Q & A with Local Author Deacon Bruce Bradford

Following is my brief interview with local author Deacon Bruce Bradford, author of An Angel Named Herald, one of the books I reviewed in my December column about Christmas gift books.  Thanks so much, Deacon Bradford, for sharing about your book and your life here!

Q: Tell Catholic Post Book Group blog readers a little about yourself and your family.

I've been married 47 years to my wife Terry, and we have four children and 10 grandchildren. Both Terry and I were born and raised in the state of Maine. I worked for Pan American Airways for 25 years( and so I can say that the TV series is not all that accurate.). We lived in New York City; Shaker Heights Ohio; and then 38 years in Oak Park, just outside Chicago.  In 2006 we retired to Pekin to be closer to our daughters and five of our ten grandchildren. I was ordained as a permanent Deacon 26 years ago in Chicago. At present I am assigned to two parishes; St Joseph in Hopedale & St Mary in Delavan. I am an amateur actor (20 years) and am presently in a production of A Christmas Carol. This fall, I performed in “The Ghosts of Spoon River.”

I also volunteer driving seniors for the Miller Senior Center, and conduct a “Bible Connections” session for the mentally and physically challenged at PARC in North Peoria. I am constantly reading and enjoy travelling around the country with Terry to visit our boys in Houston and Minneapolis.  Isn’t retirement grand?

Q:  How did you come up with the idea for the book?

Six years ago I decided that as Deacon of the Mass I wanted to read something after the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve for the children.  I created Herald to be used as someone we could emulate as a messenger for God’s message of love. The response that first Christmas eve was “Where can we buy the book?” I of course had to say that Herald was in my head only.  People urged me to publish which I respectively laughed off.

When I moved to Pekin and was assigned to the two parishes mentioned I read the story to the children and again was asked about a book. A parishioner overheard my discussion. She walked up to me and said,”Publish it, and I want the first copy.”  Eight months later she had her copy.

Q. You mentioned that the book was initially intended for your grandchildren.  What made you want to publish it to a wider audience?

I asked myself why publish “Herald”?  I determined that if I published it would be for my ten grandchildren.  I wanted them to have something of their grandfather's creation. The original orders for books reflected that desire. Then I decided to get additional copies for the children on Christmas Eve and my friends at Parc. I started getting requests from friends for the book and suggestions that I do a book signing.  I’ve had one in Oak Park, one at Lagron-Miller in Peoria, and on December 20th I’ll be doing another book signing at “I Know You Like a Book” bookstore in Peoria Heights.  The book has been a blessing, and has reunited me with so many folks around the country.

Q.  What do you hope readers take away from “An Angel Named Herald”?

Herald’s story is our story.  Jesus came to create a “new” kingdom; a kingdom based on Love and action.  We like Herald, have doubts that we are up to the task, but God like he did with Herald provides us with the tools to be his Herald.  We, like Herald, are called to be God’s messengers.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to add, or wish I would have asked?

People have asked if there will be a sequel. My answer to that is Herald in our lives is a daily sequel.

Meet a Reader: Shirley Plaag

"Meet a Reader" appears on the monthly book page of The Catholic Post, and it features someone within the diocese of Peoria who enjoys reading.  Here are the four questions I ask "readers" to answer: how you (meaning Post readers) know me, why I love reading, what I'm reading now, and my favorite book.  This month, I feature Shirley Plaag, a delightful young woman who is a fellow volunteer on the Behold Conference.

How you know me: 

I was born and raised here in Peoria and have lived here just about my entire life, minus four years of college at Franciscan University of Steubenville and a year of mission work at St. Gianna’s Maternity Home in North Dakota. I am currently a member of St. Jude Parish in Peoria were I work with a wonderful group of 4th graders every Sunday. I most recently began teaching religion to another wonderful group of middle school students at St. Mary’s School in Kickapoo. Last, but not least, I sell books at Lagron-Miller Company alongside the lovely Gina McKenna. When I’m not working or reading, I love to cook and bake. Just ask my friends and family!

Why I love reading:

I love reading quite simply because it transforms my life. After studying four years of Theology and Catechetics, I have covered a lot of ground in spiritual reading. God speaks to me through the things that I read by challenging me and calling me to a deeper conversion. My favorite thing about reading- whether it be a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, the life of a great saint or the writings of the Holy Fathers- is that it is something that I can share with others to deepen their understanding or devotion as well as my own.

What I'm reading now:

 I think that I may have a bookmark in at least 10 books at the moment! I just finished Mystery of Joseph by Fr. Philippe, founder of the Community of St. John. This beautiful book sheds a new light on the Gospel accounts where St. Joseph is present and gives an intimate look into the life of the Holy Family. Scott Hahn called this book “profound and deep” and I wholeheartedly agree. In the spirit of the coming feasts of Christmas, I am also reading the classic Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol and Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Art of Waiting by Mother Mary Frances P.C.C. Recently, I have picked up Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints by Colleen Swaim to share with my students.

My favorite book:

Choosing a favorite book is a challenge. There are many that I am passionate about, but there are two that stand out among the stacks. The first is A Serve Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. This is a poignantly written memoir about the journey of the author and his wife from “A Pagan Love,” a love that is turned in on one another to a selfless love of the living God, Jesus Christ. This true story is full of beauty, poetry, joy, despair and honesty about what it means to fully convert our lives to Christ. This message is clear: there is no middle ground and there is no turning back once we have encountered Him. [The following is my favorite excerpt from the book, written by the author before his conversion: “How did one find joy? In books it seemed to be found in love- a great love- though maybe for the saints there was joy in the love of God. He didn't aspire to that, though; He didn't even believe in God. Certainly not! So, if he wanted the heights of joy, he must have, if he could find it, a great love. But in the books again, great joy through love seemed always to go hand in hand with frightful pain. Still, he thought, looking out across the meadow, still, the joy would be worth the pain- if indeed, they went together. If there were a choice- and he suspected there was- a choice between, on the one hand, the heights and the depths, and on the other hand, some sort of safe, cautious middle way, he, for one, here and now chose the heights and depths."]

The second is I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux by Fr. Jean d’Elbée. This book has changed my life time and time again. It is one that I go back too when I need to relearn the “Little Way” of St. Thérèse. This book, written with a great deal of gentleness and love has brought me through many trials in life and reminded me that I am a joy for Jesus because “His delight is to be with the children of men” (Prov. 8:31).

I am also a big fan of anything written by C.S. Lewis, Peter Kreeft, and Archbishop Charles Chaput just to name a few. But, I digress. I can’t write about them all. I must join St. John the Beloved Disciple in saying “were every one of them to be written, I suppose the that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Great Christmas Gift Books for "Almost" Everyone

Every great book is not for every person.    Accepting that reality has been a journey.

I used to think that some books absolutely everyone must read, and then they would love and cherish them as much as I did.  This view was shaken some years back when I proposed to our little parish book group that we read Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey.   I was shocked that every member but me so disliked reading (much less discussing) this classic.

And then there was the time last year I solemnly promised to Sue, a Catholic workout buddy, that she would love The Loser Letters, but she must read and love The Screwtape Letters first.  And she really, really didn’t like either one.  Sorry, Sue!

Those books are classic and deservedly loved by millions.  And they would make great Christmas gift books . … . for me.  But, as I now admit freely, not for everyone. 

With those stories (and many others, trust me) in mind, putting together my annual list of Christmas-worthy gift books became daunting.  I receive tons of great Catholic books, and learn about many others.  How to recommend ones that would be of interest to the wide range of Catholic Post readers? 

This year, I chose not just books I personally love, but well-written, nicely “done” books that may be outside my comfort zone but that others would love and enjoy.  I sought out online friends, church acquaintances, and even perfect strangers in trying to find out what makes a great gift book.  And as always, I encourage you to seek out your local Catholic bookseller and explore the great options out there. 

Fiction for adults:

Ida Elizabeth:  Ignatius Press has a new edition of one of my favorite authors, Sigrid Undset, best known for her historical fiction trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter.  Ida Elizabeth is set in the 20^th century, but still conveys Undset’s characteristic Catholic style and deep exploration of marriage and relationships.

Stealing Jenny (available as both an e-book and paperback) by award-winning author Ellen Gable is a well-paced and heart-pounding story with a very Catholic vision.  I could not stop reading Stealing Jenny on my Kindle App, neglecting household and family to find out what would happen.

Fiction for kids:

*Who can resist Christmas puns?  Not me.  An Angel Named Herald by local author Deacon Bruce Bradford is a charmingly goofy picture book with a sweet Christmas message.

*The brand-new Betsy-Tacy Treasury compiles in one handsome volume the first four classic  Betsy-Tacy books; they are like the Little House books, except set in early 1900s small-town Minnesota.  Tacy is a Catholic girl, and faith is a normal element of the girls’ lives.

*Ranger’s Apprentice fans rejoice, as author John Flanagan has begun a new series  set in the fictional lands of Araluen and Skandia —The Brotherband Chronicles.    Fans of adventure, friendship and fun will enjoy The Outsiders—first in this series about a group of  young sailors.

*For older readers (teens and up), The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrude von Le Fort, a classic recently reprinted, is a fictionalized account of the true martyrdom of a group of Carmelite sisters during the French “Reign of Terror

Non-fiction:

“A sad saint is a sorry saint, indeed,” goes the old expression.  Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life by Father James Martin, S.J., explores how humor and laughter are not just add-ons, but vital, to healthy spirituality.  Like all Fr. Martin’s works, Mirth is easy to read without being “lite.” 

Surrender! The Life Changing Power of Doing God’s Will by Father Larry Richards, mentioned to me by several readers.  Fr. Richard challenges people to grow in the spiritual life  by putting God and His will first, always.

I love well-designed and written books that feel good to hold and read.  Generous Faith: Stories to Inspire Abundant Living by Sister Bridget Haase is handsomely formatted and sized.  In short, thoughtful stories, Sr. Bridget invites readers to have “generous faith” by living in the moment, accepting and trusting in divine care, and experiencing God’s presence in our daily lives. 

Welcome Baby Jesus! Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families by Sarah Reinhard is a gentle, easy read to help families “appreciate Advent” and the Christmas season through Scripture, reflections and action ideas.

Advent Book Giveaway #4: Baxter's Big Teeth by Betty Counce

Fourth in the Catholic Post Book Group Advent Book giveaway is Baxter's Big Teeth.

Baxter's Big Teeth is first in a series of books called "Critters Like Me," from a local book publisher, Keepworthy Creations,  started last year to offer high value keepsake gifts and books that teach life lessons offered in print and interactive formats.   The books are written by local author Betty Counce, and illustrator by local artist (and member of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in Peoria Heights) David Seay.

The book tells the story of a beaver, Baxter, who has to learn patience as his "big teeth" begin to grow in.  Even the dentist- averse kids at our house enjoyed this little story, though we (including Mom) were more concerned about Baxter losing his family at the beginning of the book than his tooth woes.  It all ends well, though, as Baxter learns how to have patience and take care of his teeth.

What I like best about the book is that it comes with a nicely designed and quite substantial keepsake pewter "tooth box."  This giveaway is for the book, pewter tooth box and soft pouch (for the box).

Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in Baxter's Big Teeth, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name.  That's it!  Couldn't be easier.

Baxter's Big Teeth and other books in the "Critters Like Me" series are available at local Hallmarks, the "I Know You Like a Book" bookstore in Peoria Heights, and various online booksellers.

Deadline for this giveaway is Thursday, December 8, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Advent Book Giveaway #3: Olivia's Gift

Third book in the Advent Book Giveaway is Olivia's Gift by Nancy Carabio Belanger.  Olivia's Gift was one of the highlights of my December 2010 Christmas gift books column in the Catholic Post.

This book is a great read for girls especially in the 5th to 8th grade range.  As I wrote previously:  "Olivia's Gift follows Olivia in her summer before 7th grade, navigating friends, family and trying (and not always succeeding) to live out St. Therese’s “Little Way.”  There’s a very powerful, but sensitively handled, pro-life theme here. The book is a sequel to the wonderful Olivia and the Little Way, that chronicles Olivia’s fifth grade year and her ups & downs.  The books can be read independently of each other, but most girls will want to read both once they’ve read one."

I'm embarrassed to say that Nancy sent me a copy of the novel last year for a giveaway, and I had all planned to give away a copy of the book back then.  But if I remember correctly, a bout of the flu took me out for quite a bit of that season, and I couldn't manage all I had intended for the blog.   Month after month I kept thinking I would manage a giveaway of Olivia's Gift sometime during the year, but it didn't happen until now.  But truly, it would be a great Christmas gift for a young girl in your life.


Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in Olivia's Gift, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in two days, I'll pull another name.  That's it!  Couldn't be easier.

If you are not a winner in this giveaway, I notice that Harvey House publishing, publisher of Olivia's Gift, has a free shipping offer for books ordered before December 16, so do take advantage of that special offer.

Deadline for this giveaway is Sunday, December 4, at 7 p.m. Central Time.

First, What Are You Reading? Volume 16, Christmas Book Edition, December 2011

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:
first, what are you reading?
what do you like best about it?
what do you like least?
what's next on your list to read? 

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook.  Happy reading!

Normally, I finish my "first, what are you reading?" post well in advance of the first day of the month, but  this month I did not.  Rather than make it a "second, what are you reading?" post, I'm going to quickly list a couple of Christmas classic books, and invite you to share yours.  No "what I like best, least or next" this time.  You'll have to fill in for me.  And don't forget to enter the book giveaway that ends tonight.


First, what are you reading?  


Linda, a fellow library volunteer, shared with me a great book that I read to kids this week in the school library.  It's called Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto.  It's a very sweet and funny book, makes you want to make tamales after you finish, and also funny.  A couple of the classes of kids and I worked out the math problems if four kids had to eat the 24 tamales, how many tamales each?  Thanks for introducing it to me, Linda!

We haven't gotten out any of our Christmas books yet, but two of our absolute favorites are The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Jane Thayer (note that we have that actual older edition, given to me several years back by one of my sisters).  It's fairly goofy, but I pretty much have it memorized after reading it four Christmases ago literally every day from about December 15 to mid-February, so fond was our then four-year-old of that book.  We all still love it.

The other every Christmas must read aloud, though my kids are getting older, is Rumer Godden's The Story of Holly and Ivy.  I see a handsome new edition came out last Christmas, and I might have to invest in that this year.  We have a very old edition of this.

What are the favorite perennial Christmas books at your house?

Advent Book Giveaway #2: Mother Teresa and Me

Second in my Advent book giveaway is Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle's Mother Teresa and Me.  I reviewed this book in my October Post column, and enjoyed so many things about it, chief among them the concept Mother Teresa actually used of "express novenas," in which she would pray a Memorare 9 times in a row for a specific intention.    I've actually put the Memorare up on a bathroom mirror in our house just to help me remember this great little prayer idea.

This book would make a great gift.  It's a nice light read.

As I mentioned when I started the Advent book giveaways, the rules are simple:  to be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment on any post giving away a specific book.  So for winning a copy of Mother Teresa and Me, just leave a comment here.  If I don't have a way to reach you, I will notify you via the comments, but if you don't respond in a timely way (two days), I will pull another name.  Easy!

This giveaway opportunity ends at 7 p.m. central time Thursday, December 1.  Good luck to all the readers out there.

Advent Book Giveaway Bonanza--Just in Time for Christmas Gift-Giving

Yes, it's Black Friday, and no, I'm not shopping today, not being a big fan of shopping in general, and especially when stores are crowded.

But I do love books, as everyone knows by now.  And so I'm kicking off the Christmas shopping season by an Advent Book Giveaway.  Most of the I have been given specifically for giveaways, and books that came as doubles from publishers, so I've decided to give away the extra copy.

I'll have the giveaways for just the next two weeks, every couple of days, so that winners have the chance to get the books before Christmas gift-giving (even to yourself, if you are a winner).  I'll have two more books to give away in January, as well.

First up is my November's reviewed book,  A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey.  I realize I had not yet shared the wonderful book trailer for Lisa's great new book, so here it is:



Here are the rules for this giveaway and all the books in the giveaway.  You must comment on the blog post or posts giving away the book.  So, if you are interested in The Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, leave a comment here on this post.

In addition, if you are the winner, I will let you know via comment if I do not have an e-mail or a way to reach you.  If you do not respond in a few days, I'll pull another name.  That's it!  Couldn't be easier.

Deadline for this first giveaway is Monday, November 28 at 7 p.m. Central Time.

What are you doing this Black Friday? Our family has a tradition of either a hike or going to the nation's longest-running holiday parade, where this year we will be meeting another family, then getting some lunch together, nowhere near a mall, I hope.  Sometimes we see a movie, and Hugo looks good this year, as most of the family has read The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Thomas Friedman Agrees With Me

As I've said many times here, I'm a firm believer in reading books with and to kids, even once kids can read themselves.  In our family, we particularly love having family books--books that we all read and remember and become part of our family "story."  

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman had a great column over the weekend essentially agreeing with me. (Not that Friedman reads me often, but you know what I mean).    My husband helpfully shared the column with me, and our discussion helped shaped my thoughts here.  I sometimes forget what a great source of both information and analysis he is, so allow me to give him a quick and well-deserved shout-out here.

Friedman refers to an international study that (every 3 years) tests 15-year-olds, and finds that young people whose parents read to them when they were young do much better on reading comprehension and problem-solving than those who do not have that benefit.  The study also shows the more parents are involved in their children's lives, asking about schoolwork, talking with them about politics and news, in addition to the reading, also raised scores.

Now, I don't continue to read to our children (all strong readers by now), and we don't have family favorite "books," just so that our kids will out-perform their peers when they take tests.  But I do love that giving kids this heritage of great books makes them better able to comprehend the world and be better at problem-solving.  Essentially, Friedman is affirming the Catholic view that parents are the "primary and principal educators" of their children.

I'm beginning work on my December Catholic Post column, about books that would make good Christmas gifts.  As it stands now,  I'm recommending more kids' books than grown-up books.  I was starting to feel a little concerned about this until I read Friedman's column.  

What do you think about the study and what it means for parents and kids?  You can read the full results of the international study here. 

Q&A with "A Book of Saints" author Lisa Hendey

I'm re-publishing my Q&A with Lisa Hendey this month since I usually try to focus on a book throughout the month I review it.  You can read my review of Lisa's new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, in my Post column here.

Longtime readers of The Catholic Post Book Group will remember that the second book I reviewed for the Catholic Post was Lisa's first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Lisa was also my first author interview, and author interviews have become among my favorite aspects of writing about books.  I really enjoyed my visit with Lisa, a friend to moms everywhere.  I hope you enjoy it.

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Did you know you wanted to write it when The Handbook for Catholic Moms released?

Thank you for your kindness and welcome Nancy. Honestly, I must give a great deal of the credit for the concept of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms to my amazing editor at Ave Maria Press, Eileen Ponder.  Only a few weeks after The Handbook for Catholic Moms was released in February 2010, Eileen proposed several ideas for future projects, including the concept of a book devoted to exploring the lives of the saints. Because the Handbook was so fresh on my mind, and because I so enjoyed exploring the themes of that project so much, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms became a natural extension of the work that had begun with my first book.

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and “feels.”  I especially loved the illustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” (such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms) and how you assign a different one to each saint.  Tell me more about how you connected those two themes.

I, too, love the design for the book and want to give a great deal of credit to designer Katherine Robinson Coleman of Ave Maria Press, who gave such a beautiful “face” to the ideas I wanted to convey in this book.  The “heart, mind, body and soul” themes were explored in my first book The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  In that book, I encouraged moms to care for themselves in these aspects of their lives so that they would be better equipped to serve their families, our Church and the world around us.

I’ve long had a devotion to the lives of the saints, turning to them as spiritual companions, role models and intercessors. Early in the planning for this project, I decided that I wanted to revisit the four themes, choosing saints in each of those areas and writing about their lives, but also about how the saints exemplified sanctity and excellence in these areas.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not so much.  How did you select the range of saints?

Choosing the 52 saints was one of the most fun, but also the most challenging aspects of the project. I knew immediately that some saints would be included because their importance to mothers and their “fit” for the topics being explored made them immediately come to mind. But I also had a wonderful time pondering my “picks” and reveling in research at our local university library. The formula of 52 saints and four “themes” (heart, mind, body and soul) meant coming up with 13 saints in each of those categories. Honestly, many of the saints I selected could have been introduced in several ways, but conceiving of them in this way and watching the project grow and take flesh really brought them to life in this writer’s heart of mine.

Do you have a favorite saint among the less well-known saints?

I have several! I must admit a tremendously soft spot in my heart for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of my personal patrons. It makes sense to me that they would have had a tremendous impact upon her and I’ve fallen in love with Blessed Zelie through reading her personal correspondence. I also have a strong devotion to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a modern working mother, a physician and a valiant pro-life champion. Finally as an Indiana born daughter of two Hoosier parents educated by the Sisters of Providence, I absolutely love and frequently pray through the intercession of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin who has taught me a great deal about trusting in God’s providence in my life.

You’re such a busy writer and new media specialist.  What’s your next project?

Busy, but very blessed! I have several “next projects” in the work, including an Advent book for Catholic families, several new concepts for CatholicMom.com, an active speaking schedule for the Spring and some “secret projects” that will be unveiled soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I would have asked?

Nancy, I thank you for your amazing support and I truly encourage your readers to pick up A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and to share it with their friends and loved ones. The book is designed to be of support for moms, but also to be used with the entire family. It includes daily scriptures and prayers, activities for a mother to enjoy with her children, and a family prayer to be recited together. The saints – these holy men and women – lived their lives in the same challenging circumstances we often face today. It’s such a treasure of our faith that we can turn to them for support and encouragement, in intercessory prayer. I hope families will find a renewed relationship with the communion of saints through this book – both the formally canonized saints, and those we have each known and loved in our own lives. I pray the book will be a blessing to moms in their vocation.

Catholic App Spotlight Update: Confession

 I first wrote about the Confession App earlier this year, at that time getting a lot of press.  I did download it and check it out, but wondered at the time if I would find myself using the App during actual confession.

Let me “confess” that I’ve become very fond of the Confession App, developed by Little iApps.  So much so, that last month when the App told me it had been two months since my last confession, I felt compelled to share with our parish priest, “While my iPhone says it’s been two months since my last confession, I know I’ve been here twice without my phone.”  He laughed.  And then when I got home I tweeted about doing that.  Am I geeky enough to have a Confession App?  Oh, yes I am.

Many months ago, the very first time I used it in confession, I showed my phone to the priest at a Franciscan parish in Peoria.  Somehow it seemed wrong that he not be aware that I was reading from the examination of conscience the App prompts.  He laughed and said he had heard about it, but it was the first time he heard an App-aided confession to his knowledge. 

Joking aside, I find the Confession App very spiritually helpful in a few key ways:

*the examination of conscience  is keyed to your state in life.  When I first set up my password-protected account, it asked if I were married, etc.  And the examination of conscience relates to that.

*a neat feature that follows the sacramental nature of Confession and what it does for your soul: after you go to confession, your sins, like in actual Confession, are literally wiped away—there’s no way to go back and look through what you confessed previously.  Each time you prepare for confession, the Examination of Conscience is fresh and unchecked.

*the prayer after finishing Confession changes each time you go, and they are lovely.  I wish there were a way to capture them for future reading—I remember particularly good ones from St. Gregory the Great and one from St. Josemaria Escriva, but I can’t find a way to go back and read them again.

I had thought I might use the Confession App for a nightly examination of conscience, but instead, I use my all-time favorite App, Universalis, for saying night prayer.  

Little iApps, the developer of Confession, have a great line-up of Apps.  I’ve downloaded all of them, and especially love the eVotions Apps on different saints.  Our family especially likes the photos on the St. Gianna Molla App.

In recent days, my 8-year-old son and I have taken to saying the novena to Blessed John Paul II in his “App,” as his before-bed prayers, and there’s nothing sweeter than hearing his little voice read through the prayer at the end of the novena. 

Have you used the Confession App?  Or do you have any Catholic Apps you’d like to share?  

Meet a Reader: Andrew Bland, MD, MBA

I'm delighted to feature this month a local physician-leader and very busy person, Dr. Andrew Bland.   Thanks, Andy, for agreeing to share your love of books with Catholic Post readers!

How you know me:

Until August, I was a partner at Illinois Kidney and Hypertension; in August, I became the Chief Medical Officer at Proctor Healthcare.  My wife Melissa and I have three daughters; we attend St. Anthony’s Parish in Bartonville.  I also have the honor of serving on the Board of Trustees for Limestone Fire Protection District.

Why I love reading:

 Reading gives you a chance to look into the author’s mind and gain a different perspective on the world.  Reading relaxes me.  I love reading multiple books at the same time; it is like having ongoing e-mail conversations with different friends.

What I’m reading now:

Great By Choice by Jim Collins- How great companies and people survive in chaotic times.    Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell:  a fictional history of the live and conversion of St. Luke.  The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton: a witty and paradoxical book that examines the history of man and Christ from a Christian perspective in rebuttal to H.G. Wells Outline of History.  This was the book that converted my favorite author, C.S. Lewis, to Christianity.

My favorite book:

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  This one title systematically disarmed every single concern I had about being a Christian.  Until I read this book, I was lukewarm about my faith.  The quote below literally scared the hell out of me (I don’t enjoy visiting dentists):

“Now, if I may put it that way, Our Lord is like the dentists. If you give Him an inch, He will take an ell. Dozens of people go to Him to be cured of some one particular sin which they are ashamed of (like masturbation or physical cowardice) or which is obviously spoiling daily life (like bad temper or drunkenness). Well, He will cure it all right: but He will not stop there. That may be all you asked; but if once you call Him in, He will give you the full treatment.”

I was not sure I wanted the “full treatment;” just an increased sense of peace, so I put the book aside for a time.  The compelling logical explanation of what it means to be a Christian brought me back to start the “full treatment”.    

And this quote from Mere Christianity is likely my favorite quote from any book: 

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms Encourages and Uplifts

“Every time a Catholic mother asks me what author she should read, I have a ready answer: Lisa Hendey,” says noted author Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Amen, Father Martin.  Lisa Hendey is a seemingly omnipresent champion to Catholic women everywhere.  Hendey has a big presence online, where she runs her encouraging and informative website CatholicMom.com.  She also is a featured blogger at the popular Faith & Family Live! web community,, and she speaks and writes on new media as a way to spread the Catholic faith. 

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms, Hendey’s first book. (Incidentally,  that was the second book I ever reviewed here at the Catholic Post.  Lisa was also my first author interview, since Fulton Sheen, author of first book review Treasure in Clay, was unavailable for an interview). 

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and “feels.”  Especially lovely are the illustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms and continued here.  Each saint has an icon of either heart, mind, body or soul based on the saint’s particular charism—for instance, a heart for St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, and a body for martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not so much.  I enjoyed discovering newish-to-me saints like St. Rose Venerini (mind) , a 17^th century lay educator, and St. Theodore Guerin, who helped bring the Sisters of Providence to the US.   There are also fresh reflections on saints like St. Jerome (soul) and  St. Jane Frances de Chantal (heart).

Each saint/chapter is divided into five sections:  lessons (an essay/reflection on the saint; traditions (charming familiar and obscure observances associated with the saint); saintly wisdom (a quote from or about the saint); scripture for each day of the week; and saint-inspired activities for mom alone or with kids.

I read through The Book of Saints cover to cover, but it would be a great resource to have at hand throughout the year.  A reader could choose to use this book as a bedside devotional to “keep up with the saints” all year, or get even more practical by planning some of the activities for the family.  Any way it is utilized, The Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is an enduring treasury for heart, mind, body and soul.

This is my monthly column in the print Catholic Post.  Check back all month long on the blog for discussions, giveaways and more about this book and many more.

First, What are You Reading? Volume 15, November 2011

Here are my answers to the four questions I ask on the first of each month:

first, what are you reading?

what do you like best about it?

what do you like least?

what's next on your list to read? 

As always, I hope you'll consider your current reads on your blog and/or sharing here in the comments or on Facebook.  Happy reading!

First, what are you reading?  

Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith.    Esquith teaches in a troubled Los Angeles school with few success stories, and yet manages to transform the lives of his 5^th grade students year after year.

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles is by Padraic Colum, and illustrated by Willy Pogany.  My 8-year-old son and I are reading this to each other, with other family members listening in from time to time.

What do you like best about them?

Here’s what I loved about Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire:  Esquith writes all about making a great classroom culture and holding kids to a high standard.  He teaches them problem-solving as a key skill, and challenges the students to act right at the highest level of behavior.  He and his students perform an acclaimed Shakespeare play every year.  He takes his students on trips to broaden their horizons and shows them classic movies to foster a sense of media literacy—I could go on and on.  He’s a powerhouse, and his many awards are well-deserved.  This would be a great book for any teacher, or really any parent, to get great ideas (or be confirmed in your own) for enriching the lives of children.

Padraid Colum was an Irish writer.  I’m not sure where I picked up the handsome Aladdin paperback of The Children’s Homer, but once I started reading it with my 8-year-old son, we were hooked.  Other than various adaptations over the years, I’ve never been good at reading The Odyssey and other classic Greek literature.  I downloaded an Odyssey App once, but found the language less than friendly to my style.  Colum’s language, while a little old-fashioned, hooked us quickly and we love the amazingly great stories.  After we finished The Children's Homer, we started on The Golden Fleece.  Colum won the Newberry award for The Children’s Homer, The Golden Fleece and The Children of Odin.

What do you like least about them?

A big deficit of Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire is the amount of stuff Esquith is able to accomplish with his kids, and how someone reading it might feel inadequate.  It reminds me of when we used to educate our children at home—a danger could be visiting the blogs of other moms who seemed to be able to “do it all,” and how that kind of information was depressing instead of challenging.

Esquith is an amazing teacher, but in a way it’s more of a vocation.  It doesn’t appear he has children; his wife is very involved in helping his classroom succeed.  His kind of dedication and single-minded pursuit of great teaching isn’t realistic for most people, with families and other responsibilities.

I don’t necessarily think that a teacher, whether in public, private or homeschooling, should attempt to replicate, even over the course of a lifetime, Esquith’s successes.  However, there are so many great take-away points that it’s a very helpful read.

I don’t really care for the Willy Pogany illustrations in The Golden Fleece and other Colum books.  They are not terrible, just not my style.  Otherwise, these Colum/Pogany books are all good.

What’s next on your list to read?

I am reading many, many books that would be good as gifts for my December column.

So, what are you reading these days?  Any books you would like to share?

Q&A with Lisa Hendey, author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

I was so excited to be invited to participate in the blog tour for Lisa Hendey's new book, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms (and can I say how cute is the cartoon Lisa for the blog tour icon?).  Longtime readers of The Catholic Post Book Group will remember that the second book I reviewed for the Catholic Post was Lisa's first book, The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Lisa was also my first author interview, and author interviews have become among my favorite aspects of writing about books.

I will be reviewing A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms for my November column, but in the meantime here is a great short Q&A with Lisa Hendey, a friend to moms everywhere.

A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is such a great companion and natural “sort-of sequel” to The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  Did you know you wanted to write it when The Handbook for Catholic Moms released?

Thank you for your kindness and welcome Nancy. Honestly, I must give a great deal of the credit for the concept of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms to my amazing editor at Ave Maria Press, Eileen Ponder.  Only a few weeks after The Handbook for Catholic Moms was released in February 2010, Eileen proposed several ideas for future projects, including the concept of a book devoted to exploring the lives of the saints. Because the Handbook was so fresh on my mind, and because I so enjoyed exploring the themes of that project so much, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms became a natural extension of the work that had begun with my first book.

I appreciate how handsomely the book is designed and “feels.”  I especially loved the illustrations/icons for “heart, mind, body and soul,” (such a great theme in The Handbook for Catholic Moms) and how you assign a different one to each saint.  Tell me more about how you connected those two themes.

I, too, love the design for the book and want to give a great deal of credit to designer Katherine Robinson Coleman of Ave Maria Press, who gave such a beautiful “face” to the ideas I wanted to convey in this book.  The “heart, mind, body and soul” themes were explored in my first book The Handbook for Catholic Moms.  In that book, I encouraged moms to care for themselves in these aspects of their lives so that they would be better equipped to serve their families, our Church and the world around us.

I’ve long had a devotion to the lives of the saints, turning to them as spiritual companions, role models and intercessors. Early in the planning for this project, I decided that I wanted to revisit the four themes, choosing saints in each of those areas and writing about their lives, but also about how the saints exemplified sanctity and excellence in these areas.

There are 52 great saints, some well-known, others not so much.  How did you select the range of saints?

Choosing the 52 saints was one of the most fun, but also the most challenging aspects of the project. I knew immediately that some saints would be included because their importance to mothers and their “fit” for the topics being explored made them immediately come to mind. But I also had a wonderful time pondering my “picks” and reveling in research at our local university library. The formula of 52 saints and four “themes” (heart, mind, body and soul) meant coming up with 13 saints in each of those categories. Honestly, many of the saints I selected could have been introduced in several ways, but conceiving of them in this way and watching the project grow and take flesh really brought them to life in this writer’s heart of mine.

Do you have a favorite saint among the less well-known saints?

I have several! I must admit a tremendously soft spot in my heart for Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux who is one of my personal patrons. It makes sense to me that they would have had a tremendous impact upon her and I’ve fallen in love with Blessed Zelie through reading her personal correspondence. I also have a strong devotion to St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a modern working mother, a physician and a valiant pro-life champion. Finally as an Indiana born daughter of two Hoosier parents educated by the Sisters of Providence, I absolutely love and frequently pray through the intercession of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin who has taught me a great deal about trusting in God’s providence in my life.

You’re such a busy writer and new media specialist.  What’s your next project?

Busy, but very blessed! I have several “next projects” in the work, including an Advent book for Catholic families, several new concepts for CatholicMom.com, an active speaking schedule for the Spring and some “secret projects” that will be unveiled soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add or wish I would have asked?

Nancy, I thank you for your amazing support and I truly encourage your readers to pick up A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms and to share it with their friends and loved ones. The book is designed to be of support for moms, but also to be used with the entire family. It includes daily scriptures and prayers, activities for a mother to enjoy with her children, and a family prayer to be recited together. The saints – these holy men and women – lived their lives in the same challenging circumstances we often face today. It’s such a treasure of our faith that we can turn to them for support and encouragement, in intercessory prayer. I hope families will find a renewed relationship with the communion of saints through this book – both the formally canonized saints, and those we have each known and loved in our own lives. I pray the book will be a blessing to moms in their vocation.

There Oughta Be a Catholic Book on ... Catholic New Media

Oh wait, there already is a book!  It’s called The Church and New Media:  Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet.   I wrote up a mini-review for the print Catholic Post, and since I have more “room” here, I’ve expanded this a little more for the Catholic Post book group blog.

The Church and New Media is not just an insider’s guide to who’s who in Catholic Internet and new media use.  That might be fun to read for some, but the book is way more valuable and practical.

A CPGP book I reviewed earlier this year, Prayer in the Digital Age, by Matt Swaim, may seem similar, but it’s really not.  Prayer in the Digital Age is a terrific book for individuals to consider how to  have a healthy relationship with our online world. 

The Church and New Media, compiled by blogger and new media expert Brandon Vogt, is more like a how-to on Internet presence and connectivity for everyone from the tech-savvy to novices.

Each chapter of The Church and New Media is penned by a different online expert, on topics ranging from blogging; to connecting with young adults; to creating a new media policy in a parish or a diocese.  Sidebars highlight various projects or personalities breaking new ground in Catholic online evangelism.    My only, truly minor, quibble with the book is not in content at all but that the text and font seemed a little “squished” and made it a little less enjoyable to read than it could have been. 

This book would be an indispensible resource for so many, from pastors seeking ways to create or update a parish’s online presence, to ministry leaders and others who don’t know why they should connect with their members or students this way.  The Church and New Media begins this conversation in a reader-friendly and informative way.  I plan to give a copy to my parish priest, and I can think of many others who would benefit from it.

Have you read The Church and New Media yet?  What do you find best about it?

How Do You Use Twitter?

How do you use Twitter?

I have been active on Twitter now for many months, but I definitely consider myself to be in the "getting the hang of it," stage and enjoying myself at the same time.  I'm @ReadingCatholic, and there I post my blog posts here, re-tweet others' interesting posts, and links.  Hey, follow me--there's the Twitter button on the right column of this blog.

Only recently, I've begun having conversations something along the line of Facebook conversations, some with people I know in real life, and others not.  Sometimes I feel like a less-funny Amber Dusick as she describes why she is no good at Twitter.  Even though my kids are not as small as hers, I find that offline life is so demanding with family, friends and non-tech goals, that I find myself entering and leaving Twitter conversations at odd times.   That's true of Facebook, as well. (I find myself responding to Twitter people days later, "belated thank you for the RT!").  At the same time, I love how I have been able to connect with people around the world about Catholic topics, my love of books, and just general interest topics.

Recently, the diocesan newspaper I write for, The Catholic Post, has started using Twitter more regularly.  For now, I am the person most often posting "tweets" on the account, with my editor monitoring and checking in.   When I was discussing this with him we both wondered why I was not more connected with local Twitter users.  I have more than 300 followers, and follow almost 500 people (update: 500), but so far as I can see, only a handful of people I know live within the diocese of Peoria.  There must be many more people active locally on Twitter.

So I set about trying to change that by following local news media, like @pjstar, the Twitter account for the Peoria Journal-Star; and various reporters I recognize from reading the paper.  Then I moved onto the local television stations like WEEK-TV (free advice to the WEEK people:  make your Twitter buttons easier to find on your home page).  And I do know several friends who have joined Twitter in the last few weeks, but they aren't super active yet.

So here's my question:  if you are active on Twitter, is it mostly with people outside of your geographic area, or within your area?  Do you consider that a problem, especially if your primary audience (like for the Catholic Post) is local?  How do you utilize Twitter if what you do is mostly local?

Not Far From the Kingdom of God: UPDATED

Thomas Peters' cartoon of Steve Jobs at the Pearly Gates, going viral on Twitter today, really sums up my feelings today about Steve Jobs--that he in reality is not far from the Kingdom of God.  ( For some reason the "TwitPic" link is not working well, or at least it doesn't look like very good resolution as I write this in draft form--you can visit this link to see this simple but practically perfect cartoon in much better resolution.)

I am uber-geeky about the death of Steve Jobs, and basically warrant some of the criticism people are having of the outsize reactions to Jobs' death.  Last night, I subscribed to the Twitter hashtag #apple so I could show our family all the tweets streaming in for Jobs.  I laughed loudly when a Facebook friend, fond of putting up photos of the wrong celebrity when one dies (Liam Neeson instead of Leslie Nielson, for example), put a photo of Bill Gates up with the caption, "Steve Jobs, you will be missed."

And this morning, I actually, truly, tweeted and put on Facebook, "At Mass this am, saw 2 others wearing jeans & black, but I was too shy to ask if they were, like me, geeky & doing it for Steve Jobs."

From what I can discover, Steve Jobs professed no faith, but he is one of several famous people I consider "not far from the Kingdom of God" because of their desire for truth, beauty, and goodness.  Another example is Clint Eastwood--he says he does not believe in God, but how can a person make the movies "Gran Torino" or "Invictus" without some kind of yearning and desire for the Good?

Steve Jobs or Clint Eastwood remind me of the Calormen soldier Emeth in C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.  For those who have not read it, Emeth arrives in Aslan's country to Aslan's welcome, but Emeth protests that he has always followed and sought Tash, the demonic "god" of the Calormens.  How could Aslan accept him as a son?  Aslan replies, "Beloved, .. unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly.  For all find what they truly seek."

There are tons of Web reflections and tributes to Steve Jobs today. I especially enjoyed Jeff Geerling's tribute: "Steve", in which Geerling reminds us of Jobs' opposition to porn on the App store, and many of his other terrific qualities.   His love of beauty and a clean design for Apple products, even the parts customers would not generally see, shows there was something in him that sought and delighted in goodness. The Anchoress also had a great reflection and roundup of various reactions around the Web.  And Marc Cardaronella, a local friend we know in real life (I featured his wife Shannon as a "Meet a Reader" early this year), shares Steve Jobs "life lessons for Catholic leaders."

A friend on Facebook responded to my "wearing jeans and black at Mass" status that today's Gospel, from Luke 11, was great, and in re-reading it, I thought about Jobs and his relentless searching and knocking, and how the Lord promises that the door is always opened.  May it be so, and may Jobs' soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace:

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’


UPDATE:  I don't know how I missed several points in my original post.  One, that I (and our whole family) has multiple, multiple Apple products.  I am not going to even count them because I fear it would be embarrassing.  And I have never gotten rid of one.

For instance, when a nephew told me Apple offers a 10 percent discount at the Apple store if you bring in an old iPod or other device, I brought the first iPod (now nonworking even after my cardboard fixes) my husband got me years ago, to an Apple store in the plans of getting a discount, and I accidentally on purpose forgot to turn it in.

That reminds me that it is my husband who loves and points out to me all the new Apple products and how beautiful they are.  So I am in gratitude to him for getting us started on the Apple path, because  Apple products have saved me so much time and angst from my Windows days, I can't even begin to add them up.

Finally, how did I neglect, when I was retweeting the fact profusely, about the fact that Steve Jobs was adopted, and what his unplanned conception might have meant in the post-Roe world?  MacBeth has a tear-inducing reflection about that here.  Dare you to read it without tearing up.