The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - The Naturals Book 1

The Naturals

The Naturals Book 1

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN 9780316540629

eISBN 9781423181187

ASIN B00CXXEWZG

I picked a copy of this a couple of years ago because my niece was reading it at the time. However, it got lost in the plethora of books on my kindle and I never got around to reading it. This year my youngest, 13, picked it to read in class for school reading and a book report. She has to read the physical copy and read it in class. She debated between this and the Inheritance Games series, both had come highly recommended, but a few other girls in her class were doing Inheritance. While picking it up I read the prologue and was hooked. My daughter is a little mad that I read it in 1 days and she has to wait and read it in class, but oh well!

The description of this volume states:

“Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.”

This series started just a year after Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers series which I read as they were releasing. I absolutely loved killers. This volume has a somewhat similar feal, except it is a team of ‘naturals’ young adults with special abilities, such as: human lie detector, ability to read emotions and feelings almost exactly and of course natural profilers. Cassis is brought in as the newest member of the team. She is in training and then the team typically works on cold cases. But when a killer starts sending Cassie very personal gifts the whole gig changes. 

Cassie has spent years trying to find here place in the world. Since the murder of her mother and being dumped with her father’s family. She has never really felt like she fit. She could pretend, and she could try and please family. But it was always work for her. Now in the program with the other Naturals she is finding she just might have a place in this world. And she is not sure if she can navigate the young adult angst of the team living in close quarters and doing the work they do. But when things change the stakes are higher than she ever expected. And her own past just might be the key to solving the current killing spree.

This story is very well written. The characters are crafted to near perfection. The cases they are reviewing might be dark and grim, but they will train them to help prevent future cases like these. Cassie really feels she could play a role here, an important role. The story moves at a quick pace, with the whole story taking place over a short time span. They is a huge plot twist.

Overall, I was impressed with this story. I am surprised it took me almost a decade to hear about this book. Especially since when it released, I was reading and reviewing a lot of Young Adult books. This story is a great beginning of a series, and it leaves you wanting the next instalment. But because of the serial killer investigations absolutely not for all readers. Now the question is do I really upset my daughter and read the next volume or do I wait for her? A great read for mature teens and young adults, or even some of us older folks.

p.s. both my niece and daughter really prefer the original covers. And I admit I lean that way as well. Fortunately the eBooks have the original covers for the first three still.

Books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

The Lovely and the Lost (2019)

Nobody (2013)

Every Other Day (2011)

…

The Naturals Series:

The Naturals (2013)

Killer Instinct (2014)

All In (2015)

Bad Blood (2016)

Twelve (2017)

…

The Inheritance Games Series:

The Inheritance Games (2020)

The Hawthorne Legacy (2021)

The Final Gambit (2022)

The Brothers Hawthorne (2023)

…

Debutantes Series:

Little White Lies (2018)

Deadly Little Scandals (2019)

…

The Fixer Series:

The Fixer (2015)

The Long Game (2016)

…

Raised by Wolves Series:

Raised by Wolves (2010)

Sweet Sixteen (2015)

Trial by Fire (2011)

Taken by Storm (2012)

…

The Squad Series:

Perfect Cover (2008)

Killer Spirit (2008)

…

Tattoo Series:

Tattoo (2007)

Fate (2009)

…

Golden Series:

Golden (2006)

Platinum (2007)

…

Saint George Dragon Slayer - Jeannie Meekins - 15-Minute Books Book 613

Saint George: Dragon Slayer

15-Minute Books 613

Jeannie Meekins

Learning Island

eISBN 9781301421985

ASIN B00BZDPOL6

This is the third volume I have read in this series by this author. The first was excellent, the second was meh, this one is in the middle and is a pretty good read. I picked this up to read after reading Mary MacKillop: Australia's First Saint, from the same author in the same series. I enjoyed that first one so much, I picked up the eight volumes in the series about saints. As much as I loved that first one, I found second was a disappointment. Fortunately, this one turned the corner again.  I Prior to reading this I have read a number of biographies and other books about Saint George, both biographies and historical fiction. With that being said this volume was a decent read and I even learned a number of things. 

Jeannie Meekins according to amazon has over 120 unique titles geared for young readers. Many are biographies, some are in a Fun Facts Series, and other appear to be short fiction. This one I picked up because I loved another by the author in the series. This is part of a series tagged as 15-Minute Books, which are geared to get children reading for 15 minutes a day. 

The website is now defunct, but Learning Island when I checked the internet archive machine appears to have been a site with contributors from around the world. The oldest archived versions show books available for download in PDF format and exercises to go with the books. Later iterations of the site show link to purchase cheap eBook and later even print editions of the works. There are some numbered even into the1000’s. With the most recent being from early 2013 and numbered at 1014. But I only find 163 when I search Kindle. The description of this volume is:

“St George, defender of the helpless and slayer of dragons is a saint honored by many countries and many religions. He is as popular with Muslims and Jews as he is with Christians.

How could this happen? We know dragons never existed. How could someone be so well known and honored worldwide for something that could never have happened?

Find out about the life of this man who was said to have slain a dragon in this 15-minute biography.

Ages 8 and up.”

The description of the Series is:

“LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.”

The sections in this booklet are:

Early Life

George the Roman Soldier

Diocletian

The Death of George

Since the Third Century

The Legends of St George

St George and the Dragon

Flag of St George

Blessings and Images

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume. They are:

“St George, defender of the helpless and slayer of dragons is a saint honored by many countries and many religions. He is as popular with Muslims and Jews as he is with Christians.”

“There are slightly differing versions on George’s death. All versions agreed on these facts. George was tortured, refused to give up his faith, and was beheaded on April 23, 303. His body was buried in Lydda.”

“Soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt in 1425 believed they saw him fighting with the English. St George is also said to have appeared at the Siege of Antioch in 1098. Soldiers from both sides claim to have seen St George, St Mercurius and St Demetrius leading the crusaders into battle. St George was also seen at the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099. St George, along with St Paul and St Agata, were seen to protect the Maltese in their battle with the Moors in 1091. St George appeared to the Georgians during the Battle of Didgori in 1121, and again during the Georgian uprising against Persia in the eighteenth century. The Portuguese credit victory in the 1385 Battle of Aljubarotta to St George.”

“There are many different versions of the legend. This depends on the culture or country where the legend is told. All versions contain the same basic story: There was a town being terrorized by a dragon. A young princess was to be sacrificed to the dragon. George rode to the town, slew the dragon and saved the princess.”

“St George is patron saint of many countries. These are Aragon, Bulgaria, Catalonia, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, India, Iraq, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine. He is the patron saint of over 26 cities, including the cities of Moscow, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, and of Lydda, the place of his burial. St George is also patron saint of archers, scouts, soldiers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, and riders and saddlers. He helps people who suffer from leprosy, plague and syphilis.”

This little booklet provided a wide range of information. There were some items I was unaware of such as: The fact that Saint George is described as a prophetic figure in Islamic sources. George is venerated by some Christians and Muslims because of his composite personality combining several biblical, Quranic and other ancient mythical heroes. I was also unaware of the wide range of countries and cities that George is the patron Saint of. 

I really enjoyed the first book I read in this series. This one was close. I have picked up a number in the series and will continue to read an review them. This was a good little introduction and for the intended audience would be a good read. But even in my 50’s I appreciated the book. I can recommend this book as a starting point for exploration of saint George, the man and the legends around his life. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books about Saint George:

George: Patron of England - J. B. Midgley - CTS Great Saints

Saint George Patron Saint of England - Lois Rock

Saint George Dragon Slayer - Jeannie Meekins - 15-Minute Books Book 613

…

Prayer of the day Saint George of England

Prayer of the day Another Prayer to Saint George of England

...

Books by Jeannie Meekins:

Saint Patrick Ireland Beloved Saint 

Saint George: Dragon Slayer

Saint Valentine: The Man Who Became the Patron Saint of Love

Saint Francis of Assisi: The Patron Saint of Animals

Joan of Arc: The Girl Who Fought For France

Mary MacKillop: Australia's First Saint

The Lives of Seven Saints

…

My Daily Prayer List April 2024 And How I Found a Way to Pray More

My Daily Prayer List April 2024

And How I Found a Way to Pray More

Prayer like physical exercise is something I believe takes practice, discipline and planning. Much as we train the body or the mind we need to train the spirit to grow in prayer. 

Several years ago, I used the app/website Coach.me to track some goals. I thought it would be good to use as a tool to pray more. So, I started building goals on it for specific prayers each day. The problem was that over time it became about the streak, and I struggled with that. SO I started creating calendar reminders for the different prayers I wanted to pray each day. I created a separate calendar so I would not see them when booking appointments and such but could toggle it on or off. When I started, I scheduled them every 15 minutes with calendar reminders. When I woke up in the morning a number would be in my inbox and as I prayed that specific prayer for that specific intention, I would just delete the email notification. Occasionally if I was very busy at work, sick, or have been up all night because of being on call I will delete a bunch without praying them, rather than stressing about being ‘perfect’ in the prayer goals. 

This method has helped me increase the number of prayers I am praying each day, and it has helped me memorize a number of prayers as I have added them to the list. Sometimes I add a prayer and it is just not a good fit. For example, I tried three different Spiritual Communion’s before I settled on one that flowed well for me. Another example is a few years back a specific friend kept coming to mind for prayer, when I asked him, he asked me to pray for 3 things, I checked in occasionally but had a reminder for 3pm to pray three Hail Mary’s for three things for John. Eventually he told me it was all resolved, and I dropped it from the schedule. Often prayers are added as I read books about specific saints, blesseds or venerables. 

My current prayer list from April 11th 2024 is:

Morning Offering

Prayer Before Using the Internet

Angel of God Prayer

Prayer to Saint Brigid of Ireland

Matthew Talbot Canonization Prayer

Daily Decalogue of Saint John XXIII

Litany of St. Joseph

Litany Of Trust

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loretto

The Litany of Our Lady of Walsingham

Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Pray with Saint Josemaría Escrivá

Saint David of Wales Prayer

Consecration To Mary

Prayer to Saint Michael

Marriage Consecration Prayer

Pray an Act of Spiritual Communion

Pray Saint Patrick's Rune

Prayer Of Thanks Daily

Prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola

Prayer Of Humility Daily

Saint Damien Prayer

Saint Scholastica Prayer

Fatima Prayers

Daily Study Prayer of Pope Benedict

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Don Alvaro del Portillo's Childhood Marian Prayer

Prayer Secret of Success by Blessed James Alberione

Irish Litany of Saints

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Unbound Prayer

Angelus

Prayer to Saint Jude

Prayer to St Benedict

Prayer for the Canonisation of Pier Giorgio Frassati

Prayer to Vincent R. Capodanno

Prayer from Father Mike Schmitz

Prayer to Our Lady

Prayer to Our Lady of Knock

Robert Southwell's Prayer for the Church

Morning Offering St Josemaría Escrivá

Saint Columba Prayer

Prayer to Father Emil Kapaun

Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Prayer

Prayer to Saint Agnes

Prayer to Saint John Southworth

Pray the Little Consecration

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

Pray the Memorare

Consecration to St. Joseph

Prayer of Erasmus

Prayer for Vocations to Military Chaplaincy

Saint Martin de Porres Prayer

A Hunter's Prayer

Angelus

Canonization of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J.

A Prayer for the Removal of the Wicked

A Pilgrim’s Prayer by Thomas Merton

Saint David Of Wales Prayer

Prayer to St George

Blessed Pier Giorgio Prayer for Excellence

Angelus

Canonization Prayer for Father William Doyle

Prayer to Pope Benedict XVI

Saint George Prayer

Prayer for the Intercession of the Ulma Family

Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich Prayer

Prayer for the Intercession of the Ulma Family

Prayer for the Forgotten Dead

Prayer for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Emil Kapaun

Prayer for Newly Ordained Pawel Strojewski

The Prayer of Transformation

Prayer to Saint Benedict

Pray for Seminarian Damian Kikta

A prayer to our Lady of Guadalupe

Prayer to St Gemma Galgani

Saint Ignatius of Antioch Prayer

Prayer for the Conversion of a Sinner to Our Lady of Pepetual Succour

A Prayer for The Souls In Purgatory

Prayer in Honor of Saint Scholastica

Prayer to St John Ogilvie

Angel of God Prayer

Act of Contrition

The prayers start in my calendar at 12am and go until 10pm. IT has been working well for me. 

When I started using this method in February of 2018 there were about a dozen prayers spread throughout the day including the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet that are not listed above as they are not a set time. I also have a weekly reminder Friday at noon to try and pray a Stations of the Cross on Fridays through out the year and each day during Lent. It is a tool I have used to pray more intentionally, for specific requests or to specific saints, and I hope it gives you some ideas for how you might add more prayer into your life.

Below are photos of my Home Office and my youngest two children's prayer corners.

Note: If the name of the prayer has a link it is a link to a post with that specific prayer.

Relates posts and links:

Prayer of the Day Posts

Prayer Book Reviews

My Prayer Notebook. 

...

Deus Volt - N.R. LaPoint - Dinosaur Warfare 3

Deus Volt

Dinosaur Warfare 3

N.R. LaPoint

Mistcreek Publishing

ISBN 9798854753951

ASIN B0CDJWZG1V

The series had been great from the beginning and each installment takes it to a whole new level. This was the ninth offering from the pen of N. R. LaPoint that I have read. The first was a short story, Azrael, in the anthology Swords and Maidens he edited; the second was, Christmas Evil: A Heavy Metal Holiday Novella. I have just finished alternating titles in this series his Raven Mistcreek series and his few stand-alones. I have one published novel to read to complete those currently in print and fortunately 2 more have been announced. While reading the first in this series I picked up LaPoint’s remaining novels that I did not have yet. The stories I have read by LaPoint are vastly different, and each has given me a greater appreciation for his skill and talent as an author. LaPoint came from a recommendation by Declan Finn, 2 years ago I read everything Finn had in print reading about a book a week, I now have one stand alone to complete the same with Lapoint’s works, but back to this volume.

The description of this volume is:

“War hits the planet Typhon.

Battle has awakened something alien that thirsts for destruction.

Bug-men and rampaging robots return as the Vidarian scourge begins to

sweep the Kingdom of Zabek.

Ambrose Weaver leads his crew in the final battle for

their future and the fate of the planet.

Their new friends and dinosaurs have plenty of firepower.

But the Vidarians have a secret weapon.”

This story was terribly hard to put down, I admit again to staying up much later than I should one night because I kept saying ‘just one more page’. I read after reading the third Mistcreek novel that had just released. It was very hard not to just pick up another work by Lapoint after finishing one, I had to force myself to read other books in between. Before I was even finished the first story in this series I started telling my 16 year old son about it and he is reading the series as well now. I also sent a copy to a nephew for his birthday, but his mom scammed it to read first. We are both big fans of Corinna Turner's unSPARKed Series and this is alike a space opera version set well into the future. I would describe it as a mash up of Piers Anthony’s Bio of a Space Tyrant and Turner’s unSPARKed with the T-Rex controlled by the hat in Meet the Robinsons. Or a little bit Dinotopia by James Gurney(which I have not read since 96) mashed up with Terminator. I absolutely loved this story. This one has a strong feel of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series.

I have a dual form of dyslexia and did not learn to read until later than many. This story really took me back to a lot of the stuff I read back then. Like Piers Anthony’s Bio of a Space Tyrant and also Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series or The Warlord of Mars Series as I always called it. I loved both of those series, but from this series has eclipsed them both! 

The characters are very well written. I love the new characters we are introduced to in the castle and at court. I appreciate the character growth in those from our first two adventures in the series. The plot moves at a great pace, and is by far the most intense of the three. The interesting concepts continued. The interactions between the self-appointed captain now Lord and the crew are growing and changing. The princess and reconnecting with her people add a great element. The interactions between the humans and the bonded dinosaurs are awesome. The battles with other dinosaurs, other creatures, humanoids, and kill bots trying to destroy them are exhilarating and intense. You get so into the story you almost need to remind yourself to breath. 

This installment does an amazing job of tying us the current story arcs. It could be the conclusion of the series or just an end to this part of a saga. Either way it is an excellent story and series!

This is another amazing read in a wonderful series. It is a little bit space opera little big lost world, and a whole lot of fun. I can easily recommend this novel and series. Great for fans of science fiction, fantasy or really anyone who just loves a great action story. Well done Mr. LaPoint!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by N.R. LaPoint:

Lightsinger

Gun Magus

Christmas Evil

Dead by Dawn: The Files of Virgil Everness

…

Raven Mistcreek Series:

Chalk

Dusklight

Archangel

Hellgate

…

Dinosaur Warfare Series:

Death Planet 

Metalsaurus

Deus Volt

… 

Contributed to:

Fantastic Middle Schools 4

Fantastic Middle Schools 6

Shoot the Devil

Shoot The Devil 2 Dark Matter

Swords and Maidens

…

Cymbeline - William Shakespeare - The Pelican Shakespeare

Cymbeline

William Shakespeare

Peter Holland (Editor)

The Pelican Shakespeare

Penguin Classics

ISBN 9780140714722

eISBN 9781101667255

ASIN B07MYLB6VD

A few years back I started reading Shakespeare again, as my children were being introduced to it in High school. Then two years ago my son who is now 16 found he had a love for the Bard and for plays, much as I did at that time. We had been sticking to the Oxford School Shakespeare editions as those were the versions they were reading in school. This year we picked up tickets for three Shakespeare plays at The Stratford Festival, including this play. We picked up this edition to read together before going to see the play. The Pelican Classics were among my favourite editions of the plays when I was a youth myself. I often hunted used bookstores for the hard cover edition. I think the last time I read this would have been about 35-40 years ago. And even though I have not yet seen a production it came back quickly. But back to this specific volume. The description of this edition states:

“"I feel that I have spent half my career with one or another Pelican Shakespeare in my back pocket. Convenience, however, is the least important aspect of the new Pelican Shakespeare series. Here is an elegant and clear text for either the study or the rehearsal room, notes where you need them and the distinguished scholarship of the general editors, Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller who understand that these are plays for performance as well as great texts for contemplation." (Patrick Stewart)

The distinguished Pelican Shakespeare series, which has sold more than four million copies, is now completely revised and repackaged.

Each volume features:

     Authoritative, reliable texts

     High quality introductions and notes

     New, more readable trade trim size

     An essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare and essays on Shakespeare's life and the selection of texts”

Based on the commonly accepted chronological order of Shakespeare’s plays this is one of the last. With either three or four plays following it depending on what side of the argument you fall for the authorship of The Two Noble Kinsmen. The sections in this volume prior to the text of the play are:

Publisher’s Note

The Theatrical World

William Shakespeare Of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Gentleman

The Question Of Authorship

Books About Shakespeare’s Theater

Books About Shakespeare’s Life

The Texts of Shakespeare

Books About the Shakespeare Texts

Introduction

Note on the Text

Cast of Characters

The Text Of the Play

 

Peter Holland in the introduction states:

“Modern critics have often resorted to the word “experimental” to describe the remarkable assemblage of different materials that Shakespeare sought - in the view of many, unsuccessfully - to combine into a single play. More than one critic has turned to Polonius’s celebration of the skills of the acting company visiting Elsinore and defined Cymbeline, with varying degrees of irony, as a “tragical-comical-historical-pastoral.” The order in which Shakespeare wrote his last unaided plays is far from clear, and the traditional ordering, in which Cymbeline was followed by The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest, is no more than a convention that serves, too neatly, to explain away Cymbeline as Shakespeare’s attempt at a new kind of drama. But such a sequence, even apart from its ignoring both the significance of Pericles and the difficulties in establishing the date of Cymbeline more firmly than that it must have been written before Forman saw it, undervalues the complexity of Shakespeare’s enormously ambitious project in Cymbeline and his accomplishment of so much of it. It is a play that theater audiences have enjoyed and admired far more than critics, and this theatrical success argues that Cymbeline should be seen as an experiment worthy of a more profound admiration than the use of Polonius’s label might suggest. Nonetheless, Polonius’s categories of dramatic genre provide a pattern for considering the play, though I shall, remembering Forman’s difficulties with the sequence of plots, reorder Polonius’s sequence.”

And the introduction concludes with:

“But in Cymbeline Shakespeare makes matters far less improbable; once the audience overcomes the difficulty of accepting that everyone might reasonably turn up near Milford Haven, drawn there by the magnet of the story, the ending of the drama plays out, fully and probably, the consequences of this gathering. It is theatricality of a different kind from the solutions to earlier plays, a pleasure in the joys of ending narratives and of story-telling itself. In the magnificent transfer of the devices of narrative into a new - and often leisurely - dramatic form, Shakespeare accomplished something that was more complex than Simon Forman could record.”

This play comprises 5 acts and a total of 27 scenes. The story is a powerful mix of passion, love, deceit, terror and of course tragedy. It has an interesting overlay of plots and themes, some often only alluded to. And the formatting in this digital edition is well done (See note below)

With a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks. I do so because I can change the colour of the page and the font, and also change the font. I really wish that with eBooks of plays such as this one that there would be 2 copies of the play. One completely unadorned, no footnotes or end notes. And the other with the usual accompanying notes. I want a reader’s edition of the play to just be able to read it. Second if that is not to happen, I wish the notes were at the end of the act or even the end of the whole play. But that is just a personal preference. The Pelican Classics were originally published between 1956 and 1967. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare was first published in 1969. With this edition having copyright dates of 1964, 1979, and 2000. I believe the Pelican if one of the few editions to have released all 38 plays and the volume of Sonnets. Some other academic publishers limited to specific popular editions, and even then have not released eBooks of them all. (OUP School Shakespeare less than half have eBook editions) As such I am thankful that all 39 volumes from this series are available and available digitally. 

I am glad I picked this up to read with my son before going to see a performance later in the year. It reminded me how much I loved these editions when I was young and we have started collecting the eBook versions now. If you are looking for a good copy of the play to read or study I can easily recommend this edition.

Other Posts Related to Shakespeare:

A Weekend of Three’s A Trip to Stratford

Romeo & Juliet - Oxford School Shakespeare 

MacBeth - Oxford School Shakespeare 

King Lear - Oxford School Shakespeare 

Cymbeline - The Pelican Shakespeare

...

Blessed Miguel Pro - Ann Ball - TAN Books

Blessed Miguel Pro

Ann Ball

TAN Books

ISBN 9780895555427

eISBN 9781618901538

ASIN B00DGXBHZK

I read this as part of Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. I picked up the eBook to follow along, as a part time student. It was wonderful reading this with Father Mark’s weekly videos. The description of this book states:

“This is the inspiring story of the famous Father Miguel Pro who was executed in Mexico in 1927 for the crime of being a Catholic priest. This young Jesuit spent most of his short life in the priesthood dodging the Mexican police as he ministered to the underground Church during the Mexican Revolution. Fr Pro's quick wit and keen sense of humor were put to good use as he pedaled around Mexico City on his bicycle in various disguises, en route to administering the Sacraments, giving spiritual talks or begging food and money for the poor. But behind the disguises beat the heart of a Saint - as the Mexican people testified by turning out in throngs to pay their last respects after his martyrdom. Fr Pro offered his life for the Catholic Faith and his last words on this earth were: "Viva Cristo Rey" - Long live Christ the King! Blessed Miguel Pro makes history come alive and highlights the dramatic conflict between the Church and her enemies that continues even to this day. Every member of the family will be delighted by this fast-paced true story of a modern Catholic hero who proclaimed both in life and death the reign of Christ the King.”

This volume however was not my introduction to Blessed Miguel, I had previously read Padre Pro Mexican Hero by Fanchon Royer from the Portraits in Faith and Freedom Series. It was wonderful to return to this amazing story in this version of his life and deeds. The chapters in this volume are:

Author’s Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

 1: A Lively Childhood

 2: Formative Years

 3: Young Manhood

 4: Mounting Political Tensions

 5: Three Vocations

 6: Flight from Mexico

 7: A Priest at Last

 8: Crosses of Body and Soul

 9: Return to Mexico: The Church Goes Underground

 10: The First Arrest

 11: Works of Mercy

 12: The Danger Increases

 13: Capture!

 14: Martyrdom

 15: Favors From Heaven

Appendix 1: Writings of Bl. Miguel Pro

Appendix 2: Prayers

Appendix 3: A Celebration in Honor of Bl. Miguel Pro

Selected Bibliography

Father Mark covered this volume doing three chapters a week, spreading the teachings out over 5 weeks. I tried to read the chapters ahead, and then reread them after watching Father Mark’s teaching video. I highlighted a few sections while reading this volume, some of them are:

“My interest in the life of Bl. Miguel Pro, S.J., began over 25 years ago when I had barely begun to gather information for a book on modern saints. In my initial research on his life and martyrdom, I was captivated by his happy nature and spirit of joy combined with a deep seriousness of thought, his consuming zeal for souls, his passion for justice, his dedication to obedience and his strong devotion, as well as his sublime heroism.”

“A new medal was struck, and the chaplets were produced. I wrote an article about Fr. Pro, which was published in Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic paper. In the article, I gave the address of ProVision for those who wanted more information. The paper immediately received a flood of letters from all across the United States from people who seemed hungry to know more about this happy martyr.”

“Before his death Bl. Miguel told some of his friends that he believed that the offering of his life would be accepted and that martyrdom would be his key to Heaven. He then remarked jokingly that if he were allowed this favor, his friends should get their petitions ready, because from Heaven he would deal out favors as if they were a deck of cards.”

“It is my sincere prayer that this brief retelling of the story of the Mexican “Joker” will help him in some small way to continue his “game” of uniting hearts to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of gaining souls for “mi Padre Dios”—“ God my Father”—which was Bl. Miguel’s favorite name for Divine Providence.”

“This is not a book on politics. Study as much as you like, the political situation of Mexico was, and is, complicated. In this brief work there is not space to include a definitive rendering of all the political motivations and actions in Mexico between 1890 and 1940.”

“There is more adventure, excitement and danger in the life of the Mexican priest Fr. Miguel Pro than in many modern spy thrillers.”

“Miguel was ordained in Belgium on August 31, 1925. His only sadness was that none of his family members could be there with him. He told one of his newly ordained classmates, “At last we are priests, and that is enough.” After the ceremony, the new priests went to the parlor to give the first blessing to their parents. Fr. Pro went to his room, laid out the photographs of his family on the table and blessed them from the bottom of his heart.”

“After this second operation the pain seemed even worse, and any food provoked an agony that felt like a blazing fire. Miguel bore this with serenity and cheerfulness; the nursing sisters who attended him testified later that they had never seen anything to compare with his patience. When his friends stopped in to cheer him up, they stayed to be cheered up by him instead. He joked about his health and told amusing stories. A remark to one of his co-religious gives a hint as to the source of his courage: “I pray almost all day and during most of the night. After this I find myself refreshed.””

“When he was able to resume some of his duties, Fr. Pro insisted on saying the first Mass in order to let the other priests sleep a bit later, saying it was no hardship to get up early, as he could not sleep anyway. Afterwards, he assisted the other priests with their Masses. When the sister complained that he was doing too much, Fr. Pro told her, “I only wish I were able to serve all the Masses that are celebrated.””

“Within 23 days of his arrival, an order suppressing all public worship was issued. Calles, determined to enforce vigorously the anti-religious provisions of the “Constitution of Queretaro,” promulgated a new law in July of 1926 which laicized education—removing it from ecclesiastical control—dissolved religious Orders, forbade priests to criticize the government or the laws of the country, and put all public worship under the supervision of the secular powers. By this decree the government restricted public worship to the interior of churches and declared all churches monasteries, convents and other religious buildings to be property of the state. The infamous 33 Articles of this law sufficed to suppress the freedom of every exercise of Catholic life in Mexico.”

“Because he was unknown as a priest, Fr. Pro was able to minister secretly and successfully to the Catholics of several parishes. He wrote to a friend: “I have what I call ‘Eucharistic stations’ where, fooling the vigilance of the police, I go each day to give Communion, some days to one place, others to another, with an average of 300 Communions daily.” On First Fridays the number would increase; once there were over 1,000 communicants.”

“The Holy See granted the clergy of Mexico unusual privileges during the persecution. Only the essential parts of the Mass had to be said and no vestments had to be worn during the Mass. (Fr. Pro carried with him a small stole which was cut up after his death and given as relics to the faithful.) Any type of bread could be used for the host, and even a common glass could serve as a chalice, provided that the priest broke it after the Holy Sacrifice so that, in respect for the Precious Blood, it would never again be used for ordinary purposes. These exceptions were allowed so that the faithful would not be denied the graces of the Mass and to make it easier to avert suspicion in case of a police raid.”

“Although the Pros may well have known some things about the Cristero organization and activities, there is no shred of evidence connecting any of the Pro brothers with the violent acts of the Cristeros or with the violent sector of the Religious Defense League. Humberto admitted his dedication to the propaganda work of the Religious Defense League but denied having ever participated in any acts or plans of armed resistance.”

“Prayer for the Canonization Of Blessed Miguel Pro, S.J. OGOD our Father, Who granted to Your son Miguel Agustín, in his life and in his martyrdom, to seek with enthusiasm Your utmost glory and his own salvation, allow us to follow his example in Your service and to honor You by carrying out our daily duties with fidelity and joy in helping our fellow man. We ask that, if it be Your Will, we may soon honor Blessed Miguel as a new saint of the Church. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this excellent little volume. This is one of those little gems you could return to time and time again, for inspiration and encouragement. It is an amazing story of a man who lived his faith in a most dangerous time. And he is an example we need today.  

While researching this volume I discovered the author has over 100 titles available, and most look to be on the faith. After reading this I will be digging into her works further. I can easily recommend it to all Catholics. It was another great selection for the Father Mark Goring for his Saint Mark’s School of Reading It was wonderful to work through this book and follow along with the weekly videos. I can easily recommend this book. It is an excellent read!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Ann Ball:

A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals

A Litany of Mary

A Litany of Saints

A Saint for Your Name: Saints for Boys

A Saint for Your Name: Saints for Girls

Blessed Miguel Pro: 20th Century Mexican Martyr

Catholic Book of the Dead

Catholic Traditions in Cooking

Catholic Traditions in Crafts

Catholic Traditions in the Garden

Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotion and Practices

Faces of Holiness: Modern Saints in Photos and Words vol. 1

Faces of Holiness: Modern Saints in Photos and Words vol. 2

Holy Names of Jesus

Modern Saints: Their Lives and Faces Vol. 2

Modern Saints: Their Lives and Faces. Vol. 1

OSV's Catholic Encyclopedia for Children

Prayers for Prisoners. 

The Persecuted Church

The Saints Guide to Joy and Laughter

Young Faces of Holiness

…

The Way of the Cross According to the Method of St. Alphonsus Liguori

The Way of the Cross

According to the Method of St. Alphonsus Liguori

Alfonso María de Liguori

TAN Books

ISBN 9780895553133

eISBN 9781505103052

ASIN B00ZD1VFGE

Back in 2006 a year after I started writing reviews for newspapers and magazines I wrote a couple of posts with quick short reviews of various Stations of the Cross or Way of the Cross versions that I used often. This was one of the volumes covered. Since then I have written longer reviews of several of those Stations, but I had not yet done this one. I actually have three variations on this booklet. I have this specific edition from TAN in Booklet format, audio book, and eBook. The different stations I have from Saint Alphonsus Liguori are:

The Way of the Cross – TAN Books Booklet

The Way of the Cross – TAN Books eBook

The Way of the Cross – TAN Books Audio Book

Stations of the Cross The Way of Divine Mercy – Catholic Truth Society

The Way of the Cross- Catholic Way Publishing

The wording in the TAN edition and the Catholic Way Publishing are nearly identical. The difference is the TAN Edition includes the Nihil Ovstat, the Imprimatur from the 1908 Benziger Brothers edition. There is also a note about an Impratur from a 1913 edition. TAN Books retypeset it in 1987 and again in 2007. I have had one of this format in booklet edition since late in High School, and still often see them in racks at the back of parishes. The version from the CTS has modernized the language and is based on a different translation. But Back to this edition. 

The short description of this booklet is:

“We consider this the best Way of the Cross we have ever seen. Traditional, edifying pictures. The Stabat Mater is given in Latin and English.”

It should be noted the Latin is at the beginning of each station and the English at the end. The full description contains:

“The greatest gift we have received is the Passion and Death of Our Lord. How often have we meditated upon this treasure so dearly bought for us? Learn from a saint’s reflections on the greatest act of love, and pray the stations of the Cross with a Doctor of the Church: St. Alphonsus Liguori. With this pocket-sized booklet, you will have easy access to the most beloved version of the Way of the Cross. The method of St. Alphonsus is spiritually enriching and prayerfully composed. In this booklet, all fourteen Stations of the Cross are complemented by traditional illustrations and the Stabat Mater in both Latin and English.

…

Included with the method of St. Alphonsus in this accessible devotional are:

A preparatory prayer

A prayer to Jesus Crucified

Steps to gain a partial or plenary indulgence

This booklet gives you the chance to deepen your devotion to Christ Crucified no matter what you’re doing or how busy you are. Because it is compact, clearly organized, and complete with traditional prayers, it is perfect for every Catholic!”

This edition includes returning to the altar for the Prayer to Jesus Crucified at the end. It is followed by the Stabat Mater in parallel. We are also informed that:

“This versicle and response are not found in the Liguori Way of the Cross but are borrowed from the Franciscan method for the purpose of increased devotion.”

A sample station is:

“Ninth Station

JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME.

Eia Mater, fons amoris,

Me sentire vim doloris.

Fac, ut tecum lugeam.

NINTH STATION

Jesus falls the Third Time.

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee,

R. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Priest: Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move.

People: Ah, my outraged Jesus, * by the merits of the weakness that Thou didst suffer in going to Calvary, * give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect * and all my wicked passions, * which have led me to despise Thy friendship. * I love Thee, Jesus, my love, with my whole heart; * I repent of having offended Thee. * Never permit me to offend Thee again. * Grant that I may love Thee always, * and then do with me what Thou wilt. *

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

V. Lord Jesus, crucified,

R. Have mercy on us!

O thou Mother! fount of love,

Touch my spirit from above.

Make my heart with thine accord.”

I love the eBook and booklet edition of this devotion from TAN and having recently picked up the audio version read by Joe Hunninghake, I look forward to praying along with it and reviewing it separately.

This is a Way of the Cross that I have been using for over 30 years. I try and pray a stations each Friday throughout the year and every day during Lent. I can easily recommend this version. I use both this edition and the modernized version from the Catholic Truth Society often. I can easily recommend this version for personal, family, small group or even public devotion. This is truly a classic and a Stations worth having in your home, school, or church library.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!

Link to other reviews of Station or Ways of the Cross.