BOOK REVIEWS: From the Angelus to the liturgical year, the Church gives us anchors in time — reminders to pause, pray and let God order our days.
Do you ever get so busy that you forget to pray? That’s only too easy to do — so sometimes, the best way to prioritize your time with God is to set the clock (or check the calendar).
Some prayers are intended to follow the clock. The Angelus, for example, is a popular prayer offered at noon each day (and at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., if possible.) And many devout Catholics pray the Liturgy of the Hours each morning and evening or at traditional times throughout the day.
Other prayers focus not on the daily routine, but on the month or the year — or perhaps a liturgical season. A number of recent books are designed to help the reader set aside a specific time to spend with God. Here are a few examples:
Sacred Heart Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Heart of Jesus, by Father Donald Calloway (Marian Press, 2024). “There is no contradiction or competition,” writes Father Calloway, “between the message of the Sacred Heart as revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque and the Divine Mercy message and devotion as revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska.”
His point is well taken: While each message has a distinct emphasis, each message comes from the same source, the Divine Person of Jesus Christ. In this book, Father Calloway has gathered brief (one- or two-sentence) insights from saints, bishops and popes, to blesseds and venerables.
Some of the messages are brief prayers; others are reflections on God’s immense love for all of us. Each message offers to those who are devoted to the Sacred Heart a profound spiritual aspiration.
33 Days to Eucharistic Glory: A Spiritual Pilgrimage by Matthew Kelly (Blue Sparrow, 2023). “Those who believe don’t leave.” Matthew Kelly makes this important point, explaining why Eucharistic devotion strengthens one’s commitment and ensures that those who pray before the Blessed Sacrament remain staunch in their faith. This is a pilgrimage that can begin at any time of year; Kelly has organized his reflections by week, concluding after only four and a half weeks of daily meditations.
I had some personal favorites: In Week Two, for example, the author looks at how different saints looked upon Christ in the Eucharist. Day by day, I learned from Mother Teresa, John Paul II, Thérèse of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, Thomas Aquinas, Sister Faustina, and Jesus’ own mother Mary.
In Week Four, the focus was on the Eucharist in history, with lessons to be learned from the Last Supper, the early Christians, Eucharistic miracles, your own First Communion, Our Lady of Fatima and more.
The final section, The Final Days: The Moment of Surrender, takes the reader, who has been prepared through study and reflection over four weeks, over the threshold to full Eucharistic consecration.
A Year of Daily Offerings: Giving Your Life to God One Day at a Time by Jesuit Father James Kubicki (Ignatius Press, 2024). The reflections in this book are directly tied to the calendar, bringing together saints’ feast days, liturgical celebrations and Ignatian spirituality. Readers are encouraged to put God first every single day and dedicate the first moments of each day to him. In that way, we can take concrete steps to align the priorities of our time with eternal matters.
Simply Love: Catholic Marriage Day by Day, by Troy and Kathleen Billings (Our Sunday Visitor, 2023). This book is different in that it focuses the reader’s attention on marriage. Each entry in Simply Love begins with a quotation from Sacred Scripture or a saint, followed by a brief reflection — often including a real-life story about the joys and sorrows of married life. Each entry offers encouragement and practical insights to live a faith-filled marriage. The day’s reflection closes with a prayer.
Ideally, Troy and Kathleen say, a couple should read the book together. While there are 365 entries, one for each day of the year, the Billingses want you to feel free to start in the middle, or to randomly select any entry for your daily meditation.