BOOK REVIEW
The Gentle Road to Jesus: Bringing Christ to Every Classroom and Home
By Alexander J. Basile
Review by Lisa Mladinich
“Anyone who works with young people knows that it can be a trying experience. Society and culture have invited our youth to grow up sooner and deal with more complex issues than we had to deal with when we were young. The only answer to the mayhem and the madness is a relationship with Jesus Christ… Our role as catechists is to provide a path to Christ. We must become the road to Jesus.”
Alexander J. Basile, “The Gentle Road to Jesus”
If you have teenagers of your own, or you have a desire to work with them, read Alexander J. Basile’s new book, The Gentle Road to Jesus: Bringing Christ to Every Classroom and Home. Backed up by 14 years of teaching experience at one of the premiere Catholic high schools on Long Island, and 12 years as a catechist before that, Mr. Basile holds aloft a torch in a dark place with this insightful and engaging book about drawing adolescents to Christ.
Amid the noise of a high-tech society that drowns out the whispers of the Spirit, Basile has been successful in engaging high school seniors in their own personal walk with Jesus Christ. Through solid religious training, innovative spiritual enrichment opportunities, and outreach projects that challenge them to express their own Christian mission to the poor, this dedicated instructor has forged a pathway to Christ based in his own faith and reliance upon the Master Himself.
Basile is a catechist after my own heart, calling catechists to deepen their own faith in Jesus Christ first, and then providing specific, practical, and inspiring advice about how best to reach the hearts and minds of teenagers. It’s a lovely little book, a quick and satisfying read, written in the humble and gentlemanly spirit that exemplifies all of Basile’s previous work.
Here’s what others are saying about this superb work:
"Employing his professional expertise -- and with the heart of a disciple -- author and teacher Alex Basile offers both practical wisdom and inspirational techniques. The Gentle Road to Jesus is a terrific resource for any parent, youth minister, or educator looking to help young people grow closer to Christ."
Lisa M. Hendey -- author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms and founder of CatholicMom.com
“This is a book I would like to put in the hands of every Catholic parent and every Catholic educator. Alex's easy, conversational tone is the perfect conduit for this instructive and supportive message about how to gently and effectively bring young people into communion with Jesus Christ. Because the book includes reflection questions, it is capable of generating conversations that can cause Catholic homes and schools to break into new blossom! Alex's work is a great gift to the Church.
Sr. Marie Pappas, C.R. -- Associate Superintendent for Mission Effectiveness. PATHWAYS OF LEARNING /SIRIUS Radio 159/XM 117
To order, click here.
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BOOK REVIEW
“Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing the Heart, Mind, Body and Soul”
By Lisa Hendey
Reviewed by Ellen Gable Hrkach
Traditionally, and innately, mothers are nurturers, often forgetting about themselves. Lisa Hendey, the author of "Handbook for Catholic Moms: Nurturing the Heart, Mind, Body and Soul," has done a great service by writing a book which can help Catholic moms in taking better care of their own needs.
In the preface, Lisa (well-known creator of CatholicMom.com) writes:
“I am vitally interested in looking daily at my own private journey toward being a better person. The journey is multifaceted, so it’s necessary to work, a bit at a time, on each of those facets. Focusing on any one of them uniquely and ignoring the others throws off the balance necessary to keep life’s wheels rolling along smoothly.”
A mother who is emotionally, psychologically, physically and spiritually well is a better mother and a better person. With that in mind and in order to assist other moms, Lisa has divided “Handbook for Catholic Moms” into four relevant and important sections: “Heart” “Mind” “Body” and “Soul.” Each chapter begins with “My Story,” as we journey with Lisa through the milestones in her life, from her childhood to the meeting of her husband to their wedding. These stories also recount her time as a career woman, to becoming a mother and deciding to be a stay-at-home mom, to her challenging battle with non-invasive breast cancer. I was touched by and related very much to these poignant and inspiring stories shared by Lisa and by the numerous other contributors to her book.
I found the writing engaging and easy to read and I was delighted with and inspired by the beautiful and relevant quotes from Scripture, Popes, Saints and others.
Not only is this a wonderfully inspiring book, it is also an informative, helpful reference manual for all mothers. At the end of each chapter are two useful lists: “Mom’s Homework” and “Web Resources” regarding that particular topic.
The author did an excellent job gathering together into one book all the helpful information a Catholic Mom would need. This is an ideal gift for new Catholic moms (and a most appropriate bridal shower gift) as well as a great resource for experienced moms.
I myself intend to buy a few copies to have on hand to give to all the new Catholic moms in my life!
Copyright 2010 Ellen Gable Hrkach
The Handbook for Catholic Moms
By Lisa Hendey
244 pgs.
Ave Maria Press
Review by Leticia Velasquez
This is a lonely time to be a mother. Neighborhoods are empty during the day, playgrounds are occupied with babysitters, and the parking lot after church looks more like a traffic jam than an opportunity for fellowship. Where is a Catholic mom to get solid advice on things like; prayer, fitness, finances, time management, doctor visits, and creating a culture of faith in our homes? We Catholic Moms are confronted with a culture which considers us at best, quaint, and we long for acceptance and a sisterly arm about our shoulders. Lisa Hendey, the woman behind the popular internet gathering spot, Catholic Mom, has given us just that in her book “The Handbook for Catholic Moms”.
For more than ten years, Catholic Mom.com has provided Catholic women with a place for friendship and counsel, wit and wisdom. Now she has organized the insights of her talented cadre of seasoned Catholic writers into several important themes to form a book to reach the mom in the trenches of laundry, dishes, teens and potty training with the message that they are not alone. They are part of a blessed sisterhood.
Lisa does not see herself as a Mom-guru, giving advice from on high; she’s far too humble for that. Her attitude throughout the book is “I found some great ideas on this subject from a friend, come and see”, or “here’s how I struggled with this problem”. I enjoyed reading about her experiences as a young mother moving to a new parish with a husband working long hours, and the story of her stirring victory over breast cancer.
The Handbook has sound, balanced advice on matters practical as well as spiritual, and the topics are so diverse, that any mom is bound to find a personally relevant section. The two which stood out to me were the nutrition and fitness sections; these are two areas where my husband and doctor have been trying to motivate me. Lisa’s upbeat, affirming words have helped me take another look at how I care for my body. She has helped convince me that my health is worth taking time out of my schedule, and that taking care of me is an act of love for my family. Encouragement is her particular gift and she uses it well throughout this book.
Lisa is a natural cheerleader, and when it comes to sharing her faith, her enthusiasm is contagious, yet she doesn’t get too theoretical. For example, in her section on prayer, she acknowledges the difficulty most mothers have maintaining an active prayer life and proposes practical solutions:
“The demands of our motherly vocation, couple with an ever-increasing societal ‘noise’ level and the busyness of the schedules we keep, leave our spiritual reserves running on empty. In this chapter, we look at different types of prayer and how busy moms have succeeded in prioritizing prayer in their lives.”
Hands-on strategies, heartfelt sharing of triumphs and tragedies, and authentically Catholic advice based on Scripture, the saints, and the Catechism are what make “The Handbook for Catholic Moms” an essential resource, you will consult frequently. As Lisa says, in her section on creativity, “When we take time to tap into our creative abilities, we acknowledge the God who placed them within us, and who crafted us, just so, knowing every aspect of us and loving every hair on our heads”.”The Handbook for Catholic Moms” reflects both the creativity of its author and the love of the God who made us.
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