Okay, so I am very curious about any spiritual reading you have planned for Lent!
Every year before Lent rolls around, I get so excited about picking a special book for the season -- which I never actually read. Sigh. For years, I intended to read What Jesus Saw From the Cross
. Then, for a couple of years, I was going to read Holy Thursday
. Both still sit on my shelf, unread.
So this year, I have a new strategy. I am going to read a book that I've already read and loved.Years ago, when I was in the aftermath of learning all of this, I discovered the diary of an anonymous French priest who lived a hundred years ago, published in a little book called Descending Fire: The Journal of a Soul Aflame. While I read, I was completely swept up into the mystical and very real relationship between a sanctified soul and God. Oh my word, talk about a thrilling, fulfilling romance! Knowing the spiritual delight that I am in for, it will be easy for me to accomplish my Lenten reading this year. (Is that cheating?)
Okay, how about you? What will you be reading this Lent?
*Note, I promise I did not steal this idea from Jen at Conversion Diary!! :)
i want to read the dolores passion by ann catherine emerich but it is THICK! we'll see...
ReplyDeleteI'm reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and "The Sleep Lady" and "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"...do those count?
ReplyDeleteI always intend to read Imitation of Christ and get about 1/2 way before I quit. Maybe I'll start with the second half this year!
ReplyDeleteI'm *planning* to get to The Way of the Pilgrim. We'll see!
ReplyDeleteOhhh, Kaitlin, I've heard the dolores passion is AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I usually get a very small lenten daily prayer book from our local catholic bookstore. Small snipets work best for me. Although I could really use very large snipets!
I think I'll get back to doing the Liturgy of the Hours too. Have you ever prayed them? It's pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI ordered Secrets of a Prayer Warrior by Derek Prince. I saw it on a Catholic site and the LORD had been leading me deeper into a prayer life ministry. It sounds really good and I'm excited to get started!
ReplyDeleteOh, I have a long list. One of my Lenten commitments this year is reading less secular material and more Catholic material. On my list so far:
ReplyDelete"Jesus" by Pope Benedict XVI (this is a re-read, I read it when it first came out and want to read it again, before I buy part II)
"An Essay On Development Of Christian Doctrine" by John Henry Cardinal Newman.
finish "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese of Liseux
"St. Thomas and St. Francis" by G.K. Chesterton
and I'm sorely tempted by "Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes" by Ann Margaret Lewis. Not sure if that would count as "spiritual" reading, though. :P Maybe that'll be an Easter gift to myself!
I'll be reading the bubble, do i get an award for that? hahahahaha !!!
ReplyDeleteOMGOSH hafsa that is the BEST book EVER!!!!
ReplyDeleteConsoling the Heart of Jesus - at least, that's what I'm planning. I may decide on something different once Lent actually begins. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to think of a book for lent for a few weeks now (particularly one that isn't too long so I could get through it easily- in addition to my homework, etc.), so when I saw your post I went straight to Amazon and ordered Descending Fire! I can't wait to read it, and I told my mom so I think she is going to read it too. Cecily should read it and then we can have a bizarre, long-distance mother/daughter book club haha
ReplyDeleteMary-Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth!! I think this is the first time you've commented on the Bubble! You deserve some kind of Bubble Award for that!! Yes, that would be a very cool, bizarre, world-spanning book club!! So fun!
ReplyDeleteSew, yes, reading this blog definitely counts as a Lenten sacrifice, ha ha!
ReplyDeleteMary Elizabeth is my daughter's name, so she gets an award for having an awesome name, too!
ReplyDelete;)
I'm reading "The Rage Against God" by Christopher Hitchens' brother Peter.
It is AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Cathy- those Hitchens brothers...they're something els, eh?
ReplyDeleteI"m reading The Sinner's Guide...still. Lenten goal is to finish it and get back to Introduction of the Devout Life!
And lol on the P.S. Great minds think alike, I geuss!
I'm finally going to pick back up the book "Meeting Jesus in the Gospels" by George Martin. Since I got back into teaching in Jan, it's been 7th & 8th grade papers but for Lent, I will do this! Thank you for bringing it up! Oh and try this book. It makes you look at Jesus in a whole different light. I LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to decide between A Forty Day Journey with Kathleen Norris which I read for lent two years ago and I really enjoyed or look for something new.
ReplyDeleteL,
ReplyDeleteI don't care for Chris, for obvious reasons (I think he's hateful, hysterical, immature - acts like a schoolgirl who just got her first period)
but Peter is amazing. Simple, beautiful writing, and such awesome insight into the Hitchens boys' childhoods and how it shaped their beliefs and led to their embrace of atheism. (Chris's continues, duh, but Peter is a convert.)
I'm really behind in my Carmel homework, so I'll be frantically reading the works of Teresa of Avila this Lent.
ReplyDeleteDid you all hear some of the wording in the Mass prayers will be changing by this coming Advent? Cardinal Wurel has a new book out called "The Mass" that gives people a heads up on the new texts. It's a very quick read.
I am going to finish reading 'Story of a Soul' by St. Therese of Lisieux. I read 'Divine Mercy in My Soul' by Saint Faustina, it is a FANTASTIC book. It took a very long time to read because there was so much packed in each page. It is my favorite book! I am planning to read something on NFP, we 'think' we practice it, but neither of us have really read about it before. Also, I want to read 'Dark Night of the Soul'.
ReplyDeleteLots of great ideas! Thanks for asking this, Leila.
ReplyDeleteLeila, I read that book once too! Too much! How cool. Great idea to re-read something you once read. Oh, where to start???
ReplyDeleteMy book club is going to read Jesus the Sequel (as I like to call it) by B16 coming out during Lent! Other than that, I think I should try to crack open my Bible more often... as in other than just studying the Sunday readings....
ReplyDeleteI have just finished Divine Mercy by St.Faustina and now am re-reading it to my husband who hates to read but is ok with listening...someone earlier mentioned they were afraid to read the book--maybe you were just kidding--but don't be afraid, it's about the mercy of God! I love it and that's why I'm reading it to my husband.
ReplyDeleteI'm also reading him (we alternate books)"The Secret of the Rosary" by St.Louis de Montfort. LOVE that guy! For anyone who loves or loathes the rosary, you need to read this book. It will inspire you to pray it and answer all your arguments for why you SHOULD say it. Not to mention has amazing stories and the history of how the rosary all started. This is my 3rd time reading this book but I can't get enough of it...
I'm going to read the books that you sent me at Christmastime (and no, I'm not kissing up!!!). I'm probably going to read some Lenten/Easter themed picture books to my class as well -- does that count?
ReplyDeleteMary Elizabeth shouldn't get awards for anything. ;)
ReplyDeleteKidding! She should get one just for pointing me towards the Bubble!! Luv ya!!
I just finished reading the Dolorous Passion by Anne Catherine Emmerich. It was awesome. I want to read The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also by Anne Catherine) now. I also want to get through Summa Theologica, and possibly Confessions...but this will take longer than 40 days for me. :)
ReplyDeleteSO many good ideas. I am not offically overwhelmed!
ReplyDeleteMy main goal is to read the Divine Office at morning and night (right now I just do morning prayer during Bella's morning nap). I also want to read something by Fulton Sheen!
I am giving up facebook (my horrible time consuming addiction) so I should have hours of extra free time to read!
I've begun to read *Jesus and Jewish Roots of the Eucharist* by Dr. Brant Pitre. I will begin to read it again as soon as I finish it! And then, I'll probably read it again during Lent! It's fascinating. This is the description from Amazon:
ReplyDeleteIn recent years, Christians everywhere are rediscovering the Jewish roots of their faith. Every year at Easter time, many believers now celebrate Passover meals (known as Seders) seeking to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover, the night before he was crucified.
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”?
To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys—the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence—have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus’ presence in “the breaking of the bread.”
So glad to see this discussion!!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to finish Fulton Sheen's "Life of Christ", but I'm currently all caught up in Church history, and just started "The Fathers of the Church". Maybe I can learn everything there is to know about the topic before lent begins and then get back to my 1/4 finished "Life of Christ".
I'm taking note of the other highly recommended books here also.
I just ordered Taylor Marshall's books, The Catholic Perspective on Paul the Crucified Rabbi: Jewish Roots of Catholic Christianity...hopefully I get some quiet time!
ReplyDeleteLast year, I read Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Michael Gaitley and got so much out of it. I'm looking forward to reading it again as it really is designed as a Lenten retreat of sorts. It's a blend of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, Story of a Soul and the Diary of St. Faustina.
ReplyDeleteI will likely be spending time with Mr. Lewis this Lent.
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ReplyDeleteThe pastor will be passing out lenten booklets with daily meditations as he's done in the past. The books have plain covers. Not even a title is printed on the cover. The books have already been delivered: I saw the boxes of the books in the back room. He also gives us Advent books.
ReplyDeleteI'm catching up on my Living Faith book that I carry in my purse.
I'd like to get my hands on Love and Responsibility by the Super JPII. Then I would like to throw it at a certain man's head in hopes he'd learn by omosis (sp?. But I know throwing books is not a very loving thing to do.
Now I will go back to living in the present because right now I don't want to be thinking of Lent. Lent will come soon enough. Ordinary time is just fine with me at the moment.
One thing I'll be reading is the little "Moral Theology" book by Fr. Heribert Jone that Leila recommended I find. It just arrived today! Thanks Leila. It's so small.
ReplyDeleteMy plan is to read Fulfillment of All Desire this Lent. I started it early after finishing a few good books in a row (Drinking: A Love Story; No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy: and Unbroken). If I finish it early (not likely because there is so much to stop and think about), I'd love to read Consoling the Heart of Jesus. It's on my Amazon wish list!
ReplyDeleteDarn that Sew, she stole my idea. I am going to be a better reader and conmenter on your delightfully interesting blog.
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