Read with us this summer!
Do you love reading at the beach? in the morning? before bed? How about growing in your faith life this summer?
Ave Maria Press is one of the Catholic publishers. They offer a monthly book club. If you are interested in a summer read that might help you grow in your faith and understanding of the Church, check out the June/July and August options (see the details below). If you want to participate, for one month, two months, or all three, here is what you do:
- Choose the book(s) you want to read. Click the button below to order your copy (or call Patti Kamper at (804)798-5039. Be sure to use code: CATHOLICSREAD" to get a 20% discount
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- . Cick the links below to place your order. You can join Ave Maria Press' online discussion group or come gather with others from St. Ann's by clicking the
June Feature
During the month of June we will be reading, "Reclaiming Vatican II" by Fr. Blake Britton. What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church.
During the past five decades, the Second Vatican Council has been alternately celebrated or maligned for its supposed break with tradition and embrace of the modern world. But what if we’ve gotten it all wrong? Have Catholics—both those who embrace the spirit of Vatican II and those who regard it with suspicion—misunderstood what the council was really about?
Fr. Blake Britton discovered the truth and beauty of the council while he was in seminary and he has witnessed firsthand the power of its teachings in the life of his own parish. In Reclaiming Vatican II—a partnership between Ave Maria Press and Word on Fire Catholic Ministries—Britton presses beyond the political narrative foisted upon the post-conciliar Church and contends that Vatican II was neither conservative nor liberal, but something much more beautiful and challenging.
Britton clears up misconceptions about the council and reveals how—when properly understood and applied—it fosters a richer experience of being in the Church. Britton says Vatican II
promotes a radical return to the Church Fathers and the Scriptures, holding both a commitment to tradition and the need for constant renewal in life-giving balance,
recenters the Church on sacred liturgy and encourages both active participation and genuine encounter with transcendence, and
charts a clear path for the Church’s renewal and empowers it for evangelism and transformative engagement with the world.
Britton invites all Catholics to step beyond the polarization and embrace Vatican II as one of our greatest resources for being in the Church in a way that is faithful, engaged, and effective if we answer its radical call to worship and renewal.
See an interview with Fr. Blake Britton:
July Feature
During July read, "A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters who Taught Me to Age with Grace" by Maria Morera Johnson
In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life’s second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and “soul sisters” who faced these challenges with courage.
As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation—those balancing the needs of both children and parents—are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.
Chapter after chapter, these inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too, embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work, and our faith.
The Benedictine mystic Hildegard of Bingen, whose knowledge of natural sciences led her to create “nerve cookies” to help you “open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful.”
Religious sister and educator Marianne Cope, who at fifty pivoted as an educator of children of German immigrants in New York to tend to the patients of a Hawaiian leper colony.
Women of resilient faith like Elizabeth Leseur, whose faithfulness in marriage led to her husband’s conversion after her death.
Extraordinary artists like Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, whose advanced arthritis drove her to use her creativity to overcome her age-related limitations.
Champions of social justice like Dorothy Day, whose conversion drove her to devote her life to a Christ-centered advocacy.
Second-act soul sisters like Josephine Bakhita, whose passion for freedom and spiritual insights raised a new generation of evangelists for her homeland.
Each chapter offers experiences of female saints and soul sisters as they illuminate different aspects of this season of aging: physical changes in the body, shifts in work and purpose, dealing with aging parents and end-of-life issues, the need for strong spiritual friendships, and the importance of mercy.
Drawing from a diverse range of occupations, races, times, and outcomes, Johnson writes about her own struggle to redefine her second act and what it means to trust God as our lives begin to wind down and our ultimate purpose comes into crystal-clear focus.
August Feature
During the month of August read, "We Are Only Saved Together: Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement" by Colin Miller. Living the Revolutionary Vision of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
In an era where social media metrics dominate our sense of connection and happiness, Colin Miller presents a refreshing perspective in We Are Only Saved Together. Drawing from the rich traditions of the Catholic Worker movement, Miller illustrates how true fulfillment lies not in virtual validation but in authentic relationships, shared experiences, and the pursuit of the common good. This timely reminder shows us how the joy we are made for is found in the practice of the Gospel, in the company of others, and especially in friendship with the poor.
While completing his doctoral work in theology at Duke, Miller befriended a group of homeless men who were living outside their church building. As these encounters led to conversations that led to friendships, Miller realized that the Gospel was not primarily about feeding the homeless or meeting their physical needs but about being a community, and this is the antidote to the loneliness, isolation, and emptiness that plagues our world. Along the way, he discovered Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin, and the Catholic Worker movement. Inspired by their work, he cofounded a Catholic Worker House dedicated to common prayer, material simplicity, fellowship with the poor, good work, and everyday community.
This book is not a call to become a strange, marginal, or fringe Catholic; it is a call to become fully Catholic by embracing the essential traditions that have always been at the heart of the Church and finding Christ in the places he promised to meet us: in worship, in community, in the poor. Following the little way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (one of Dorothy Day’s favorite saints), Miller shares practical ideas to consider when seeking to encounter Christ in these places, such as
exploring the power of shared meals and feasts;
reframing our encounters with people in poverty through a surprising look at the Good Samaritan parable;
ideas on how to live close to the land;
discerning the qualities that bring dignity to our work; and
steps to embrace voluntary simplicity.
We Are Only Saved Together is not about becoming a Catholic Worker; it’s about becoming a disciple who discovers friendship, adventure, and joy in the Gospel. It’s about pursuing a holiness so old it looks new.
Are you ready for an adventure filled with meaningful friendships, community with the poor, and good works? It might not always be easy, but it is definitely worth it. Let’s go!
You have two options for discussing the book. Ave Maria Press is offering an online book club that meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 4:00pm or 7:00pm EST.