Books – Daily Graces

Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination – Course Review

Published on January 29, 2024 by KateLeave a comment

I was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in the St. Paul Center’s Emmaus Academy this January. I was able to take the course Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination presented by Dr. Ben Reinhard. This course covered a wide range of topics, both liturgical and Tolkien, as perhaps the name suggests. It did not disappoint.

Emmaus Academy is a paid subscription in order to access this and all of the other courses. The Academy is run by the St. Paul Center which was founded by Dr. Scott Hahn. I was able to review this course free of charge in exchange for a thoughtful review of the content.

Dr. Reinhard begins his lectures by inviting the listeners into Tolkien’s daily life, proposing that before liturgical elements can be found within Tolkien’s works, we first have to understand just how liturgically grounded his life was. And boy, was it! As someone who has studied liturgy, I was deeply impressed with Tolkien’s knowledge of liturgical texts and the ways he seamlessly wove them into his regular correspondence and life. He even recommends memorizing important liturgical prayers as a critical way for his son, Christopher, to remain close to his faith while serving in World War II.

Many of us know the prayers of the Mass and can say them along with the priest and community during Mass. Many of us know popular songs or poetry that can be recited along with the album playing. But have you ever tried to repeat them on your own, by yourself, without the text in front of you? It is an interesting and challenging exercise, because sometimes those prayers, songs, or poems you thought you knew so well are difficult to recall in full unless you have taken the time to deeply study them. Tolkien studied them deeply.

This deep study of the liturgy and daily living it out (Tolkien attended Mass daily for the majority of his life) could not but shape and inform his writing. Dr. Reinhard goes through a number of examples, letters, and short stories, teasing this theory out before getting to what everyone is waiting for, The Lord of the Rings. I am a Tolkien lover, and I found many references and moments which made me smile as I recalled the wider story surrounding whatever portion was being referenced. However, Dr. Reinhard does a good job providing the wider context and details needed to understand whatever portion of whatever story he is using to illustrate his point.

I very much enjoyed this course. As I said, I already love Tolkien’s stories. But after this course, I have a deeper appreciation for who Tolkien was and how his quiet Catholicism helped him tell these masterful tales. I also have a better grasp on why these stories have such an inspirational quality. If you are someone who is on the fence about Tolkien, or hasn’t quite gotten through his stories, I would still recommend this course to you. I hope that you will find a new connection to Tolkien that inspires you to give his works a try. At the end of the day, as Dr. Reinhard explains, Tolkien’s works are about the exaltation of the humble (I’m looking at you, hobbit fans), which is, at it’s core, a most liturgical and Catholic viewpoint.

If all this isn’t enough, I talked at length about what I learned with Ben. These conversations, coupled with our 12 year old just finishing listening to an abridged version of The Lord of the Rings, we’ve had a lot of Tolkien in our house. But instead of being tired of hearing his name, Ben is now re-reading the series and we are slowly watching the Director’s Cuts of the films (for the unknown numbered time, these are favorites!). Basically, if you’ve been thinking about reading the series, or re-reading it, this course has the potential to tip the scales for you in a very good way.

The Devout Life – Book Review

Published on September 18, 2023September 14, 2023 by KateLeave a comment

St. Francis de Sales is a spiritual teacher par excellence. The instruction he offers in, Introduction to the Devout Life (Introduction for short), which was first published in 1609, is as rich and beneficial today as it was over 400 years ago. However, as with most texts of this kind of history, sometimes the phrasing can be unfamiliar. Enter The Devout Life: A Modern Guide to Practical Holiness with St. Francis de Sales by Deacon Matthew Newsome.

Dcn. Newsome haș carefully and thoughtfully brought St. Francis de Sales’ timeless advice into a format that is easily accessible for anyone who wishes to learn more about the devout life. Newsome is quick to point out that this book isn’t a summary or a new translation. Rather, “it is a helpful resource, built upon the framework of St. Francis’s Introduction, for anyone seeking to grow in devotion to God through individual or small group-study” (pg.3).

Newsome follows the same structure of short reflections as the original Introduction. He offers practical ideas for how to digest and better put into practice the principles St. Francis de Sales recommends for growing in the spiritual life. There are reflection questions at the end of each 1-3 page section as well as an applicable Scripture verse which corresponds with the topic discussed. These additions lend themselves very well to individual journaling, conversations with Jesus during Adoration, or for sharing in a group setting.

All people are called to holiness. St. Francis de Sales wrote his Introduction to be a roadmap for everyday ordinary people to learn to lead a devout life, a life of holiness. To lead a devout life, one must practice devotion. Newsome recommends reading his book a little at a time, just one section a day. In this manner, the reader is building a habit of daily time with the Lord and considering how they are living out this calling to holiness.

Personally, I can attest to the strength of this wisdom. This is not a book to read in a weekend. It is one you can return to again and again, especially after slowly walking through it in its entirety. There will be times in your life when specific reflections will speak more strongly to you than others. The division of sections and topics makes this book easy to reference as you go through different seasons of the spiritual life.

The structure, the pace, the reflections, the wisdom – this book provides a solid frame work for anyone who wishes to cultivate habits of listening for God’s voice in their everyday life and making concrete choices which will help them live a holier, devout life.

For disclosures: I received a free copy of this book from Sophia Institute Press in order to review it both here and on Catholicmom.com. The opinions I share here are my own.

Interview with Colleen Pressprich

Published on December 7, 2022December 1, 2022 by KateLeave a comment

Last month, my 10 year old daughter, Rosie, and I were able to review a new children’s book, The Women Doctors of the Church! Not only did we receive a copy of the book to review, we were also blessed to interview the author, Colleen Pressprich. We had a delightful conversation and what follows is the results of the interview. Rosie played an integral part in creating our questions and conducting the interview. She also helped me write up this summary. Rosie hopes to someday become a writer so this was a fantastic opportunity for her to spend time with a real life author and learn more about the process of writing a book, finding inspiration and getting published. We are so thankful to Colleen for taking the time to talk with us about her fabulous book.

How did you get the idea for this book?

These women are some of my favorite saints. I really wanted my daughters to learn about these 4 amazing women. When I went to look for books about them, I couldn’t find any! I decided to write one because, “I want my girls and other girls to get to meet these ladies before they’re adults.”

Why did you choose to talk about the 4 women Doctors of the Church? Why not 4 other female saints or martyrs?

“I chose these 4 women because I think they are incredibly strong and capable.” There are 37 Doctors of the Church but only 4 are women so this is a special group. I am hoping that by highlighting these women and bringing them forward then more young girls and the Church as a whole will begin to consider more women saints as candidates for the title, “Doctor of the Church.” There are many important women saints who have changed the Church that could be on this list someday.

I (Rosie) learned more about what it means and takes to become a Doctor of the Church. Mrs. Pressprich explained that you have to be known throughout the whole Church, not just the area you lived in. You also had to write a lot! And, your writings had to effect the whole Church.

Which Doctor of the Church is your favorite? Why?

I actually have 2. Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux. I first met Teresa of Avila in college when I read Interior Castle. I felt like Teresa was writing especially to me. I loved that she was writing directly to women and that all the pronouns in her writing are “she” and “her.” I also liked that she was, “a little bit spicy, and feisty and sarcastic.” At first, I didn’t think I would like Therese of Lisieux very much. She seemed too obedient. But then, as I got to know her, I realized how hard it is to really live her Little Way well. To run back to God right away each time you sin, forget to pray, or mess up. “Therese challenges me.”

Which Doctor of the Church did you know the least about when you began researching your book?

I knew the least about Hildegard. She was the only one I hadn’t read any of her writings or books on before I started researching.

I (Rosie) knew the least about Hildegard too. Before this, I didn’t even know there was a Hildegard of Bingen! Because of this book, now I know that anyone can receive visions, even little girls. I also have learned that just because it hasn’t been done before it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Hildegard, with the pope’s permission, went around Europe preaching to many people which was unheard of for a woman in her time period.

We love all the illustrations! Can you tell us about your relationship with Adalee Hude? Did you collaborate on the pictures and flowers or did you work separately?

Adalee Hude is one of my favorite artists. I was so happy when Our Sunday Visitor was open to working with Adalee and that she didn’t have a project already happening at the time. We emailed back and forth about the illustrations and we worked closely with one another to create the book.

How did you start writing? Is this your first book? Do you have more books coming?

I always liked writing and have had a blog before. I started writing online when I was a missionary and we had to keep an online journal about our experiences. I began to write a book when I was looking for a book about Marian Consecration for families. My oldest daughter was young and asking lots of questions about Jesus. When I couldn’t find anything, my husband said, “Well you know how to write. Why don’t you write it?”

This is my second book. My first is called Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. I also have a Stations of the Cross booklet. I have a Jesse Tree book coming out next Christmas and a devotional about the Father Heart of God for families. Both of those books will be out next year.

This interview was a great experience. Mrs. Pressprich was a delight to talk to about her book and we can’t wait to read more from her.

Below is Rosie’s bio since she wrote this just as much as I did. I’m so proud of her!

Rosie Taliaferro is ten years old and second child of six. She attends St. Mary’s Parish Catholic School near Wichita, KS. She enjoys reading and learning new things. She plays the violin and piano. She would like to be a writer someday.