Catholic Women's Book Group

Meeting Time and Location
The book group meets the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:30pm in the large conference room. For more information, contact Sue Andzik (719-359-2471 or sandzik@gmail.com).

2020 Book List

January Letter to a Suffering Church by Bishop Robert Barron
February Flame of Love by Elizabeth Kindelman
March Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the 12 Steps by Richard Rohr
April No Greater Love by Edward Sri
May How to Pray Like Mary by Sonja Corbitt
June You Are Enough: What Women of the Bible Can Teach You About Your Mission and Worth by Danielle Bean
July The Fisherman's Tomb by John O'Neill
August Salvation by Michael Patrick Barber
September He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek
October Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know by Joseph Pearce
November Rediscover the Saints by Matthew Kelly
December The Mystery of the Magi: The Quest of the Three Wise Men by Dwight Longenecker

2020 Book Reviews
Ratings 1–5 †

March 2020
Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the 12 Steps by Richard Rohr (††††)

Synopsis:
Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. Fr. Rohr’s teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized. In his Twelve Step spirituality, Rohr identifies the core Christian principles in the Twelve Steps, connecting them to the gospels. He says that only people who have suffered in some way can save one another. Deep communion and deep compassion is formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure. This, says Richard Rohr, “is one of the great discoveries of the Twelve Step Program, America's most significant and authentic contribution to the history of spirituality. To survive the tidal wave of compulsive behavior and addiction, Christians must learn "to breathe under water" and discover God's love and compassion.” However, there are two sides of the story on Richard Rohr. At Aquinas and More--a Catholic bookstore--they have always had a policy that they will only carry a product that is true to Catholic teaching. They find Fr. Rohr's ideas about salvation heretical along with some of his other viewpoints. More comments on Fr. Richard Rohr can be found on line at https://www.aquinasandmore.com/

Comments from the group’s discussion:

I like Richard Rohr and think his message is right on target. I’m grateful for the timing of this book right now in my life. I could relate to his message on love responds to love alone.
I learned how AA’s 12 steps related to spirituality and people which I never knew before. But on the negative side he quoted from the Gospel of Thomas, which is not even canonical. Much of the book was good with good points, however I thought he had more Karma in it than Grace.
Rohr says no one talks about evil—though Jesus did—and he talks a lot about how we change ourselves but never mentions Jesus having a part in it.
I thought he had a lot of criticism for the Church vs. more positive ideas about Eastern religions. I thought a lot of the book could be misleading with a lot of schizo-babble. On the positive side—he equated sin with disease and had a lot to say about that. I liked that we need to learn to be human like Jesus so that we can be spiritual like Jesus. The book had some interesting points to think about.
I’ll agree when he said you cannot heal that which you do not acknowledge.
I agree with him that addiction is a spiritual disease—a disease of the soul, an illness resulting from longing, frustrated desire, and deep dissatisfaction.
I thought there were too many flaws in the book in terms of not being true to the faith. He talks about centering prayer and seems very cynical about self-sacrificing love. He paraphrases Scripture too much to suit his own message.
I started reading this book with a bias because of the negative comments I heard about Rohr, but I got a lot out of this book. I especially liked his ongoing message of dying to self/the ego has to go/turning ourselves over to God/ “if you want to follow Me you must give up… I can use what I read to grow spiritually from this book.

Quote: “God is humble and never comes uninvited, but He finds creative ways to get invited.”

February 2020
The Flame of Love by Elizabeth Kindelmann (††††)

Synopsis:
In the troubling times in which we live, Jesus and His Mother are laying extraordinary graces in our laps for our disposal. This new movement is “The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” a new name given to that immense and eternal love that Mary has for all her children. The movement’s foundation is this spiritual diary of the Hungarian mystic Elizabeth Kindelmann, in which Jesus and Mary teach Elizabeth and the faithful the divine art of suffering for the salvation of souls. Tasks are assigned for each day of the week, involving prayer, fasting, and night vigils, with beautiful promises attached to them, laced with special graces for priests and the souls in purgatory. In their messages to Elizabeth, Jesus and Mary say that “The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” is “the greatest grace given to mankind since the Incarnation.” And in the not-so-distant future, her flame will engulf the entire world. These heavenly communications, recognized by the Holy Catholic Church, perfectly support and specifically amplify the urgency of the message of Fatima.

Comments from the group’s discussion:

I thought the book very tedious and long, but that’s not to say I didn’t get a lot out of it. Elizabeth was so self-deprecating and had such a low self-esteem, but Jesus kept insisting on humility and the importance of prayer and fasting and especially upholding the family.
It was a difficult read but the private revelations were compelling. They were very counter-cultural, giving a source of strength to those who suffer. Jesus and Mary both reinforced that we should all be praying the rosery and receiving all the sacraments.
We are all called to go to Calvary with Jesus, just differently. It reminds me of Rm 8:17 “if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” It was like a hammer on my head when I read, “WE understand, you don’t have to—just keep praying,”
We must offer up even our small sufferings. And when they spoke on the way we speak we are reminded that we are responsible for EVERY word we say.
Why did I recommend this book? Because it has changed my prayer life! The book gives very concrete reasons why we must pray, especially for priests. We have the means to save souls, even the souls of priests, and that is through sacrifice and prayers. “The Church is the invisible reality in a visible society.” Jesus REALLY wants us/me to get to heaven, I might as well help Him! Jesus even said: “The only thing of value in my eye is for you to trust in me,”
This book was deeply intimate to me. I will use it to meditate with, each sentence so rich.
I struggled with some of the terms used, perhaps because of the translations used, but I might think that the average person might wonder if this book was true. It touched my heart when Jesus says, “I call out to you with love and patience, but you turn away.”
What an image it creates in me when Jesus said: “Your suffering widens your soul and now all my gifts to you can fit.” He also said, “Just be silent.” (I think He was speaking to me.)

Quote:
Jesus: “Just as a magnet attracts and never lets go, so I never let go of anyone.”

January 2020
Letter to a Suffering Church, A Bishop Speaks onthe Sexual Abuse Crisis by Bishop Robert Barron (†††††)

Synopsis: (parts taken from reviews on “goodreads.com” and “reddit.com”
In response to the sexual abuse scandal that has gripped the Catholic Church for the past thirty years with many Catholics asking, “Why should I stay?” Bishop Robert Barron explains why this is not the time to leave, but the time to stay and fight. Reading the current crisis through the lenses of Scripture and Church history, Barron shows that we have faced such egregious scandals before; that the spiritual treasures of the Church were preserved by holy men and women who recommitted themselves to fighting evil; and that there is a clear path forward for us today. Though some may contest that Barron does not go far enough in discussing issues of homosexuality in the seminaries, for most all Catholics this book will offer reasons to stay and fight for the Body of Christ.

I thought Bishop Barron was so honest and straight forward in his approach. He did not sugarcoat what’s been going on and is totally outraged. I liked his strong conviction about staying with the Church and how it is OUR responsibility to defend our beliefs. The level of trust is so low right now with the younger generation and we need to fight for what we believe, not just believe.
At first I thought the book would be downcast but found it to be rather uplifting and heartening. We know it has been the intention of the devil to destroy the Church from the beginning and, as Barron points out, it (this scandal) seems so thoroughly thought through, so comprehensively intentional. “The devil, with the cooperation of lots of people inside the leadership of the Church, has produced a masterpiece…”. I found the book a support of why I’m still Catholic…I’m not going anywhere!
He put into words exactly how I feel. I can’t walk away from Jesus. Those priests he talks about are not the “Church”. As he said, “though you might feel the temptation to leave, the better option is to stay and fight, especially on behalf of the victims.”
I give the book 5 crosses because Barron had the courage to write the book.
I LOVED the book and will pass it on to my grown children who struggle with their faith. In John 6 our Lord asks Peter if he too would leave. This is how I feel… “Lord, to whom would we go?”
I liked his “stay and fight for the church” comments, though I thought there was too much focus on just the McCarrick debacle and the children abuse. Only 5% of the whole issue is pedophilia. He didn’t mention the homosexual issues in the seminaries and colleges. He needs to write another book addressing the whole homosexual side.
I liked his biblical references especially the story of Eli from 1 Sam.1-3 which is a lesson not only for the leaders of our Church but for all of us, especially as parents. God punishes Eli for the sins of his sons because, ‘though he knew his sons were blaspheming God, he did not reprove them.’ Barron says, “In short, it was not the crimes of Hophni and Phineas that particularly aroused the divine ire, bur rather Eli’s refusal to act when he was made aware of them.”

Quotes:

In response to Napoleon who said he would destroy the Church, Cardinal Consalvi responded, “Oh my little man, you think you’re going to succeed in accomplishing what centuries of priests and bishops have tried and failed to do?”
Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc: “The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine—but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.”