Catholicism Pure and Simple

I first came across the writings of popular Catholic blogger Fr. Dwight Longenecker a few years back when I was in Rome.  I had stopped in a fairly large bookstore just outside the Vatican and picked up a small booklet entitled The God Man: Finding the Real Jesus written by Fr. Longenecker.  It was a short book, but one that was both very clear and elegant in its style and convincing in its argumentation.  I am very happy to report that you can now acquire this small booklet, which is now part of a much larger collection that has just recently been published entitled Catholicism Pure and Simple.

This volume is a simple explanation of the faith, but full of fantastic insights.  For example, in the section discussing the rise of the prophetic movement in ancient Israel, Fr. Longenecker writes:


"In the second part of the Old Testament the Jewish
writers begin to speak the language of love. The
prophets were holy men who taught the Jewish people
about God in a vivid and powerful way. In many different
ways the Jewish prophets tell us that God loves
his people.  They say God is like a passionate lover who seeks
and pursues the beloved everywhere. He is a faithful
husband who loves his wife no matter what she does.
The ancient Jewish writers tell us that God is a good
and gentle shepherd. He is a wise and gracious king,
a patient Father, and a long-suffering servant. The
prophets say that he is a faithful God: although we
might turn away from him, he will never turn away
from us."

Beautiful huh?  A number of people who have already reviewed this book point out that it would be a helpful companion for those in R.C.I.A. classes.  While I wholeheartedly agree with that statement, I am planning on giving it to family members for Christmas as way of (re-)evangelizing family members.  We are in the "Year of Faith", a time to rekindle not only our own faith life, but also those around us who may have left the Church.  I think Catholicism Pure and Simple is an excellent tool in doing this!

The "Year of Faith" Begins!

"The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.

 Ever since the start of my ministry as Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. During the homily at the Mass marking the inauguration of my pontificate I said: “The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.”[1] It often happens that Christians are more concerned for the social, cultural and political consequences of their commitment, continuing to think of the faith as a self-evident presupposition for life in society. In reality, not only can this presupposition no longer be taken for granted, but it is often openly denied.[2] Whereas in the past it was possible to recognize a unitary cultural matrix, broadly accepted in its appeal to the content of the faith and the values inspired by it, today this no longer seems to be the case in large swathes of society, because of a profound crisis of faith that has affected many people.

 We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within him (cf. Jn 4:14). We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27). The question posed by his listeners is the same that we ask today: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (Jn 6:28). We know Jesus’ reply: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (Jn 6:29). Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation. 

 In the light of all this, I have decided to announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II,[3] with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith. This document, an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council, was requested by the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1985 as an instrument at the service of catechesis[4] and it was produced in collaboration with all the bishops of the Catholic Church. Moreover, the theme of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that I have convoked for October 2012 is “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. This will be a good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith. It is not the first time that the Church has been called to celebrate a Year of Faith. My venerable Predecessor the Servant of God Paul VI announced one in 1967, to commemorate the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul on the 19th centenary of their supreme act of witness. He thought of it as a solemn moment for the whole Church to make “an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith”; moreover, he wanted this to be confirmed in a way that was “individual and collective, free and conscious, inward and outward, humble and frank”.[5] He thought that in this way the whole Church could reappropriate “exact knowledge of the faith, so as to reinvigorate it, purify it, confirm it, and confess it”.[6] The great upheavals of that year made even more evident the need for a celebration of this kind. It concluded with the Credo of the People of God,[7] intended to show how much the essential content that for centuries has formed the heritage of all believers needs to be confirmed, understood and explored ever anew, so as to bear consistent witness in historical circumstances very different from those of the past." 

--

PORTA FIDEI (1-4)

OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
BENEDICT XVI

FOR THE INDICTION OF THE YEAR OF FAITH

SBP: "Year with the Bible"

I have never used a Bible devotional in the past, but this will change during the upcoming "Year of Faith."  Last week, I was very excited to get my hands on A Year with the Bible: Scriptural Wisdom for Daily Living and it has exceeded my expectations.

Here is the book description:

Beautifully bound and embossed, this daily devotional offers rich passages from the Bible accompanied by thoughtful meditations by Madrid, world-renowned writer and scholar.

This vibrant and spiritual collection is the perfect daily companion, packed with the wisdom of the Scriptures; the Word of God.

A Year with the Bible is a worthy introduction to Scripture, a daily devotional, a tool for deeper prayer, this book is as versatile as it is beautiful.

Premium Ultrasoft with two-tone sewn binding, ribbon marker and gold edges. 

Physically, this is a gorgeous daily devotional Bible.  I absolutely love the premium ultrasoft binding, which has a very nice smooth, yet strong feel to it.  Even better, the binding is sewn, not glued.  If you remember, most of the Bibles produced by Saint Benedict Press are glued, so maybe this is a signal to what we can expect from future SBP Bible releases.  (I know that would be welcomed by many readers of this blog.)  Since this devotional is brand new, it does not open flat quite yet, however, with the sewn binding I am sure that this will come in time.  Its overall size, coming in at 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches, makes "A Year with the Bible" very portable and thin enough to carry around with your favorite Bible or Breviary.  The paper is sturdy and glossy, not the thin Bible paper that we usually find in devotional books.  The gold edges also add a nice touch.

So, what is found on the inside?  The RSV-CE is the text used throughout.  No real surprise there.  When you open the book, you will be greeted by a charming presentation page which allows room for not only a name and date/occasion, but also seven lines for a personal note or greeting.  This will prove to be nice for those who wish to purchase this devotional as a gift for another.  After an introduction and a section on "How to use this book" there is a one page opening "Prayer for Grace and Illumination" by Saint Padre Pio.  Another nice touch!

When you get into the heart of this book, you will see that the devotions are numbered, not assigned to a particular day on the calendar.  That makes starting this devotional at any day of the year quite easy, as I will do beginning on October 11.  Each page contains a title, which gives the theme for the day's devotion, followed by a short one to three sentence opening consideration.  Next comes the biblical text itself, which is selected from throughout the Bible, and relates to the theme of the day.  While most often one passage is used, there are times when a particular day may display three or four short passages that relate to the day's theme.  After reading the biblical text, there is a concluding consideration, often in question form, and then finally a closing prayer that ties everything together.  Each page has a clean lay out and offers the reader plenty of space to add personal notes or to highlight verses that really touch them.   (If you want to take a look inside, just go to the Amazon listing which provides a generous sampling of this product.)

Overall, this is a beautifully produced and well thought out devotional.  I am truly looking forward to making this part of my daily devotions for the "Year of Faith".  I hope to post some of the insights I have gained while praying with this devotional as they come up.

Thank you to Saint Benedict Press for providing me a review copy.

What Will You Be Reading For The "Year of Faith"

As we approach the "Year of Faith", which will kick-off on October 11th, what will you be doing to observe this holy year?

I will be reading and reflecting on two newly released books.  The first is A Year with the Bible from Saint Benedict Press.  Edited by noted Catholic apologist Patrick Madrid, I think this will serve as a wonderful daily devotional.  (I do plan to have a review of this product up in the next few days.)

Secondly, to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, I will be reflecting on Ralph Martin's Will Many Be Saved?: What Vatican II Actually Teaches and Its Implication for the New Evangelization published by Eerdmans.  This book focuses on the main issues surrounding Lumen Gentium 16 and how it has been interpreted by theologians like Rahner and Balthasar.


So, how about you?

Year of Faith Bible Study

Fr. Mitch Pacwa, from EWTN, has produced a Bible study to accompany the upcoming Year of Faith which begins in October.  Published by OSV, this study will be available later this month.  You can read a few pages from it here.  You can also read the Holy Father's Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei annoucing the Year of Faith here.

According to the OSV site:

Our society is struggling with what Pope Benedict has called "profound crisis of faith that has affected many people."
In response, the Holy Father has called us all to a Year of Faith from October 2012 to November 2013.

We see the signs all around us: the demand for science to prove everything before we can believe it, the role of media and celebrities who deny the existence of God and denounce the role of the Church, and the ease in which we can all isolate God and faith into only one part of our life.
In a follow-up to his best selling St. Paul Bible Study for Catholics during the year of St. Paul, Fr. Mitch Pacwa once again leads Catholics to a deeper understanding of Pope Benedict's call to action for the year.

Perfect for individual or group study, this book is a wonderful guide to experiencing a conversion, growing in faith, and following Jesus Christ more closely. It shows us how to integrate every component of our life – relationships, morality, work, recreation, and all – into a meaningful whole.
Make the most of Pope Benedict's Year of Faith, walking hand in hand with Fr. Pacwa as he guides you through the beauty and insights of Scripture in relationship to your everyday life.