Catholic Thought discussion

I just purchased A Year with John Paul II. Really looking forward to reading it. Has anyone else purchased or acquired any new books that they care to mention? If you have just send a message to myself or one of the other moderators and we can add it to the group's bookshelves or you can just post on this thread if that's easier for you. God Bless.

I'm reading "Everything is Grace: The Life and Little Way of Therese of Lisieux" by Joseph F. Schmidt, and absolutely loving it! I had read his other book about Therese ("Walking the Little Way of Therese of Lisieux"), and it had totally blown me away. He dives deeply into her life and spiritual practice, using quotes from her diary, letters, historical data, and comments from the people who knew her. Two quite amazing books!

Angel7 wrote: "I'm reading "Everything is Grace: The Life and Little Way of Therese of Lisieux" by Joseph F. Schmidt, and absolutely loving it! I had read his other book about Therese ("Walking the Little Way of ..."

Not sure but I'll have to check my to-read list. I might have something there on her.

I do have 2 books on her on my list. Thanks for the heads up!

Awesome, Doreen! I just added a third. "I Believe in Love." It's a sort of retreat with Therese of Lisieux. I had read the study guide and was intrigued. This book comes highly recommended by several friends. Last Saturday I was at a booksigning with Father Kirby, and he raved about this book, too. So I'm looking forward to diving into it this weekend. Btw, I finished "Everything is Grace." LOVED IT!!!! Another 5 star book about Therese!!

I just purchased He Leadeth Me by Walter J. Ciszek. Sounded really good to me and looking forward to reading it.

Just in case anyone is interested, the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, is offering Scott Hahn's book, "The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages" for only $2.72 which is the cost of shipping. The book is due to be released on Amazon (May 16, 2016) at a price of $17.38. The offer is available for a limited time. Here is the link: http://creed.stpaulcenter.com/

I am just hoping that the offer is still available next Tuesday. That's when I get paid again, and I want to read it.

Jeffrey wrote: "I am just hoping that the offer is still available next Tuesday. That's when I get paid again, and I want to read it."

I just checked the website. Unfortnately it does not say how long the offer is available. I'll say a prayer for you!

He Leadeth Me by Fr Cizcek is one of my favorites. Inspirational

Susan Margaret wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "I am just hoping that the offer is still available next Tuesday. That's when I get paid again, and I want to read it."

I just checked the website. Unfortnately it does not say how ..."

Thank you! I am praying it will still be available as well. I love Scott Hahn and always get so much out of his books and CD's.

Why do the group rules always pop up next to the comment box every time I go to type a post? It is really annoying!

Jeffrey wrote: "Why do the group rules always pop up next to the comment box every time I go to type a post? It is really annoying!"

I just now went in and changed the settings so that the group rules will only pop up for new members. You are right, it is a bit annoying.

Thank You! I was getting really paranoid like maybe it didn't like me! LOL

Jeffrey wrote: "Thank You! I was getting really paranoid like maybe it didn't like me! LOL"

LOL. You are welcome.

For anyone who may be interested, Scott Hahn's new book "The Creed" is available for free until May 15th. Just pay $2.72 shipping. The book will be released on May 16th. If you are interested here is the link to order it.

http://creed.stpaulcenter.com/

Perhaps we could do this as a group read!

I like that idea!

I just downloaded all 4 volumes of the Baltimore Catechism. Thought it would make for nice reading.

Hey, heads up. Amazon has a Kindle special on Scott Hahn's Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything for $1.99. I doubt this offer lasts more than a day or two. Here's the Amazon link if you're interested:
https://www.amazon.com/Joy-World-Chri...

Manny wrote: "Hey, heads up. Amazon has a Kindle special on Scott Hahn's Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything for $1.99. I doubt this offer lasts more than a day or two. Here'..."
Thanks Manny!

Just wanted to tell the book club that Tan Books - a publisher of Catholic books - is having a $5 per book sale on selected books. I counted 102 books in the selection. The catch is that you have to buy three. But that's still a great deal, and just quickly perusing the list I saw at least four or five I would consider. I wish we could have our next read decided so we could buy off the list. Anyways, here's the link:
https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/sp...

My email says use code BOOKS at checkout and it is case sensitive. Also coupon expires June 18 at 12 PM EST. That's tomorrow at noon. I hope people see this.

Correction to above. Coupon code is BOOK5. That 5 looked like an "S" when I first saw it.

By the way, I just puchased:
Lord of the World
Julian the Apostate: Roman Emperor (361-363)
The Classics Made Simple: Abandonment to Divine Providence
St. Vincent Ferrer: The Angel of the Judgment

all for $5 each!

Yesterday I picked up two books, one was the Power of Silence but Cardinal Sarah and a copy of the Catholic Catechism. Today for Father's Day I received from my family two new books, the Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn and the BeDADitudes by Greg Popcak. Lots of reading for me! :-)

I just got an email that the $5 sale has been extended until midnight tonight.

Loretta wrote: "Manny wrote: "I just got an email that the $5 sale has been extended until midnight tonight."

They must be doing very well with the sale!! 😊"

They should pay me for advertising it...LOL.

Drat, missed that sale. O well, next time. I was Helping to give a retreat this weekend and not on the computer.

Let me also link you to another book sale. This is with Book Outlet. It is not a Catholic book site but many may still find this useful. First off, Book Outlet claims they have "ridiculously low prices" and they do! Their standard prices are usually well below Amazon. But their selections are somewhat limited, only somewhat because it's still quite large. On top of their low prices they have a 15% off with no shipping charges over a $35 total purchase until June 23rd, which unfortunately is tomorrow. It was going on all week. Here is the link:

http://bookoutlet.com/?utm_medium=ema...

Now you can see why I am a book-a-holic. : )

O, I was seduced. I thank you for that Book Outlet link, but my bank account is not very happy with you.

Manny wrote: "Correction to above. Coupon code is BOOK5. That 5 looked like an "S" when I first saw it.

By the way, I just puchased:
Lord of the World
Julian the Apostate: Roman Emperor (361-363)
The Classic..."

Manny, I very much enjoyed Lord of the World when I read it earlier this year. I would be interested to hear your thoughts.

John wrote: "Manny wrote: "Correction to above. Coupon code is BOOK5. That 5 looked like an "S" when I first saw it.

By the way, I just puchased:
Lord of the World
Julian the Apostate: Roman Emperor (361-363..."

Hey they have an inexpensive Kindle version. I could nomonate this book. Let me throw it into the suggestion thread. Thanks John.

Hey Group,

I get emails about when Amazon puts ebooks up for sale. Just got an email that Essential Pope Benedict XVI is on sale for 99 cents! Hurry over and get it. It's over 500 pages of his works. These bargains only last a day or two. Here's the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Pope...

Manny

Manny wrote: "Hey Group,

I get emails about when Amazon puts ebooks up for sale. Just got an email that Essential Pope Benedict XVI is on sale for 99 cents! Hurry over and get it. It's over 500 p..."

Thank you for the heads up!

Manny wrote: "Hey Group,

I get emails about when Amazon puts ebooks up for sale. Just got an email that Essential Pope Benedict XVI is on sale for 99 cents! Hurry over and get it. It's over 500 p..."

Got it. Thanks for the tip.

I noticed we have three identical discussion threads with this topic. Unfortunately goodreads doesn't give moderators the option of moving individual messages preventing me to consolidate them into one thread. So we'll have to employ a less elegant solution. We'll keep this one open as the active thread as it has the largest number of posts, and the other two I have locked.

I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?

I did not buy but was given as a gift and I strongly recommend it

Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales

Susan wrote: "I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?"

I've always wanted to go to a Latin Mass!

Susan wrote: "I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?"

I’ve been to one. As conservative as I am when it comes to church teaching, I have admit I prefer the vernacular. I know people who feel an extra holiness with the Latin Mass, but it didn’t for me. I think people need to register the words in the language they understand best. At least I do. I do advocate priest facing Orientum (spelling?) though I haven’t experienced it in the vernacular. But that’s howMass was always celebrated.

I grew up with the Latin Mass--as a Catholic school student, I also took two years of high school Latin, and learning Latin is an amazing way to understand English grammar and build your vocabulary. it also made learning French and Spanish much easier. I also tried to encourage my kids (born after Vatican II) but only my daughter took it, and only one year, but she had a good teacher and was glad to have it. In my opinion, the Latin Mass also helped boost Catholic students academically. I have heard that many young Catholics are favoring more availability of the Latin Mass. Would like to see it happen. They do offer it in some places in my area, but haven't taken part.

I have recently purchased Brandon Vogt's Return--How to bring your children back to the faith. I pray daily for my three adult children to reconvert, and for my five grandchildren to be baptized. Only one--my grandson who lives with my son's ex-wife, expressed any interest when he had a Catholic girlfriend he was full of questions. I think he is still on the fence, but I do send him Catholic literature now and then, and he has a Bible which I gave him. Interestingly, one of the books he wanted to read was my college copy of Dante! He still has it.

That's promising Madeleine. Dante has brought many a person back to the church! My prayers for them all.

Kerstin wrote: "Susan wrote: "I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?"

I've always wanted to go to a Latin Mass!"

Me too...they just stopped one at a beautiful Church pretty close to me. There are two more choices a bit out of the way...but I am feeling more and more drawn to it. I am always a little apprehensive to do things I haven’t done before, where I don’t know what I am supposed to do, but inching closer and closer....

Manny wrote: "Susan wrote: "I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?"

I’ve been to one. As conservative as I am when it comes to church teaching, I have admit I prefer the verna..."

I think it is more than the language...it is the whole emphasis...it is not supposed to be about us...or the priest...and that is what it has come to....I already left one Church because there were no pews, we heard a shout out to ‘nuns on the bus’ and then the final straw was when a deacon called the Holy Spirit a ‘she’....now we go to a more Catholic Catholic Mass, but they have a group who sings on Sunday night that sounds like it is a bar in Manayunk Pa...etc etc..I pray to get the one most Catholic priest who actually teaches the readings and is brave enough to say things that need to be said, but usually end up not getting him...but again, Mass apparently was not supposed to be about me or him...the new Mass does just that, it shifts the focus...the Latin Mass Explained was really good. I know the Eucharist is at all Masses and am grateful, however goodness knows we see the fruits of what the new Mass has brought to the Church...and as I was listening to the homily on EWTN about Cain/Abel, they talked about ‘giving your best to God’, it made me think of this, when one compares the Latin Mass to the new Mass....wow.....it just seems very subpar in comparison; certainly does not seem to be giving Him our best worship.

Madeleine wrote: "I grew up with the Latin Mass--as a Catholic school student, I also took two years of high school Latin, and learning Latin is an amazing way to understand English grammar and build your vocabulary..."

I want to learn Latin! Another thing I have been trying to fit in. I will be praying for your family. So many, all in the same boat, sadly...

Susan wrote: " I was listening to the homily on EWTN about Cain/Abel, they talked about ‘giving your best to God’, it made me think of this, when one compares the Latin Mass to the new Mass....wow.....it just seems very subpar in comparison; certainly does not seem to be giving Him our best worship."

Exactly! At our old parish (before we moved) the priest was truly a holy man, and his new Mass was very reverential and deeply prayerful, so it is possible.
Now at our "new" parish, we still have a ways to go. Every time we sing insipid Haugen/Haas, et. al. I just cringe, this is not the BEST we are capable of - and I am in the choir. I am not the only one in the choir who detests these emotionalist pop ditties. Besides, they are hard to sing. We in the choir need extra time to get familiar with them, which means the assembly mostly waits them out. The notes go too high, especially for men, and often the tune changes from stanza to stanza because the composers are lousy at poetry - they have to tweak the tune to fit the words. UGH! I am friends with the choir director, and she said that the parish needs a few "key retirements."

To my mind, a big mistake that came out of Vatican II was the abandonment of Gregorian chant. It is one of the Church’s richest treasures. It gives the listener the sense of the being in a sacred space. This is especially true during Lent and the Easter season. Is there any way to restore chant to the Mass?

The music director at my parish will switch to Latin version of Holy, Holy, Holy and the Lamb of God during Easter.

Frances wrote: "To my mind, a big mistake that came out of Vatican II was the abandonment of Gregorian chant. It is one of the Church’s richest treasures. It gives the listener the sense of the being in a sacred s..."

I agree! Would love them to bring back chant. Keratin, would your choir be open to learning some of that? Our church has been trying to add some Latin here and there.....

Frances wrote: "Is there any way to restore chant to the Mass?"

Yes. We do know that Gregorian Chant has the capacity of deepening one's faith and also converting people to the faith. An aspect completely thrown out of the window after Vatican II. What has to happen, and it has already started in some places, is that choirs need to learn it. This involves a willingness by the parish to invest in workshops, etc. The regular practice times often don't allow for the extra time comittment. In our own parish I have suggested that we have regular workshops and/or retreats to deepen our understanding and involvement as part of the liturgy. We are not entertainers. My thinking is we have to approach this in a professional manner, and just like you have in other professions where folks go to workshops, conferences, etc., we need to do this too in order to serve the parish well. The choir director actually loves the idea. It is my hope that within this framework we can proceed in reviving and restoring authentic sacred music to the Mass.

Susan wrote: "I bought The Latin Mass explained. Does anyone here go to the Latin Mass?"

I love the beauty and the solemnity of the Latin Mass. Unfortunately, there is no longer one offered near me.

Several years ago, our choir director intoned “Kyrie eleison” instead of “Lord, have mercy,” and the response was so favorable that he continued to experiment with introducing chant. “Angus dei . . .” is common now. Our choir director has been around a long time. I don’t know if younger ones have studied Gregorian chant, but it’s possible.