The Great Christmas Book Series, Cont'd (Father M.)

The Great Christmas Book Series
Father M.

This year I decided to go full-on Faith and leave the histories, fiction and biographies to the other Patum Peperium contributors who are far better lettered in these genres than I am. These are my favorites from the past year’s reading list and after the Holy Father’s little volume they are listed in no particular order.

The Apostles by Pope Benedict XVI. If you read His Holiness’ Jesus of Nazareth then you will want to follow up and see what Our Lord’s closest collaborators were like. A brief, easy-to-read book by our Holy Father that is informative and uplifting. 14.95

The Better Part by Fr. John Bartunek, LC. A Christ-centered prayer resource that one can use in a variety of ways, either chapter-by-chapter or following along with daily readings. I use this book every day and find it to be very insightful. Father Own Kearns, publisher of the National Catholic register stated , “If I could only have one book for my prayer life, besides the Bible and the Catechism, it would be The Better Part.” Well, I can’t improve on that. $35 but 25% off if you order before Christmas.

Pardon and Peace by Alfred Wilson, C.P. We have discussed Confession in our little corner of the blogosphere many times this year and so I thought that this would be a good little volume for me to read again and to heartily recommend. Originally written in 1946, by a British Passionist it is still in print and the best book on the Sacrament of Confession I have found. Don’t expect something dark and plodding as it is lively, practical and occasionally witty. 19.95

The Temperament God Gave You: The Classic Key to Knowing Yourself, Getting Along with Others, and Growing Closer to The Lord by Art and Laraine Bennett Everyone has a God given temperament and when we understand ours we can better find our path to heaven. I stared at this book for months as it is not the type of book I am often given to reading and once I began it I couldn’t put it down. 16.95

The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On by Dawn Eden. Patum Peperium’s favorite chastity writer, rock journalist, Catholic Blog Royalty (and occasional commenter) helps young adults to learn from her mistakes and to grow in faith, hope and love in the true freedom of the children of God, unfettered by the expectations of the vacuous “Sex and the City” crowd. Counter the culture with a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 13.99

At the Interface: Theology and Virtual Reality by Sr. Mary Timothy Prokes, FSE. Forward by John Cardinal Foley. People are being drawn more and more into virtual reality and forgetting to live their own lives. Sister Timothy helps us to see the good and the bad of the internet and where we should draw the boundaries. An excellent resource for all of us who wander into the internet. 15.95. 15.95

Comments

[Christine]

So the big question, Fr. M, is which personality type are YOU?

[Father M.]

(Highly)Choleric...

[Christine]

Some of the so-called weaknesses of cholerics are as follows (although I tend to find them strengths):

Enjoys controversy and arguments
Won't give up when losing
Dislikes tears and emotions
Demanding of others
Demands loyalty in the ranks
Knows everything
Decides for others
Can do everything better
Is too independent
May be right, but unpopular

That last one is me in a nutshell. One test I took said I was more choleric, another, more melancholic. Whatever the case, I seem to be a mix of both...

[Laraine Bennett]

Thank you, Father M., for recommending our book! I am glad you enjoyed it! We are working on our second book, which Sophia is tentatively calling "The Temperament God Gave...Your Spouse"! (For those of us who like to place the blame elsewhere...;-))Merry Christmas to you!

[Father M.]

Laraine,
Your book has caused quite a stir in my office and has been an eye-opener and an excellent resource for several of us.
I look forward to reading your next book.
God Bless you.