Archives: Product Reviews

The author of seven books on parish life, Fr. Thomas Sweetser is a familiar name to those involved in parish renewal. In his new book, Keeping the Covenant, Fr. Sweetser offers a practical workbook that deals with fundamental issues as well as specific challenges different churches face.

“Why have a parish at all?” asks Fr. Sweetser. “Why not enter into a covenant with God on your own and leave it at that? The parish is such a hassle; so much work and so little to show for it.”

The reason for a parish, he explains, is that it’s “the place where the expression of our deepest longings is made manifest in communal prayer and worship, in faith enrichment and development, in outreach to the poor and needy, in the call to just and moral behavior.” Creating that inspiring Christian community is the challenge for pastor, staff and lay leaders.

Fr. Sweetser’s practical guide is based on his 34 years of work with parishes around the country and also from his experience with the Parish Assessment and Renewal process offered through the Parish Evaluation Project. He focuses on a variety of parish dynamics, including mission, planning, decision-making, ideas related to stewardship and accountability.

Journey to Easter is a series of Lenten reflections given by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) during 1983 to the papal household of Pope John Paul II. The book begins with the First Week of Lent by walking us through the daily Mass readings from Cycle A or the Cycle of Matthew. We begin Sunday in the desert with Jesus where he spent forty days and forty nights, only to immediately be tempted by Satan. Ratzinger shows how other figures in salvation history went to the desert, like Moses and Elijah. Monday calls us to repentance, and the second meditation for that compares Christian Rome to Jerusalem. Tuesday enlightens the mystery of Mary. I could work my way through the rest of the week, but there is more in this book to discuss.

Part II walks us through The Mystery of Jesus, which includes the following three key passages of the Nicene Creed – “He came down from Heaven,” “He became man,” and “True God and True Man.” The Paschal Mystery is also studied, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Lastly, there are meditation on Christ and His Church and the Priesthood. My favorite section in this book was easily the one on the Paschal Mystery. I always knew the importance of the Triduum, but this book further reinforced it. The way Ratzinger connected the Cross and Resurrection with the Eucharist is a passage I will reference and read again just to let it sink in further and meditate on it more deeply.

If you are a fan of reading Pope Benedict, like myself, then this is definitely a book you will want in your collection. It not only takes you on a journey to Easter, but a journey through Easter, as it covers Pentecost as well. It is also written in a clear, easily understood format and each sub-section is short enough that you won’t feel overwhelmed with having to read a lot of pages to get to the main message. Five stars.

“This book cuts to the core and raises as many questions about the reader’s own faith as Job’s . . . Be prepared to go into the descent, as Job—and Jesus—did. And see what happens.”

“In this study of Job, Rohr, a prolific and masterful writer, calls to each reader to let go of old certitudes and goals, and place faith and trust radically in God alone.”