Books

• THE HOLY LONGING: The Search for a Christian Spirituality
  by Ronald Rolheiser, OMI
  Doubleday Press, US, 1999, 257 pages
  Reviewed by Fr. Russ Zint
  
  Before becoming a priest, I was in formation for seven years at St. Meinrad Seminary. In my last year of school, the 'buzz' around St. Meinrad centered on a new book: The Holy Longing. Written by a religious priest for a wide Christian audience, this book found its way into many of the faculty offices and student rooms. After reading it, I can understand why.
  
  Rolheiser writes in a clear, straightforward manner that is comprehensible and lucid. To explain the intricacies of spirituality, he takes a very human approach, peppering his prose with stories and illustrations. He addresses the very fundamentals of spirituality and the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as the foundation for a Christian spirituality. Finally, he moves to discuss five key areas within spirituality. They touch on involvement in a faith community, the paschal mystery as a model of living, social justice, sexuality and sustaining oneself in a spiritual life. Again and again, Rolheiser named and explained many of my own experiences. The chapter on sexuality, hands down, is the best material I have ever read on the topic. And after seven years of workshops involving sexuality and celibacy, that's really saying something!
  
  This book is good for anyone, beginner or expert, in living a life of prayer within a community of faith. Reading the Holy Longing is like receiving spiritual direction from a wise and sage spiritual director. I recommend reading just a few pages a day, to allow the meaning of the text to 'sink in'.
  
  
  
• The Life and Death of Saint Malachy the Irishman
  St. Bernard of Clairvaux, translated and annotated by Robert T. Meyer
  Cistercian Publications, US, 1978, 170 pages
  Reviewed by Paul Zielinski
  
  This book is primarily a collection of three works by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153); the Life of Saint Malachy, Sermon on the Passing of Saint Malachy the Bishop, and Homily on the Anniversary of the Death of Saint Malachy. The book is an English translation of the original Latin texts. It has hundreds of footnotes that are very useful for understanding the life of Saint Malachy O'Morgair (1094-1148), beloved patron of our parish and Council.
  
  St. Bernard incorporates scripture throughout his writing so much that this book becomes an unceasing prayer.
  
  I enjoyed reading this account of the miracles St. Malachy performed during his life and even shortly after he passed to his eternal reward. This very short read (170 pages) provides a glimpse into the life of St. Malachy, the first Irish born saint, who worked tirelessly to bring order to the Church in Ireland and build it up.
  
  
  
• New Seeds of Contemplation
  by Thomas Merton
  New Directions Paperback, NY, 1972, 297 pages
  Reviewed by Marcus Woods II
  
  After becoming a Cistercian monk and before ordination, Fr. Thomas Merton wrote Seeds of Contemplation. It was published by the Abbey of Gethsemani, Inc. in 1962. More than twelve years after writing it, Fr. Merton returned to his work, revising, rewriting, and adding to it. In 1972, New Seeds of Contemplation was published. As Fr. Merton states in his Preface, "This is not merely a new edition of an old book. It is in many ways a completely new book." Fr. Merton wrestles with renewing his daily life in his book and challenges the reader to radically renew his or her own life.
  
  The contemplation the reader is invited to undertake is the contemplation of the Lord in relation to the priorities by which one lives life. With many suggestions and anecdotes, Fr. Merton is generous in teaching what contemplation is and how best to accomplish it, but his primary motive is to force the reader to a radical renewal in the Christian life. Only when a Christian undergoes a sincere conversion and completely surrenders his will to God does Fr. Merton believe a Christian can authentically live as a Christian. Such a conversion enables the Christian to lead a "'spiritual life' [that] is then the perfectly balanced life in which the body with its passions and instincts, the mind with its reasoning and its obedience to principle and the spirit with its passive illumination by the Light and Love of God form one complete man who is in God and with God and from God for God (p 140)." New Seeds of Contemplation a wonderful resource for anyone wanting personal renewal.
  
  
  
• The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Gereon Goldmann, OFM
  Fr. Gereon Goldmann, OFM, Trans. by Benedict Leutenegger
  Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, 2000, 347 pages
  Reviewed by Marcus Woods II
  
  The Shadow of His Wings was originally published by Franciscan Herald Press in 1964 and was taken from a series of talks that Fr. Goldmann made in a tour of the United States. The book retains the quality of a spoken narrative making it easy to read and easier to get absorbed by the action. At the time the book was published, Fr. Goldmann was a missionary priest in Tokyo, Japan. The events that preceded his move to Japan are the subject of one of the most exciting autobiographies to come out of World War II.
  
  Growing up in Fulda, Germany, as a devout Roman Catholic, Fr. Goldmann planned to enter the priesthood. When the Second World War began for Germany, Fr. Goldmann was drafted into the Wermacht (the regular army), but was then transferred to the Schutzstaffel, the infamous SS. The manner in which Fr. Goldmann remains true to his Catholicism and to his vocation is a most fascinating and amazing testimony to the power of intercessory prayer and the work of God in the modern world. For example, as an SS recruit in training, Fr. Goldmann received permission from Himmler personally to practice Catholicism without harassment. The Shadow of His Wings also provides rare insight into and details of the life of a private soldier in the German Army of World War II. Fr. Goldmann’s life inspires, while it invites a deeper understanding of our own faith.
  
  
  
• The Soul of the Apostolate
  by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, O.C.S.O.
  Tan Publishers, Trappist, KY, 1946, 298 pages
  Reviewed by Marcus Woods II
  
  Can a book conceived of in 1907 by a Cistercian abbot for the instruction of priests engaged in the catechesis of poor French youth have relevancy today? The more deeply I read and reflected on the text in light of my own life, the more relevant The Soul of the Apostolate has become to me as a husband, a father, and a Knight of Columbus. Each of these roles requires a lot of doing, a lot of activity that can distract me from what is vital according to Dom Chautard, the interior life. So important is the interior life to apostolic work, that Dom Chautard states unequivocally that any work undertaken without it will end in failure and frustration.
  
  Through the use of many sharp and cogent examples from his life and the lives of others, Dom Chautard demonstrates how an apostolate is affected by the quality of the interior lives of those involved in it. His teaching is clear and provides the practical means of identifying what type of an interior life one has at the moment and how to enhance it over the rest of one's life. The book challenged me and I have enjoyed the struggle of working on my interior life. This book is highly recommended.
  
  
  
• Transforming Your Life Through The Eucharist
  by Fr. John A. Kane
  Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, NH, 1999, 153 pages
  Reviewed by Paul Zielinski
  
  Never take the gift of the Holy Eucharist for granted again! See the beauty of the Holy Eucharist through the eyes of Fr. Kane. Fr. Kane's love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist is contagious and exciting. The style is a reflective meditation on the Holy Eucharist and how it will bring you closer to Christ. This book has rekindled my love of the Holy Eucharist and has deepened my appreciation for the real presence of Christ and the sacrifice of the Mass.
  
  
  
• The World's First Love: Mary, Mother of God
  by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
  Ignatius Press, 1952, Reprinted 1996, 276 pages
  Reviewed by Sheila Zielinski
  
  "Behold thy Mother". Before Jesus dies on the cross, his last selfless act was to give us his mother. During the holiday season, this book will enrich your understanding of the life of Mary. This book begins with the Annunciation, then discusses all facets of her life through the crucifixion of Jesus, and ends with the seven sorrows of the sword. Even though this book was originally written in 1952, Archbishop Sheen does a wonderful job of illustrating Mary's' love for Jesus and for us, making this book timeless.
  
  
  
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