5 comments about The Life of St. Gemma Galgani.

1. This book, The Life of St. Gemma Galgani by her spiritual director, Venerable Fr. Germanus, C.P. is my second favorite Catholic biography of all the biographies I have read. It is an amazing book in the true sense of the word. The biography itself is fascinating, and the spiritual truths contained are, alone, worth the cost of the book.



2. Anyone who reads about Saint Gemma Galgani quickly comes to love and admire her because of her great love for Jesus and Mary. While in ecstasy, she often said the most beautiful things to Jesus, telling Him how much she loved Him, expresssing the love of a heart all on fire with the love of God. This book is a very inspiring and edifying and really provides an intimate look into the life of St. Gemma Galgani. The author, Venerable Father Germanus C.P., was her spiritual director the last few years of her life. He goes into great details and gives many stories concerning Saint Gemma's extraordinary mystical life. He provides many quotes from St. Gemma's own writings, in particular her Autobiography and Diary. He also goes into detail concerning her mystical life and phenomenon, including her ecstatic visions of Jesus, Mary, St. Gabriel Possenti etc, the visions and experiences with her guardian angel who taught her many things about God, how she was cured miraculously through the intercession of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, her extraordinary battles with the Devil, how Jesus gave her his wounds and the Stigmata on Fridays etc...
   But most importantly, by reading this book of St. Gemma's extraordinary life, she really inspires you to a greater love for Jesus, and she may very well become your favorite Saint and friend in Christ.
   
   If you would like any more info about Saint Gemma Galgani, please email me at [...] Glenn Dallaire



3. What can I say, she is my favorite saint and this book (written by her spiritual director) is fabulous. I have read many books writted on her and the Venerable Fr. Germanus did a great job at assimilating her letters and journal into his work.



4. St. Gemma Galgani is my favorite Saint! She gave her life to save souls through her tremendous sufferings, and God graced her soul with many mystical gifts. The most inspiring part of her life was the love she had for Christ. You can't help but to love Christ more after reading this book!



5. I have fallen in love with Gemma many times. She is definitely one of the greatest lovers to walk this earth. It is rare to have an account of a Saint by her spiritual director. Thus the stories are full of juicy holy details that will amaze you, and I hope inspire you. May Gemma's life open realms holy and beautiful in your life.
   
   If you have an academic interested in hagiology, you will find the detail in this biography invaluable. You will read Gemma's oblations, her conversations with Jesus and Mary. You will find first-hand accounts of how she related to others in her community. And you will see the role of the devil.
   
   Gemma confided in her spiritual director, her struggles, her love, her hopes. You will find these in the form of first-hand accounts by her director, and letters to him. This is what makes this biography stand out among others.
   
   But probably the most inspiring part of her life for me is her love for her Master. Enough said.

1 comments about St. Athanasius.

1. I own this book and it is a great and inspiring story of this courageous saint. The author goes into great detail and I truly got to know and love Saint Athanasius through this book. I am 15 and love it!!!
   God Bless and always in Christ J.M.J.,
   Joy Marie Murphy

4 comments about From Slave to Priest: A Biography of the Reverend Augustine Tolton (1854 - 1897) : First Black American Priest of the United States.

1. How does one write a review about book like this? The title alone tells such an incredible story, you know you will have to read it. Augustine Tolton was born a slave of wonderful parents. His father escaped slavery and fought and died for the Union Army in the Civil War. His mother made a dangerous journey North with three small children to find a better life for her children.
   
   Augustine Tolton wanted more than anything to be a priest, to bring Jesus to all people, and yet he was denied entrance into the seminaries in the United States because he was black. Finally, after many years of being turned away, he was received into the seminary in Rome through the efforts of priest friends of his. His life was not long, and yet the work he did was incredible despite the many obstacles he faced. Often times God calls others to finish the work started by great people. Father Augustine Tolton was truly a Man of God.



2. This book was recommended as a book for my high schooler to read while studying the Recovery period of American History. I read it while on vacation and couldn't put it down. The story of Augustine Tolton is sad and poignant, yet so inspiring. This man had a true calling, and had the inner strength and grace to persevere against overwhelming obstacles. The undying support of his mother, as well as a few mentors, are inspirational examples of true charity and moral courage. Even after becoming a priest, Tolton remained a slave -- a willing slave to the duties of his state in life, a slave of love and of service, which is what God demands of all. If this book becomes available on CD, I would like to get it for all of the truly devoted priests that I know.



3. Sr. Caroline Hemesath recounts for us the inspirational story of the first black Catholic priest in the United States with this book (originally published in 1973 and re-issued in 2006). Although she did a fair amount of research and interviews for the book (as evidenced by the bibliography), Sr. Hemesath presents Fr. Tolton's life in a series of fictionalized vignettes, a sort of "speculative biography." The result is, if not 100% accurate, extremely readable and provides a good picture of what Fr. Tolton's life was probably like.
   
   She is particularly adept at presenting the trials Fr. Tolton endured: the constant rejection by seminaries in his own country, the years spent building up money to pay for studies in Rome, the harassment at the hands of a fellow priest in Quincy. His was not a happy life, insofar as he never seems to have found a place to truly call home where he could be a simple pastor (which seems to have been his only real wish).
   
   On the other hand, his trials never diminished his love of the Church, even in its human brokenness, and Sr. Hemesath gives us a real sense of Fr. Tolton's anguish -- a cross of racism, hate and bigotry -- and joys in his life. Rather than bemoan his fortune Fr. Tolton sought one thing only: to serve God and his people. I highly recommend this book.



4. This book is an excellent look into the life struggles that African Americans faced long after their freedom was granted. A sensitive account of the real fear, sacrifice and patient endurance that this young man and his family endured. It is a testament to his faith in God and willingness to adjust his own expectations and accept God's plan for his life; he was always a tool for spreading the love of God and salvation through Christ. If ever there was an account of someone taking lemons and making lemonaide, this is it!

1 comments about Seeking a Purer Christian Life: Sayings and Stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers (Upper Room Spiritual Classics. Series 3).

1. I got this book, inspired by reading The Red Tent. Although it has writings about people who lived long after that wonderful book, the Desert Fathers and Mothers seem to be descendants of those depicted in the Old Testament.

   It starts off with the solitary Andrew (circa 241 - 356 AD), whose wisdom was sought by many ("Who will not lie after the commission of a sin, through the wish to escape notice? As we would not commit carnal sin while we are looking at one another, so if we record our thoughts as though about to tell them to one another, we shall more easily keep ourselves free from vile thoughts through shame. So let what we write take the place of the eyes of our fellow hermits. Then blushing as much as if we had been caught, we may never think of what is unseemly.)

   There is the story of Maria and Abraham, niece and uncle. An orphaned Maria grew up in the desert praying and learning Scripture, but was seduced by a monk. She fled to the city where she became a prostitute -- Abraham searched for her for two years, found her and -- well, you can read the story in the book.

   Also stories of the Two Wise Women (yes!), a monk named Maria, more stories on monks (Abbas) and chapters with advices on prayer, judging others and the goal of discipline. These read much like little stories, and remind me very much of stories told in Sufi Tales.

   Very good book in a very small package!

5 comments about Forever Young : The Life, Loves, and Enduring Faith of a Hollywood Legend ; The Authorized Biography of Loretta Young.

1. This book is written through Ms. Young's eyes and appears to be her somewhat romanticized and (more importantly)spiritualized take on life. She tends to gloss over the tawdry or questionable aspects while dwelling on the spiritual aspects. Having read her daughter Judy's book, I can clearly see that there was a lot of moral conflict in her mind and this book was clearly a good way to absolve herself of most of the negatives in her life. That said, the book is an o.k. read once you begin to differentiate the truth from the romantic fiction.



2. She is not like you would have imagined from the TV Show. She had a lot more going on than the glamour that she displayed with her swirling entries each week.
   She was not the angel one might think either but she was human and she faced it, or not, within the pages of this book. She sometimes came off as a saint and sometimes as naive but you did not always believe she could be THAT naive. Other times she came of as competent and adult, which, in my book makes her as real as a Hollywood siren can be.



3. Whilst Loretta Young unquestionably lead an interesting life, you would not know it from this whitewashed, saintly version. This book would have been far better promoted as a commentary on Loretta Young and her relationship with god. Certainly those readers wanting to know about her experiences in Hollywood in the 1930s would be disappointed. Her screen career was largely glossed over - we are talking about a woman who worked with pioneers such as Lon Chaney - you'd barely know it from this book. Similarly, there was little on her relationship with her sisters or any comments of substance about their lives or careers. Even the more 'scandalous' elements of her life were only worth a couple of pages - the rest of the book was more like a conversion exercise. Whilst the religious element was obviously something that influenced who she was as a person, the author did not delve beyond this. It is an injustice if this is the best that can be offered in her memory.



4. The book was interesting and I learned more about Loretta Young's life. I agree, it was a bit "candy coated", but I think it explains the "sign of the times" and that is where she was in her life. I think it is great that she had such a strong faith in God and that her religion played a very important part of her life. Her life is a good example for others. In this day and time, we let too much just "hang out there". It would be nice if our world was a little more "reserved".



5. This book is pretty straight forward. Like the title says this is a book about Loretta Youngs life; loves, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracey, Tom Lewis, etc, etc.; and faith one of the mainstays in her life threw all the good and bad times she experienced.
   
   All in all a very good book about Loretta Young. The best part about it is that finally Loretta admitted that Judy Lewis was her biological child with Clark Gable.

5 comments about The Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind.

1. Many people, mostly pro-life advocates, see the abortion issue as the modern equivalent of the fight to put an end to slavery. Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, a founder of NARAL and once one of America's premier abortion providers until he saw the light and changed sides, draws parallels between pre-Civil War America, specifically the Dred Scott decision, and Roe v. Wade in "The Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind." Those are heady claims indeed. To argue that abortion could bring the country to civil war seems a bit melodramatic. Certainly the other side, the pro-abortion advocates, don't see the issue this way. To them Roe v. Wade and subsequent court rulings expanding the ability of a woman to terminate her pregnancy is a right, pure and simple. It's a right that grows out of the Supreme Court's recognition of an inherent privacy right guaranteed by many of the amendments contained in the Bill of Rights. Any effort to curtail or roll back abortion, they argue, would not only allow the government to exercise control over a woman's body, it would also strike at the heart of the gender equality feminists have worked so hard to achieve over the past four decades.
   
   Don't expect Bernard Nathanson to resolve the issue in this slim book. This is no "Uncle Tom's Cabin" for the pro-life crowd. It's close, though. "The Hand of God" tells the story of how a lowly physician came to embrace abortion, how he began to question what he did for a living, and how he found God when he embraced the pro-life movement. According to the author, his early life played a big role in his later decision to become an abortionist. His father, a Jewish physician with misanthropic tendencies, dominated most aspects of his son's life until his death at the age of ninety-four. An imposing presence with a keen intellect and a hardscrabble background, Nathanson's father passed on to his son a suspicion of the Jewish religion and a distrust of women. For example, he encouraged his son to disrespect his mother. The father also dominated Bernard's sister, interfering in her marriage and all other aspects of her life until she committed suicide in her forties. It's obvious we're not dealing with a kindly soul here, yet Nathanson's father did do a few things to help his son. He secured him a place in medical school, for instance, and passed on a love of learning that, if this book is any indication, served Bernard Nathanson well.
   
   Unfortunately, the Hippocratic Oath Nathanson took after completing medical school didn't quite make the desired impression. His specialization in obstetrics and gynecology coupled with the tumult of the 1960s soon brought the good doctor into contact with several physicians interested in overturning the nation's abortion laws. The author plunged in with both feet, and soon found himself overseeing a clinic in New York that performed tens of thousands of abortions. Before his conversion to the pro-life movement, Nathanson went through a couple of marriages and even personally performed an abortion on a woman pregnant with his own child. The last several chapters of the book move beyond the personal into philosophical and medical discussions on life, death, and the ethics of the abortion debate. Nathanson convincingly argues that new medical techniques prove that life begins much earlier than previously believed. He also contends that abortion is a gateway that could, if it continues to be the law of the land, lead to legalized euthanasia and the establishment of third world "fetus farms" that would supply stem cells and organs for those suffering from various diseases in this country. "The Hand of God" paints a pretty bleak picture of the abortion scene.
   
   By far the most effect part of "The Hand of God" deals with Nathanson's discussions of the types of medical doctors that inhabit abortion clinics. Think alcoholics, drug users, quacks, and bottom of the class physicians. It's ugly beyond belief. He provides a few names and cases concerning doctors who had their licenses yanked for maiming and/or killing patients while performing abortions. One surgeon actually quit performing the procedure at the halfway point and sent the woman home because her husband didn't have enough money to pay for the operation. She later died. We tend to think of these things happening in the bad old days before Roe v. Wade turned the back alley butcher into a white coat wearing surgeon in a licensed clinic, but Nathanson's carefully documented accounts show the fallacy of that sort of thinking. Abortion clinics still draw the bottom feeders because of the morals involved. Most doctors don't want anything to do with terminating pregnancies unless the mother's life is in imminent danger. Perhaps most physicians still take the Hippocratic Oath seriously. Whatever the case, ethics still play a big role in who will or will not perform abortions in the nation's clinics.
   
   I decided to read Nathanson's book after reading about his conversion to Roman Catholicism in Dave Shiflett's "Exodus: Why Americans Are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity." I'm glad I did. I've never been a knee jerk pro-lifer despite being a strident conservative, but this book has moved me further in that direction. There is something seriously wrong with a culture that endorses abortion as a means of birth control, and there is definitely something amiss about allowing a minor to terminate a pregnancy without parental consent. I won't even get into the immorality of partial-birth abortion; I was against that procedure long before I read this book. I heartily recommend "The Hand of God." Prepare yourself, however. You might just find yourself agreeing with the good doctor by the time you turn the final page.



2. This book is a truly fascinating account of one mans journey from the heights (if indeed it can be called that) of abortion fame as a well known abortionis who performed many, many abortions in his time as well as one of those who was instrumental in helping make abortion legal. Now, to see that turnaround, that has to be something. I was interested to see how he began to change his mind and just how difficult that in itself can be when your fame and career (not to mention your self-esteem) is built on it. I admire this man for his courage in coming out and speaking up.



3. As the title explains, Dr. Nathanson was once a bona fide abortion doctor. In fact, as the back cover explains, he "was co-founder in 1969 of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL, later renamed the National Abortion Rights Action League), and was director of the Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health, then the largest abortion clinic of the world. In the late 1970's he turned against abortion to become a prominent pro-life advocate."
   
   
   
   This semi-autobiographical work provides a look behind the sterile abortion clinic doors that populate our country. He openly talks of how the abortion movement intentionally manipulated the public to repeal the once restrictive laws concerning this barbaric practice. This included providing bogus statistics to the media and exaggerating existing reproductive problems. He carefully details the history of abortion, explains the many different techniques of performing abortions, and explains what convinced him to forsake his livelihood and give up his lucrative work.
   
   
   
   What to like: Nathanson is intimately familiar with the abortion industry and goes into great detail about what actually goes on at a clinic. He also provides an insider's view on the machinations behind the early abortion movement.
   
   
   
   As I was writing my extensive series on abortion, his book proved to be invaluable. He systematically explores each and every credible pro-choice argument and points out their faulty logic and shortcomings. Believing himself to be a man of science, he increasingly found himself questioning his abortion practice as ultrasound and sonogram technology developed. Soon these fledgling concerns grew to absolute horror as the overwhelming evidence that life begins at conception and not birth, convinced him to abandon his position as the director of New York's largest abortion clinic.
   
   
   
   Nathanson carefully explores the scientific data that clearly shows life begins at conception, not at birth. He also works through the different definitions which philosophy has given to personhood, and details the dangers behind "endowing" a more exclusive group to "personhood". At the end of the book he also talks about proper and improper responses to abortion.
   
   
   
   What not to like: The book starts out a little tedious. I am pretty sure the readers of this book are going to be interested in Nathanson's story only as far as it relates to abortion. Yet the first three and a half chapters of the book barely breach the subject. Instead he goes into painstaking detail on his childhood and upbringing. These do help us understand why he first entered the medical field and later started performing abortions, but they do not warrant the attention he gives them.
   
   
   
   Memorable Quote: "It was ultrasound, which for the first time threw open a window into the womb. We also began to observe the fetal heart on electronic fetal heart monitors. For the first time, I began to think about what we really had been doing at the clinic. Ultrasound opened up a new world. For the first time, we could really see the human fetus, measure it, observe it, watch it, and indeed bond with it and love it. I began to do that."
   
   
   
   Conclusion: For the American grieved by abortion, this book is a valuable resource. Its chronicles of the early abortion rights movement help the reader understand how the practice was legalized in the first place. Nathanson's arguments for the pro-life cause are damning to the abortion movement. His clear scientific analysis of the beginning of life is, perhaps, the best I've ever read and leaves the reader with no doubt that life does, indeed, begin at conception. This book is essential for anyone who wants to learn more about the abortion debate embroiling our country today.



4. I think that this is a great and true story by an abortion doctor. It would be good for all, pro-life and pro-choice.



5. Being a pro-life college student in a liberal university has its challenges. But after reading Dr. Nathanson's book I am no longer at a loss for words when it comes to arguing the abortion issue. I have written many 15-20 page papers on this issue ranging from its moral significance to its relationship with our government, (federal & state). I used much of the information that was in this book. Nathanson gave so much insight and honesty to the history of the issue that it would be impossible not to question any pro-choice stance. I challenge any pro-choicer to read this book. You might find that it is much more challenging to agrue with Nathanson; if it weren't for him you wouldn't have an argument.

3 comments about Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.

1. Millions are familiar with the two movie versions and the theatrical drama Shadowlands. Even more people than that have read CS Lewis and will soon see the start of the Narnia saga on the big screen. To gain a greater appreciation of his work and be able to view further depths hidden inside the profound writings that have helped uncounted scores of Christans find their way, read this book. In a manner that almost reads like a novel itself, the author recounts how both Lewis and Joy became the people so adeptly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger. You will see how much they truly loved each other. Even if you are not fan of CS Lewis, it is an incredible romance that will give hope to many who have spent their lives looking for, yet not finding, love.



2. Of the making and reading of books about C.S. Lewis there seemingly is no end. But readers new to Lewis's life will likely appreciate this re-release, retitling, and re-jacketing of THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS: The Love Story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.
   
   However, reader be warned: the subtitle is a bit misleading. Aside from a brief introduction set after Joy's funeral, the story of their relationship doesn't begin until page 77. Those who have read biographies of C.S. Lewis may wish to skip to this point, since Brian Sibley spends the early pages telling the story of Lewis's childhood, his time as a professor at Oxford and with the Inklings, and his publications. Although it's a good recap of Lewis's life, some of the observations are vague, such as allusions to sexual encounters Lewis had in his youth (mentioned without any further explanation) or the mysterious relationship Lewis developed with a Mrs. Moore and her daughter. Readers likely will want to consult other Lewis biographies and commentaries for more in-depth information.
   
   Once Sibley gets down to the business of the relationship between Lewis and Helen Joy Davidman, things begin to pick up. Davidman, a Jewish convert to Christianity and a divorcee with two young sons, David and Douglas, is a complicated, fascinating person as viewed through Sibley's eyes. Compellingly, he sketches out her childhood years with an authoritarian father who alternately demanded his children respond to commands given on a whistle and then repeatedly slapped them about the face when they disobeyed. Joy was, as Sibley describes her, chubby, nearsighted, and overprotected by her mother. She loved animals, and became increasingly rebellious at home under the domineering influence of her father.
   
   Her solace was books, and Davidman later became a poet, novelist and teacher --- and interestingly enough, a member of the Communist party. Delight in George MacDonald books such as PHANTASTES and THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND led her to the fantasy novels of Lewis, which would eventually, Sibley explains, point her toward religion and, of course, a marriage to Lewis.
   
   Sibley chronicles in detail Davidman's difficult marriage to the alcoholic philanderer and novelist Bill Gresham and her own maturation as a mother and a writer. It's with this background that he begins the description of her correspondence with Lewis, starting in 1950, their subsequent meetings and relationship, through her diagnosis with cancer and eventual death.
   
   Adeptly, Sibley shows how Lewis is left with his previous writings on pain, suffering, and faith, and the inadequacies of his own words in the face of his grief. "Many of Jack's admirers would have been deeply shocked if they had known that he had even entertained such doubts, or admitted such fears," writes Sibley. Lewis's doubts and sorrow eventually led to A GRIEF OBSERVED, one of his bestselling books. Sibley's account of the couple's time together, Lewis's response to Davidman's death, and his own acceptance of his illness and approaching demise make the last hundred pages of THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS an absorbing read.
   
   Sibley does an excellent job smoothly transitioning between excerpted materials and quotes, and his own narrative. However, one of the most serious faults of the books is its lack of crediting specific source material. Although the acknowledgments list the publications Sibley draws from, individual excerpts and quotes are not footnoted or endnoted. For anyone who is already a devotee of all things Lewis, this oversight means they cannot go off on the delightful tangents of extended reading inspired by specific citations. Since this book was originally released in 1985 as C.S. LEWIS: THROUGH THE SHADOWLANDS, it's disappointing that subsequent reprintings haven't included some revision to address this shortcoming.
   
   This might be best read by readers who are newcomers to the life of C.S. Lewis and who desire an overview of his life and marriage, rather than by those already familiar with the numerous books about Lewis's life. With Lewis's THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE making another transition to the big screen in 2005, this will serve as a good introduction to Lewis and Davidman's life together.
   
   (...)



3. I am buying this book again because I gave my last copy to a friend whose son had been killed. I found this book to be the most comforting book I read when my own son was killed. I almost find that strange beause reading lewis has never comforted me but reading ABOUT lewis and his crisis of faith during his loss helped me deal with my own grief.

5 comments about Torn Veil.

1. This is a wonderful story of a muslim girl who is miraculously healed from her life long sickness by the special touch of jesus.Rather than rejoicing with her, she was forsaken by all at home. But God through his wonderful ways is using her as a powerful testimony around the world. This is the best gift for a muslim friend of yours.



2. This is an amazing book and I would recommend it to all Christians, and perhaps more importantly, to anyone else who is open-minded about the claims of the Christian faith. The book describes how a Muslim girl, Gulshan Esther, is miraculously healed of a severe physical disability by Jesus when He appears before her. The book also details Gulshan's rejection by her own family when she becomes a Christian, and her great courage and determination to serve Jesus and tell His people what He did for her. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

   For the reviewer below, Susan Mathew, who wanted to know Gulshan Esther's contact details, here is her address and telephone number:




3. A very interesting biography of a Muslim girl's conversion to Christianity. Very inspiring and humbling story. Recommended for Christian people, those week in faith will not believe this truly remarkable story.



4. This is such a simply told story and appears to be honest and straight from the heart. I am amazed - God can do anything. I also heard Gulshan's story in her own voice and words on uTube. She is a real person of Pakistani origin.



5. A must read. It is a captivating story of a Muslim woman who finds Christ and gives herself completely to Him regardless of the cost.

No comments about Sacred Biography: Saints and Their Biographers in the Middle Ages.

1 comments about Meet Henri De Lubac.

1. Inside the catholic Church, Fr. De Lubac is one of the pillars in theology, in view to see the new world as a means to conquer heaven. He is cited by some other theologians as a literary reference, including Pope Benedictus XVI. His thoughts are profound, and take us into the almost-escence of our human being grasped to God.