Matthew Kelly’s book Rediscover Catholicism was key in my conversion. It was the first thing I’d come across that helped me make sense of Catholicism and understand its place in our modern day society.

His latest book, “Rediscover Jesus” is a gem, as well, and amazingly, his company, Dynamic Catholic, is offering it for a limited time at the cost of just $1 (plus $.50 cents shipping) to parishes who order at least 500.

“Rediscover Jesus” takes a look at Jesus’ life and teachings specifically and helps us incorporate them into our everyday life. The book also strives to help us develop a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, something that is key to true conversion (see my blog on Ways to Grow Closer to Jesus). It’s incredibly conversational and easy to read and broken into small chapters designed to be read daily. My copy is well highlighted and dog eared! Watch a short video from Kelly about the book below:

“Matthew has a way of describing the faith that is so simple and profound,” says Patrick Lencioni, author and founder of The Table Group. “Give Rediscover Jesus to those who are struggling in their faith, those who are growing deeply and anyone in between. It is readable, actionable and inspiring. It will become a classic.”

Why offer it to parishes? Kelly aims to re-energize Catholics who have fallen away from the church or who may be coming to mass in body only, with their soul still unconverted. He encourages parishes to give away these books at holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, when many who still identify as Catholics show up for a once-a-year mass.

“Thirty-two percent of people at Christmas Mass only come to Church once a year,” says Kelly. “Christmas is our biggest opportunity to re-engage those people. Sometimes all it takes to bring people back to the Church is the right book at the right time. ‘Rediscover Jesus’ is that book.”

If your parish is interested in purchasing the books to hand out to parishioners, visit  Dynamiccatholic.com/rediscoverjesus or call 859-980-7900. They are available while supplies last.

You can find Kelly’s other books, along with many other great Catholic reads from theology to modern writings, on his website at DynamicCatholic.com. Most are FREE with just the cost of shipping. I highly recommend putting in an order right now for “Rediscover Catholicism” if you haven’t read that one yet. May it inspire you as much as it did me!

When learning about Church history and the saints, sometimes we forget that our own country has its own lofty Catholic history. While it may not date back hundreds or thousands of years, there are some amazing people and events that have taken place right here in the United States.

This July 4th is a great time to pick up the American Catholic Almanac from Image Catholic Books, which provides 365 days of inspirational stories of Catholics who have shaped America. Brian Burch and Emily Stimpson have put together an interesting Almanac to educate you about the church in your own country. Their goals were to tell the stories of the men and women who built the Catholic Church in America and show how much America has benefited from their efforts.

As you read these great stories of miracles and unwavering perseverance, the authors suggest you consider how their evangelization techniques might be used today. How can we model what these American saints accomplished and the virtues they displayed in modern times?

They note, “Perhaps, because so few of America’s first Catholics have the title ‘Saint’ before their name, we often forget that clouds of witnesses have lived on our shores.”

Did you know:

• Jack Kerouac died wanting to be known as a Catholic and not only as a beat poet?
• Andrew Jackson credited America’s victory in the Battle of New Orleans to the prayers of the Virgin Mary and the Ursuline Sisters?
• Al Capone’s tombstone reads “My Jesus Mercy”

Fascinating stuff! Plus, it’s an easy read, as the book is laid out by date from January 1-December 31. Simply start on the day you pick up the book (why not July 4!), and read a story each day.

Celebrate the efforts of these Catholics and honor our own amazing country this July 4th by learning how our country was formed in the faith with The American Catholic Almanac.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

As a newbie to Catholicism or as someone exploring the faith, you will likely find one or more teachings that you just can’t get your head around — or flat out disagree with. Oftentimes, these are teachings like the saints, Mary, purgatory or contraception. Don’t worry about this; you are not alone! Most of us struggle with multiple teachings as we learn more about the faith.

Here are some suggestions to help you if you find yourself stuck in this situation:

1) Keep searching – Read, read and read some more. Listen to Catholic radio and watch EWTN. Look it up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Find Bible verses about the issue. Ask your RCIA leader or another Catholic well educated in the faith. Keep reading different explanations and really delve deeply into the whys of the teaching, and I promise, you will find one an explanation eventually that makes sense to you. I found that every issue I did not understand I eventually came to terms with. Several issues for me included contraception and purgatory.

2) Write a petition – I just finished reading “Gifts of the Visitation” by Denise Bossert (Ave Maria Press, 2015), a convert to Catholicism, who explores the Visitation (when Mary and Elizabeth meet and John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb) in detail and shares along the way her conversion to the faith. The daughter of a Protestant minister, she felt called to Catholicism after her father’s death, but especially struggled with the Church’s teaching on Mary’s Immaculate Conception. This teaching is that Mary was conceived in her mother’s womb free from original sin.

After many attempts to understand this teaching, her RCIA leader advised her to write a petition to Mary, asking her to show Denise the truth. What a wonderful idea! Here’s what she wrote:

Mary, if you are as the Catholic Church says, and if you love me, please answer this petition. I want someone to communicate with me by your inspiration. Mary, I want the message to come from you to the ears of one who could know no other way. Please choose someone who, for me, would represent the universal Catholic Church. Then I will know I am right where I am supposed to be and that the Church’s teachings are all correct, terra firma, especially the teachings about you. Please answer my petition before the end of the year–I know, that’s just two weeks.

Thinking it unlikely she would receive a response, she was surprised that the day after she wrote the petition, she received a letter from a woman she had written to after seeing her on EWTN’s The Journey Home. The letter, dated Dec. 8 had hand written beside it “The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.” That was her answer.

While God sends me these types of messages and reassurances quite often — now that I’m looking for them! — I too had a WOW moment after praying to my confirmation saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, for a specific intention. Known for sending roses as signs, as soon as I woke up the next morning and stumbled outside to pick up my paper, I opened it to find giant picture of a rose across the whole paper and a story about decorating your home with roses. Thanks St. Therese!

How did you come to terms with a Catholic teaching you were struggling with?

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.