I’m an avid reader. So much so, I’ve engaged in a program to help me find even more time to read as many books as I possibly can. Catholic books are definitely at the top of my list and I’ve read little else over the past two years. As a Catholic blogger, lots of books cross my desk, but I was anxiously awaiting Teresa Tomeo’s latest, “Walk Softly and Carry a Great Bag: On-the-Go Devotionals.”

I found Teresa soon after I converted to Catholicism on her national daily radio show Catholic Connection on EWTN Catholic Radio. She grabbed me instantly. I loved listening to the news from a Catholic perspective and learning about new books and resources via the guests on her show. Better yet, I loved that I felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend while learning all this!

If you love Teresa Tomeo, you’ll love “Walk Softly and Carry a Great Bag.” If you don’t know Teresa Tomeo, you should, and you, too, will love “Walk Softly.” Teresa is known for her characteristic wit, frankness and gift of gab. In this book, designed for women, she manages to get across important issues with an authenticity that both entertains and deeply grabs you. It’s not surprising to hear her break into tears on a topic that particularly touches her heart. I love her utterly pure honesty and courage in letting her true feelings show.

“Walk Softly” is no boring book on Catholic theology or deep academic look at the meaning of life and God. But, yet in an amazing way, it still reaches quite deep but in a light-hearted, funny manner that no doubt will elicit plenty of chuckles. Teresa is gifted with the ability to tell a story and make a point all in a wonderfully self-deprecating manner.

“Walk Softly” in my bag

“Walk Softly” is designed as a daily devotional that you can read on a whim — while in line at the grocery, waiting to pick up the kids in the car line, before bed, first thing in the morning or whenever you need a pick-me-up. It’s even designed to fit right in your purse!

Each reading is no more than three short pages long and contains a short Bible verse and prayer. Some of my favorites were:

• They Fought the Lord and the Lord Won – How saints were sinners just like we all are.
• When God Gives You Lemons, Make Limoncello – God prunes those he loves!
• Eat, Drink and Be Faithful – Enjoying life and having fun in a Godly way.
• His Casa, Your Casa – Plant seeds of love and leave the rest to God.
• Wake Up and Make the Coffee – God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
• Don’t Rain on My Pitty Party – Quit complaining, and do something!

Say Teresa in the book: “Whatever your particular situation, you’ve come to the right place, because ‘Walk Softly’ is designed to fit into any size purse, as well as any lifestyle, no matter where you are in your faith.”

I highly recommend picking this one up for yourself or as a gift for Mother’s Day, graduation, bridal shower, birthday and more. It’s ideal for any Christian woman looking to boost her faith with a little fun, to boot!

Note: I received this book at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

As a Catholic newbie, getting to know the Bible was high on my priority list, and I do feel like I’m light years ahead of where I started two to three years ago. Simply going to mass weekly (if not daily) and reading the daily readings, as well as subscribing to FlockNote’s free daily Gospel emails has helped me get familiar with some key stories, especially the New Testament.

But all this reading the Bible in bits and pieces, while it has its place and is wonderfully meaningful in itself, makes it difficult to consider the Bible in context and take a look at the bigger picture. What is the overall story of the Bible and how does it play out from the Old Testament to the New Testament?

I picked up a book from Lighthouse Media recently called Bible Basics for Catholics by John Bergsma that gives a wonderful big picture look at what the Bible is trying to convey from start to finish. And this book was incredibly eye-opening for me (and a quick read, I might add!).

While the Catholic Church does a great job with the readings of the day in selecting Old Testament verses that relate to New Testament verses to show you the parallel, this book really brought many of those similarities, comparisons and foreshadowing examples to light in a wonderfully simplistic summary. The author even uses stick figure drawings to help you visualize the progression of the Bible.

So, what’s the Bible all about? Hector Molina says it’s really a love story, a love story between God and his people. Bergsma shows you how this “love story” really plays out as a “covenant story.” The Bible, in one way, is really the story of God making various convenants with his people, who so sadly break them time and time again. Jesus brings us the final, once and for all, covenant, and in fact, He is the convenant itself.

I know you probably knew this convenant idea already, but what this book does it show you how Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets and more all foreshadow Jesus, and it reveals many of the signs, symbols and passages that prefigure Jesus’ coming. The book also provides a historical context, considers the meanings of the original Greek words and truly brings a depth of meaning unlike anything I’ve yet to read.

As one example, did you know that at the traditional Jewish Passover Jews would drink four cups of wine? At the Last Supper, Jesus only drinks three cups of wine, according to the Gospels. But he completes the Passover ceremony on the cross when he tastes of the bitter wine offered to him, making it the new Passover and completing the convenant.

Remember when Jesus said he would not taste the fruit of the vine again until the Kingdom of God comes, yet tastes it on the cross? This always thoroughly confused me. Have you ever considered he drank of the wine then to signal the Kingdom of God had come? This is the kind of cool stuff that you’ll learn.

Here is a link to this book on Lighthouse Catholic Media and on Amazon. Let me know what you think!