Review: Sermon in a Sentence by Baronius Press

"Character is not revealed when life shows its best side, but when it shows its worst." -Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Sermon in a Sentence 63)

At the end of 2015, our friends at Baronius Press published a new series of books called Sermon in a Sentence.  Each volume seeks to provide a "treasury of quotations on the spiritual life"  in a compact, yet readable package for today's Catholic.  Baronius Press decided to inaugurate this new series by selecting three of the most influential and beloved Catholics of the 20th century: St. Faustina Kowalska, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and St. John Paul II.  Each book, edited and arranged by John P. McClernon, contains "hundreds of direct quotes and short sayings arranged according to the Christian virtues and other spiritual topics, allowing the reader to encounter their thoughts about particular aspects of the Christian life."  There are truly hundreds of quotes in each volume for you to ponder and pray over.  These books are not haphazardly arranged like some of the "quote books" you may have encountered.  The amount of time that Mr. McClernon put into each volume must have been enormous.  The material from the St. John Paul II volume was gleaned from his various public talks, while the Fulton Sheen one comes from ten of his works.  The St. Faustina edition comes entirely from her Diary.

In each of these three books, the first fifteen chapters are arranged corresponding to the classical Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary.  There is an additional section in all three volumes for the Luminous Mysteries as well.  Other topics that are covered and found in all three books include prayer, the Mass, the Church, the priesthood, as well as topics unique to each person, like St. Faustina and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  Each quote ranges from 1-3 sentences in length and includes a reference to where you can find the quote in the particular author's body of writing or talks.  In our fast-paced world, these little volumes certainly meet an important need in the Church.  Many of us can easily get overwhelmed by the demands of each day, yet these small devotionals allow us to take a moment to reflect on various topics from these three spiritual masters.  

As usual with anything that comes from Baronius, these books are produced of the highest quality.  Like the various bibles, prayer books, and other volumes they produce these will last a lifetime.  Each hardcover edition measures around 4 5/8" X 6 3/4", which makes them incredibly portable.  The paper is thick and opaque, making reading a pleasure.  The binding is smythe sewn and contains a ribbon marker.  Head/tail bands and endpapers (which many of you know I adore) round out a wonderfully produced volume.  I can't say enough about the continued high standards that Baronius Press continues to meet with each of their releases.

So, if you are looking to add some wisdom from three great heroes of the faith to your daily recitation of the Rosary, the Sermon in a Sentence series is just what you need.  These make perfect gifts for birthdays, for teens receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, and those entering the Church at the Easter Vigil.  The price for each volume is $14.95, which is amazingly cheap for the quality of the book, itself, as well as the wisdom that is contained within it.  I truly look forward to future volumes.  I would love to see one focused on this blog's patron saint, Msgr. Ronald Knox.

I would like to thank Baronius Press for providing the review copies for this review.

JPII on Listening to the Word

"There is no doubt that this primacy of holiness and prayer is inconceivable without a renewed listening to the word of God. Ever since the Second Vatican Council underlined the pre-eminent role of the word of God in the life of the Church, great progress has certainly been made in devout listening to Sacred Scripture and attentive study of it. Scripture has its rightful place of honour in the public prayer of the Church. Individuals and communities now make extensive use of the Bible, and among lay people there are many who devote themselves to Scripture with the valuable help of theological and biblical studies. But it is above all the work of evangelization and catechesis which is drawing new life from attentiveness to the word of God. Dear brothers and sisters, this development needs to be consolidated and deepened, also by making sure that every family has a Bible. It is especially necessary that listening to the word of God should become a life-giving encounter, in the ancient and ever valid tradition of lectio divina, which draws from the biblical text the living word which questions, directs and shapes our lives."  - JPII, Novo Millennio Ineunte 39

The New Evangelization and the Bible Part 1

Blessed Pope John Paul II, following the lead of Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi, called on the whole Church to be involved in a New Evangelization leading up to the Millennium year of 2000. In his encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio, JPII declared that "the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples(2-3)." This is quite a charge, and one that needs to be heeded, particularly in the West.

Following the lead of his venerable predecessors, Pope Benedict has recently declared that October 11, 2012 will begin a "Year of Faith". It will mark not only the fifty year anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, but also the Synod of Bishops meeting on the New Evangelization.

So, my question to you is what role do the Holy Scriptures have in the New Evangelization?

Here is what Blessed John Paul II said in this regard, in paragraph 39 of his wonderful apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte:

"There is no doubt that this primacy of holiness and prayer is inconceivable without a renewed listening to the word of God. Ever since the Second Vatican Council underlined the pre-eminent role of the word of God in the life of the Church, great progress has certainly been made in devout listening to Sacred Scripture and attentive study of it. Scripture has its rightful place of honour in the public prayer of the Church. Individuals and communities now make extensive use of the Bible, and among lay people there are many who devote themselves to Scripture with the valuable help of theological and biblical studies. But it is above all the work of evangelization and catechesis which is drawing new life from attentiveness to the word of God. Dear brothers and sisters, this development needs to be consolidated and deepened, also by making sure that every family has a Bible. It is especially necessary that listening to the word of God should become a life-giving encounter, in the ancient and ever valid tradition of lectio divina, which draws from the biblical text the living word which questions, directs and shapes our lives."

More recently, Pope Benedict XVI in his recent post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini (96) remarked:

"Pope John Paul II, taking up the prophetic words of Pope Paul VI in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, had in a variety of ways reminded the faithful of the need for a new missionary season for the entire people of God. At the dawn of the third millennium not only are there still many peoples who have not come to know the Good News, but also a great many Christians who need to have the word of God once more persuasively proclaimed to them, so that they can concretely experience the power of the Gospel. Many of our brothers and sisters are “baptized, but insufficiently evangelized”. In a number of cases, nations once rich in faith and in vocations are losing their identity under the influence of a secularized culture. The need for a new evangelization, so deeply felt by my venerable Predecessor, must be valiantly reaffirmed, in the certainty that God’s word is effective. The Church, sure of her Lord’s fidelity, never tires of proclaiming the good news of the Gospel and invites all Christians to discover anew the attraction of following Christ."

The use of Scripture in our daily prayer is essential, but how are we to use Scripture in the active evangelization of our culture?

Blessed John Paul II

Anniversary of JPII's Death

John Paul II will always be remembered, by me, with great affection. I know that the work I do now and the life I live has been formed by the words and witness of John Paul II. Even though I never met him, he was one of the first to truly introduce me to the love of Christ. Thank you Lord Jesus for the life and dedication of your servant Karol Wojtyla.