Book Marks: New releases on Catholic teens, poetry, and Saint John XXIII

Looking for a new book to start while basking in the spring sunshine? Here are some new titles you might want to check out:

May 2014

A Maryknoll Book of Poetry: Beauty, Truth, and Goodness From Around the World

Edited by Michael Leach, Doris Goodnough, and Helen Phillips

A Maryknoll Book of Poetry (Orbis, 2014) is a collection of poems featuring the works of spiritual writers from around the world. Readers of all faith traditions will be enriched by the poems of contributors such as Joan Chittister, Thich Nhat Hanh, Joyce Rupp, Mariam Therese Winter, and many more.
 

Real Life Faith: Bible Companion for Catholic Teens

By Mary Elizabeth Sperry

In her book Real Life Faith (Liguori, 2014) Sperry aims to connect current-day teenagers with the young people in the Bible. Although the latter lived centuries ago, Sperry argues that they faced the same, timeless challenges that teens face today: peer pressure, looking for real friends, feeling left out, among others. Each chapter contains a story of a modern teen’s life and a story of a young Bible figure who went through the same issue.
 

Meditations before Mass

By Romano Guardini

The spiritual wisdom in Meditations before Mass (Christian Classics, 2014) is a great way to prepare your whole being—mind, body, and soul—to journey deeply into the heart of Christian worship: the Mass. This book is a reprint of Guardini’s original German text and proves to be an inspiring guide as the reader contemplates the beauty of the Mass.
 

The Vision of Saint John XXIII

By Randall S. Rosenberg

Saint John XXIII’s life and legacy can be described by themes that shaped him as a person and a pope. The Vision of Saint John XXIII (Paulist, 2014) is not simply a chronological account of his life; rather it is an exploration of the new saint’s pastoral vision, Catholic perspective, political imagination, and more. Rosenberg focuses on themes of John XXIII's life and his relationship with saints and reforming popes.
 

How the Bible Became Holy

By Michael L. Satlow

Satlow’s How the Bible Became Holy (Yale, 2014) explores how, when, and why the Bible—in all of its juxtaposing narratives and long lists—became the founding book for both Judaism and Christianity. It discusses the Bible’s authority over the two religions and attempts to pinpoint when the book became known as “holy”—something Satlow controversially argues began quite late in its history.

Illustration by Angela Cox