Denver Catholic

14 JUNE 25-JULY 8, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC DENVER CATHOLIC The deadline to reserve your ad is July 12, 2016. The deadline for camera-ready ads is July 15, 2015 For more information, contact Cindy O'Neill today at (303) 715-3212 or cynthia.oneill@archden.org Don't Forget To Say DEACON APPRECIATION ISSUE-July 23, 2016 BY MELISSA KEATING S ummer is a time for absorbing— the sun's rays, the laughter of friends at a barbecue and even a book as you lounge by the poolside. Father Jim Thermos, director of the Spirituality Year of St. John Vianney Theolog- ical Seminary, encour- ages people to include spiritual reading in the poolside stack of books. "Spiritual reading is important because it feeds the soul. The world pushes in on us, but when we do spiritual reading we become reminded again of our relationship with God," he said. Not all reading has to be spiritual. However, being sure to include a few spiritual texts can help us to keep our minds and hearts set on things that matter. "That will naturally lead us to prayer, which is a relationship with our Lord," Father Thermos said. Father Thermos rec- ommended the following books for summer read- ing. He chose a varitey of topics and writing styles, in the hopes that every- one can find a title that will interest them. ON THE INCARNATION St. Athanasius Public domain, available free online and through various publishers Father Thermos said that this short text is the most theologically dense of the books he's recom- mended, but thinks read- ers will find it worth the e¦ort. "It's for someone who wants something to sink their teeth into. You don't have to have a theology degree to read it," he said. St. Athanasius wrote On the Incarnation during the Arian heresy, when many people did not believe that Jesus was truly God and truly man. Instead, they viewed him as a man who had received the spirit of God very well. "He wrote on why God came, on the Incarnation, in such a brilliant way that it couldn't be disputed. That's important for us today because the whole world wants to turn away from the true nature of Jesus as God and Man," Father Thermos said. Spiritual lit for the poolside IN THE SCHOOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Father Jacques Philippe Scepter Publishing, $9.95 Father Thermos rec- ommended this book as a way to be introduced to the person of the Holy Spirit. "As the Holy Spirit dwells in us, he brings us many gifts. It's an aware- ness—we have to be on the lookout for them, or we miss them," Father Thermos said. He sa i d Fa t h e r Philippe helps show that the greatest thing a Christian can do is be receptive to the divine. "We like to think it's doing things, but it's receiving," Father Ther- mos said. He said that God has planned to pour his Holy Spirit, and for mankind to receive him, since the beginning. "So this is Father Jacques Philippe explain- ing how to receive the Holy Spirit, how to receive it in peace and love, and how to receive it well," Father Thermos said. He said that this will ultimately lead people into deeper relationship with the Trinity. JOAN OF ARC Mark Twain Public domain, avail- able free online and through various publishers Mark Twain himself said this was the best thing he ever wrote. "He was fascinated with Joan of Arc because he thinks she was the most authentic person who ever lived," Thermos said. Twain spent 12 years researching and writing the novel. However, the result is not a dry histor- ical tome. "It's several hundred pages, but the stories that he tells just have you laugh out loud," Thermos said. "True to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, he's a true storyteller." The book follows Joan from her child- hood in a tiny village to her death at the hands of the English. Despite her complete lack of educa- tion, she convinced the king of France to let her lead his armies. "It's a completely unrealistic call in every respect," Father Thermos said. "In the simplicity of one who trusts in God, she moved forward." TATTOOS ON THE HEART Father Gregory Boyle Simon & Schuster, $15.00 Father Boyle is a Jesuit who was sent to projects of Los Angeles to serve gang members. "He'll take a theme or a topic, like how God loves us unconditionally, then he'll go on to describe how in his interaction with one of these young persons, they came to understand their dignity or God's love for them," Father Thermos said. The book is gritty, at times using street lan- guage to communicate the nature of lives of the men in the stories. Father Thermos said that this is one of the more emotional books on the list, but thinks his brother priests and anyone who works in ministry could learn from it. "He's a priest with his sleeves rolled up," Father Thermos said. "It's ironic, because the first book I said was On the Incarnation, and this is God's incarnational love in action." MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING Victor Frankl Beacon Press, $19.95 Victor Frankl was a psychiatrist and a sur- vivor of the Nazi death camps. "He's undergoing the hardship of being in a concentration camp, and he's noticing that it's not the strongest, or even the smartest, who are surviv- ing in the concentration camp. The ones who are surviving are the ones who have found a reason to live," Father Thermos said. Frankl concludes that others died from a lack of hope. Father Thermos said he often recom- mends the book to men in seminary. "It just keeps impact- ing them and how they understand how our life has to have meaning or it has nothing," Father Thermos said. "At the center of it is a belief in God," he said. "He captures it—our search for meaning, our strug- gle and the remedy for our struggle, which leads us back to the Incarnation."

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