The Catholic Book Club discussion

It is time to vote for the February 2019 BOTM.

You may vote for up to two of the books listed below.

Enter your votes by replying in this thread.

Voting will end at approximately 6:00 pm Eastern time on January 18.

A book will be randomly selected for elimination from the nominations list from among those that don't receive any votes. The two new books added to the voting list this month, The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, by Robert Sarah, and Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope, by Kevin Matthews, will be excluded from the Randomizer.

The books you can choose from are:

The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret, by Anthony Mary Claret
Bares the soul of a saint and reveals the methods which were so successful for him in converting others. From age 5 he was haunted by the thought of the souls about to fall into Hell. This insight fueled his powerful drive to save as many souls as he could.

Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope, by Kevin Matthews
In 2008, Kevin Matthews, a well-known ABC and CBS radio personality in Chicago, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Broken Mary is Matthews' story of his early years in radio and stand-up comedy, his successful career, his struggle with MS, his awakening to the dignity of women, and, importantly, his chance encounter with a broken statue of Mary left next to a dumpster and all that happened as a result. Told with Matthews' signature good humor, this confession of the brokenness of mankind is touchingly honest, personally inspiring, and full of hope.

He Leadeth Me, by Walter J. Ciszek
He Leadeth Me is the deeply moving personal story of one man's spiritual odyssey and the unflagging faith which enabled him to survive the horrendous ordeal that wrenched his body and spirit to near collapse. Captured by the Russian army during World War II and convicted of being a "Vatican spy," American Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent some 23 agonizing years in Soviet prisons and the labor camps of Siberia. He here recalls how it was only through an utter reliance on God's will that he managed to endure. He tells of the courage he found in prayer-a courage that eased the loneliness, the pain, the frustrations, the anguish, the fears, the despair. For, as Ciszek relates, the solace of spiritual contemplation gave him an inner serenity upon which he was able to draw amidst the "arrogance of evil" that surrounded him. Learning to accept even the inhuman work of toiling in the infamous Siberian salt mines as a labor pleasing to God, he was able to turn adverse forces into a source of positive value and a means of drawing closer to the compassionate and never-forsaking Divine Spirit. He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all Christians to greater faith and trust in God-even in their darkest hour.

The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany, by David G. Dalin
In 1999, John Cornwell excoriated Pope Pius XII as "Hitler's Pope." In this book, Rabbi David G. Dalin provides a ringing defense of the wartime pontiff, arguing that Holocaust-era Jews justly regarded Pius as their protector, not their tormentor.

Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, by Anthony M. Esolen
What do you do when an entire civilization is crumbling around you? You do everything. This is a book about how to get started.
Providence College professor Anthony Esolen, blunt and prophetic, makes the case that the decay of Western civilization is alarmingly advanced.

The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, by Robert Sarah
In a time when there is more and more noise, and technology and materialism continue to exert their hold on us, Cardinal Robert Sarah presents a bold book about the strength of silence. The world generates so much noise that seeking moments of silence only becomes more necessary. For Cardinal Sarah, modern man, in repressing the divine, finds himself in a deep dilemma, an oppressive and anguishing trial. The Cardinal recalls that life is a silent relationship between what is most intimate in man and God. Silence is indispensable for hearing the music of God: prayer arises from silence and returns to silence with ever greater depth.

The Restoration of Christian Culture, by John Senior
A sequel to The Death of Christian Culture, this spiritual treatise covers social, cultural, and political topics. It explores the importance of religious knowledge and faith to the health of a culture, provides a historical sketch of the change in cultural and educational standards over the last two centuries, and illustrates how literary and other visual arts either contribute to a culture or conspire to tear it down. Compared to a series of sermons, this analysis explains that there is a continuing extinction of the cultural patrimony of ancient Greece, Rome, medieval Europe, and the early modern period of Western civilization, owing to the pervasive bureaucratization, mechanization, and standardization of increasing materialism.

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri J.M. Nouwen
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation.

The Satin Slipper; or, The Worst Is Not the Surest, by Paul Claudel
The Satin Slipper (Le Soulier de satin) is a long play by the French dramatist and poet Paul Claudel. It was written in 1929, but first performed on stage in 1943. Today it is rarely staged because of its extreme length and its challenging production requirements. It was made into a film in 1985 by the Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira.
[NOTE: This book can be very expensive to buy. It is out-of-print and copies on Amazon run as high as $200 (though prices at $15 or $20 may also be available). Please make sure you can get a copy at a price you are willing to pay before voting for it. You might check your library, including your interlibrary loan system.]

Scarlet Pimpernel Of The Vatican, by J.P. Gallagher
To thousands of people escaping- Allied prisoners, refugees, Jews and others wanted for various reasons by the Nazis - one of the greatest heros of WWII was a tall, jolly Irish Priest, Monsignor Hugh Joseph O'Flaherty. Working throughout the war at the Vatican, he organised, unofficially an incredibly efficient underground system which gave shelter to inumerable escapes. This very readable account of his adventures is an exciting story and throws some interesting light on one of the lesser-known aspects of the war.

Sons of Cain, by Val Bianco
An ancient group of twelve unspeakably powerful men are prepared to implement mass suicide in the United States. Already in control of the Congress and the Presidency, all that they lack is the Supreme Court. The only thing standing between these SONS OF CAIN and the lives of the Court is a small group of dedicated warriors.

The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli
The Combat is a practical manual of living. At first it teaches that the sense of life is incessant fighting against egoistic longings and replacing them with sacrifice and charity. The one who does not do this loses, and suffers in Hell; the one who does it, trusting not in his own, but God's power, triumphs and is happy in Heaven. The work of Scupoli analyses various usual situations and advises how to cope with them, preserving a pure conscience and improving virtue. It emphasizes also the boundless goodness of God, which is the cause of all good. What is bad originates from the human who rebels against God.

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, by Thérèse de Lisieux
Two and a half years before her death in 1897 at the age of 24, as Thérèse Martin began writing down her childhood memories at the request of her blood sisters in the Lisieux Carmel, few could have guessed the eventual outcome. Yet this Story of my soul, first published in 1898 in a highly edited version, quickly became a modern spiritual classic, read by millions and translated into dozens of languages around the world.

Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, by Charles J. Chaput
From Charles J. Chaput, author of Living the Catholic Faith and Render unto Caesar comes Strangers in a Strange Land, a fresh, urgent, and ultimately hopeful treatise on the state of Catholicism and Christianity in the United States. America today is different in kind, not just in degree, from the past. And this new reality is unlikely to be reversed. The reasons include, but aren't limited to, economic changes that widen the gulf between rich and poor; problems in the content and execution of the education system; the decline of traditional religious belief among young people; the shift from organized religion among adults to unbelief or individualized spiritualities; changes in legal theory and erosion in respect for civil and natural law; significant demographic shifts; profound new patterns in sexual behavior and identity; the growth of federal power and its disregard for religious rights; the growing isolation and elitism of the leadership classes; and the decline of a sustaining sense of family and community.

Toward the Gleam, by T.M. Doran
Between the two world wars, on a hike in the English countryside, Professor John Hill takes refuge from a violent storm in a cave. There he nearly loses his life, but he also makes an astonishing discovery - an ancient manuscript housed in a cunningly crafted metal box. Though a philologist by profession, Hill cannot identify the language used in the manuscript and the time period in which it is was made, but he knows enough to make an educated guess - that the book and its case are the fruits of a long-lost, but advanced civilization.

At long last, the book Fonch and I have been waiting for has hit the Voting List, so I will of course be voting for

The Power of Silence

and

Out of the Ashes

He Leadeth Me
Strangers in a Strange Land

I’ll go with Silence....

The autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret

He Leadeth Me.

The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican

The autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret

The return of the prodigal son.

1. Toward the Gleam, by T.M. Doran
2. Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, by Charles J. Chaput

The Return of the Prodigal Son
Toward the Gleam

The spiritual combat

And

Story of a soul

The spiritual combat or The Power of Silence

He Leadeth Me.

The restoration of Christian Culture

My votes are for Toward the Gleam, by T.M. Doran and Sons of Cain, by Val Bianco

1. The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, by Robert Sarah

2. Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, by Thérèse de Lisieux

I'll go with Toward the Gleam and He Leadeth Me.

1. Out of Ashes
2. Story of a Soul

The Power of Silence or St. Therese of Lisieux

Starlet Pimpernel

Power of Silence

He Leadeth Me
&
The Scarlet Pimpernel

Story of a Soul

Toward the Gleam

The Power of Silence

I vote for "Toward the gleam" by T.M. Doran.

Hi everyone, I vote for "Toward the gleam" by T. M. Doran.

The Myth of Hitler's Pope.

Hello everyone! I vote for these two for Feb.:

The autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret
The Power of Silence

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
and Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope, by Kevin Matthews

I would like to excuse me for being distant sometimes, the latest books the group have picked are not that easily found where i live.

Blessings...

Restoration of Christian Culture
Strangers in a Strange Land

E. wrote: "Hello everyone! I vote for these two for Feb.:

The autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret
The Power of Silence"

Welcome to the Catholic Book Club, E. I look forward to seeing you in the discussion threads!!

Tania wrote: "The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
and Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope, by Kevin Matthews

I would like to excuse me for being distant sometimes, the latest books the group have p..."

Hi Tania, welcome back. I'm strangely glad it is difficulty finding the books, and not something we've done (other than picking books that are hard for you to locate).

Tania wrote: "the latest books the group have picked are not that easily found where i live."

I found the book we are currently reading in a parish book sale -and two years later (when I had already read it), they had another copy at the book sale, and I bought it to give as a present.

I vote for Toward the Gleam by T.M. Dorian.

Voting is closed. Results will be posted shortly.

‘The Prodigal Son’ and ‘Story of a Soul’ are classics and they are my favorites on this month’s list.

Cardinal Sarah’s book was a choice last year in a Catholic book club I belong to locally. The book was mostly reiterating what others have said, and there was very little original thought in it. I thought that book was a waste of time.

Just a question: is there a place to propose books?

Sergio wrote: "Just a question: is there a place to propose books?"

Oh Sergio yes this is the place. The Lord of World we have read in the group, but i am enchanted that there was more Robert Hugh Benson`s books https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Suzanne, ‘Story of a Soul’ has consistently been placing in 2nd or 3rd place; hopefully with your vote next time it will be chosen.

"Prodigal son" also has a number of people consistently voting for it and I am looking forward to reading it.

Fonch wrote: "Sergio wrote: "Just a question: is there a place to propose books?"

Oh Sergio yes this is the place. The Lord of World we have read in the group, but i am enchanted that there was more Robert Hugh..."

Sergio, a clarification, when Fonch said "this is the place" he didn't mean this thread. We do have a specific place to nominate books for consideration at the Nominations Thread.