Hello,

How are you all doing today? I feel like I am in that part of summer where time passes slowly. There are not very many pressing responsibilities at the moment. I find it strange that when I have more free time, I feel less inclined to devote any of it to something productive. Isn’t that odd? Thus, this blog post is me valiantly struggling against the inertia of leisure :-).

Today I will be reviewing the Manual for Eucharistic Adoration published by TAN Books, and available here. It was put together by the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration from St. Joseph’s Monastery.

Physical Characteristics (Leatherette Cover Edition) – 5/5 stars

This is one of the most beautiful prayer books that has been put on the market recently. You can feel that it is high quality. The cover is flexible and a beautiful deep red.  The leatherette has a nice feel to it, and is very durable. The design is simple and aesthetically pleasing. There is also a beautiful gold colored ribbon bookmark, which looks beautiful next to the red cover. The edges of the pages are gilded (YES!), and the paper itself is thick and creamy colored. The beginnings of the chapters have the first letter of the first sentence beautifully embellished in a style which calls to mind illuminated manuscripts. The printing is done mostly in black, with red used as a contrast color for the titles to great effect. When it comes to size, the book fits comfortably in my smallish hands. It would fit well in a purse.

Content – 5/5 stars (Extra Latin points!)

As usual when it comes to prayer books, I look for ecclesiastical approval. This book carries with it both a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur. If you are wondering what these mean, EWTN has a nice Q and A explaining it here. The beginning of the book has a nice page for those who may be giving the book as a gift. It has spaces where the giver can write to whom the book is given, the occasion or date, and leave a note. I think this is a great idea, because this book would make a wonderful Confirmation or First Communion gift.

The book has an introduction and is then divided into two sections: “Preparing for Adoration” and “Aids in Adoration”. One lovely aspect of the book is that the very first chapter begins with a J.R.R. Tolkien quote, which is always good! It then goes on to lay out the Biblical foundations for the Church’s teaching on the Holy Eucharist, beginning with the foreshadowing in the Old Testament, and moving on to Christ giving us the Eucharist in the New Testament. Next, it describes the Biblical and historical roots of adoration in particular. The first section ends with a guide telling you how to go adoration.

The second section of the book begins by providing quotations about the Church’s teaching on adoration. Next come Scriptural quotations, which can be meditated on during adoration. There are also quotations from the saints. This section includes rosary meditations, chaplets, prayers, etc.  The chaplets I found especially helpful, as there were a few which I had not seen before. There are many traditional prayers and hymns. I also liked that some of them were sorted by your need or intention at the moment. Many of the hymns are English translations of originals written by St. Thomas Aquinas in Latin. Chapter 10 even has the Latin text of Tantum Ergo with an English translation!

This book is something which, ideally, everyone would own. It provides an excellent introduction to and companion for Eucharistic adoration. It is a wonderful compilation of traditional Catholic teaching and devotion to the Eucharist. The hymns are both beautiful and doctrinally rich, as all the best hymns are.  The amount of material here is enough to really kickstart someone’s love of Eucharistic Adoration.

Please consider getting this book, because it really is excellent. Even if you don’t, please make a Holy Hour this summer. In the midst of these lazy summer days, Jesus waits in the chapel. The King of kings and the Lord of lords is there; present your needs to him. In the midst of a world embroiled in sin, sacrilege, and blasphemy, let us make reparation to Him before Whom the angels tremble.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas

 

Hello,

How are you all today? I am dealing with the summer heat as best I can. Unfortunately for me, I really am winter/fall person. July is a struggle. For real. Nevertheless, God is good and so I thank him for both summer and winter! What are you all loving in your prayer lives right now? This is what I’m loving.

Today I want to share with you some thoughts about a prayer book published by one of my absolute favorite publishers, TAN Books! (Seriously: look them up. They rock.) Its title is A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies, and it was compiled by Father Albert J. Herbert, S.M. It is available here. I think I will break this review into two different parts: a section dealing with the physical characteristics of the volume, and a section dealing with the content itself.

Physical Characteristics (Hardcover Edition) – 3.5/5 stars

I think that many of you will agree with me when I say that how a prayer book feels is much more important than any other kind of book. There is something about having it fit nicely in your hands when you use it. When it comes to A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies I would say that it is sort of middle of the road when it comes to having a nice feeling to it. It has a good weight to it. The cover is well designed with nice lettering. My quibbles would be that a ribbon page marker would be nice, and that it would also be good if the edges of the pages were gilded. Finally, I ordered my book from Aquinas and More. There was a barcode sticker on the back of the book which left a residue when removed. I have still not entirely gotten this off, which is an annoyance.

No gilded edges 😦

Content – 5/5 stars

An excellent attribute of this particular volume is that it has both a Nihil Obstat, Imprimi Potest, and an Imprimatur. When it comes to prayer books, I always want to have an Imprimatur. Thus, this volume passes the “smell test”, if you will. This volume is really the best compendium of litanies that I own personally. It has 116 litanies and responsory prayers. The introduction begins with a brief history of litanies, which I found to be interesting. The litanies themselves are well organized. Each litany is individually listed with its corresponding page number in the table of contents, and them organized based upon topic. Some of the topics include: “Litanies Devoted to Our Lord Jesus Christ”, “Eucharistic Litanies”, “Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary”, “Litany of the Saints and Litanies of the Various Saints”, and “Litanies For Particular Needs and Intentions”.

Another feature of this book which I like is that it tells you at the beginning of each litany whether it is approved for public use or not. You will notice that it includes the litanies which are used within public liturgies of the Church, such as the Litany of Loreto.

The litanies are wonderful. So many of them, especially the ones about the Blessed Mother and the Saints, will teach you history and draw heavily from Scripture.  The imagery is vivid and will engage your imagination. If you don’t know what to say to God in a Holy Hour or private prayer, I would strongly advise you to slowly pray these litanies. They really help you meditate on holy things. The sheer number of litanies devoted to the Saints is amazing! If you have a favorite saint, the odds are that you will find one asking their intercession here!

Some of my favorite litanies in this book are the “Litany of the Holy Name”, the “Litany of the Most Precious Blood”, the “Litany of the Holy Face”, and the “Litany of Our Lady of Fatima”. The Divine Praises are also included. The “Litany for the Church in Our Time” is another one of my favorites. I think that it is an excellent way to pray for the end of the confusion and heresy so prevalent today.

To sum up, I would advise people to go out and get this book! It has been a help to my prayer life, and is an excellent go to resource when it comes to litanies. Thanks TAN Books!