The Queue

I agree with Matthew Kelly's analysis that the eponymous Biggest Lie is indeed hamstringing the Christian witness in the twenty-first century (though I prefer the violent term, kneecapping). Now to be more active on social media, promoting The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity & to see about the parish giving away The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity as this Christmas's participation in the Dynamic Catholic Book Program. Of course, the Book Program would be more effective, I intuit, if we had programming to go along with it, discussion groups &/or a preaching series of homilies, rather than using the books as "fire & forget" tools.

Great Catholic Parishes is a pretty dry read, as it is an analysis of & commentary upon the Parish Catalyst organization's research into what makes great Catholic parishes great & how to catalyze not-so-great parishes into becoming great. Still, the Cursillo exhortation is, "Don't just read good books, read the best," not "the most entertaining."

New to the Queue
I was given Why We're Catholic at Faith Fest 2018 by a gentleman from the Archdiocese of Detroit (the A.O.D., as I prefer to call it, though I really should desist since I always have to explain that "A.O.D." stands for Archdiocese of Detroit). I know of Trent Horn from Catholic Answers for his work as an apologist on their radio show, Catholic Answers Live, & I've recently started listening to his podcast, The Counsel of Trent (a play on the the Council of Trent, 1545-1563); though I was already aware of Why We're Catholic, it wasn't high in the queue, since I already know why I'm Catholic. (The grace of God; the answer is, because of the grace of God.) The gentleman's explicit instructions in gifting me the book were to read it & then to pass it on to someone else; that I shall do; I already have a couple candidates in mind.

Converts and Kingdoms, another book from Catholic Answers, looks highly intriguing, sating not just my jones for history but also sitting at the intersection of learning history & practically applying the lessons of that history to these latter days. Within the month, the Church history study I've been leading, Epic from Ascension, will conclude; Converts and Kingdoms could well serve as an excellent companion piece to the following on study Epic: The Early Church. So much to learn, so little time!

Recently
Pope Francis, Guadete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad)
Pope Blessed Paul VI (with Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, & Pope Francis), Humanae Vitae with Related Papal Texts
Matthew Kelly, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How Modern Culture Is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness

Currently
William E. Simon Jr., Great Catholic Parishes: A Living Mosaic—How Four Essential Practices Make Them Thrive

Presently
Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations ***oft delayed***
Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
Bishop Robert Barron, Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture
Mike Aquilina, Understanding the Mass: 100 Questions, 100 Answers
Xavier Rynne, Vatican Council II
John W. O'Malley, What Happened at Vatican II
Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love)
Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity)
Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture
Rosario Carello, Pope Francis Takes the Bus and Other Unexpected Stories
Father Mathias D. Thelen, Biblical Foundations for the Role of Healing in Evangelization
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
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World
John le Carré, A Legacy of Spies
Trent Horn, Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love
Diane Moczar, Converts and Kingdoms: How the Church Converted the Pagan West—and How We Can Do It Again