Since our oldest was a baby, we would spend hours reading. Now that said oldest is more than half-way to adulthood (gulp!) I treasure all the times that we spent snuggling together with our favorite books.
We especially love good, Catholic books.
Our family tries to continually spend more time in prayer and spiritual reading, especially during Lent.
As St. Alphonsus Liguori said, “without good books and spiritual reading, it will be morally impossible to save our souls.”
So, with Lent underway, here are some book recommendations.
All About Lent and Holy Week by Katie Bogner and Shari Van Vranken
This new book is technically for children, but I have enjoyed reading it as well. Shari Van Vranken, the illustrator and designer, outdid herself with the designs and images. The stunning graphics complement the book’s overflow of information about our faith. It explains why we observe the season of Lent and includes special feast days, practices that the Church observes, Holy Week, the Triduum and the glorious celebration of Easter. The book also contains touching quotes from Saints, bible verses, prayers, tips to make a good confession and so much more.
The Way Of The Cross For Children by Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.
We have been reading this book for years. It is a fantastic book for children to observe the Stations of the Cross. We use this book at home and when attending the Stations at church. Our Lord has often told us that He desires that we meditate on His Passion throughout the year on Fridays and especially during Lent. Children can see, with child-appropriate graphics, how Jesus’s journey to Calvary redeemed the world from sin and led to the most important historical event that has ever and will ever take place. There are also many other fantastic books by the same author and publisher.
Our Lady of Sorrows by Patrick O’ Hearn
This book details the sorrows of Our Lady and is told from the perspective of Our Lady as if she were speaking directly to children. It contains beautiful reflections from Our Lady’s Seven Sorrows, with passages from Scripture, meditations, prayers and includes the practice of praying seven Hail Marys for each of Our Lady’s sorrows. The book also includes prayers in both Latin and English and has four of Father Chad Ripperger’s prayers for children. St. Louis de Montfort urges us to go to Mary and “surrender to her, body and soul, without reserve in order to belong entirely to Jesus.” This book will help everyone who reads it do just that.
The Road to Calvary: Daily Meditations for Lent and Easter by St. Alphonsus Liguori
I read this book last year during Lent and while it is physically a lovely leatherette book, the contents are even more so. The book contains daily meditations by St. Alphonsus Liguori from Ash Wednesday through Easter. The passages are short but incredibly moving. St. Alphonsus’ spiritual direction throughout the book intensified my yearning to get closer to the Lord during His passion, instead of my usual trepidation and avoidance of thoughts of Our Lord being tortured and killed.
The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary by St. Anselm of Canterbury
Speaking of my trepidation of thinking and reading about Our Lord’s passion and death, aside from Jesus, no one except Our Lady experienced more sorrow and anguish over His death. If Jesus and His Mother, who is our Mother as well, could experience His suffering, why shouldn’t I? This book and The Road to Calvary finally helped me go beyond my fears and experience Christ’s passion through Mary’s perspective. I ask my children, “if we could accompany Momma Mary while Jesus was on the Cross, wouldn’t we?” They always answer with, “Yes, of course we would.”
The Story of a Soul by Thérèse of Lisieux
In Matthew 18:3, Jesus tells us, “Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” St. Thérèse is a wonderful example of what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, not in greatness, honor, accomplishments or fame, but in being little, simple, and entirely devoted to Him. This is one of my favorite books to read and I especially love to read this autobiography of St. Thérèse during Lent so that I can decrease in order that, as St. John the Baptist said, Jesus may increase.
St. John Bosco advised, “Only God knows the good that can come about by reading one good Catholic book.” I hope you enjoy these books and have a fruitful Lent.
Christina Frye is a lifelong Rhode Islander, wife, mother and founder of Catholic Mom Rhode Island,
www.CatholicMomRI.com.
