion in 2012. (
Her conversion was even featured on CNN!) I found her so fascinating because it sounded like she
thought her way to Catholicism. That's a subject I'd like to read more about: if I went back to school, I'd study philosophy and theology. This book is supposed to cover her conversion, as well as be an exploration of prayer from her unique perspective.
reread The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Scott Hahn. I've read this book and want to revisit it to deepen my appreciation for the Eucharist and the Mass. Hahn's memoir
Rome Sweet Home (co-written by his wife, Kimberly) was instrumental in my massive reversion to the Church several years ago. After my reversion, I looked up what else Hahn had written and read this book.I'm looking forward to reexamining the link between Scripture and the Mass.
read Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future by Elizabeth Esther. I read about this book at
Modern Mrs. Darcy, and I've been wanting to read it ever since. I find memoirs so helpful in understanding people from different backgrounds. I'm also choosing this book because I understand Esther converted to Catholicism, and as a Catholic, I enjoy learning about how people walk toward the faith. I love conversion stories. Looking forward.
 |
| Perhaps a little too low in the stack |
Anything missing from your list of books read this year? What do you wish you'd read by now? Do you need a spiritual reading plan? What are you reading for your faith right now?
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