Book Review:
For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission
By Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Tim Glemkowski

I received a free review copy of a little book, For the Life of the World: Invited to Eucharistic Mission, by Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Tim Glemkowski, and I let it sit on my desk for quite some time. I was in the middle of two other books that seemed more interesting. Then I finished one of those books (a big and heavy tome) and thought, let’s have a look at this little, skinny book that I can finish in a day or so.

I am on day 6 of reading this little book. It’s not because it is a difficult read, not because it is a struggle to understand the content, but it’s because I want to savor it and take it to prayer, preferably before the Blessed Sacrament. I also wish I had friends who were reading it at the same time, so we could go and grab a cup of coffee and discuss and share our reflections.

And this is why I am writing a recommendation for a book I haven’t finished reading yet. This little book has ten short chapters, written in language that does not require a theological dictionary or advanced college degrees. Each chapter ends with two or three reflection questions that are great to bring to Eucharistic Adoration for prayer but would be perfect for small group sharing. It leads the reader from encountering Jesus in the Eucharist to living our Eucharistic identity in a Eucharistic life leading to sharing our love of the Jesus in the Eucharist with those we meet on our pilgrimage through life.

For parishes, this little book could be a great for starting a small faith sharing group or for forming a core group for starting (or deepening) Eucharistic Adoration in the parish. It could serve as adult faith formation for parishioners who may not yet be disciples as part of a discipleship pathway. For parishes running Alpha, this could be a resource for the question of “what’s next?”

If you have encountered Jesus in the Eucharist, or if you would like to get to know him on a deeper level, pick up a handful of copies of this book and start a small group to read, reflect and share, and then invite a few more people to come and encounter the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
PS: The publisher (OSV) does offer bulk rates for parishes that may want to order copies.

ARCHIVE OF PAST REVIEWS

Advent begins on December 1 this year.  Happy New (Liturgical) Year. 

The readings at Sunday Mass will be from Year C.  There are brief reflections available for each Sunday (and select feast days) with links to the readings HERE. In addition, the North Country Catholic publishes a reflection for each upcoming Sunday.  Consider subscribing to the North Country Catholic HERE.  

Arts and Faith: Advent (Loyola Press) 

For each week of Advent and Christmas there is short video commentary on a work of art. There is an additional guided Ignatian style reflection to help you pray with the artwork.  There are also suggestions of how to use each week's video for catechesis of kids in ages 9~15.

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics (St. Paul Center)

Although not a specifically Advent resource, this little book from St. Paul Center is a devotional written by Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek. It includes a reflection for the Sunday Readings, sacred art related to the readings, as well as Catechism and prayer sections. It's a great way to prepare and pray with the Mass. 

Encountering Emanuel: A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation (Ave Maria Press)

Written by Heather Khym (Cohost of Abiding Together Podcast), this is a daily journal and guide through Advent, with guided meditations, art and reflection questions. This can be used as an individual or with a group and includes access to weekly videos from the Abiding Together podcast (subscribe HERE).

Rejoice! An Advent Pilgrimage into the Heart of Scripture: Year C, Journal (Ascension Press)

Another daily journal focusing on the readings for Mass by Father Mark Toups. Each day gives you a word for the day, a reflection on the scripture readings and a prompt for journaling. As in previous years, weekly videos will be available on the Ascension Press YouTube channel.

Advent Gospel Reflections by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire Press)

As in previous years, this little book offers reflections on the Gospel reading for each day with space for journaling. Also included are reflections on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.

These are just some Advent resources. I would also recommend checking with your parish to see what Advent programs they may be offering, whether video series from Formed.org, courses through the Franciscan Catechetical Institute or other series.  You may also want ot consider going to daily Mass when you can, praying the rosary or just taking time to read the daily readings, available online at https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading. These readings are also available via email or podcast and come with a reflection video. 

Happy Advent! 

ARCHIVE OF PAST REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW:

Behold, Believe, Become: Meeting the Hidden Christ in Things We See, Say, and Do at Mass.

Author: Timothy P. O’Malley
Ave Maria Press

We are in the midst of the Eucharistic Revival. This is the third book in the series on the Eucharist by Timothy O’Malley. The first two book (The Real Presence and Becoming Eucharistic People) were aimed more at parish leadership and catechists and focused primarily on the theology of the Eucharist and the Culture of a Eucharistic parish.

This book is squarely aimed at the person in the pew, and it connects everyday life to the celebration of Mass. One thing we have lost in our secular, technological culture is a sense of wonder. We often fail to be amazed at the beauty of creation, the awesomeness of the universe and even the fact that the sun rises in the morning, and we fail to realize every day is another opportunity to love our neighbor and worship our God.

This little book connects the so-called ordinary things in our life that we often take for granted to the physical things in our churches and to the extraordinary things that happen at Mass. One example is a door. To enter the church, we cross the threshold by opening and going through a door. But every time we go through a door, we leave one space and we enter another. Think about coming home at the end of a long hectic day, opening the door to your home, and feeling a sense of peace where you can finally breathe and relax. Similarly, think of entering through the church door, perhaps leaving a noisy street filled with traffic and entering into the quiet of the church, filled with colors of light passing through stained glass and being able to just BE in the real presence of God.  In addition to a chapter on the door, there are chapters on the font, the nave, words, the altar, candlelight and incense, and many other “ordinary” extraordinary things we take for granted.  The book uses these elements to connect our daily life to worshiping the God who is Life.

In addition to the book, there are 15 very short videos, one for each chapter, available on the Ave Maria Press YouTube channel. For example:

I highly recommend this book for personal meditation, discussion and perhaps looking at the world and the church with eyes of renewed wonder and awe.

ARCHIVE OF PAST REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW: 

From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age
Author: Msgr. James P. Shea
University of Mary Press

I finally got around to reading this gem of a book: it is short and to the point.

Do you know people who are discouraged about the faith and the state of the Church? Do you know people who are questioning why the transmission of faith that worked for them (CCD classes, going to Church on Sunday, praying the rosary) no longer works today, why it is so hard to raise our kids to be Catholics, and the fact that people are disaffiliating from the faith? Do you know people who are lamenting the polarization in the Church or who live on one of the extreme ends of the spectrum?

This book offers a good start to explain why our old strategies of evangelization and passing on the faith don’t seem to work the same way they used to: our culture and the corresponding worldview has changed. The Christendom culture whose values in many ways aligned with Christian values and worldview provided a scaffolding for faith and allowed faith to float on the culture with an occasional correction (like floating downstream in a canoe, occasionally paddling to keep going in the correct current). Today’s culture no longer supports Church values, and we are, as it were, paddling upstream while not being immune to our culture’s values of power and efficiency and comfort. Faith has become a quest and a challenge.

But we are not without hope! We need to change our strategy to meet the challenges of today. We need a conversion of mind and a new way of seeing. Our culture has altered our way of looking at the world, and the role of evangelization is to “present the Gospel in such a way that hearers can be transformed and see in a new way.” To do so, we need to understand the age in which we live and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who is still at work calling us to a new Pentecost.

I would highly recommend this little book (it’s less than a 100 pages) to anyone who is interested in the mission and vision of the Church and participating in the adventure to which the Holy Spirit is calling us.

Bonus: If you are anxious, discouraged, Msgr. James P. Shea gave a marvelous keynote address at Seek2024 speaking to a crowd of college students and young adults:

ARCHIVE OF PAST REVIEWS

Cabrini, the Movie and Too Small a World, the Book.

Last April 8, I went to the movies and watched the movie Cabrini and came away somewhat disappointed.  The movie was enjoyable, but I didn’t find it inspirational or thought provoking. Other than Cabrini, all the secondary characters felt like cardboard cutouts. We don’t even get to know the names of any of the other sisters.  We never get to know the motivations behind any of the actions of any of the people, including Mother Cabrini herself. People just get in her way and somehow, she overcomes all obstacles.

Going into the movie, I knew very little about Mother Cabrini. When I lived in New York, some of the first houses were pointed out to me and I knew she was the first American citizen to be canonized, but that was all I knew. The movie didn’t tell me much more.  What the movie did accomplish was that I realized if I wanted to know more about this saint, I needed to read a good biography. I purchased and read Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini which was written in 1945, a year before she was canonized by Pope Pius XII.

Unlike the movie, the book is not just set in New York but follows Mother Cabrini as she opens houses around the world and travels back and forth between Italy, around the United States, England, South and Central America. Reading the book. I realized that many of the events and scenes portrayed in the movie were actually events that happened in cities other than New York.  The book also made sense of some of the symbolism in the movie such as the paper boats with flowers that she plays with in the river (boats being sent to the missions with “flowers” of missionaries).  Most of all, the book supplies the motivation behind the actions of both the saint herself as well as those who cautioned her to limit herself to a smaller mission. 

If you want to know more about this amazing woman and American Saint than a plaster cast image that the movie portrays, I would highly recommend Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini.

ARCHIVE OF PAST REVIEWS