Sunday, April 30, 2006

Anything good for Easter?

I was asking the same thing myself! I read Pope Benedict's On the Way to Jesus Christ, which has some wonderful chapters, but it's a collection of essays he gave at different times and not the same thing as a book he actually sat down and wrote (as he did with Spirit of the Liturgy). Chapter two is "Wounded by the Arrow of Beauty" and is worth reading even if you don't read the whole book. This part was great: "I have often said that I am convinced that the true apologetics for the Christian message, the most persuasive proof of its truth, offsetting everything that may appear negative, are the saints, on the one hand, and the beauty that the faith has generated, on the other. For faith to grow today, we must lead ourselves and the presons we meet to encounter the saints and to come in contact with the beautiful."

And if you haven't read Spirit of the Liturgy, I can't recommend it highly enough. I thought it was a book I would read and then pass on (which I did....reluctantly...to a very good friend!), but turned out to be a book that I want to keep and re-read more than once. If the Mass was celebrated the way he describes in this book, our churches wouldn't be large enough to hold the people! But anyhow, since I did loan out the book, I was caught without an "Easter" book for meditation, so I found an older title on my book shelf that I'm enjoying all over again. Fully Human, Fully Divine, is one of those titles you rarely come across. The kind that you like so much, you're willing to buy it and give it away to others. (Trust me, on my limited budget, that's saying something!). It's written by an Australian Benedictine, Michael Casey, and is an incredibly well-written and practical book on Christology. It's the only book I have ever read three consecutive times. My copy is underlined, highlighted, tons of notations....and I still find something new every time I read it.

If you're looking for something shorter, but still spiritually "meaty", I'd suggest Nearer the Heart of God. I got a copy for Christmas and I'm using it every morning. It's a book of Daily Readings with the Christian Mystics. If you don't have more than ten or fifteen minutes, you should have a copy of this book. I usually start out my morning meditation with this.

4 comments:

Lisa said...

Thanks for all these insights, S. Julia! And glad you are back to blogging, too :)

Sister Anne said...

Oh, Sr. Julia! If I had known you'd miss the book, I would have rushed to send it back. As it is, I have it with...the other books you loaned me. Want me to pop them in the mail?

Sr. Julia said...

no, absolutely not :) I just meant that it's a keeper. I'll read it again when you're finished and in the meantime I have plenty to keep me busy. Take your time and enjoy it...a good book is meant to be passed on.

Sister Anne said...

I put the books in the mail today...