The Queue

The Venerable Archbishop Sheen's (1985-1979) writing is as incisive as his groundbreaking & award-winning television series, Life Is Worth Living. I shall have to make an effort to read more of his work, especially the books from which the content of Finding True Happiness was drawn: Walk with God, Way to Happiness, Way to Inner Peace, & You. The sixteen & final chapter, "The Will: The Secret of Sanctity," which I read today, stands as an interesting counterpoint to this morning's discouraging & infuriating homily, which exhorted the congregation not to strive for personal holiness. Good & gracious God, grant us more churchmen like Your good & faith servant Fulton J. Sheen!

It is a delight to once again find myself reading Vanished Kingdoms, a deeply-researched yet lively reminder that those things which we fleeting mortals think permanent, as fixed as the stars, are indeed passing away as the Good Book says. Empires rise & fall, great men enter & exit the stage. "Remember, O man, that thou art dust & unto dust thou shalt return!"

I doubt I'll finish Vanished Kingdoms without taking another, I hope more brief, sabbatical. The Real Story looks to compliment nicely the Bible study I'm currently facilitating, The Bible Timeline: The Story of salvation; so, I'll likely read it before or immediately after that study is scheduled to conclude in Advent.

Recently
Pope Francis, Amoris Lætitia (The Joy of Love)
Mark Waid & Fiona Staples, Veronica Fish, Joe Eisma, et al., Archie, Volumes One, Two, & Three
Fulton Sheen, Finding True Happiness

Currently
Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations

Presently
Edward Sri & Curtis Martin, The Real Story: Understanding the Big Picture of the Bible
Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
Richard Price, Clockers
Sir Richard Francis Burton, translator, "Sinbad the Sailor" from The Arabian Nights
Sir Ernest Shackleton, South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage
William F. Buckley Jr., The Unmaking of a Mayor
William E. Simon Jr., Great Catholic Parishes: How Four Essential Practices Make Them Thrive
Mike Aquilina, Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Bishop Robert Barron, Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture
Scott & Kimberly Hahn, Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism
Kevin Lowry, How God Hauled Me Kicking and Screaming into the Catholic Church
John W. O'Malley, What Happened at Vatican II
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World