2 Mini Reviews of Catholic Books

#67: Believing in Jesus: A Popular Overview of the Catholic Faith, Fifth Revised Edition by Leonard Foley, O.F.M. (2005)215 pgs. - This is the book we have been using for our RCIA classes this year. It is not the type of book you would want to sit down and read cover to cover in one go as it is a little dry for that approach to reading but it was perfect reading a few chapters every week or two over a long period of time. I also found myself browsing through certain topics and will certainly refer to it in the future. Starting with a summary of the books of the Old Testament and ending with message that Jesus will come again, this book covers every Christian topic about Jesus for those new to Him and those who have already found Him. It then expounds on topics by introducing the Catholic viewpoint which may differ from the Protestant view, pointing out views which cause misunderstandings from Protestants and explaining these misunderstandings away. Then totally Catholic practices, beliefs and sacraments are explained. The book is cleared my head on many topics and backs itself up with Biblical quotes, and quotes from the Popes and Catechism. This is a book I will keep and refer to often as I refresh my mind on certain topics of the Faith.



Meeting Jesus in Holy Communion: A Child's First Eucharist with guide notes for parents and teachers by Roger Marchand (1984) - As we have been participating in RCIA classes I have been using this little (32 pgs) lesson book with my 8yo. With a total of 14 lessons within 5 units it is a small and easy book to either use quickly or slowly. We have been using it slowly over the last few months. First the child learns who Jesus is, then what the Eucharist signifies, what the parts of Mass mean, how we meet Jesus during Mass and finally how to share Jesus with others. Each little lesson is written in an entertaining format starting with a Q&A. Then a short lesson explaining answer often including biblical quotes. The end of each unit contains some glossary words to explain along with questions to ask for each page of the lesson. We really enjoyed using the book and though the book is entitled "First Eucharist" it can be used at any time. I think we will use it again in a year or to and see how his understanding of these topics has grown.