Book News

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – Fifteen years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks decimated the twin towers in lower Manhattan, the 1,776-foot One World Trade Center rises out of the ground, a palpable symbol of triumph and optimism. The tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere is the soaring, storied, centerpiece of a 16-acre complex that includes eight other major structures.

A well-known line from the Peace Prayer of St. Francis wisely tells us “it is in giving that we receive.” This mantra encapsulates the incredible life of spiritual giant Jean Vanier, now 87, chronicled in Michael Higgins’ biography Jean Vanier: Logician of the Heart.

Dear Mr. Eisen, I have been asked to write a review of your book, By Chance Alone. I took this on with trepidation. After all, what can I say?

It is hard to walk into a grocery store, drugstore, gas station or anywhere else without coming across a display of adult colouring books. The trend started a couple of years ago with Johanna Basford’s uber-popular volumes of pretty flowers and frolicking sea life.

Dissatisfaction with homilies is the most common complaint Catholics have about their priests, even leading many to skip Mass, according to Canadian and American surveys. Clerics themselves pinpoint uninspiring sermons as a general flaw among their colleagues. The main weaknesses they cite are poor delivery, superficial content and a disconnect from the lives of people in the pews. 

If Paul Martin Sr. had won the 1948 Liberal leadership convention instead of Louis St. Laurent, the Martins, not the Trudeaus, may well have been the first father and son to lead the country.

AURORA, ONT. – When a gang of pretty high school girls spot 87-year-old Max Eisen they all shout “Max!” and shuffle over for a hug and a chat with the man who showed them the inside of Auschwitz last summer.

TORONTO – The inspiration and wisdom of L’Arche founder Jean Vanier teaches us not only how to become more human, but also how to be people of faith in a world wary of religion, author and academic Michael Higgins told about 100 people present for the Toronto launch of his new biography of the Canadian philosopher.

Both the passion and the cross are visceral images for Christians. The cross confirms our identity. It is a sign of both blessing and suffering. It is an essential part of our holy spaces, marking our membership in the community of Christ. Without the passion, there would be no Resurrection, and no Christian faith. Christ died on the cross for us so our sins would be forgiven. It is the cross, and the brokenness of the person who died on it, that are the secret of the Gospels, Oblate Father Ronald Rolheiser writes in his latest book, The Passion and the Cross.

What does the Bible have in common with Fifty Shades of Grey or one of John Green’s best-selling young adult novels?