Catholic Fire

Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality by Donna­-Marie Cooper O’Boyle Stressed and exhausted, today’s parents struggle to meet their deadlines and check off their "to do" lists. This often results in well-meaning parents putting off their children’s faith formation for "another time" or relying on others to teach their children.  This book is uniquely suited to come to their rescue! Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality is a vital tool to enable parents to transform a regular dinner time into a prayerful faith lesson for their elementary school to high school aged children. With 52 fun and creative faith lessons (one for each week of the year), this book will encourage parents and caregivers to seize the opportunity in teaching the Catholic faith to the children (the captive audience waiting to eat!) while gathered at the dinner table, reminding them of the value of coming together as a family to break bread and share heart...

I have been reading and reviewing Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s books for the past seven years and have been a big fan. Donna-Marie has served as an inspiration to me and to all women, speaking to us in a gentle, gracious manner, guiding us spiritually, with wisdom and love. Now, she has written a book (her twentieth) that tops them all. In The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross , she shares her life story. And, what a story it is! In this candid, astonishing autobiographical account, this soft-spoken, delicate, and devout Catholic media celebrity reveals the shocking struggles she has tackled in life. She became engaged to a drug addict who held her against her will, threatening harm to her family. She faced miscarriages, abuse, serious illness, divorce, financial difficulties, custody battles, and single motherhood – all with great inner strength and tremendous courage. Through God’s providence, she met Mother Teresa, th...

With Lent only two weeks away, it's time to start looking at some inspiring reading material to help us grow in holiness. Of the books I have read, the following are my favorites for Lent: 1.   Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Familie s by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle 2. Bringing Lent Home with St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Families   by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle 3 . Seven Saints for Seven Virtues by Jean M. Heimann (helpful in learning to replace sin with specific virtues) 4. Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas   by Peter Kreeft 5. The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living by Lisa Hendey 6. Walking with Mary: A Biblical Journey from Nazareth to the Cross by Edward Sri 7. Magnifcat Lenten Companion All of these books are very readable and relevant. 

Today, at View From the Domestic Church, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, EWTN TV host of "Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms," and "Catholic Mom's Cafe," journalist, speaker, and reviewer,  interviews me . Go there and check out her interview! There's only one more day left to the blog tour! Don't miss it! Tomorrow, Janet Moore at Entering into the Mystery  will host the blog tour. Here is a recap of the blog tour: Monday, Oct. 13 -- Plot Line and Sinker  Ellen Gable   Book Review and Giveaway Tuesday, Oct. 14 -- Contemplative Homeschool  Connie Rossini Book Review Wednesday, Oct. 15 -- Franciscan Mom  Barb Szyszkiewicz Book Review and Giveaway  Thursday, Oct. 16 -- Can we Cana?  Karee Santos Book Review Friday, Oct. 17 --   Bergers Book Reviews  Alice Berger Book Review Saturday, Oct. 18 -- Seven Angels Four Kids One Family Jane Lebak Book Review Sunday, Oct. 19 -- Spiritual Wo...