7 Books I’m Reading Right Now

If you didn’t know already, I’m a big nerd. I love reading, especially when it is helping my soul and my intellect. Some books I can finish in a day or two (“Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor”) and others I can only read a few pages at a time either because of the spiritual depth (“World’s First Love”) or because of the intellectual intensity (“Love and Responsibility” by JPII).

These are a few books I’m reading right now, plus a few bonus books I just finished reading at the bottom. I like to have a mix of theological, historical, spiritual, inspirational, devotional, referential, practical in my reading, so I hope these are representative of that!

Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible by Tim Gray & Jeff Cavins

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

7 Levels of Intimacy by Matthew Kelly

Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila

My Life With the Saints by Fr. James Martin

How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul: 21 Secrets for Women by Jason & Crystallina Evert

Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly

Aaaaaaaaaand, I just finished reading 2 AMAZING books:

The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen

Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights on JPII’s Love and Responsibility by Edward Sri

Where Are Your Children? by Fulton J. Sheen

There is one page in Fulton J. Sheen’s World’s First Love that I cannot forget and I cannot stop sharing.

It happens to relate to today’s Gospel reading, so I am thrilled to share it with you!

To set up the framework of this quotation, in the chapter, “Virginity and Love,” Fulton Sheen talks about how Virginity (specifically referring to those in consecrated, celibate vocations: priests, brothers, sisters, lay consecrated) is neither the opposite of love nor the opposite of generation (meaning “bearing life”). He makes a case that bearing children of the spirit is greater than bearing children of the flesh (physical parents are supposed to bear both), using today’s Gospel as an example.

TODAY’s GOSPEL: Matthew 12:46-50
While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,
his mother and his brothers appeared outside,
wishing to speak with him.
Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
asking to speak with you.”
But he said in reply to the one who told him,
“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father
is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

FULTON SHEEN, p. 170 of World’s First Love:
“When the woman in the crowd praised the Mother of Our Lord, He turned the praise to spiritual motherhood, and said that she who did the will of His Father in heaven was His mother. Relationship was here lifted from the level of the flesh to the spirit. To beget a body is blessed; to save a soul is more blessed, for such is the Father’s Will… There would, therefore, seem to be implied in all virginity the necessity of apostleship and the begetting of souls for Christ.
God, Who hated the man who buried his talent in the ground, will certainly despise those who pledge themselves to be in love with Him, and yet show no new life–converts or souls saved through contemplation. Birth control, whether undertaken by husband and wife, or by a virgin dedicated to Christ, is reprehensible. On Judgment Day, God will ask all the married and all virgins the same question: ‘Where are your children?’* ‘Where are the fruits of your love, the torches that should be kindled by the fires of your passion?’ Virginity is meant for generation as much as married love is.”

*the bold is my emphasis, not Sheen’s

How to Find Your SOULMATE…

I just bought the book How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul: 21 Secrets for Women by Jason and Crystallina Evert.

I am so glad they wrote this book, so that I wouldn’t have to!

This book is perfect for young women to help them recognize their dignity and worth, and to make a stand never to SETTLE!

I would even say guys should read it, to know what kind of man NOT to be, and what kind of woman they should look for: a woman who knows who she is in Christ and leads others to him, as well.

CLICK HERE to buy the book

You can even buy in bulk (over 44 copies) at $2 per book, so if you want to do a book study at your church or girls’ group, you can do it for cheap! There are also downloadable study questions on their website.
CLICK HERE for the study guide

This is a PERFECT way to continue a “girls’ session” you may have experienced at a conference, retreat or convention. It’s also a great GIFT for any young woman you know!