December 2013
Meditations on Vatican Art
Fr. Mark Haydu, LC, STL
Liguori Publications $29.99
Art can be an exercise in prayer for the artist and for those resting in the hands of their creative gifts. The encounter with color, texture, line, shape, light, and shadow ignites our imagination and invites our participation in bringing forth beauty, surely a divine intention. Meditations on Vatican Art makes this connection in inspiring and exquisite ways. Legionary of Christ Mark Haydu is the international coordinator of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. Pairing selections from this extraordinary collection of masterpieces with teachings of Scripture and the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Fr. Haydu has crafted a remarkable conduit between creation and contemplation. “Look with the eyes of an artist—a prayerful wonderer,” he encourages, “sees the love of our Creator at every turn.” Much more than a gathering of sacred works and words, Meditations on Vatican Art opens new pathways of prayer and reflection with a deeper awareness of God’s creative presence.
The Advent of Christ:
Scripture Reflections to Prepare for Christmas
Edward Sri
Servant Books $12.99
The Church year opens with Advent, a brief yet blessed time encouraging all, by Mary’s example, to ponder, reflect, wonder, imagine. The Advent of Christ, from popular speaker and author Edward Sri, prompts us to reclaim this practice with a collection of daily devotions for the Advent and Christmas seasons. A professor of theology and Scripture, Sri makes important connections to Old Testament wisdom and prophecy as well as the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. Each day’s reflection concludes with a straightforward, helpful question: How do I know God is with me today? Where am I in need of a second chance? What is my song of praise? Whether you are embracing a fresh spiritual exercise or deepening an established routine, welcome this opportunity for a broader, more personal understanding of the mystery of the incarnation—grace that is certain to follow you through the year!
Sister Wendy
on the Art of Christmas
Sister Wendy Beckett
Franciscan Media $14.95
“If we are to enter the wonder of Christmas, we must actively embrace the love that Jesus makes visible.” Clearly formed in dual vocations of faith and art, contemplative Sr. Wendy Beckett supports her claim with an exceptional gift to people desiring to grow their souls in this holy season. Fourteen works of art relating to Christmas illuminate our journey to Bethlehem, from masters El Greco and Botticelli to anonymous icons and catacomb renderings. Sr. Wendy’s prayerful reflections accompany each piece and expand our gaze, inviting an awareness that goes beyond words. We stand with Elizabeth and her beloved cousin, Mary, taking our place as God-bearers. With the harried Mary and Joseph we flee to Egypt, perhaps recognizing the realities of our own family life, at times anxious, painful, and fatiguing. In company with Simeon and Anna, we, too, are certain we behold salvation in the Child Jesus. This beautiful collection of images and ideas urges us to see Christmas with new eyes.
Society and Sanity
Understanding How to Live
Well Together
Frank Sheed
Ignatius Press $17.95
The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms. This principle, attributed to Socrates, suggests that defining words before discussing them provides clarity and allows for fuller understanding. Abiding by this rule is perhaps what made Catholic apologist Frank Sheed one of the most effective speakers of his time and why his writing defending the faith remains popular. Ignatius Press has republished Sheed’s 1953 book Society and Sanity, where Plato’s thinking helps make the central point: If we wish to shape a society that is good for man, we’d better understand what man is. “Every question under discussion, every revolutionary idea and conservative reaction all boil down to the question how should man be treated, and we can only answer this in the light of our view of what man is,” the author writes. Detailing deviations between Church and world, Sheed poses other fundamental questions: What or who is man made for? Does he have a transcendent end? These still invite consideration six decades later.
Bambinelli Sunday
A Christmas Blessing
Amy Welborn;
Illustrated by Ann Engelhart
Franciscan Media $15.99
Alessandro and his grandfather will soon travel from Venice to Rome, joining children from all over Italy who each year bring figures of the Christ Child from their family crèche—the bambinelli—to be blessed by the Holy Father. The traditional Advent festival known as Bambinelli Sunday comes alive here with another beautiful collaboration from writer Amy Welborn and watercolor artist Ann Engelhart. Woven with care for a child’s attentiveness to generosity, forgiveness and hope, the story of Alessandro’s special day and its many surprises will delight young and young-at-heart alike. Here’s a wonderful custom to offer in your home this Advent: Invite family and friends with their own bambinelli, share the story, and exchange blessings.