Thursday 10 October 2024

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey, Matthew Doeing, and Ann Koshute

The Catechism in a Year Companion, 
Volume II Days 121-244
Petroc Willey
Matthew Doeing
ISBN 9781954882577
eISBN 9781954882591
ASIN 

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey, and Ann Koshute

I completed the Catechism in a Year in 2023, now in 2024 I am working through it  a second time with these companions. I loved the three volumes of the The Bible in a Year Companion, Volume I, Volume II, Volume III and have greatly appreciated the first two volumes in this series. 

The description of this volume states:

“Get even more out of The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)!

The Catechism in a Year Companion takes Catholics through the chart-topping podcast The Catechism in a Year™ (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) (CIY) with daily summaries, transcripts of Fr. Mike’s daily prayers, and extra content for each episode.

It’s the perfect way to remember what you’re hearing and to learn even more about each section of the Catechism! 

The Companion presents daily content for each episode of the podcast, including:

The Companion presents daily content for each episode of the podcast, including:

     • The proprietary Catechism in a Year Reading Plan
     • “Reflect on the Faith,” where readers will find a summary of the key points and highlights of Fr. Mike’s commentary on the daily passages
     • “Take It to Prayer,” where Catholics will be able to pray the daily prayer alongside Fr. Mike and the rest of the CIY community
     • “Dive Deeper,” which features unique content related to each day’s readings, from images and Q&As to prayer prompts and ways to live out the teachings of the Church in the day-to-day
     
In addition to the daily content, each volume of the Companion will provide an introduction and review for the sections of the Catechism it covers. Written by Dr. Petroc Willey, professor of theology and Catechetics at Franciscan University of Steubenville, these introductions and reviews will help Catholics know what to look for in the days ahead and recall what has happened in the days completed.

Volume I of The Catechism in a Year Companion covers days 1–120 of The Catechism in a Year podcast.

This sought-after guide to the #1-hitting podcast The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) is coming to you thanks to many collaborators, including
     • Fr. Mike Schmitz
     • Dr. Petroc Willey
     • Matthew Doeing
     • Ann Koshute
     • and more!”

And father Mike states at the end of the introduction:

“In every season and in every circumstance of our lives, every moment for the Christian can become an act of sacrifice. Therefore, every moment for the Christian can be an act of worship. The sacraments make this possible. We live out this relationship through the sacraments because they touch all of the big moments of our lives—from birth and life transitions to illness and death, and all of the normal, ordinary moments between.

The sacraments are God’s work in our world, and this is something worth reflecting on. When we participate in the sacraments, when we celebrate the sacraments, we’re partners in God’s work. The sacraments become the People of God doing the work of God in this world in such a way that the Father is glorified and the world is sanctified.

The first pillar revealed how God wants us to know him, and this second pillar reveals how God wants us to live in relationship with him and to love him.”

Each day contains the same three sections: 

Reflect on the Faith
Take It to Prayer
Dive Deeper

But they very greatly in length. Reflect on the Faith is a summary of Fr. Mike’s commentary for the day. Take It to Prayer, you will pray along with Fr. Mike every day. The Dive deeper section varies greatly sometimes it includes and image , some a prayer prompt, some a challenge to live out. Each section also contains and introduction and overview by Dr. Petroc Willey, it includes teachings on the significance of the colour coding, key teachings and breakdown of sections and chapters. Also Dr. Willey offers a review at the end of each section.

 A sample day is:

“DAY 133: Devotion to Mary
Reflect on the Faith

     • “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship” (CCC 971).

     • Honoring Mary is different from the way we adore Jesus and the Trinity, but being devoted to Mary leads us to adore God.

     • Liturgical feasts and prayers such as the Rosary show love for Mary and honor her.

     • Mary is a sign of the Church’s journey toward heaven and its future perfection in heaven.

     • Mary, assumed into heaven, participates in Jesus’ glorious resurrection and is still a mother to all of us in the Church.

     • Devotion to Mary does not replace worship of God but enhances it by deepening love for Christ through recognizing Mary’s role.

     • Mary’s “yes” to God exemplifies the Church’s call to be fully conformed to Christ and transformed by his love.

     • Mary “is mother wherever … [Jesus] is Savior and head of the Mystical Body,” extending her motherhood to all believers (CCC 973).

     • Mary’s role as Mother of God and Mother of the Church is a source of hope and inspiration for the faithful.

     • Recognizing Mary’s unique role in salvation history helps believers understand their own journey and the potential for transformation in Christ.

     • Mary’s motherhood accompanies and supports the salvific work of Christ, and believers can embrace her as their spiritual mother wherever Jesus is present as Savior.

Take It to Prayer

Father in heaven, we give you praise, and we thank you so much. We thank you for giving us your Spirit. We thank you for giving us your Son. Because you so love the world that you gave your only-begotten Son, that all who believe in him would not perish, but would have eternal life. We thank you so much. We thank you for bringing us into your Church. And we ask that you please help us to live in your Church as faithful disciples, as beloved disciples. Help us to constantly say yes to your will, Father. Help us to constantly conform our hearts to yours, Jesus Christ. Help us to always live in the power of the Holy Spirit. And help us always do what Mary did, which is not only point to Jesus, her son, but say yes to the Father’s plan. Father, we ask you please help us this day and every day to be your beloved children. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Dive Deeper

THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN BY DIEGO VELAZQUEZ
The Blessed Virgin Mary, represented here in her heavenly coronation, shows us what awaits the Church in glory (see CCC 972)"

Reflection and prayer from the Catechism Paragraphs 971–975. I hope that sample chapters gives you a feel for each of this days in this companion.

This is an excellent resource from Father Mike and Ascension. Most days I have listened to the pod cast in the morning. And then on my first coffee break at work, I read through the day. I love praying the pray that Father Mike prayed that day, and I love the going deeper sections. I believe this is a must have resource to support your Catechism in a Year journey. This is my second time through the podcast and I see it being a frequent journey going forward. If you are listening to the CIAY pick this up as a supplement to that journey. And pick up volumes I and III as well! 

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

Books By Father Mike Schmitz:
Made for Love: Same-Sex Attraction and the Catholic Church
Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike
Quick Catholic Lessons with Fr. Mike Volume II
The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume III


Contributed to:
Pray, Decide, and Don't Worry: Five Steps to Discerning God's Will
Don't Be Afraid to Say Yes to God! Pope Francis Speaks to Young People
…

Audio Talks by Father Mike Schmitz:
Living Life by Design, Not by Default
Love - Sacrifice - Trust He Showed Us the Way
From Love, By Love, For Love
True Worship
The Four Last Things
Jesus Is …
Changed Forever - The Sacrament of Baptism
We Must Go Out - The Sacrament of Confirmation
…

Books by Petroc Willey:
A Year with the Catechism: 365 Day Reading Plan
Become What You Are: The Call and Gift of Marriage
The Pedagogy of God: Its Centrality in Catechesis and Catechist Formation
The Joy of the Gospel: A Companion Guide to Evangelii Gaudium
…

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume I - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey, and Ann Koshute

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume II - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey, and Ann Koshute

The Catechism in a Year Companion, Volume III - Fr. Mike Schmitz, Petroc Willey, Matthew Doeing, and Ann Koshute
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Wednesday 9 October 2024

Companion to the Sunday Gospels Year B - Henry Wansbrough OSB - CTS Scriptures

Companion to the Sunday Gospels Year B
ISBN 9781784691943
CTS Booklet SC124


This is year B and marks the completion of this trilogy of books by Dom Henry. 
First I say after doing Year C two years ago and Year A last year, and now Year B this year I can easily state I love these volumes. I tend to read 2 or three weeks ahead of time, and then reread a specific weekends reading before Mass that Sunday. However with the announcement of the new Missal and new lectionary material the readings in the books will not match the new translation as of the end of this year late in 2024.

As you can tell by the title this is one of three volumes with reflections for each Sunday of the three-year cycle of the Catholic Church. This was the third I have read. I greatly wished these were available in digital format, but I found out from the CTS that they do not have permissions for eBooks of the scriptures contained within. I believe that is a great pity, I would love to have the three of these as eBooks. Even without the scripture so you could read the passage on your own. I have now read several of the volumes from the Catholic Truth Society in the CTS Scriptures Series. All of the ones I have read prior to this have an introduction by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB. The ones I have read prior to these Sunday Gospel Commentaries are


This one has a two-page spread for each Sunday and a couple of feast days in the church year. There are 57 reflections in this volume. Each two-page spread has the Gospel for that day and facing it a reflection by Dom Henry. And one that spans 4 pages. Each of the Gospel pages is outlined by the colour of vestments for that day. Only the volume for Year C has been rebranded to date, with new cover design. Both Year A and B are still available in older editions. The description of this volume is:

“Fr Wansbrough guides the reader through each of the Sunday gospels during Year B, from Advent to the end of the liturgical year in November. Each gospel passage is accompanied by a succinct commentary on the story and the place of God’s love in Christ’s ministry and in our own lives – as his disciples.”

And the product page for Year C informed us of the next few years that follow those readings. This volume does not but they are: 

The next few Year A’s fall on the following years:
Advent 2027 – Christ the King 2025
Advent 2030 – Christ the King 2028
Advent 2033 – Christ the King 2031

I am not finishing this volume yet but already plan to pull it out in three years and cycle through it for the reflections again. And will likely cycle through the three volumes a few times. I want to call out that Dom Henry was the chief editor of the work of The Revised New Jerusalem Bible Study Edition, This volume uses that translation for the Gospel passages. The new Lectionary as of beginning of Advent in 2024 will be based on the English Standard Version Catholic Edition, at least for the UK. There is a brief 1 page introduction but no forward to this volume a note from Dom Henry and the source material at the beginning. About Dom Henry we are informed:

“Dom Henry Wansbrough, OSB, is a renowned biblical scholar who regularly writes exegesis and reflections on scripture. He recently completed a new translation of the Bible, the Revised New Jerusalem Bible. He is a Benedictine based at Ampleforth Abbey.” 

We are also given a brief history of the Jerusalem Bible Translation and in the acknowledgements it states:

“CTS gratefully acknowledges the publishers of The Sunday Word for their permission to reproduce some of Fr Wansbrough's material in this publication.”

A Sample reflection is:

“MARK 1:12-15

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him.

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. 'The time has come' he said 'and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.'

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Jesus is Tested in the Desert

Each year the gospel reading for this Sunday is about Jesus's testing in the desert. Mark's emphasis is distinctly different from that of Matthew and Luke. No details of the testing, but rather Jesus's sojourn in the desert as almost a return to the peace of the Garden of Eden. The desert of Judaea, between Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley, is a noble and dignified solitude of smooth, sandstone hills. Nothing grows, of course, but wild camels and the occasional leopard prowl around. There Jesus was 'with the wild animals' as, led by the Spirit, he made his preparation for his mission. In what way was he tested? We may presume that in solitude and prayer he was working out the implications of the Voice from Heaven at his Baptism. How was he to run his course as the beloved Servant of the Lord? Precisely how was he to bring the presence of the Kingship of God into people's lives? The 'forty' is often used in biblical accounts for a period of preparation, as in Israel's forty years in the desert, or the apostles' forty days of preparation between Easter and Ascension. We may use our forty days to reflect on how we may bring God's presence to bear in and through our lives.

Question: Is testing the most important aspect of Lent?”

I hope that sample reflections give you a feel for the volume. The first edition of this volume was released in 2016. I Have also read A Year With the Bible - 365 Daily Reflections, from Dom Henry and the CTS, which I can also easily recommend.

It was wonderful to read these reflections over the year. I found that having read these ahead of time helped me to interact with the Gospel more on Sunday’s even if it was not the focus of the homily. These are great little booklets. It is an excellent resource from the Catholic Truth Society! I just wish that these booklets were available electronically as well. It is great to pick up over the year. I can easily recommend this volume and the two sister volumes.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Henry Wansbrough OSB:
CTS Books:
36 Days & 36 Ways Daily Meditations from Advent to the Epiphany Year B
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year A
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year B
40 Days and 40 Ways Daily Meditations for Lent Year C
Companion to the Sunday Gospels: The Year of Mercy
Jesus: The Real Evidence
The CTS New Catholic Bible (Editor)

Other Books:
40 Days With Paul
Benedictines In Oxford (Editor)
Children's Atlas Of The Bible: A Photographic Account Of The Journeys In The Bible From Abraham To St. Paul
Doubleday Bible Commentary: Genesis
Doubleday Bible Commentary: The Gospel of Luke
Event And Interpretation
In the Beginning
Introducing the New Testament
Jesus and the Oral Gospel Tradition
Luke: A Bible Commentary For Every Day
Mark and Matthew
Risen from the Dead
Sunday Word: A Commentary on the Sunday Readings
The Bible A Reader's Guide: Summaries, Commentaries, Color Coding for Key Themes
The Gospel of Matthew: Take and Read (Editor)
The Gospels: Take and Read
The Holy Spirit
The Incarnation
The Lion and the Bull: The Gospels of Mark and Luke
The New Jerusalem Bible (Editor)
The New Testament of the New Jerusalem Bible (Editor)
The Passion
The Passion And Death Of Jesus
The Resurrection
The Spck Bible Guide
The Story of Jesus
The Story of Jesus: Photographed as If You Were There!
The Story Of The Bible: How It Came To Us
The Use and Abuse of the Bible: A Brief History of Biblical Interpretation
…
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Tuesday 8 October 2024

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Young Saints Around the World
Lindsey Sanders (illustrator)
ISBN 9781645853756
eISBN 9781645853763

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

I recently received the 6 volumes in this set to review. The volumes are:

Adventurous 
Ordinary 
Royal and Warrior
Talented 
Unshakable 
Young Saints 

These 6 volumes are geared for younger readers. And are a very high quality picture book. The six books are available individually or as a set. There is a volume that was released in 2021 by the same author and illustrator called Saints Around the World, that could be read to the same audience as this volume but it is much more in-depth and has significantly more information on each of the 100 saints covered in the volume. The description of this volume states:

“In their short lives, these fifteen saints came to know, love, and serve God. And we can too!

This hardcover book includes sturdy laminate pages suitable for young hands. Young Saints Around the World features the stories of

Blessed Carlo Acutis
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Blessed Cecilia Butsi Wongwai
Blesseds Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa
Saint Germaine Cousin
Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro
Saints Perpetua and Felicity
Blessed Paul Thoj Xyooj
Saint Teresa of the Andes
Saint Eulalia of Mérida
Saint Joan of Arc
Saint Peter Yu Tae-chol
Saint Jacinta Marto

Recommended for ages 4-8.”

About the author we are informed:

“Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a speaker, a writer, and a missionary who has lived out of her car since 2012. Meg loves telling stories, learning about Saints, reading the Bible, and watching the Olympics. She is a proud godmother of ten and aunt of an ever-increasing crew of incredible nieces and nephews.”

About the illustrator  we are informed:

“Lindsey Sanders is the creator of AlmondRod Toys, an online shop that sells Catholic toys designed by Lindsey herself. She has seven kids who she homeschools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”

There is no table of contents nor even pages numbers which are the only draw backs I see to this book and the 6 in the series. If you wanted to find a specific saint you would need to flip through looking for them. That being said this is a wonderful volume and series. We already plan to give a set of them to our Catholic School Library. The physical books are well made, and designed to last a long time and heavy use. Beautiful hardcovers with solid stitching. I bent the book flat to scan a couple sample pages and there is no indication I did so. I believe the artwork is either watercolours or water colour pencils. The artwork is stunning. I would love prints of a couple of the images to be able to hang in my den.

Each 2 page spread includes:

Name of the Saint or Blessed
Pronunciation Guide to the name
Brief introduction to them
A key point to learn from them
Then the country, dates and feast day.
A world map with a star marker for where they were from.

There is also available a Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set that contains stickers for all the saints in the series. The inside cover of each volume shows where the saints for that volume come from. It would be an excellent supplement for home or classroom use. 

I have had the longer version of this book for a few years now, as well as Meg’s volume Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness but after reading just one of these they have jumped way up in my ‘to be read’ pile. I look forward to reading the other 5 volumes in this set as well as Meg’s other works. I can easily recommend this book and series for home, school, and church library. They are excellent for introducing children and even us older folks to a wide range of friends in heaven. I great book and series sure to become a family favourite!

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders Map

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders sample page 1

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders sample page 2

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

Books by Meg Hunter-Kilmer:
Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness
A Year in the Word Catholic Bible Journal
…

Saints Around the World Books:
Saints Around the World
Saints Around the World Map & Sticker Set
…
Saints Around the World For Younger Readers:
Adventurous Saints Around the World
Ordinary Saints Around the World
Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World
Talented Saints Around the World
Unshakable Saints Around the World
…

Contributed to:
Living the Word Catholic Women's Bible
The Ave Catholic Notetaking
…

Pray for Us: 75 Saints Who Sinned, Suffered, and Struggled on Their Way to Holiness - Meg Hunter-Kilmer

Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Adventurous Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Ordinary Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Royal and Warrior Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Talented Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Unshakable Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders

Young Saints Around the World - Meg Hunter-Kilmer and Lindsey Sanders
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Monday 7 October 2024

The Twisted Breath of God - Cedar Sanderson

The Twisted Breath of God
StonyCroft Publishing
ISBN 9781301163069
ASIN B007I4CZI6

The Twisted Breath of God - Cedar Sanderson

This is the twenty-third volume from the masterful pen of Sanderson that I have read. To start at the beginning I first encountered the works of Cedar several years back in Cracked: An Anthology of Eggsellent Chicken Stories, and after reading her piece there knew I had to track down and read more from her pen. I was asked recently why I keep mentioning this anthology in my reviews of Cedar’s books, in part it was just an excellent anthology, in part there are several contributors whom I am trying to read all their books now, and in part because I am so thankful to have stumbled upon Cedar’s works in it! To date everything I have read has been entertaining and some have just been amazing stories. I since found out that she is friends with a number of authors I love and respect. I am working my way through her back catalogue. This is another excellent story. 

The description of this volume states:

“A short story of the second contact with an alien civilization. Trade is good, luring humans into rushing their translations and contact with the aliens. A young man and a classroom of alien children are caught in the misunderstandings that ensue.”

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

“Cedar Sanderson, mother of four and aspiring author, grew up without television in the Alaskan bush. This and learning to read at age four have skewed her world toward books. A house full of books and a part-time librarian job keep that going to this very day. She writes what she wants to read herself, and hopes someday her children will like her books. Until then, they all live together on a farm in New Hampshire and read late into the night. She writes because she can't help it, gets a story stuck in her head and has to write it out or it bothers her. Which has led to enjoying the crafting of stories over the years, but she didn't seek to become published for a long time - she was content just to write. Now, she'd like to share some of her work. She has been published in the ezine Something Wicked.”

And Cedar gives us the background to this story, she states:

“I have the pleasure of being a professional balloon twister and face painter in addition to everything else I do in life. I wrote this little tale years ago, when I first learned to twist balloons, and the idea of combining the light-heartedness of twisting with my love of science fiction seemed like a good idea. I do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it, and then rediscovering it in my files almost a decade after I'd written it, long enough after writing that I looked at it and felt like I was reading someone else's work.”

This was a very moving little story. A young man is allowed to interact with Aliens during a second contact situation. The person they assume is the schoolmistress is as eager as he is for him to interact with the youth. But things go sideways quickly. And it is an experience none on the mission are likely to ever forget. To find out what happens you need to read this excellent story. 

This was another excellent read from the pen of Sanderson. I have been very impressed with all of Sanderson’s writing that I have read including those published under the name of Lilania Begley. I can easily recommend this story if you like it a story told in a classic science fiction manner. In some ways in reminds me of Frank Herbert’s The Green Brain or The Eye's of Heisenberg. An excellent story I can easily recommend.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:
Warp Resonance
The Dwarf's Dryad
One-Eyed Dragon
Memories of the Abyss
Plant Life
Snow Angel
Inktail & Friends: A Coloring Book
Voyageur's Cap
Fairy Little Sister
Milkweed
Mindflow
Crow Moon
Zombie Maggots
Poor Gregory
…

The Groundskeeper Series:

Pixie for Hire Series:
Dragon Noir
…
Pixie for Hire: Omnibus Edition

Children of Myth Series:
Vulcan's Kittens 
The God’s Wolfling
…

The Tanager Series:
Jade Star
Tanager's Fledglings 
…

Witchward Series:
Possum Creek Massacre
… 

Illustrated by Cedar:
Something Wicked #15
Jormungandr's Venom (Fenris Unchained Book 3)
Hunted Behavior
A Time To Die
Legion
…

Contributed to:
The Hearts' Enchantment
Calexit- The Anthology
Supernatural Streets
Something Wicked Anthology, Vol One
Something Wicked #15
Mythic Delirium Magazine Issue 0.4
The Haunted Library Anthology: Volume 1 
But Not Broken - Hope and Healing Book 2
Postcards From Mars - Postcard Stories Book 1
Space Cowboys - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 4
Space Cowboys 2: Electric Rodeo - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 5
Twisted Tropes
Steam-Powered Postcards - Postcard Stories Book 2
Space Marines - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 6
Fanta-Fly Postcards: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Postcards from Foolz: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Falcons of Malta
Space Marines 2 - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 9
Single Servings of Liberty - Postcard Stories Book 5
Tales From The Occupation: A Fae Wars Book 4
…

Books as Lilania Begley:
Slice of Pie
...

Sumire Series:

Bluehills Series:

Contributed to as Lilania Begley:
He Was Dead When I got There
...




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Saturday 5 October 2024

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing

St. Raphael Prayer for Healing
Prayer of the Day  

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing

Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the “medicine of God” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favour (here mention your special intention), and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.  

Amen. 

Prayer of the Day St. Raphael Prayer for Healing Votive Stations St Michael's Waterloo, Ontario

A friend shared this on twitter and I immediately liked it. I added it to my daily prayers in the summer of 2024.

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Friday 4 October 2024

The Voice of Angels - Nydia Hadi

The Voice of Angels
ISBN 9781987970685
ASIN B0DD4N2LMW

The Voice of Angels - Nydia Hadi - Full Quiver Publishing

First I will state this is not a genre I read much. In fact the only books I have read in this genre have either been by other Catholic authors or Cedar Sanderson writing as Lilania Begley. But I am a father of three daughters and open to a wide range of books. I was asked if I wanted to give this one a go for review purposes. The description was intriguing and I was open to giving it a try. It obviously did not end up on me ‘did not finish’ pile.

The description of this novel is:

“Olivier’s life is turned upside down after a car accident. Aside from the injuries to his body, his relationship with his girlfriend has also turned sour. When everything seems to be against him, he discovers a Catholic choir group that inspires him to see life in a new light. Although he is not religious, he helps the choir and ends up learning what selfless love means.

Regina is a professional violinist and a soprano in her church choir. She is also very devoted to her faith. When she meets Olivier, a nonbeliever, her faith is challenged in a new way. Most importantly, she has to define what it really means to have faith. When her feelings for Olivier grow deeper, she’ll have to decide what to compromise—and what not to.

Will Olivier and Regina end up together? Will love conquer all?”

About the author we are informed:

“Nydia was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to Canada when she was 18 years old. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, then moved to Calgary, Toronto, and finally to Montreal in 2021. Living in various cities in Canada has broadened her perspective as a Canadian author.

Although she was born and raised Catholic, it wasn’t until 2018 that she experienced God’s love firsthand and decided to serve God through writing. When she is not writing, she spends her spare time reading and playing piano.
The inspiration for her writing includes Montreal and Canada’s beauty, her Asian roots, classical music, her travel experience, and her faith and spirituality.”

Having grown up in Kingston, Ontario I spent a lot of time in Montreal in my youth, attending games, concerns and just enjoying the city. So there was a lot I could relate to in the story about appreciation for the city. I am also a revert having left the Catholic church twice once in my teens and again in my mid-twenties. So there is a lot I can relate to in Oliver’s beginning to question his assumptions around the Catholic Church and faith. 

The story is told through a series of first person point of view chapters. Three of our characters provide our perspective.

Olivier Lefebvre – 28 chapters
Regina de Luca – 26 chapters
Ethan O'Sullivan – 4 chapters

Usually each chapter switches but on a few occasions we get back to back chapters by Olivier and Regina, and once we get three chapters from Olivier in a row. Oliver is recovering from a serious accident that has altered his life permanently. Ethan is questioning his call to be a surgeon or the priesthood. And Regina is trying to find her place in the world of professional musicians. Ethan and Olivier grew up going to the same schools and often competed for top marks. But when Ethan is on the trauma team after the accident they reconnect and develop a true friendship. Ethan also conducts a choir at his church, and Regina is a member. When Regina is in need of a new place to stay Ethan connects her with Olivier. The story from that point is one for friendship, romance faith and finding out what really matters in life.

The story is not a white washed Christian fiction. All of our characters have flaws and make mistakes and assumptions. But they also grow and grow in faith. The characters are very well written. And reading this could be like catching up with old friends you had not seen in a long time. It is realistic fiction but with a clear faith foundation.

This was a wonderful read. I read it over the first few days of vacation at the end of summer and it was an excellent story to start some time off with. I can easily recommend this book. 

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

Books by Nydia Hadi:
Romance Concerto
Dear God
…
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Thursday 3 October 2024

Sugar Skull - Cedar Sanderson

Sugar Skull
StonyCroft Publishing
ISBN 9781311558091
ASIN B00HMA1LQS

Sugar Skull - Cedar Sanderson

This is the twenty-second volume from the masterful pen of Sanderson that I have read. To start at the beginning I first encountered the works of Cedar several years back in Cracked: An Anthology of Eggsellent Chicken Stories, and after reading her piece there knew I had to track down and read more from her pen. And to date everything I have read has been entertaining and some have just been amazing stories. I since found out that she is friends with a number of authors I love and respect. And working my way through her catalogue has been wonderful.
But back to the short story at hand. The description of this volume states:

“Sally, whose full name was Alessandra Padilla Rivera, and who had been raised by a grandmama on stories of El Cucuy, the chupacabra, and the jaguar god who hunts in the night, knows how hard good jobs are to find, and keep. She has a mother to support, and a new job to prove herself at. A couple of problems, though… She is working in a morgue where strange things are happening. The only person she can talk to is her boss, her mother just turns the television volume up, and her friends are grossed out by her job. But Sally is convinced her boss isn't fully human…”

This was a really intriguing story. It feels like it could fit very well in the world of the Groundskeeper Trilogy that began with Raking Up the Dead. And I cannot help but wonder if Mr. Cruor from that series and Pedro Enriquez in this volume have encountered each other before and if they might in a future story? And I can easily picture Sally and Chloe sharing stories about their various work adventures. 

This is a very moving an powerful story. Especially if you know some of Cedar’s past, or have experienced domestic violence, or have supported others who have. It is an intriguing story about finding your place in the world, even if that place might be a morgue at a large hospital, and with an even more unusual boss than normal. I knew I would love this story when it began with:

““Hi, my name is Sally, and I work in the morgue. I’m a diener, which means I move bodies, clean them, and generally assist. It’s not that I’m obsessed with death or anything, it’s just that I really needed a job, and this one pays pretty well, because, as you can imagine, it’s not for the faint of heart. You know how the hospital assigns each department a color of scrubs? Well, ours were supposed to be black, but my boss, who, by the way, isn’t human, I’m pretty sure... Anyway, he laughed at that, and the next day I came into work to find hello kitty skull scrubs in my locker.””

The characters are well written. Sally is a strong character and has a deep commitment to her work. Even after finding out surprising things about her boss. In this one she plays mediator and becomes a confidant. This short story moves at a steady pace. It is another intriguing world Sanderson had created. 

To date I have been very impressed with all of Sanderson’s writing that I have read, and have very much enjoyed her recently works published under the name of Lilania Begley. I can easily recommend this story if you like it and have not read them check out her Groundskeeper Series.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:
Warp Resonance
The Dwarf's Dryad
One-Eyed Dragon
Memories of the Abyss
Plant Life
Snow Angel
Inktail & Friends: A Coloring Book
Voyageur's Cap
Fairy Little Sister
Milkweed
Mindflow
Crow Moon
Zombie Maggots
Poor Gregory
…

The Groundskeeper Series:

Pixie for Hire Series:
Dragon Noir
…
Pixie for Hire: Omnibus Edition

Children of Myth Series:
Vulcan's Kittens 
The God’s Wolfling
…

The Tanager Series:
Jade Star
Tanager's Fledglings 
…

Witchward Series:
Possum Creek Massacre
… 

Illustrated by Cedar:
Something Wicked #15
Jormungandr's Venom (Fenris Unchained Book 3)
Hunted Behavior
A Time To Die
Legion
…

Contributed to:
The Hearts' Enchantment
Calexit- The Anthology
Supernatural Streets
Something Wicked Anthology, Vol One
Something Wicked #15
Mythic Delirium Magazine Issue 0.4
The Haunted Library Anthology: Volume 1 
But Not Broken - Hope and Healing Book 2
Postcards From Mars - Postcard Stories Book 1
Space Cowboys - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 4
Space Cowboys 2: Electric Rodeo - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 5
Twisted Tropes
Steam-Powered Postcards - Postcard Stories Book 2
Space Marines - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 6
Fanta-Fly Postcards: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Postcards from Foolz: A Micro-Fiction Collection
Falcons of Malta
Space Marines 2 - Raconteur Press Anthologies Book 9
Single Servings of Liberty - Postcard Stories Book 5
Tales From The Occupation: A Fae Wars Book 4
…

Books as Lilania Begley:
Slice of Pie
...

Sumire Series:

Bluehills Series:

Contributed to as Lilania Begley:
He Was Dead When I got There
...


Raking Up the Dead - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 1

The Hoodoo That You Do - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 2

My Ghoul - Cedar Sanderson - The Groundskeeper Book 3

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