Dr. Scott Hahn used these words to describe the book Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft. Throughout the summer, I have been digesting this book bit by bit, and after savoring the last bite (which is a great morsel of Scripture), I was left thoroughly satisfied. At the same time, I was hungry for more, which means that I’ll just have to read it again.
Whether you are a sister of TTM, a practicing Catholic, or someone desirous to learn more about the Beatitudes or the Christian ideals, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone. It is without a doubt on my list of “Best Books I’ve Ever Read”.
I learned so much while reading this book, and if I had it my way, I would have stopped after each paragraph to reflect and jot down notes and thoughts in the margins.
As a sister of Totus Tuus Maria, the Beatitudes are of particular significance to me; they are literally a part of our covenant. To me, they’ve always been pretty hard to grasp, but Mr. Kreeft elucidated them in a way that helped me to understand them a bit more clearly. He matches up the vices or “seven deadly sins” with their corresponding Beatitudes, showing that the Beatitudes not only provide a way to happiness, but a guard against vice. Kreeft also covers the theological virtues (faith, hope, and love) and the cardinal virtues (justice, prudence, temperance, courage).
But before getting to all of this, Kreeft demonstrates both the lack of and need for virtue in our world today. He explains how Christian virtue has shifted from a sought ideal to a rejected fancy. The world tells us that seeking virtue is foolish, for it restricts our freedom and pleasure-seeking. However, as Christians, we follow Christ, who has shown us that the way of virtue is THE way to eternal life. We understand that by growing in virtue, we draw nearer to God and desire ever more to do His will, rather than our own. Thus, our freedom and pleasure are fulfilled in following God’s will.
Perhaps what I enjoyed most about Back to Virtue is that HOPE runs through the whole of it. The Beatitudes, the Way of Christ, Christianity: these are not “impossible dreams”, for they have been made possible through Christ. Living virtuously is POSSIBLE! This is truly good news; this hope for new life provides an alternative to despair. That is something to rejoice about!
I’ll close with a few words of Kreeft himself from the concluding chapter of Back to Virtue:
“Virtue is winsome. Virtue wins the world.” (pg. 190)
“When the world is shown, as it was two thousand years ago, that heroic virtue is the most fascinating life in the world, the world will be won.” (pg. 191)
TJTM,
V
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Secret Life of Bzzzzz
Once classes ended, I decided it was time for some lighter reading. I picked up The Secret Life of Bees (written by Sue Monk Kidd), and three days later, I was quite pleased and pleasantly surprised with the novel.
The novel is set in South Carolina during the Civil Rights period. Tensions between races is evident throughout. A fourteen year old white girl, Lucy, runs away from home with her black nurse and takes refuge with three black beekeeping sisters that live in a hot pink house. During her time living with the sisters, Lucy experiences love and loss, learns more about herself, finds confidence, and comes to terms with the tragic death of her mother.
Honestly, the only reason I was interested in reading the book at first was to figure out what Sue Monk Kidd would say about “the Black Madonna”. I soon found that the book had much more to entice me. For example, I connected with the narrator, Lucy, because of her love for literature and desire to be a teacher and writer. In time, she develops a love for and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Kidd offers an interesting perspective on Marian devotion in her novel. Perhaps she removes Mary from the context of Catholic practice in order to demonstrate the idea of the universal mother, be she a Mother Earth or a Mother of the Savior. I appreciated that Kidd elevated Mary instead of minimizing her, and explained that devotion to Mary is secondary to faith in Christ.
Finally, as with any good book, there are some lines that stick out as memorable or are particularly relevant to the reader. So, I will share a short excerpt from the novel. One of the beekeeper sisters, August, says:
“You’ve been halfway living your life for too long. May was saying that when it’s time to die, go ahead and die, and when it’s time to live, live. Don’t sort-of-maybe live, but live like you’re going all out, like you’re not afraid” (pg. 211).
How many times do we hesitate to act because of fear?
There are times to stop and think, and there are times to be spontaneous.
But at all times, we should be living life to the full.
Thoreau endeavors to “suck all the marrow” out of life, and Bl. John Paul II encourages us to “Be not afraid” and “Open wide the doors to Christ”.
So don’t sort-of-maybe live; live vibrantly and passionately, with a purpose.
TJTM,
V
The novel is set in South Carolina during the Civil Rights period. Tensions between races is evident throughout. A fourteen year old white girl, Lucy, runs away from home with her black nurse and takes refuge with three black beekeeping sisters that live in a hot pink house. During her time living with the sisters, Lucy experiences love and loss, learns more about herself, finds confidence, and comes to terms with the tragic death of her mother.
Honestly, the only reason I was interested in reading the book at first was to figure out what Sue Monk Kidd would say about “the Black Madonna”. I soon found that the book had much more to entice me. For example, I connected with the narrator, Lucy, because of her love for literature and desire to be a teacher and writer. In time, she develops a love for and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Kidd offers an interesting perspective on Marian devotion in her novel. Perhaps she removes Mary from the context of Catholic practice in order to demonstrate the idea of the universal mother, be she a Mother Earth or a Mother of the Savior. I appreciated that Kidd elevated Mary instead of minimizing her, and explained that devotion to Mary is secondary to faith in Christ.
Finally, as with any good book, there are some lines that stick out as memorable or are particularly relevant to the reader. So, I will share a short excerpt from the novel. One of the beekeeper sisters, August, says:
“You’ve been halfway living your life for too long. May was saying that when it’s time to die, go ahead and die, and when it’s time to live, live. Don’t sort-of-maybe live, but live like you’re going all out, like you’re not afraid” (pg. 211).
How many times do we hesitate to act because of fear?
There are times to stop and think, and there are times to be spontaneous.
But at all times, we should be living life to the full.
Thoreau endeavors to “suck all the marrow” out of life, and Bl. John Paul II encourages us to “Be not afraid” and “Open wide the doors to Christ”.
So don’t sort-of-maybe live; live vibrantly and passionately, with a purpose.
TJTM,
V
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