Book clubbing

Although it is principally my writing which has kept me occupied this summer, I have been indulging in the summer book club run by our wonderful young associate pastor, Fr. Damian. Our first book was "Everything that Rises Must Converge" - I didn't have to buy the book, as I of course have already got a few things by Flannery O'Connor.

Currently we are reading "The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Orthodox Christianity" by Colleen Carroll. We read the first three chapters for this week's meeting and I must say it sparked some very interesting conversation about the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the reform of the reform, reform in religious orders, and the reform of catechesis etc. Everyone in the book club is quite conservative, as far as I can tell, but there were actually a few comments that strayed toward "embittered traditionalist" territory, which sparked some debate. I found the conversation to be very lively and stimulating.

We still have quite a few chapters to go in the Carroll book, but our last tome is going to be "The Ratzinger Report" by none other than our beloved Papa. I am ashamed to say that I do not own a copy of this book; being a cash-poor student, I have done most of my Ratzinger-reading via the library. I also read this particular book about five times, and it is quite short; I sort of developed the idea that I had it memorized and didn't need to buy it ;) But I will purchase a copy of it for the book club! A good addition to the collection...

I need to get back to writing... Urgh...