HNP Today occasionally suggests publications of interest to friars and their partners-in-ministry. The two books described below, recommended by people associated with Holy Name Province, explore the struggle to live an authentic, full life in a chaotic world filled with uncertainty.
Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned and Keep Your Day Job by Kerry Weber (Loyola Press, 2014) is recommended by the Young Adult Ministry of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York City. The book follows Weber, a young, single woman in New York City, as she sets out to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy in an authentic, personal manner while maintaining a full, robust, regular life — all within the 40 days of Lent. Weber, a lay Catholic, explores the Works of Mercy in the real world with a gut-level honesty and transparency that people of all locales can relate to. ”Mercy in the City” is for anyone struggling to live in a meaningful, merciful way amid the pressures of “real life.”
Sacred Fire: A Vision for Deeper Human and Christian Maturity by Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, (Image, 2014) is recommended by St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York City. In his latest book, Rolheiser goes beyond questions that we may have asked in the earlier days of our lives, according to Andrew Reitz, OFM, pastor. Rolheiser speaks of these questions as struggles: the first is to get our lives together; the second is to give our lives away; and the third is to give our deaths away. These last two stages are found in the life of an individual who has settled the basic question of who God is, who I am, and who I am loved by God. This is a thought-provoking book written in a very readable style, according to Andrew.
The HNP Communications Office welcomes emails from readers who would like to suggest a book or periodical. Themes that are relevant to friars and partners-in-ministry — in addition to spirituality and news of the Catholic Church — include topics related to the Province’s committees and directorates: evangelization, vocations, justice and peace, wellness, African-American and Hispanic ministries, and young adults.
— Compiled by Maria Hayes