Our cathedral Rector, the Very Rev. Fr. John Lankeit, has a book-of-the-month recommendation posted in the bulletin every week, and for this month, it is:
Noise: How Our Media-Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families
by Teresa Tomeo
In this book, Teresa Tomeo, a veteran broadcast journalist in both the Catholic and secular markets, makes a compelling and irrefutable case about the dangers of our dominant media culture and the adjoining liberalism and immorality that comes with it. Tomeo gives an analysis of each of the nine dominant forms of media, and she reveals how they are rapidly dismantling families and destroying lives.You will Learn:The nine dominant forms of media, and how each can negatively impact our lives What parents can do to protect their children and themselves from the dangers of media saturation The effects of TV on children and young adults, and the proper limits parents should put in place How to monitor the lyrics of your teens favorite music groups How biased the media really are, and how to sift through the propaganda How to navigate your family through the minefield of media saturation …and much more!
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And a previous book-of-the-month recommendation that we picked up, and Paul has now finished:
Happy Are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom
by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M.
To the modern mind, the concept of poverty is often confused with destitution. But destitution emphatically is not the Gospel ideal. A love-filled sharing frugality is the message, and Happy Are You Poor explains the meaning of this beatitude lived and taught by Jesus himself. But isn’t simplicity in lifestyle meant only for nuns and priests? Are not all of us to enjoy the goodness and beauties of our magnificent creation? Are parents to be frugal with the children they love so much?The renowned spiritual writer Dubay gives surprising replies to these questions. He explains how material things are like extensions of our persons and thus of our love. If everyone lived this love there would be no destitution.
After presenting the richness of the Gospel message, more beautiful than any other world view, he explains how Gospel frugality is lived in each state of life.
Jenni
5 Jan 2011I’m interested to hear how you like “Noise”. I hope it includes practical suggestions for changing the impact of our culture of noise on our families. I already know it’s a problem, it is living in it and preventing it that is hard.
I’ve been salivating over “Happy are You Poor” too. I have read Dubay’s “Prayer Primer” and loved it. He is a deep and meaty writer. I have “The Evidential Power of Beauty” of his but I haven’t tackled that one yet.
I am working on a neat book I stumbled upon in the Phoenix Library, “Building a Home Full of Grace”. I like it a lot so far.
You can do a search on the Phoenix library’s website for “Ignatius Press” and come up with about half of Ignatius’s catalog. It’s great! “With God in Russia” is next on my list.
nettie
6 Jan 2011I just googled “Building a Home Full of Grace” and it looks like one I need to add to my list!! Thanks for the rec.
Great to know the Phx. library carries so many titles too! I suppose if I am learning how to detach from my possessions I might start by checking out books instead of buying, buying, buying! 😉 (I can already tell the Dubay book is going to be good for me, however painful it may seem…)
Paul Heidmann
5 Jan 2011I have read both “Noise” and “Happy are You Poor”, and I highly recommend both! Noise documents the media’s agenda, and gives several examples that show just how hollow the media is these days. It calls us to detach ourselves from all of the “Noise”, so that we can hear God, who usually speaks to us when we are in silence.
As to “Happy are You Poor”, this message is profound. It calls us to be completely detached from our possessions, so that we will not hesitate to use them to assist others when the need arises. Lots of things in this book are difficult to read (difficult here means difficult to follow in our lives). Definitely, definitely, read this book.