Rediscover Catholicism

Don’t you love purposeful gifts? Well for my birthday two years ago, a good friend of mine (a very good friend indeed!) gave me Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Believe it or not I had never read a Catholic book before and really didn’t know what to expect from this one. Wow was I in for a pleasant surprise! This one book kindled the flame of my faith into a raging fire. Pardon the cliche, but this book seriously changed my life. I was informed, I was enabled, but most importantly my eyes had been opened to the multitude of reasons to be PROUD to be Catholic! There was no going back for me, and from that point on I have been in a full-out sprint towards Christ (which is a good thing!). While I was surprised, perhaps I shouldn’t have been, there clearly is a reason why this book is quickly becoming one of the most popular Catholic books of our time. This book is valuable no matter how old you are or wherever you think that you are in your faith journey. Think you have it all figured out? I challenge you to read this book and tell me that it didn’t fan the flame in your heart. Raised Catholic but still don’t know what it’s all about? This book is also for you.

Another cool thing? You can get a copy for free (+s&h) from Matthew Kelly’s website here! Get going!

– Ryan
Questions? Email me at CatholicVine@gmail.com!

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

This book has been my go-to source for living out my Catholic life over the past few years. After going on a Jesuit-run retreat two summers ago, I discovered the Jesuit forms of prayer, specifically the use of imagination in reading and meditating on scripture. I have always been fascinated by scripture, often using the daily readings as a way to guide my actions throughout the day. A common method for reflecting on scripture is Lectio Divina, which includes four steps of reading, meditating, praying, and contemplating. Jesuits encourage what they call Ignatian contemplation, by engaging the imagination in this process, imagining that you, yourself, are one of the disciples in the Gospel, or the servant in a parable. There are countless ways of analyzing and interacting with scripture, but I always find this imaginative process to be one of the most revealing processes.

The Jesuit Guide is a great how-to guide for prayer, decision-making, and seeking to find God in “all things.”

Available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

– Greg
Questions? Email me at CatholicVine@gmail.com!

Catholicism for Dummies

Lost and hoping to find direction and guidance, I set up a meeting with the priest who oversaw our campus ministry (Years later he is now one of my best friends!). In conversation I admitted to feeling that I was lacking basic knowledge of our faith and didn’t even know where to begin. In response he recommended Catholicism for Dummies to me and pleaded that I not be offended by the name! This one book laid out the entire foundation for the Catholic faith in simple layman’s terms, while also addressing some of the most common misconceptions and questions floating around today. Since reading this book I have purchased and distributed numerous copies and recommend it to anyone I come across who is looking to learn more about the Catholic faith (Catholics and Non-Catholics alike!). Check it out on Amazon!

– Ryan
Questions? Email me at CatholicVine@gmail.com!