The Restless Heart
Fr. Ronald Rolheiser
A thoughtful exploration of loneliness, in the tradition of Henri Nouwen's classic Reaching Out. Loneliness may be more pervasive now than at any other time in human history. Cell phones and "instant messaging" not withstanding, our longing for meaningful connections seems to increase in direct proportion to our accessibility.
In The Restless Heart, Ronald Rolheiser identifies different types of loneliness and discusses the dangers and opportunities they represent in our lives. Using contemporary parables from literature, film, and his own life, he shows that loneliness can be a tremendously creative and even valuable force when it is recognized, accepted and used as a dynamic catalyst. With his trademark clarity of vision, honesty, and intelligence, Rolheiser offers a distinctively Christian approach to living an examined, involved life and presents suggestions that will free readers to discover greater meaning and fulfillment in their own lives.
Crossing the Threshhold of Hope
Pope St.John Paul II
A great international bestseller, the book in which, on the eve of the millennium, Pope John Paul II brings to an accessible level the profoundest theological concerns of our lives. He goes to the heart of his personal beliefs and speaks with passion about the existence of God; about the dignity of man; about pain, suffering, and evil; about eternal life and the meaning of salvation; about hope; about the relationship of Christianity to other faits and that of Catholicism to other branches of the Christian faith.With the humility and generosity of spirit for which he is known, John Paul II speaks directly and forthrightly to all people. His message: Be not afraid!
Mere Christianity
C.S. Lewis
A study of Christian literature is incomplete without reading C.S. Lewis. This intellectual giant of the twentieth century was a convert from atheism to Christianity. He taught Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. This classic is composed of talks Lewis gave to the British public on the BBC during the bombing blitz of London during World War II. Other Lewis classics include: Miracles, The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (boxed set)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Go on one of the great adventures that does not require a boarding pass. Take a three-tiered adventure that will be one of the most memorable and important pilgrimages of your life.
First, read, or re-read, The Lord of the Rings, the 1000-page adventure, composed of Tolkien’s three books: The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The Lord of the Rings recounts the great ‘mission’ undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring to destroy the One Ring that rules all others to free Middle-earth from domination by the Dark Lord, Sauron. You know, or think you know, all the characters: Gandalf the Grey, the hobbits Merry, Pippin and Samwise Gamgee, Legolas the Elf, Arwen, Bilbo Baggins, Elrond, Gimli the Dwarf, Boromir of Gondor, Galadriel, the nightmare making Smeagol, and, of course, Aragorn the Dunedain.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) the creator of the elaborate and stunning geography, history, and Elvish language of Middle-earth, in which the story of the Rings of Power is set, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Tolkien, a devout Catholic, was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams the other members of The Inklings, an informal scholarly discussion group that meet weekly in an Oxford pub. The Christian and literary contributions of these three scholars/writers are breath-taking.
Second, read The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings by Fleming Rutledge. Rutledge opens up the theological themes that lie just below the surface of Tolkien’s saga. Rutledge’s exhaustive study of Tolkien’s correspondence reveals the “deep narrative” of his work – the Biblical and liturgical motifs of the epic. God’s transcendence, grace, providence, and power are everywhere and provide a new and encouraging understanding of Frodo’s personal and cosmic struggle against the Dark Lord.
Finally, watch the DVDs of Peter Jackson’s great Oscar-winning production of The Lord of the Rings series. Of particular note, the Special Extended versions of the DVDs have wonderful video appendices on Tolkien, background on the story, production of the films, the music, computer generated art and sets, on and on.
The Lord of the Rings in its “deep narrative” is the story of God’s creature, the fall of humanity, our struggle against the deadly allure of power, and the ongoing spiritual battle against Satan but also the promise of an eternal order and design that will not be defeated.
(synopsis courtesty of Fr. Ken Wolfe, pastoral associate - St. Thomas the Apostle Parish)
The Confessions
St. Augustine
A masterful, new translation of a perennial classic, now available in pocket size! The Confessions of Saint Augustine is considered the all time number one Christian classic. Augustine undertook his greatest piece of writing with the conviction that God wanted him to make this confession. The Confessions are, in fact, an extended poetic, passionate, intimate prayer. Augustine’s experience of God speaks to us across time with little need of transpositions. This new translation by Maria Boulding masterfully captures his experience. Augustine was probably forty-three when he began this endeavor. He had been a baptized Catholic for ten years, a priest for six, and a bishop for only two. His pre-baptismal life raised questions in the community. Was his conversion genuine? The first hearers were captivated, as many millions have been over the following sixteen centuries.
Thomas Aquinas, Spiritual Master
Bishop Robert Barron
Thomas Aquinas is widely considered the greatest and most influential of Catholic theologians. Yet too often his insights into the nature of God and the meaning of life are seen as somehow cold, impersonal, and divorced from spirituality. In this award-winning book, Bishop Robert Barron shows how Aquinas’ profound understanding of the Christian mystical life animates and helps explain his writings on Jesus Christ, creation, God’s “strange” nature, and the human call to ecstasy.
“When one interprets Thomas merely as a rationalist philosopher or theologian, one misses the burning heart of everything he wrote. Aquinas was a saint deeply in love with Jesus Christ, and the image of Christ pervades the entire edifice that is his philosophical, theological, and scriptural work. Above all, Thomas Aquinas was a consummate spiritual master, holding up the icon of the Word made flesh and inviting others into its transformative power."
God is Love - Deus Caritas Est
Pope Benedict XVI
With his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI describes the essential place of love in the life of the Church. He explains the various dimensions of love, highlighting the distinctions between 'eros' and 'agape,' Jesus as the incarnate love of God, and the scriptural law of love. He also links the Church's charitable work with the love of God as Trinity, noting that the Church must express love through acts of justice and charity.
Have a Little Faith
Mitch Albom
In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds -- two men, two faiths, two communities -- that will inspire readers everywhere. Albom's first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy.