It was with great joy to be able to speak with Mary Ann Glendon about  “The Forum and the Tower: How Scholars and Politicians Have Imagined the World, from Plato to Eleanor Roosevelt”.  A fascinating book that chronicles not only the thoughts, but also the lives of  12 notable philosophers and/or statesmen throughout history.  The “and/or” is important, because not all can can successfully combine both.  In fact, only  two in this particular work, are found to be that complete “Philosopher Statesman”.   Why is that so?  Why is difficult for one who develops a theory to put it into practice?  And on personal level on my part, that this is one of the most enjoyable and engaging converstations I’ve been blessed to have in this particular “forum”.  We also discuss Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI and their influence in today’s world.

Mary Ann Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and is a former United States Ambassador to the Vatican. She holds A.B., J.D., and M.C.L. degrees from the University of Chicago. In 2004, Pope John Paul II named her as the first woman to serve as President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

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You can find the book here
About the Book:

As Aristotle noted long ago, two very different and sometimes incompatible ways of life—the political and the philosophical—exert a powerful pull on the ambitious and talented members of any society. Mary Ann Glendon, who teaches at Harvard Law School, says that she sees this double attraction in her students. Some go into politics, but many turn away, fearful of the compromises and corruptions of power. Such students may go on to become teachers and scholars, but they never quite give up on the idea of “making a difference” in the wider, public world, even if they aren’t quite sure how to do it. Ms. Glendon’s The Forum and the Tower profiles 12 figures in Western history who struggled—not always successfully—with the conflict between an active life and a contemplative one, between ‘life in the public forum and life in the ivory tower.’… The Forum and the Tower is a wise exploration of the eternal tension between action and thought.
— Brian C. Anderson, The Wall Street Journal

It’s great to be joined once again by Mark Brumley!  This time we discuss YOUCAT, an engaging a catechism designed for a youthful audience.  I say “youthful” because it appeals to seekers in all age groups.  Bright in design, filled with questions and answers, and thoughtful in its presentation of doctrine,  YOUCAT, on every page, brings the faith alive.  A fantastic resource for every home…a perfect gift for confirmation kids and adults alike.  Especially in the light of the challenges facing the Catholic faith in today’s world, we talk with Mark the need for this particular resource.

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You can find out more here

What Pope Benedict XVI has to say about the YOUCAT project:

“Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Make a sacrifice of your time for it! Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet. By all means continue to talk with each other about your faith.”

Stephen J. Binz is a Catholic biblical scholar, psychotherapist, popular speaker, and award-winning author of more than thirty books on the Bible and biblical spirituality.  “Learning to Pray with Scripture” is another volume in the excellent “Lectio Divina” series brought to us by Our Sunday Visitor.  In it Stephen uses the actual prayers of Sacred Scripture to help us enter a deeper relationship with God through our own prayer.  This series is outstanding, and absolute MUST for those seeking a great guide to this ancient prayer form!

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You can find this book here

This study shows the way that various characters in the Bible prayed and what they can teach you about prayer. It also delves into various types of prayer and what you can learn from them.

Every chapter leads you forward through a sequence of:

• Listening – Reading Scripture with expectancy, trusting that God will speak His Word to us through it
• Understanding – Seeking to comprehend the meaning of the text, encountering God there and being changed by that encounter
• Reflecting – Linking the truth of the Scriptures to the experience of faith in the world in which we live
• Praying – A dialogue with God: we listen to God, then we respond in prayer
• Acting – After prayerfully listening to God through a passage of Scripture, we should be inspired to make a difference in the way we live

In “7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness,” best-selling author Joe Paprocki provides a prescription for spiritual health based on the rich wisdom of Catholic Tradition.

The Saints have taught us repeatedly that our souls can get spiritually sick and die as well.

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Joe’s new book focuses on the root causes of spiritual sickness. Each chapter identifies a specific threat to the health of our souls and offers strategies for beating that virus.

His keys to spiritual wellness are:

1. Seeing Yourself as You Really Are
2. Actively Seeking the Good of Others
3. Thinking Before Acting
4. Holding on Loosely
5. Recognizing and Setting Limits
6. Channeling, Not Repressing, Your Desires
7. Unleashing Your Imagination

You can find the book here

 

What a delight to be joined once again by Vivian Dudro to discuss the work of Spanish novelist Jose Luis Olaizola

and his book “Fire of Love: A Historical Novel on the Life St. John of the Cross”!  Olaizola is an award-winning Spanish writer, who is known for his acclaimed works on great historical figures such as El Cid, Hernan Cortes, Bartolome de las Casas, and Patricio Escobar.  In this book, he richly offers the life of the the great Spanish mystical doctor of the Church, St. John of the Cross.

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You can find the book here

This historical novel paints a striking portrait of one of the most revered saints in history, in a landscape that makes the life and times of John of the Cross relevant to our own age. Here is an extraordinary adventure that explores the thorny challenges that every soul must face: avoiding the trappings of this world that lead to darkness, and embracing the radiance of the fire of Divine Love. Having performed the life of this great saint as an actor, I found Jose Luis Olaizola’s portrayal very true to the passion and dramatic intensity of this great mystic. Fire of Love rekindled in me the fire ignited by Saint John of the Cross in his poetic plea, ‘Love Him intensely, as He deserves to be loved.’ May all who read this literary work examine their own souls profoundly, in order to have the greatest of all adventures – finding God Himself. —Leonardo Defilippis, Film Actor & Director, John of the Cross

In this episode we have a conversation with Katherine Becker, author of  “The Dating Fast: 40 Days to Reclaim Your Heart, Body, and Soul”.  Katherine is wonderfully articulate in describing her experience with “fasting” from the dating scene and how others can benefit from the practice.  The books description really does describe it best:

The endless cycle of boyfriends and breakups got to be exhausting–emotionally and spiritually. When a friend introduced Katherine to the idea of the “dating fast,” she rediscovered her joy for life. You don’t have to “kiss dating good-bye,” but a forty-day, Scripture-based retreat from the fray works wonders. Romantic love isn’t dead, says Katherine, but you have to know where to look for it.

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You can find the book here

Be sure to visit Katherine’s website

“In order to be truly ready for a romantic relationship, you must first love and respect yourself. Katherine Becker’s forty-day dating fast is an excellent tool for self-reflection to understand yourself better and grow in love, confidence and faith. Following this fast will better prepare you for relationships, and is a solid step toward a fulfilling life, with or without a spouse.”  —Anita A. Chlipala, MA, MEd, LMFT, Relationship Reality 312, Inc.

Emily Stimpson is a delight to talk with and her book “The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide for the Single Years: The Nuts and Bolts of StayingSane and Happy While Waiting for Mr. Right” is a great subject to discuss!  With style and class, and a great big portion of honest hopeful heart sharing, Emily crafts a work that is a must for all Catholic women, not just the single girl.

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Filled with humor and reflection, as well as practical insight, it is “steeped in the Church’s teachings on the feminine genius, marriage, and theology of the body, The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide dishes with both wit and wisdom on some of the most pressing questions single women face: vocation, dating, sex, finances, work, depression, and more.” Not to missed, and must be passed on to others!

You can find the book here

Also visit EmilyStimpson.com

“Emily Stimpson has written a book that manages to be light-hearted about the serious subject of singleness for Catholic women, but is still full of practical, nitty-gritty suggestions for growing through difficulties. Always uplifting, “The Catholic Girls Survival Guide for the Single Years,” offers timeless truths that help women see beyond current circumstances to grasp the bigger picture of life as a beloved daughter of God. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a single Catholic woman—or anyone who wants to learn how to love single women better. I don’t know of another book that does what this book does for single women—it’s simply outstanding! Kimberly Hahn, Author “Life-Giving Love”

Mary Eberstadt is one of the brightest lights we have voicing the intelligent response to the arguments brought forward by women who advocate the “contraceptive” mentality, especially those which come from women who claim the Catholic mantle.  Her book, “Adam and Eve after the Pill: Paradoxes of the Sexual Revolution” is outstanding! In her incredibly fluent writing style, Mary chronicles the damage done to women, men and children as a result of the “sexual revolution” and the paradoxes of our promiscuous behavior.  She is  wonderful to listen to as she calmly fillets, like an intellectual ninja, the viewpoint of the sexual secular left.  In our conversation, she also discusses the challenges to religious liberty that we face in this country.  A “don’t miss” book and discussion.

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You can find Mary’s book here

Mary Eberstadt is our premier analyst of American cultural foibles and follies, with a keen eye for oddities that illuminate just how strange the country’s moral culture has become. —George Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Be sure to check out Mary’s “Inside the Pages” interview for “The Loser Letters“

It’s always a delight to talk with Bert Ghezzi, especially about Jesus.  In his new book, “Discover Christ: Developing a Personal Relationship with Christ” co authored with David Nodar, Bert tackles many of the big questions:

What is the meaning of life?
—Why do I need a savior?
—Why is the Resurrection important?
—What does it mean to believe and belong?
—Why does Jesus matter?

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This is wonderful book to read if your are seeking a closer relationship with the Lord or to pass on to someone you know who is on that quest.

You can find the book here

 

 

Well, it would be difficult to write a book more poignant and compelling than this…obviously, it came straight from the heart.  Amy Welborn uses her incredible gift with words to paint an unforgettable picture of how grief and regret can be transformed, by grace, into hope.  It’s  a journey on a winding, sometimes bumpy road.  But what Amy has discovered through the help of her husband Mike, her kids, the land of Sicily, and ultimately, God, is that it is really true, there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.   As she says, “tragedy and joy, loss and understanding death and life are constantly mixed together…and the beauty of the Catholic faith is that it is all there….we have the whole picture.”  Its about faith, about hope, about love..and that is what is really eternal.

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You can find the book here

“Amy Welborn’s latest book is a must-read spiritual treasure. It reveals not only the heart-wrenching dynamics of grief but also the odd and wonderful way grace illumines even the thickest darkness. Funny, engagingly written, spiritually profound, Wish You Were Here is a gem.”  –Fr. Robert Barron, author of Catholicism.

Be sure to visit Amy’s blog’s Charlotte Was Both  http://amywelborn.wordpress.com

and “Booked” the travel blog - http://booked.amywelborn.com

The wonderfully intrepid Stephanie Mann joins us once again to discuss “Supremacy and Survival:  How Catholic Endured the English Reformation”.  The lessons of the past have much to teach us today, especially those experienced in England during the times of the Tudors and Stuarts.  Religious liberty was the issue then, and is the issue today in many places throughout the world…even in the U.S.  It’s not just about freedom of speech, it’s about the freedom of religion.  What will they be writing about 500 years from now about the Catholics in America?  Interesting…

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You can find the book here

Click here to go to Stephanie’s fantastic blog “Supremacy and Survival“

“Strengthening Your Family: A Catholic Approach to Holiness at Home” is a must for every Catholic home (and for non-Catholic homes too).  Marge Fenelon covers every corner of our busy and active households and helps us to create (with God’s grace) healthy holy homes!  She tackles real life issues – money, time, technology and everything that touches our lives today – and shows in practical, concrete ways how families foster and nurture “saints in the making”.

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You can find it here

 

“Marge gets it right as she relates how focusing on encouraging and expecting growth in virtue and character will lead to the only real, true, ultimate goal holiness of life.”
From the Foreword by Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

What is Marian Consecration?  What is the role the Blessed Virgin Mary in our lives?  How can this bring us even more fully into the heart of Divine Mercy? What a joy to talk with Fr. Michael Gaitley, who serves as director of the Association of Marian Helpers, about   “33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration”.  He answers the above the questions above and so much more.

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The goal of the retreat contained in the book is to learn how to ponder more deeply in our hearts what it means to enter into Marian consecration.  With the help of not only St. Louis de Montfort, but also St. Maximilian Kolbe, Bl. John Paul II, and Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Fr. Gaitley reveals to us the great connection between the heart of Mary and beautiful depth of Divine Mercy…and the key to it all is…TRUST.

 

Find the book here

 

To learn more about the “All Hearts A Fire” parish programs that Fr. Michael spoke of  click here

 

Here is the book for Lent (and any other time of the year for that matter), “Simplifying Your Soul:  Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit” is “simply” wonderful!  Paula Huston has such a gentle way of helping us to  penetrate into what our hearts so we can draw closer to what we truly long for…a deeper relationship with God…the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  A benedictine oblate, Paula, draws from the best of the monastic traditions and helps us to apply those practices in our modern day circumstances.  I have to believe that Sts. Benedict and Scholastic would be overjoyed how this 21 century daughter of the church as responded to their initial teachings  offered so a long ago.  NOT TO BE MISSED…HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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You can find it here

 

“Too often thought of as simply a season of sacrifice, Lent is revealed here as something far richer–a privileged time to experience God in your everyday life, to open yourself to conversion, and to savor God’s transforming love.”–Rev. James Martin, S.J., Author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

 

“The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ” is the latest from  Mark Shea.  There’s no one who articulates Catholic teaching quite the way Mark does…it’s clear, engaging, entertaining and targeted to challenge the lukewarm heart.  His new book is an important contribution to our understanding of Catholic Social Teaching as expressed through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy….EXCELLENT. Highly recommended!

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You can find the book here

Brings the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy into the 21st century. —JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT, musician and author

In this engaging, entertaining book, Mark Shea helps us rediscover what Christians have practiced for centuries–the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. —JIMMY AIKIN, senior apologist, Catholic Answers

Visit Mark’s blog at “Catholic and Enjoying It“