Christ, the Life of the Soul by Blessed Columba Marmion: There are few better seasons to strengthen our spiritual life than Advent, and few books better suited for the task than Christ, the Life of the Soul by Blessed Columba Marmion. Originating from the notes of a retreat Marmion gave to a small group of nuns, this quintessential guide to the spiritual life has influenced generations of priests, religious, and laity. Drawing upon the Scriptures, the Liturgy, and the Doctors of the Church, Marmion shows us the path towards freedom from self-bondage, and the enlargement of our souls—to realize, with St. Paul, that “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Here is timeless, practical spiritual advice and insight directed to all Christians seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. Perhaps Pope Benedict XV said it best: “Read this—it is the pure doctrine of the Church … and singularly conducive to excite and maintain the flame of Divine love in the soul.”
Cradle of Redeeming Love by Fr. John Saward: This book offers us a series of meditations on the mystery of Christmas: the divinely revealed truth of the Nativity of Christ, as proclaimed by His infallible and immaculate Bride, the Church. It is the splendor of this truth, of “Love’s noon in Nature’s night,” which for two millennia has captivated the minds of Fathers and Schoolmen, activated the genius of poets, painters, and musicians, and, in even the bleakest of mid-winters, brightened the eyes of little ones kneeling by the Crib. Drawing heavily from the work of St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as great saints and church fathers such as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose, and St. Bonaventure, Cradle of Redeeming Love shows how every act of Jesus’s life, from the nativity to the resurrection, was one of salvation and redemption for all mankind.
Inspiration from the Saints by Maolsheachlann Ó Ceallaigh: Advent provides us with the opportunity to re-examine our relationship with Christ; to ask ourselves, “have I become complacent in my faith?” What better way to reignite our faith than by reading about the lives of men and women who were never complacent in their love for Him. The tales told in Inspiration from the Saints by Maolsheachlann Ó Ceallaigh cover a variety of themes in the lives of these holy men and women: their childhoods, inspirations, and deaths; their boldness and their humility; their love of prayer, mortification, and the Eucharist; their urge to spread the Gospel; their family life; the impression they made upon others; and much more besides.
The Test of the Magi by Johannes Bergmann: From Medieval miniatures to Renaissance paintings to modern Christmas cards, few Western images are as evocative and enigmatic as the Three Wise Men at the Nativity. After twenty years of research and travel by the author, the novel The Test of the Magi explores why and how these mysterious figures braved such dangers and survived such fearsome challenges that they have endured in our minds and culture for two thousand years. Its pages reveal the timeless emotional bond between student and teacher, as the Three Wise Men discover a new-born star, survive court intrigue, and then mount an expedition to the Holy Land amid desert bandits in the bitter Cold War between Persia and the Roman Empire. Nothing prepares them for their arrest in Jerusalem, their startling discoveries in Bethlehem, or unexpected danger after their return home.
The School of Mary by Monsignor Florian Kolfhaus: As we try to strengthen our relationship with Christ, there is surely no better example to turn to than His Holy Mother. Mary is a teacher to all Catholics, and the rosary is her school. Whoever takes the hand of the Mother will be guided step by step, Hail Mary after Hail Mary, and will be led directly to Her Son Jesus Christ. The rosary teaches us how to pray—not only by reciting the Ave Maria, but also by meditating on the mysteries of our salvation and by contemplating the Lord with the eyes of the one human being who loved Him more than any other. The rosary is a school of prayer that opens a path that leads us into a deeper knowledge and love of God; and a powerful prayer—like a strong army—that changes first one´s own life, but then also the entire world around us.
At the Bottom of the Year by David Craig: Each Advent season is new. Recent Advents have been marked by distractions such as political quarrels, global disputes, pandemics, and lockdowns. But other things as well: our own issues, the creeping age factor, the death of loved ones. Advent, like a creaking old metal gate, corrects us every time. It lets us know that only one thing matters: the stable, that little crib where cows chewed hay. Children, and childlike adults, still find all the consolation they need there. We wait for a Jesus who only does joyous endings, whose glory is in that star, in snowy fields––in those who have passed on, and in those who will soon do so. These poems celebrate the sweetness of His coming, His presence. We must learn to be still, to wait for and with the One who gives us Life. Praise Him.
We and Our Children by Mary Reed Newland: I remember as a child how during Advent our home would reflect the season; our meals, decorations, and daily life changing in preparation of the coming celebration. Mary Reed Newland, in We and Our Children, offers wise counsel on making the home a domestic church for the raising of Catholic children in holiness, truth, and the Christian virtues. All things central to a child’s life—play, work, school, creative activity, family responsibilities, prayer, the sacraments, and the Mass—are shown to be occasions for encouraging a spiritual outlook and the formation of sound Catholic habits. Here is an inspiring and common-sense guide to help all Catholic parents develop the spiritual and moral character of their children.
Ceremonials of Common Days by Abbie Graham: Advent is a time to break free from our tired routines and habits, so that we can stand again in awe of the blessing of each passing day. This book encourages us to pause in wonder at the simple pleasures and passing moments that help to make up our everyday lives: writing letters, taking walks, morning coffee; how a rainy day interrupts our breakneck lives, so we can turn its slower pace to such soul-sustaining things as reading a book, sharing tea with a friend, paying mind to the miracle of spring radishes, or crisp new writing paper inviting the touch of our creative pen. Originally published in 1922, this forgotten treasure is a timely, welcome nostrum to refresh and fortify us amid the dizzying distractions of our postmodern lives.
Metaphysics for Everyone by Bruno Bérard and Annie Cidéron: One of our final titles of the year, Metaphysics for Everyone is a series of interviews addressing many of the fundamental questions we all ask ourselves—“Why is there something rather than nothing?,” “Who am I?”, “What comes next?” This modest book opens the door; but as it makes clear, it is up to each and every one of us to walk through that door in our quest for the meaning of our humanity and of our world.
Evangeliaries by Philip C. Kolin: Closing out this list is our final book of poetry for the year: Evangeliaries. An evangeliary was a book of only those portions of the Gospel, Acts of the Apostles, and Old Testament texts that would be read at a Mass on a particular Sunday or a Holy Day. These books were extremely ornate, using rich colors, gold bindings, artful calligraphy, and highly emblematic covers. These holy books of the Gospels inspired this book of poems, each of which is anchored in or alludes to a Biblical image, figure, parable, place, or trope.