Category: book review

The Handbook for Catholic Moms (Book Review)

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In The Handbook for Catholic Moms, Lisa Hendey presents a survival guide for mothers, addressing the Heart, Mind, Body and Soul of every Mom.  She offers priorities for a healthy life, assuming the many roles of Moms, balancing demands and addressing emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual needs and goals. 

She shares her personal stories of trials and discoveries, as well as those of other moms, to further enlighten our way, reinforcing our need for daily personal prayer at the top of the list of priorities.  She invites us to be strengthened by Sacraments, Scripture, Mother Mary and the Saints and to live our Faith both as moms and as families.

I enjoyed the way the book was organized, nurturing our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.  Lisa’s honest and friendly writing style, peppered with her personal Mom moments endears her to the reader as a friend, talking casually “Mom to Mom” about “what works”.

I liked the placement of the resources as they relate to each chapter, but perhaps a consolidated index of the resources at the back of the book could ease future quick reference.  So much for criticism: that’s all I could come up with!

I enjoyed reading The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Believe it or not, my Doodle Summary (below)helps me to organize the many thoughts offered within the book and gently reminds me of what I’d like to work on!

I won my copy of The Handbook for Catholic Moms through Lisa Hendey’s website: http://www.catholicmom.com/  (or possibly through her Catholic Moments Podcast?).  I’m dangerously late posting this review, especially in light of the upcoming release of Lisa’s new book A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. 
I hope to get a copy of this new book from Lisa Hendey and I look forward to posting another review!

I hope to slowly build up my collection of  “Book Badge Reviews” and “Doodle Summaries” on my blog.  I will happily accept good Catholic reference, spiritual or fiction books in exchange for my honest review (and possible Doodle Summary).

Consoling the Heart of Jesus Book Review

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Consoling the Heart of Jesus A Do-It-Yourself Retreat by Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC.

I liked the approachable writing style of this book and found myself  thinking ‘Hey, I have felt that” and “that’s what I was thinking” as the author articulates how the reader might receive the down-to-earth instructions and possible obstacles to consoling the Heart of Jesus.

I liked how Fr Gaitley references St. Therese and St. Faustina and tackles the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius (although I think I need to read it again to grasp that myself).

Even though I wish I could have been more focused and consistent, (rather than reading the book in only short snippets over a couple of months), I found myself referring to it, trying to explain what I had already learned to close family and friends.  That’s a huge deal, given the life I have right now with young kids and limited opportunities I have to talk to peers wanting to grow in their Faith.

 
I was a little surprised that the Appendices comprise about half of the book.  I don’t usually go out of my way to read Appendices, but when I started reading the lengthy Appendix 2: (Diary of St Faustina), I could appreciate why it’s such a big component of the book, and it definitely supports the retreat format of the book.

I liked the review questions at the end of the chapters.  I guess, since I read the book over quite a long period of time,  I could have used a little summary page just before I reached those review questions, to refresh my memory. I guess that that’s where the Prayer Companion comes in: it’s the travel version, summarizing the basic teachings and prayers.

The book addressed the question “how can we console Jesus if He is happy in Heaven”…a question that, I think, would have gnawed at me over time. This book also addresses the obstacles that we can all relate to, that get in the way of seeking and surrendering to God’s Will.

I will continue to recommend this book and I know I will be reading it again!

This is my Doodle Summary of Consoling the Heart of Jesus.
This helps me to remember in a glance, some key steps to the retreat; things I’d like to incorporate into my daily prayer life.