This is a VERY well-done rendition of the story of St. Thomas More. Thomas More was a well-respected lawyer who was named Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. He is a model statesman – modest, intelligent, and principled. He was martyred for not condoning the actions of the King toward the Catholic Church and his first wife. (Quite a refreshing contrast to modern-day politics!) I would suggest this for high school students as younger students – unless they are familiar with the story and accustomed to somewhat complex dialogue – may find it "boring". We were very pleased to find this movie at our local library.

Plot overview: After the tragic death of Mick O'Shea, a Catholic fireman from Philadelphia, his widow Tammy and their children are invited to spend the summer at the Kentucky farm of Tammy's brother Les and his family. The catch? Les is the fundamentalist pastor of a small homegrown "Bible-only" church. He believes it is his duty to "save" his sister and her family from the Catholic Church. The story centers on 17-year-old Michael, who is chosen as the preferred point of contact. At first, Michael is very uncertain about Scripture and feels that his uncle's explanations are right; however, Mick has given him a solid grounding in the Faith, so he seeks the answers in Mick's library.

The author does a fine job of portraying the characters with their struggles and motivations. For example:

• Michael's search for truth is realistic, keeping us guessing how it will turn out.
• Tammy allows her son to face the challenge, realizing that he is too old to just be told the answers. I love the way the author shows the impact of her prayerful support.
• Fundamentalists are beautifully shown to be motivated by charity, while at the same time the weakness of their sola scriptura position is exposed.
• I also enjoyed the contrast between the reactions of the characters who were seeking Truth and those who felt threatened by it. (As a convert, I can appreciate both positions!)

Not only is much excellent apologetic material included in a natural, enjoyable, and engaging format, but it is done with charity and even humility. Topics covered include the Inquisition, the papacy, the role of Mary, and the authority and interpretation of the Bible.

The richness of the Faith comes through in other ways as well. I especially loved the way the author portrays the uniqueness of the Sacrifice of Christ even as it is extended through time in the re-presentation of that Sacrifice in the Mass. Other elements woven into the story include questions of what is really important in life, the support of the Christian community, and the power of prayer.

All in all a very satisfying Catholic novel.

Highly recommended.

This beautiful coffee-table book is filled with full-color photos of the Pope and quotes from his writings and talks organized into the following chapters: The Human Family: Youth, Family, Love, Women, Work and Rest; The People of God: Mary, Vocation, Saints, Prayer, Forgiveness, Death and Eternal Life, Other Christians Other Religions, Laypeople; The Dignity of the Human Person: For Life, Human Rights, Solidarity, Freedom, Peace and War, Suffering and Evil with a brief biographical portion entitled "A Lifetime of Devotion". Each chapter and subchapter have a brief commentary by Greg Burke, TIME Magazine's Rome Correspondent, who overviews the Pope's and the Church's teachings on these basic areas of life. The commentaries are quite good and outline teachings on topics such as abortion, divorce, ecumenism and the role of lay people in the Church. Although the commentaries and quotes touch upon difficult topics such as human sexuality and drug abuse, they are handled in a sufficiently thoughtful fashion for me to consider them appropriate for high school or adult reading.

To a certain extent, the book is aimed at those outside the Church who may benefit from the Pope's message and so the text explains concepts like what the Rosary is and basic Catholic teaching on devotion to Mary in a very simple way. To me the book offered a fascinating concept to consider - that the Pope is presenting himself as the authentic spiritual leader of the whole world and presents the basic teachings of Christ in a way unheard of in the past. In these beautiful images of the Pope and his flock can be seen two aspects of the face of Christ. First, Christ as the Good Shepherd who cares for all of his flock - even the least and farthest away. Second, the face of Christ as he taught us in the Gospels to see in the poor and suffering - the least of his brethren. The short biographical portion contains numerous photos of Karol Wojtyla in his childhood, early adult life and his years as a young priest, bishop and cardinal.

In September 1965, Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical titled Mysterium Fidei (Mystery of Faith) to provide the faithful with the teachings of the Catholic Church on the doctrine and worship of the Holy Eucharist. The first half of Catechism on the Real Presence is an eloquent question-and-answer catechism that carefully details each of the main points of Mysterium Fidei, cross-referenced to specific paragraphs in the document itself. The latter half of the book contains the entire text of the encyclical itself as a convenient reference. Also included are notes which refer to various Bible readings, encyclicals, and the writings of the Church fathers. Finally, a topical index points the reader to both the related questions in the catechism and the paragraph in Mysterium Fidei.

Father Hardon's ability to take a difficult subject and explain it with directness and simplicity shines in this catechism. The very first question tells us why we should make time to study this topic in depth both for ourselves as the catechists of our children and for our children themselves. Question 1 asks, "What is the most precious treasure of the Catholic Church?" The answer is, "The most precious treasure of the Catholic Church is the Holy Eucharist, which is the most fundamental truth of the Catholic faith." This book is a valuable addition to a high school level apologetics or doctrine class, or to a Confirmation preparation course for older students.