Friday, 25 July 2025

Hope Without Borders 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan - Great Spiritual Teachers

Hope Without Borders: 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini
Great Spiritual Teachers
Amy J. Cattapan
ISBN 9781646804030
eISBN 9781646804047
ASIN B0F8239MQH

Hope Without Borders 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan - Great Spiritual Teachers

This is the seventh volume in the Great Spiritual Teachers series I have read. It is a new release in 2025, and I had access to an advanced review copy. I was enjoying it so much I preordered the eBook as soon as it was available. Last year the first I read in the series was Born to Do This: 30 Days with Joan of Arc by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, and loved it and the concept of the series. I have read about this saint, and I loved that every prayer starts with approaching the Sacred Heart of Jesus..

The description of this volume states:

“Explore the life and legacy of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen to be canonized, through this short yet transformative thirty-day retreat. Cabrini was known for her tireless devotion to orphans, immigrants, and the sick, and her unshakable courage and missionary zeal were driven by her deep love for Jesus and his Sacred Heart.

In Hope Without Borders, you'll explore the spiritual practices that fueled Cabrini's remarkable life. Drawing from her journals, letters, and retreat notes, this book provides daily meditations, reflections, and short prayers to guide your journey. Cabrini's writings, inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, reveal how retreat and prayer became her wellspring of strength, enabling her to persevere in her mission. As Cabrini herself wrote, "It is in retreat that the soul learns to give internal glances at the beauty and goodness of God."

Whether you're seeking to deepen your prayer life or reconnect with God amid a busy schedule, Hope Without Borders offers a practical and inspiring path. An excellent addition to the Great Spiritual Teacher series, this book is an accessible companion for anyone looking to root their spiritual practice in the wisdom of the saints.
Let the words and example of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini draw you closer to Christ--the true source of hope and strength.”

About the series we are informed:

“Each book in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic's writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one's thoughts as the day ends. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.”

About the author we are informed:

“Amy J. Cattapan is a middle-school English teacher, Catholic speaker, retreat leader, and author who has written or contributed to several books, including Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?, A Saint Squad for Teachers, Chicken Soup for the Soul: From Lemons to Lemonade, and the award-winning novels Angelhood and Seven Riddles to Nowhere. She hosts Cath-Lit Live!”

I believe there are 16 volumes in this series currently in print, including the first I read last year that was new and this new releases. There are also a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the mid 90’s and it looks like they went through a rebranding and format change in the mid 00’s, and they have undergone yet another rebranding in the 2020’s including some new titles available in the series. I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to that first volume on Joan. I have however added a number of them to my ‘to be read list’. I love the most recent rebranding, and hope Ave Maria completes the rebranding across all volumes, and brings back into print some of the volumes currently not available; specifically the volumes on John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Mother Theresa and others. But back to this work.

While reading this I highlighted a few passages, some of them are:

“The books in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provide an introduction to the spiritual insights and wisdom of some of history’s most extraordinary saints. Through these pages, you’re invited to a place beyond mere reading, into an experience of daily prayer and meditation. You’ll be accompanied by a spiritual teacher whose wisdom will awaken, enrich, and empower your walk with the Lord. In other words, these books take you on a spiritual journey.”

“The daily format is there to help—but don’t hesitate to go at your own pace or take your own route! Repeat a day as often as you like, or skip a day if the reading isn’t resonating with where you are in your journey. The goal is to hear the voice of God through the words of the saints.”

“We’ve chosen to follow the suggestion of the classic book on spirituality The Cloud of Unknowing, which describes a three-part movement of reading, ref lecting, and praying: “These three are so linked together that there can be no profitable reflection without first reading or hearing. Nor will beginners or even the spiritually adept come to true prayer without first taking time to reflect on what they have heard or read.””

“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, may my faith always burn brightly in my heart. I know that the best way to keep this flame going is to spend time in conversation with you. Making this thirty-day retreat is one little way I can fan this flame.”

“My Jesus, how I desire to be near you in the Garden of Olives where I see you abandoned in deep anguish! How much you suffer, my Jesus—and if I reflect on the reason for it, my God, what tremendous confusion! My sins are the cause for your bitter agony that even makes you sweat blood! Please, my Jesus, I beg you to forget my wickedness and allow me to watch beside you, allow me to say a word of comfort.”

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, I offer everything I do today for the conversion of sinners, including myself.”

“Oh, if everyone had knowledge of the great and beautiful advantages of meditation and of speaking familiarly with Jesus, if they could experience these heavenly joys, they would certainly envy our happy life (or state).”

“Let us love Jesus, then my daughters, let us love him very much. Jesus has ready for us many other graces, but he is waiting to be loved by us more and more, in order to grant these graces to us. On one occasion he said to one of his faithful servants that if he could find souls who would love him, as St. Francis of Assisi did, he would give us as many graces as he bestowed upon that saint, and even greater ones.”

“What a joy it is to speak freely with you! When I spend time in conversation with you, you never fail to grant me special graces. So many people in this world do not know of your great love and mercy. Help me to love you as Mother Cabrini did so that, like her, I can bring you many more souls to love.”

“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I want to do all things for your greater honor and glory. Help me to take my example from your faithful servants, such as your Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. They knew how to surrender themselves totally to you so that they could fulfill their role in your project here on Earth. Give me the protection of my guardian angel and St. Michael the Archangel, as I joyfully and enthusiastically commit myself to your service.”

“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, when faced with a challenging situation, it can be easy to think we must run around, taking control of everyone and everything, even nature. While it is good to care for one another and look out for one another, sometimes the best we can do is pray and hope.”

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, infuse the words I will speak today with hope, love, and encouragement.”

“When I hear your voice and know your will, I need only listen and obey. This is the kind of unshakeable peace that comes only from loving you. And if I truly love you, then I will imitate you. And by imitating you, I will honor and glorify you.”

“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, it can be hard to practice obedience to your will. St. Frances wanted to be a missionary to China. However, Pope Leo XIII asked her to go to the West and not the East. Because she vowed to be obedient, she followed his instructions faithfully. This obedience proved so fruitful that he then encouraged her to carry your holy name around the world. In turn, she encouraged her sisters to pray for the Holy Father. Lord, I pray today for our pope. May he be a true shepherd to your people so that we can continue to carry your Holy Name everywhere.”

“The essence of sanctity consists in recognizing the sovereignty of God over us and being submissive to him, surrendering in silence and in peace without complaining about the lack of human comforts. This is the goal which the soul consecrated to God must achieve. Let us regard afflictions as a guardian angel, a beneficent shadow that prevents the burning sun of earthly things from drying up our prayer and virtue. … ”

“O Sacred Heart of Jesus, children will never forget the impressions we leave on them. Whether we are parents or teachers, aunts or uncles, or simply neighbors and friends, the children in our lives are watching us. They are learning how to become people of goodwill and good works. Help us to form the next generation, especially those young people who are most resistant to receiving your great love. May we be inspired by Mother Cabrini’s words to work with energy and a spirit of sacrifice to give others a sense of hope for as long as you give us time to do your work.”

A sample day is:

DAY 13
 My Day Begins 

LETTER TO HER MISSIONARY SISTERS, OCTOBER 10, 1891, NEW YORK TO NICARAGUA

At 1 p.m. the anchor was raised and we glided slowly out of the port, while the sisters and friends waved their handkerchiefs. . . . Till evening we coasted along the shore, which we should have done all night, I believe, had not a terrific storm arisen which threatened to dash the boat and all it contained to pieces. At one moment the boat rolled from side to side with such force as to threaten to capsize. The sisters could hardly keep in their berths. I arose and dressed in haste to save them all, hoping at least to die together. Our luggage rolled about in all directions, like so many animated objects. There was nothing to stop it. No one could keep still, not even if seated on the floor. The sea swelled in an extraordinary way. The waves formed mountains as if by magic—one could see, as it were, deep valleys between them. The steamer seemed lost amidst these mountainous precipices of water. The wind worked havoc on deck, and threatened to split the cabins, but limited its caprice to the doctor’s only. …

But, God be praised! For during the terrible storm, as the Captain told us, no one was lost or hurt. . . . I was praying to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, in whose month we were voyaging. Then I lighted the candle of Our Lady of Loretto, so efficacious against sea storms, and our Most Holy Mother did really come to our aid, delivering us from the extreme danger which surrounded us!

All Through the Day

Sacred Heart of Jesus, in times of trouble, may I always turn to you in prayer.
 
My Day Is Ending

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, when faced with a challenging situation, it can be easy to think we must run around, taking control of everyone and everything, even nature. While it is good to care for one another and look out for one another, sometimes the best we can do is pray and hope. When I am faced with a situation where I’ve done all I can do, I will turn to the Rosary and pray for peace in my heart, trusting that our Holy Mother will carry our intentions to you so that you can protect us and guide us.”

I hope those quotes and the sample day give you a feel for this excellent volume.  I have now read 7 volumes in this series, and currently working on a eighth, and I can state this is one of the best. I find that some speak to me more than others. With one almost every day was like an aha moment, others are more work and fewer moments. This one every day was a great experience. I can state I benefited from the month with each person being profiled. And if I went back and did a volume again at a different point or season in life I might interact with it differently. I already plan to circle back to both this volume and the volume on Joan and reread them once I have completed the series, or at least those I can track down.

This was one of the volumes I really connected with. This is an excellent read, it is one I really enjoyed reading. I can easily recommend this volume and the series as a whole, and I look forward to reading others in the series. If you have not given any in this series a try this would be an excellent starting point.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan

Great Spiritual Teachers Series from Ave Maria Press

Books in the Great Spiritual Teachers Series:
Abide in love: the Gospel spirituality of John the Evangelist – John Kirvan 
Draw Ever Closer - Henri J. M. Nouwen and Robert M. Hamma  
Fear Not the Night - John of the Cross and John Kirvan 
God Awaits You Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister - Richard Chilson 
Grace Through Simplicity - Evelyn Underhill and John Kirvan 
Let There Be Light - Hildegard of Bingen and John Kirvan 
Living in the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence and John Kirvan 
Love Without Measure - Mother Teresa and John Kirvan 
Peace of Heart - Saint Francis of Assisi and John Kirvan 
Rejoice in the Lord - Augustine of Hippo and Trenton Mattingly  
Set Aside Every Fear - Catherine of Siena and John Kirvan  
That you may have life: let the mystics be your guide for Lent - John Kirvan 
True Serenity - Thomas a Kempis and John Kirvan 
We Are Beloved - Thea Bowman and Karianna Frey MS 
Where Only Love Can Go - The Cloud of Unknowing and John Kirvan  
You Shall Not Want: The Psalms - Richard Chilson 


Books about the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
Hope Without Borders: 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan - Great Spiritual Teachers 

Books by A.J. Cattapan:
Anglehood
Seven Riddles to Nowhere

As Amy J. Cattapan:
A Saint Squad for Teachers: 45 Heavenly Friends to Carry You Through the School Year
...

Contributed to:

Thursday, 24 July 2025

Make Our Hearts Like Yours - Thomas J Kronholz - Daily Meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Make Our Hearts Like Yours: 
Daily Meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Thomas J Kronholz
ISBN 9781639661787
eISBN 9781639661794
ASIN B0F3XRLN6J

Make Our Hearts Like Yours - Thomas J Kronholz - Daily Meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I picked up this volume on the recommendation of an author I really trust. It did not disappoint. In fact it was so good I could hardly put it down. And read through the whole volume over a few weeks and have set a reminder in my calendar to start it again on January 1st and read each of the daily devotions over the year as intended. The description of this volume states:

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the revelation of God's love for man, made flesh. The heart is a symbol of our passions, desires, and will. Meditating upon Jesus' heart can transform our own hearts so we might be one with him.

Make Our Hearts Like Yours is a comprehensive collection of meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, drawn from saints and scholars of every age of Church history. Arranged according to the liturgical calendar, this daily devotional highlights the centrality of the Incarnation and God's unmeasured mercy. It is for all Catholics who desire a deeper encounter with the merciful heart of Jesus, guided by the witness of the Church Fathers, medieval mystics, and contemporary saints.

Because of the varied character of these reflections, this book lends itself to those setting out on a life of conversion, even as it challenges those advanced in prayer. Its poignant texts pierce the heart, allowing the healing balm of divine love to bring about our renewal.”

About the author we are informed:

“Thomas J. Kronholz is a systematic theologian, author, and classical pianist. He holds advanced degrees in systematic theology from Notre Dame Graduate School at Christendom College and piano performance from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. A teacher of both theology and music, he has taught at the university and secondary level, lectured at parishes, and worked in association with the Pontifical Studies Foundation.”

This book has both:

“Nihil Obstat
Msgr. Michael Heintz, Ph.D.
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur
✠ Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend
April 2, 2024

The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book is free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.”

There is a reflection for each day of the year in this book. Each day has three sections; a brief section about the person or feast, a quote by or about them, and concludes with a prayer to the Sacred Heart. My first time through this volume I only highlighted a few passages, all were prayers at the end of specific days, they were:

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, infinitely exalted above the earth, raise me up to You. Make me participate in that heavenly conversation in which all extol Your glory. Saint Longinus, you who pierced heaven’s heart, pray for us!”

“Heart of Jesus, glory of the angels and delight of the saints, let my heart ever exult in You. Graciously grant me perseverance unto the end. St. Paulinus of Aquileia, defender of the Faith, pray for us!”

“Sacred Heart of Jesus, throne of mercy and model of compassion, destroy all my illusions of pride. Conform my heart to Yours that I might ever manifest Your charity. St. Macarius of Egypt, model of asceticism, pray for us!”

“Heart of Jesus, be with me in my greatest sufferings, that I may accept each trial as a gift. Bring faith out of darkness, hope from despair, and victory out of defeat. Bl. Mary of the Divine Heart, pray for us!”

A sample day is:

February 13

Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895–1979) served as an archbishop, professor, and media evangelist. Here he teaches that Christ understood human suffering with all the perfect knowledge of the Godhead, yet the cross afforded Him direct human experience of pain. God has therefore shared in our griefs.

“Shall we not say this, and find in the cross of Calvary the perfect expression of love by an all-perfect being? … If we do say this, that He is very God of very God, and love is now reaching its climax in the redemption of mankind, then no longer can men say, “Why does God send men into the world to be miserable when He is happy?” — for the God-man is miserable now. No longer can men say, “God makes me suffer pain while He goes through none” — for the God-man is now enduring pain to the utmost. No longer can men say that God has a Heart that cannot understand, for now His own Sacred Heart understands what it is to be abandoned by God and man as He suffers — suspended between the kingdoms of both, between heaven and earth, rejected by one and abandoned by the other. Now it is true to say of love itself that it is really dying for us, for greater love than this no man hath that a man lay down his life for his friend.”

Sacred Heart of Jesus, conform us to Your cross of charity by which You revealed Your love for humanity. Ven. Fulton Sheen, pray for us!”

Another sample is:

November 2 | Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Today, we remember those holy souls who have departed from this world yet remain in need of intercessory prayer. Here, Bl. Columba Marmion recalls Christ’s sorrow over death as He wept over Lazarus and Jerusalem, and manifested His solidarity with suffering mankind upon the cross.

“He wept over Jerusalem, His own city which He loved despite its ingratitude; the thought of the disaster that would fall upon it after His death drew tears from His eyes.

He wept at the death of Lazarus as we weep over those we cherish, [shedding] tears because His Heart was touched; He wept for him who was His friend: The tears sprang from the depth of His Heart. Several times too it is said of Him in the Gospel that His Heart was touched with compassion. …

All the mockeries, all the outrages with which He was saturated in His passion, being buffeted and spit upon; all these insults, far from leaving Him insensible, caused Him intense suffering. His nature being more perfect, His sensibility was the greater and more delicate. He was plunged in an abyss of suffering. Lastly, after having shown himself to be truly man, He willed to endure death like all the sons of Adam: Et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum.”

Sacred Heart of Jesus, tender and kind, grant rest unto those holy souls who have departed this world in Your friendship. All saints, pray for us!”

I hope those sample days give you a feel for this volume. I loved encountering so many saints and reading about their devotion. This is a truly wonderful volume. It is one I wish had been available when I was younger. It is a life changing book. To read about so many saints, and pray to the Sacred Hearty so much was deeply moving and challenging. It is a book I look forward to reading again and one I can easily recommend. I challenge you to give this book a try, I guarantee you will be changed by reading and praying through it.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan

Books about the Sacred Heart of Jesus:
Hope Without Borders: 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan - Great Spiritual Teachers 


Wednesday, 23 July 2025

Quarterback Exchange I Was John Elway - Gordon Korman - Monday Night Football Club Book 1

Quarterback Exchange I Was John Elway
Monday Night Football Club Book 1
Gordon Korman
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN 9780786812363
ISBN 0786812362

Quarterback Exchange I Was John Elway - Gordon Korman - Monday Night Football Club Book 1

This book was originally published in 1997, with six different editions publishing that year under a variety of imprints. It is the first in a series of 6 volumes. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read 68 of his books including this volume, a few of them more than once. I set the goal of reading all his books about 2020. I am over half way thorough his canon, and have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged, and I am always entertained. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them. 

The description of this volume states:

“When Nicholas Farrel Lighter (N.F.L.) receives an old, itchy football jersey from his grandfather, his first inclination is to throw it away, but he soon discovers that the jersey allows him to switch places with John Elway during a Monday Night Football game. Original."”

The description on the back of the edition I read states:

“FREAKY MONDAY

When Nicholas Farrel Lighter receives the world's itchiest (and most ancient) football jersey as a legacy from his grandfather, his first inclination is to throw it away. But then he starts to hear voices in his head—voices that call out football plays. I'm dreaming, Nick tells himself. But the dreams become more and more real. And then Nick finds himself in a locker room with the Broncos, and they're calling him . . . John Elway?”

The inside cover of the book has a letter from John Elway:

“Welcome to the Monday Night Football Club! 

What's your favorite dream? When I was a kid, my dream was to star in the NFL. Fortunately, my dream came true, and I've had a wonderful career with the Denver Broncos.

In this book, Nick Lighter's dream comes true. Nick is a member of the Monday Night Football Club. Wearing a magic jersey, he gets to experience what it's like to be a real NFL player. In fact, he turns into me!

But really making it to the NFL doesn't take magic … it takes hard work and lots of practice. You may not know it, but studying and reading are a big part of what I do every day. There are plays to learn, opponents to study, and game plans to memorize.

Of course, that doesn't mean that it's not a lot of fun! It's just as much fun today as when I was a kid. 

Enjoy this NFL adventure with Nick and the Monday Night Football Club. Maybe someday, this book will be about you, when you're a star in the NFL!

Go Broncos!”

The chapters in this volume are:

1 The Monday Night Football dub 
2 Hilary, Hilary, Heavy Artillery 
3 Are You Ready for Some Football? 
4 How Ya Feeling, John? 
5 Fifty-Three Bob, Odd Six, on One 
6 The Weisbaum Broken-Held Lateral Tree Punt 
7 Kings of the Castle 
8 I'm John Elway 
9 The Bug House 
10 John Elway Blows His Hose 
11 The Nearest Thing to Flying 
12 One Final Desperation Drive 
13 The Wigwam Slide-Launcher Crutch Ball 

At the end of the book are some bonus sections:

The Official Monday Night Football Club Story of Comeback King John Elway
The Elway Foundation
NFL/Monday Night Football Club Fantasy Sweepstakes Official Rules

I highlighted a few passages that were particularly interesting, some of them are:

“It had been Nick's idea to form the Monday Night Football Club in the first place. The organization had one purpose: to make sure none of its three members missed Monday Night Football on TV.

Nick, Elliot, and Coleman knew that Monday Night Football was the biggest and most exciting game of the week. But their parents complained that the broadcasts sometimes went on until midnight, or even later. A compromise had to be reached, and the Monday Night Football Club was born.”

“It hit Nick like a ton of bricks. He'd always thought John Elway was so great that he didn't have to work hard. The truth was that Elway was great because he worked hard!”

I will be honest I am a much bigger fan of the CFL than the NFL, I could never really get into the four downs and smaller field and balls. But I follow sports enough to know the names and personalities; I just wish Korman had done a book in this series on Warren Moon, which could have had a CFL crossover element. 

This was a really fun story. From the three friends and their crazy football plays. To one of them receiving a magical football jersey that somehow transports him into the body of John Elway; sort of a sports themed Freaky Friday. Once I got going I could hardly put it down. 

It’s a great pity this one is out of print! I really enjoyed this volume and look forward to reading the rest of the series. 

Another excellent volume from Korman.

Books by Gordon Korman:
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
Light’s Camera, Disaster (1991)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
The Jokes on Us (1995)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)

Bugs Potter Series:

Jeremy Bloom Series:

Monday Night Football Series:
Heavy Artillery (1997)
Ultimate Scoring Machine (1998)
NFL Rules! Bloopers, Pranks, Upsets, and Touchdowns (1998)

Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)

Nose Pickers Series:
Invasion of the Nose Pickers (2001)
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)

Son of the Mob Series:

Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)

On the Run Series:
Public Enemies (2005)
Hunting the Hunter (2006)

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)

The 39 Clues Series:
The Medusa Plot (2011)
Flashpoint (2014)

Hypnotists Series:
Memory Maze (2014)
The Dragonfly Effect (2015)

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)
Hypergifted (2026)

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)


Monday Night Football Club Series Gordon Korman

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

St Nicholas Owen: Layman, Martyr, Builder of Priest Holes - Fr Gerard Skinner - CTS Biographies

St Nicholas Owen: 
Layman, Martyr, Builder of Priest Holes
Fr Gerard Skinner
ISBN 9781784697747
eISBN 9781784697266
ASIN B0FC33R6DM
CTS Booklet B782

St Nicholas Owen: Layman, Martyr, Builder of Priest Holes - Fr Gerard Skinner - CTS Biographies

I discovered the books and booklets of the Catholic Truth Society in 2018. Since that time I have read over 450 different titles, and many of them more than once. One of the first series I discovered was a subset of the CTS Biographies called CTS Saints of the Isles the books are no longer marketed that way but this volume would easily fit in that category. I have read one other volume on this saint, St Nicholas Owen Priest-Hole Maker by Tony Reynolds, but a lot of it focused on the holes that still exist today that are attributed to Owen. I have been excited to read this work, since it was first announced. It was well worth the wait.

The descriptions of this volume is:

“A lesser-known Reformation martyr, this courageous layman used his carpentry and masonry skills to create secret hiding places for priests, thus ensuring the preservation of the Catholic Faith in England.

A lesser-known Reformation martyr, St Nicholas Owen, a Jesuit lay brother and master craftsman, risked his life to build ingenious priest holes, enabling persecuted clergy to minister in secret.

Unlike many English Martyrs who faced execution, Nicholas Owen died under brutal torture – his resilience and sacrifice ensuring the survival of the Catholic Faith in England. His story is a powerful testament to the courage of the laity and the extraordinary ways God can use human talents for His greater purpose.”

This booklet is an excellent volume on this saint and it is part of a wonderful series and I can easily recommend it. The chapters in the booklet are:

The Persecuted Church 
Two Catholic Heroes 
Nicholas Owen at Work 
Baddesley Clinton 
Growing Danger 
The Mission Continues 
The Crown of Martyrdom 
After Martyrdom 
Prayer to St Nicholas Owen

About the author we are informed:

“Fr Gerard Skinner studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Venerable English College in Rome. A priest of the Diocese of Westminster, he has written, contributed to or edited many publications. His other books include Newman the Priest, Father Ignatius Spencer, Dominic Barberi and The Douai Martyrs.”

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume some of them are:

“The noose had been tightening around the neck of English Catholic life throughout the sixteenth century. First had come King Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church, then a more determinedly Protestant era with the short reign of Edward VI (1547-53). Hope dawned under the rule of Queen Mary I, but this was short lived–less than six years. With Mary’s death on 17 November 1558, her half-sister, Elizabeth, acceded to the throne, and the hopes of a restored Catholic England were reduced to ashes.”

“The bull finally declared, ‘We charge and command all and singular the nobles, subjects, peoples, and others afore said that they do not dare obey her orders, mandates, and laws. Those who shall act to the contrary we include in the like sentence of excommunication’.”

“English Catholics therefore found themselves at risk of bringing upon themselves the same fate as England’s first martyr, St Alban, who gave refuge to a Christian priest and was sentenced to death for allowing him to escape and for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.”

“This is the context of the life of St Nicholas Owen, who did more than anyone else to see that priests could be hidden from the ‘pursuivants’, those who hunted them down. Having constructed scores–maybe hundreds–of ingenious hiding places for priests, Nicholas Owen would have known that, should he be caught, his captors would show no mercy until they had extracted information about the location of the priests’ hides, who had commissioned them, and who had used them.”

“The story of St Nicholas Owen is one of the finest examples of the courage and resistance that was lived out by thousands of English laity throughout the tempestuous times of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Due to the necessarily clandestine nature of his life, it is not possible to chart his progress from house to house or from year to year with great clarity, yet thanks to the accounts of others, we do know with certainty how important his work was and how bravely he laboured for the glory of God.”

“In 1566, the Owen family moved to No. 3 Castle Street, a property that they leased from Magdalene College. The street was even closer to the castle than their previous home, and their house was also the carpentry workshop of Walter Owen. From a very early age, Nicholas would have watched and learnt from his father the carpentry skills that he was later to master.”

“The youngest brother of Nicholas, Henry, became a printer and was soon secretly printing Catholic literature, a mission for which he was arrested and imprisoned.”

“If the government thought that such a death as the one St Edmund suffered would discourage others from following in his footsteps, it was quickly disabused of the notion. As the Oxford Regius Professor of Divinity observed to the Earl of Leicester, ‘It used to be said, “Dead men bite not”; and yet Campion dead bites with his friends’ teeth… in the place of the single Campion, champions upon champions have swarmed to keep us engaged’. Undoubtedly, Campion’s death stiffened the already great resolve of the Owen brothers in their various vocations as Catholics.”

“Apart from his skill, two other virtues shone from Nicholas Owen: piety and discretion. He was clearly a man of prayer, receiving Holy Communion, if at all possible, on the day he commenced constructing a hiding place for priests. He was also observed to remain in a prayerful state as he worked. From his prayer flowed a spirit of humility, for he never felt the need to speak to anyone of his work and what it had achieved. This made him indispensable to his clients.”

“St Nicholas Owen, early in life, discerned his vocation and lived it out with great courage. He offered his God-given gifts to protect and promote the celebration of the Sacraments, enabling thousands of faithful English Catholics to be nourished and sustained through the ministry of brave priests and those who hosted them.” 

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. In this work we learned a lot about his family. Two brothers were priests. One was a printer and printer Catholic literature in secret. Nicholas because of his stature would never be considered for the priesthood. And after accident with a horse had to have his leg rebroken and he limped thereafter. The book ends with a prayer that I have added to my daily prayer list:

“Prayer To St Nicholas Owen 

Almighty and eternal God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, your servant, St Nicholas Owen, worked in secret, labouring night and day in service of the Church, and with yet greater love laid down his life for his friends. 

May my life be hidden in Christ like his, and through this holy martyr’s example and intercession, may I have strength to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God when his glory is revealed. 
Amen.”

As mentioned this is the second biography of Saint Nicholas Owen I have read. My son and I both have a devotion to him, and are looking for an Icon to add to the wall of my den. This little volume is an excellent biography. It captures the importance of Nicholas Owen and his contribution to keeping Catholicism alive in England when it was against the law and they were persecuted. It also gives an excellent overview of the times and risk both priest and laymen took for their faith and living it out in those times.

It is an excellent biography and one I can easily recommend, another great resource from the Catholic Truth Society. It would be a great addition to any school, home, or church library!
  
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For all reviews from the Saints of the Isles Series click here.  

...

Books about Nicholas Owen:
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Books by Gerard Skinner:
Newman the Priest - Father of Souls
The English Vicars Apostolic (1688-1850)
Dominic Barberi
The Pallium: A Brief Guide To Its History And Significance
Father Ignatius Spencer: English Noble and Christian Saint
...

Catholic Truth Society Saints of The Isles Series

Monday, 21 July 2025

Nose Pickers from Outer Space - Gordon Korman - Nose Pickers from Outer Space Book 1

Nose Pickers from Outer Space
Nose Pickers from Outer Space Book 1
L.A.F. Books
Gordon Korman
Victor Vaccaro (Illustrator)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN 9780786813438
ISBN 0786813431

Nose Pickers from Outer Space - Gordon Korman - Nose Pickers from Outer Space Book 1

This book was originally published in 1999, with seven different editions publishing that year under a variety of imprints. It is the first in a series of 4 and there is a box set edition available. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read 67 of his books including this volume, a few of them more than once. I set the goal of reading all his books about 2020. I am over half way thorough his canon, and have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged, and I am always entertained. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them. 

The description of this volume states:

“Devin Hunter can't wait to meet his exchange buddy, but when the moment finally arrives, Stan breaks every rule in Devin's "rules of coolness" list, and when strange things start to happen, Devin realizes that Stan may not even be human. Original. 40,000 first printing.”

The description on the back of the edition I read states:

“Help! My Exchange Student Is an Alien!

When Devin Hunter signs up for the notional exchange student program, he doesn't count on ending up with a nerdy kid who eats paper, talks to his dog—and worst of all—can't keep his finger out of his nose! But Stan isn't really a student—and his unhygienic habit may be the key to saving the planet. . .”

About the author at the back of this volume we are informed:

“Gordon Korman is the author of over twenty books for children. Including The 6th Grade Nickname Game, which was selected as one of the New York Public Library's Best Books of 1998, and the Monday Night Football Club series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island.”

About the illustrator:

“Victor Vaccaro's artwork has appeared in the children's book Knights of the Endless Day by Robert Priest, as well as being featured on several book jackets and in advertisements. He lives on Long Island with his wife.”

I highlighted a few passages that were particularly funny, some of them are:

“I opened one eye and peered over at my exchange buddy. Who would have thought that this harmless-looking, nerdy guy was a spy for an invading army? Pretty soon, we Earthlings could be up to our waists in Pants—and not the kind you wear, either.”

“"The Smarty-Pants can think in six dimensions," he informed me. "They can answer a question even before it's asked; they can program any VCR in the galaxy. They know the meaning of life, the capital of the Crab Nebula, and why manhole covers are round. Their IQs are so large that even they can't count that high. They are the most important citizens of Pan, except for the Grand Pant himself and his assistants, the Under-Pants."”

“I snorted. "Who does he think he is? Shakespeare?"
"Yes," Stan replied.
"What?
He looked at me earnestly. "You didn't think a mere Earthling could write like that, did you?"
"Shakespeare? William Shakespeare? But he's
dead! He died hundreds of years ago!"”

I was surprised by the number of famous people whose success was attributed to their being alien travel testers. Michael, Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and as seen by the quote above even the Bard. Who is apparently alive and on Mars and holds a grudge against earth for a particularly long case of poison ivy. Devin and Stan have quite the adventure in this first instalment in the series. It is a story young readers will love, even reluctant readers will dig this story. 

I will be honest the title of this book had almost no appeal to me, but I was down to 3 series by Korman I had not started and picked this as the middle one alphabetically. This book took me by surprise. I laughed out loud a few times. And I was amused and had a smile throughout the reading of this book. If the other three in this series are as good it will great fun to read them.

It’s a great pity this one is out of print!

Books by Gordon Korman:
Books by Gordon Korman:
MacDonald Hall Series:
         (formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)
Light’s Camera, Disaster (1991)
          (aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)
The Jokes on Us (1995)
          (formerly Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall)

Bugs Potter Series:

Jeremy Bloom Series:

Monday Night Football Series:
Heavy Artillery (1997)
Ultimate Scoring Machine (1998)
NFL Rules! Bloopers, Pranks, Upsets, and Touchdowns (1998)

Masterminds Series:
Masterminds (2015)

Slapshots Series:
Cup Crazy (2000)
4-in-1 Slapshots: The Complete Collection (2008)

Nose Pickers Series:
Invasion of the Nose Pickers (2001)
4-in-1 The Ultimate Nose-Picker Collection (2006)

Island Series:
Shipwreck (2001)
Survival (2001)
Escape (2001)
3-in-1 Island Trilogy Collection (2006)

Son of the Mob Series:

Everest Series:
The Contest (2002)
The Climb (2002)
The Summit (2002)
Everest Trilogy Box Set (2002)

Dive Series:
The Deep (2003)
The Danger (2003)

On the Run Series:
Public Enemies (2005)
Hunting the Hunter (2006)

Kidnapped Series:
The Search (2006)
The Rescue (2006)

Swindle Series:
Swindle (2008)
Zoobreak (2009)
Framed (2010)
Showoff (2012)
Hideout (2013)
Jackpot (2014)
Unleashed (2015)
Jingle (2016)

Titanic Series:
Unsinkable (2011)
S.O.S (2011)

The 39 Clues Series:
The Medusa Plot (2011)
Flashpoint (2014)

Hypnotists Series:
Memory Maze (2014)
The Dragonfly Effect (2015)

Ungifted Series:
Ungifted (2012)
Supergifted (2018)
Hypergifted (2026)

Slacker Series:
Slacker (2016)
Level 13 (2019)
...

Non Series Books:
Born To Rock (2006)
Schooled (2007)
Pop (2009)
Restart (2017)
Notorious (2019)
War Stories (2020)
Game On (contains The Chicken Doesn’t Skate and The Toilet Paper Tigers (2021)
Unplugged (2021)
Linked (2021)
The Fort (2022)


Nose Pickers from Outer Space Series - Gordon Korman