A Book Review: Lectio Divina Bible Sutdy

Over the past 10+ years, and more so over the past 7ish years, I have been an avid reader of the Catholic Theology and Philosophies. I am striving to “grow into” my faith in a more profound way than I have to date, and I am always looking for a good book t read on the subject. Through The Catholic Company, I have found a great resource of books to choose from, and I get some free by reviewing them, as I am this one.

This book is a hard book to review. While it has several great Bishops and other people giving it great reviews and a strong backing, I fear I do not agree with their thoughts on the book. While it is structurally correct, as near as I can tell in my neophyte status within the Church, in general I do not agree with the resources he pulls together to support his claims. The writing is hard to read and follow, and over all I was not impressed.

The book does have some good gems though, and the concept the Author, Stephen J. Binz, shows is valid, and is a good way to process the Bible as you read it.

Not an easy read, and not a book I’d want to have bought.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Lectio Divina Bible Study: Sacraments.

The Book of Eli – A review.

Several months ago I watched the movie, “The Book of Eli”. I made the comment that the book was in braille, but my Step Son and others said that it was just a blank book. I was able to pick up a copy of it today for $5.00 new, and just finished it. The book definitely was in braille! (First time I borrowed it and didn’t have time to watch it again before I had to give it back, so I could prove it to them.)

This movie is a well acted, well done movie. The message is good, the plot flows, and over all, just a good watch! Glad I was able to find it at such a good cost.

If you haven’t seen this movie, go see it!

Meet the Saints: A Book Review

Over the past several years I have been very interested in the Saints of the Catholic Church. I have been wanting to know their history, how they became Saints, and a bit about them. I have read many books on individual Saints and a few on groups of Saints.

Most of those books put words into the mouths of the Saints, as well as feelings and thoughts, that I often felt the author had no way of knowing if it was true or not. Basically putting words into the mouth of the Saint where I felt they shouldn’t.

This book broke the mold I was seeing in the other books. The book takes 12 months of articles posted in a newsletter series called “Walking With the Saints”. It covers the lives of 37 Saints and what got them Sanctified.

It is an easy book to read, well written and informational. It appears to be factual without glorification. The result is well received by me, and I’m betting by you as well.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Meet the Saints. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

The Sabbath…

Many years ago, when I was a child, I wondered why the Bible showed us that the 7th day of the week was a Holy Day, but the Churches my family went to all had the “Holy Day” on Sunday, the 1st day of the week. I never understood it. I asked a minister when I was in my early twenties, why we went to Church on Sunday instead of Saturday as decreed by God in the Bible in giving us the 10 Commandments. The answers I was given didn’t ring right with me, and consisted of “We are celebrating the Resurrection of Christ”.

When Jesus was alive, He kept the Sabbath on Saturday. In fact, the second earliest document that states a change to Sunday was in 74AD for a few small groups, but the general exception of the Christian faith “moving” the Sabbath to Sunday was over 300 years after Jesus passed away. It was not founded on any comments in the Bible, or any such decree from God.

God clearly said that He was celebrating the completion of His work of Creation of the Universe and human kind. The Sabbath was given to all man to be the 7th day of the week, Saturday on the current calender, not Sunday. Why does the Catholic Church and most Protestant Churches celebrate on Sunday?

My research shows a few reasons for this:

The more I pray on this and the more I read the Bible, the more I feel compelled to follow the Commandments of God and take Saturday as the Sabbath. I am still Catholic, will still go to Sunday Mass (and soon to Mass every day with a change in my work schedule), but from sundown on Friday, till sundown on Saturday I will be refraining from work, reading the Bible, and meditating on Christ, the Bible and life. During this time frame, I will not be on my computer, will not be using the phone to check emails, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This does open Sunday to work, such as mowing the lawn as needed, and any other work I have been refraining from doing on Sunday. I feel confident this is what God has told us to do.

In Christ,

D.

Just “Who Is Jesus Christ?” – A Book Review

The list of books available to select from this time around from The Catholic Company Book Reviewer Program made it hard to choose a book to read. There are some great sounding titles there. At first glance I passed on this book, “Who is Jesus Christ?” for many reasons. One of those reasons is that every Protestant Preacher seems to lean on and preach mainly out of this book, and not out of the whole Bible. But I kept coming back to it, and I finally picked it. I’m glad I did!

This books was a great read. It went through the 25 titles and names given to our Savior and Christ, Jesus. In each naming, Eric Sammons, the author, gives great detail behind each title, the meaning of that title or name, and why it is important. He adds text from the Leaders and Doctors of the Church and what they have had to say about the titles/names as well, adding more credence to what he says. He ends each section with a question about that name or title or the meaning behind it and how it effects you, or your response to it, which really got me thinking on many levels.

This book is a MUST READ for any person starting in theology, or at any level of theological studies, and should be read by every Christian, especially Catholics!

This review was written as part of the Catholic Book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Who Is Jesus Christ? Unlocking the Mystery and be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts while you are there.

Gaining financial wealth…

Over the past several years I have had a static page on my business web site (http://www.tdbellenterprises.com) under Individuals that gave advice on how to grow your wealth and make yourself successful. It also directed you to a list of books I highly recommended.

For the past three years, I have been studying and reading many books on life, business and success. Because of that reading and learning, I have updated both pages today and highly recommend you go check them out!

Here they are again:

Growing your individual wealth.
Recommended Reading.

Happy and profitable reading!

The New York Mosque – Part 2…

Ok, in an earlier post, I stated that legally we can’t stop the Mosque from being built in that location should they have the legally acquired funds to do so.

Now let me state where I stand on this issue:

There are currently roughly 20 Islamic Mosque within a two mile radius of this location, one just one or almost two blocks away from this desired location. Is the area that heavily populated by Muslims that each of those Mosque are overflowing and needing an new place to expand their worship? (If so, it is time to more loudly proclaim the Word of God as given to His people, as promised to Abraham.)

It is the history of the Islamic nation to build a Mosque in each area of importance that they “conquer” and it is even required in the Quran 018:21 states, in a rough translation, that those areas they conquer they are to erect a Mosque over that area. You see this in history in many places, but to name just three times, look in Jerusalem where they tore down the Temple built by the Jewish people and where now stands the Great Dome Mosque, then look to Damascus where there once was a great Orthodox Christian Cathedral, which is now an even greater Mosque, and finally look at Mecca, which was once a pagan holy ground and is now a VERY large High Holy Ground of the Islamic nation, one in which all males for sure, and all Muslims in general are required to go to at least once in their life time. In each case, these sites were once Christian or pagan holy places or icons and when destroyed, were replaced with a Mosque.

My fear here is that the Islamic Nation is now saying, we destroyed you here, and we are now building our Mosque to show ownership of this area. If you listen to Rauf’s comments in 2009, he called the location iconic to his faith, and now he wants to put a Mosque there. See where I am coming from?

The Muslim faith is a peaceful faith, provided you follow their laws and rules, but if you question them on their laws and rules, they will fight to the death or outright kill you. This is NOT the will of the One God we both pray to, Muslims through the family of Ishmael first born of Abraham, Christians through the family of Isaac and the Covenant given to Abraham through Isaac.

This Mosque is not needed, and is a bad sign for those not of the Muslim faith and a sign of conquering and success in the eyes of the Muslims, were there was no success, as we survived the attack and have kept them from doing more open attacks on our Nation, in our Nation. There was no success or conquering here in the US by the Islamic Nation.

Getting back on track…

Over the past year, I have been busy looking for a job, getting a job, changing jobs (twice changed), and becoming (or trying to) part of an existing family. During that time, I mainly, though not always, neglected my promises to God in reading and studying His Word, neglected my body, which has gotten even more out of shape, although through part of the falling apart, I have lost some weight, and have not kept up as well with my Martial Arts, Reading, and personal growth.

This week, after six months working at the Veteran’s Hospital, I am taking a week of leave. My plans for this week, which have already start include:

1. Restarting an exercise plan. (Started today already!)
2. Back to reading the Bible daily.
3. Returning to the Liturgy of Hours daily. (Praying a set of prayers 7 times a day, and associated readings.)
4. Martial Arts practice and reading.
5. Get my finances back in order.
6. Helping more about the house. (More reliably than I have been.)

I have been lazy of late in all of these aspects, and the change has to come! I need to get back in shape, which will stop some of the illnesses I have had (ulcers in the stomach, arthritis pain, left knee pain and giving out, etc), and I need to get back into spiritual shape as well!

I hope each of you have a life plan that includes health, wealth, and spiritual aspects and that you follow that plan, adjusting it as you need to!

(And I hope these few readers here keep me to this plan, by checking in on me, and by goading me along when I get lazy again!)