Summer Reading Guide 2013 Church of Saint Paul the Apostle Welcome Center & Bookstore
Church of Saint Paul the Apostle 405 W 59th Street New York, NY 10019 www.stpaultheapostle.org
Table of Contents 1. Pastor’s Message 2. Celebrating Pope Francis 3-4. Diving into Great Catholic Fiction 5-6. Icons & Art History 7. The Saints 8. Meditation 9-10. Paulist Press 11-13. Priests’ Picks! 14. What’s New on CD 15. Other Featured Books A Message from Our Pastor… Dear Friends – During the season of Ordinary Time, Christ affirms for us the power of words. Many of the Gospel readings feature Christ teaching the will of God, not by wielding legions of angels or by smiting nations, but by sharing parables, or stories from which moral lessons can be gleaned. In the Gospel of Luke, we read an account of Christ raising a widow’s son from the dead. Jesus does this, again not with a grand gesture, or a melodramatic incantation, but with the simple utterance, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” Through this act, we see the life-giving power of the word of God. This summer, I invite you to reflect on the power of words as explored in the Gospel by reading. What questions do you find in a good book? What answers? Whether you’re reading The Imitation of Christ or The Comedy of Errors, there is so much comfort and inspiration one can find in a book. I hope that you’ll stop by our Welcome Center & Bookstore, where I’m sure you’ll find some great summer reading! Peace, Fr. Gil
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Celebrating Pope Francis
These selections now available at the Bookstore! Pope Francis: The Pope From the End of the Earth
On Heaven and Earth:
By Thomas J. Craughwell
Writings of Pope Francis
Francis: Pope of a New World
By Andrea Tornielli
Pope Francis on Faith, Family‌
Pope Francis: In His Own Words
Conversations with Pope Francis
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GREAT CATHOLIC THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Book Club Meeting: June 25, at 7pm
By William Shakespeare
“Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them. There is no third.” – T.S. Eliot
THE DIVINE COMEDY: INFERNO By Dante Alighieri
Book Club Meeting: Part 1July 16 at 7pm Part 2August 27 at 7pm
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FICTION
And be sure to check out last year’s book club favorites… MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL, by T.S. Eliot, and another Shakespeare classic– AS YOU LIKE IT… And these other works of great fiction… The Prince and the Pauper
By Mark Twain
The End of the Affair
The Secret Life of Bees
By Graham Greene
By Sue Monk Kidd
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ART HISTORY
ARS SACRA is a comprehensive look at religious art through the centuries, complete with beautiful photographs of countless works of art!
In her BIBLE TREASURY, renowned art historian Sister Wendy Beckett helps us see scenes of biblical inspiration through the eyes of the great painters!
On display in the Welcome Center… The Conversion of St. Paul Hand-carved Jade (GIA certified nephrite jade) 2013 Frank Sabatté, CSP
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AND ICONS Hand-made pottery from Jerusalem! Available for a limited time- while supplies last! Consider taking home one of our Marian Iconsand the book Ponder These Things: Praying with Icons of the Virgin‌ Discover the lives and rediscover the works of Raphael and Fra Angelico in these two volumes from the series Masters of Italian Art!
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Lives of the Saints Francis of Assisi: Essential Writings
The Song of Bernadette
Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard
The Golden Thread: A Novel of Ignatius
A Biography of Catherine
The Road to Siena:
The Confessions By St. Augustine
And we think you’ll enjoy this biography of another exemplary Catholic‌ The Miracle of Father Kapaun!
Servant of God Emil Kapaun was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Korean War.
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Meditation S trangers to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the Rule of Saint Benedict By Michael Casey One of the world’s experts on monastic spirituality, Michael Casey reflects on the values of asceticism, silence, leisure, reading, chastity, and poverty. Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life By Richard Rohr This companion journal invites you to take an active part in your meditative journey. Rohr provides exercises and reflections, helping you to engage with God, and allowing you to take time for introspection. Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries An Illustrated Guide The contemplative tradition in Christianity traces its origins back to the person of Jesus himself, who frequently withdraws to quiet places to pray, and it has nourished disciples in every generation since.
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WHAT’S NEW FROM “Jose Tolentino Mendonça gives a new perspective on the prayer with which we are all so familiar that sometimes we take for granted. He divides the Our Father into phrases, and offers rich reflections often utilizing stories, poems, and quotations from other authors, from great spiritual writers such as Saint Augustine and the Desert Fathers to authors like John Steinbeck, Elie Wiesel, and T. S. Eliot.” - Fr. Gil “Our young adult ministry team undertakes spiritual reading throughout the year. We've recently read both of Father Richard Leonard, SJ's books: Where the Hell is God? and Why Bother Praying?. These short books carry many down to earth and practical insights about our relationship with God. This new book is not a 'how to pray guide,’ but a continuing reflection. If you have ever had the titular question, this book will provide the spark for deeper and framework for deeper reflection.” - Fr. Gil
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PAULIST PRES S Embers in the Ashes: New Life in the Church
Healing God’s People: Theological and Personal Approaches
By Martin Werlen, OSB
By Thomas A. Kane, CSP
Genius Born of Anguish: The Life and Legacy of Henri Nouwen By Michael W. Higgins & Kevin Burns This illustrated biography is an exploration of ideas about spirituality, vulnerable mental health, and about ‘becoming’ more fully what we are compelled to be.
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Priest’s Picks! Rev. Gilbert Martinez, CSP Pastor His pick: KING JOHN By William Shakespeare
Three months after the death of his young son, Willie, President Abraham Lincoln while reading aloud a passage from William Shakespeare's play, "King John" told an army aide: "Did you ever dream of some lost friend, and feel that you were having a sweet communion with him, and yet have a consciousness that it was not a reality ... That is the way I dream of my lost boy Willie." (Team of Rivals - The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, p. 424) When I read this and since I hadn't read of the historical plays, I decided to read "King John". I was curious about the play and the description of remembering a loved one. While it's hard to find a real protagonist in the play so far given the brutal political intrigue, I like the play. At this writing, I'm not finished reading, but I recommend it if you like reading Shakespeare and like me have avoided reading any of historical plays.
See Fr. Gil’s other two picks, Our Father, Who Art On Earth and Why Bother Praying? on Page 9! Page 11
Priest’s Picks! Rev. Thomas Holahan, CSP Associate Pastor His pick: WALKING WITH GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS By Robert Waldron Part biography, part spiritual exercises, and part literary analysis, Robert Waldron’s guide to the life and works of Gerard Manley Hopkins, is must-read for any poet or fan of poetry. Poetry and spirituality is a rich and fascinating subject, handled with great eloquence and care in this volume. Here at St. Paul the Apostle, we have our own group that considers poetry and faith – Poets @ St. Paul’s. We hope that you will join us in exploring the intersection of language and spirituality, and a great way to start might be by reading this book!
Poets @ St. Paul’s next meeting with be on Monday, June 24 th, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, in the Parish Center (405 W. 59 th Street). This month, we will be discussing the uses of memory and poetry. Bring a poem of your own, or another so that we can experience a wide array of remembrances in June! All are welcome to attend!
Priest’s Picks!
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Priest’s Picks! Rev. James DiLuzio, CSP Missionary His picks: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS By William Shakespeare AND
THE DIVINE COMEDY:
The Public Theater’s INFERNO Shakespeare in the Park production of The Comedy By Dante Alighieri of Errors inspired our choice of that play for our first Book Club discussion of the summer! Shakespeare based this play on The Menaechmi, written by Roman playwright Plautus (c. 2nd century B.C.); in my introduction to the Book Club, I will highlight how each play explored the human duality of “wild” and “tame” within each of us, emphasizing how Shakespeare enhances that exploration and how The Comedy of Errors, one of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies, offers hints at the greater sophistication that will appear in the plays that follow. We’ll also look into how Shakespeare’s Christianity (influenced by his father’s Catholicism) shaped his version of what remains a bawdy comedy. Some Freudian and Jungian insights along with Theology of the Body will bring our discussion more up-to-date. You can catch free performances in the Park now through June 30: www.shakespeareinthepark.org! For our next two Book Club discussions, we will explore Dante’s Inferno from The Divine Comedy. Great reading for hot, summer days! Dante’s poetic portrayal of the levels of hell and the people who dwell there offers us tremendous insight into the medieval mind and imagination, and serves as a great springboard into the way the Church has changed in her Biblical understanding of God, sin, recompense, and punishment through the ages. The Book Club meets once a month in the Parish Center – Tuesdays at 7pm!
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What’s New on CD! Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s momentous work details how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. Now available as an audiobook!
Our One Great Act of Fidelity
Masters of the Renaissance
An Audiobook By Ronald Rolheiser
Sacred Songs of France
Classical Music Gloriæ Dei Cantore
Angels & Saints At Ephesus
Benedictines of St. Mary
And on DVD – Robert Barron’s acclaimed series Catholicism! Now, all ten episodes are available in a boxed set!
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Other Featured Books! In this dramatic retelling of Francis’s close connection and relationship with Jesus, Fr. Murray Bodo traces Francis’s life as the ultimate disciple, working to more perfectly reflect on Christ every day.
In For Everything a Season, Joan Chittister shows how human fulfillment and true happiness come, not from getting more and more, but from knowing and valuing what we have.
Merton’s essays, written over the course of two decades, illustrate the breadth of his interests, as well as the depth of his insight and wisdom. This volume is both a useful compendium for those familiar with his work, and a good introduction for those who are not. Page 15