Biographies – Spes in Caritate

Hello! Today I want to share with you my review of the sequel to Raymond Arroyo’s biography of Mother Angelica, which I have already reviewed here. This book is entitled Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence. Her Grand Silence Photo

Physical Characteristics (Hardcover) – 5/5 stars

This book is really beautiful. I love the colors used in the cover, as well as the picture. Not only is the dust jacket well made, but the book inside looks nice as well. Not to gloat, but I am extremely happy because I got the first edition of this book :-).

Content – 5/5 stars

The first thing I want to say is that the Biblical quotes at the beginning of this book are quite moving. They provided me with something to really pause and think over, which doesn’t often happen within the first page of a book. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter were insightful as well. Though it is difficult to explain how, these quotations helped to convey the beauty and spiritual depth of Mother Angelica and her life.

While this book does briefly recap some of the material covered in Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles, most of what is discussed is new. The new stories about Mother Angelica’s childhood were fascinating. Much of this book is spent focused upon the period of time between Mother Angelica’s stroke in 2001 and her death in 2016. Readers learn not only about Mother Angelica’s life during this time, but also about the goings on in her monastery.

One of the most compelling stories was the account of Mother Angelica’s visit to Akita, Japan. The apparitions of Our Lady at Akita seem to me to be quite relevant to our times; learning about Mother Angelica’s own experiences connected with this apparition was illuminating. Chapter 3 of this book was about Mother Angelica’s mystical experiences. This section was helpful to me. Knowing that Mother Angelica also endured spiritual dryness helps me to get through periods without many consolations in prayer.

The chapter where Raymond Arroyo wrote about his own relationship with Mother Angelica was moving as well. Both hilarious and serious at times, it gave you a sense of Mother Angelica’s personality and how she interacted with people. My favorite parts of this book were those about Mother Angelica’s devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Her love for Jesus even when she was ill and infirm made me want to increase my love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist. I also like that Raymond Arroyo frequently drew attention to the value of old age, which as he says, “can be the most efficacious part of a life”.

Raymond Arroyo’s books about Mother Angelica have meant a lot to me. They have enabled me to “get to know” someone whom I was never fortunate enough to meet. They have provided me with a moving example of someone whom I hope to emulate. They have showed me the value of things which I barely understood before. Most of all, they made me want to love Jesus more every day. Thank you, Mr. Arroyo.

Hello,

BeFunky-photo (4)

How is your summer? Time seems to be just flying by. I cannot believe that we are already a week into July. It seems like we were just in May, but I guess that is how things go. Fall will be here before we know it! Today I thought I would give you all my review of one of my favorite books: Raymond Arroyo’s first biography of Mother Angelica. I originally read this a year or two ago, but have re-read it several times since then. For those of you who are interested, it is available from EWTN’s Religious Catalogue in paperback here.

Physical Characteristics (Paperback Edition) – 4.5/5 stars

I will not be able to really do a review of the physical characteristics of this volume because I bought my copy used. That said, I will comment that the cover is nice and the binding has held up well. My one quibble would be that the section in the middle of the book which has the photos is printed on the same paper as the rest of the book. I would have liked it if those were perhaps printed on some glossy paper, etc. This is minor though. It is a good quality paperback overall.

Content – 5/5 stars

I loved this book so much. Before I read it, I had seen a few programs on EWTN, but not very many. I did not really know much about Mother Angelica. Since then, I have watched many of the Mother Angelica Live reruns, and enjoyed them immensely.

The writing was very well done. It grips your attention. The descriptions of Mother Angelica’s childhood were fascinating; I only wish that more stories and anecdotes had been included. Learning about her family was especially interesting. It was also interesting to hear about how she became more fervent in her faith after a miraculous healing.

I found the account of Mother Angelica entering the convent to be so moving. Raymond Arroyo did an excellent job of describing the convent like it really was (i.e. full of human beings with flaws and foibles), but also of conveying the true beauty and high calling of contemplative life. This cannot have been an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination. Mother Angelica’s close relationship with Jesus and her total dedication to Him were truly moving. Women considering their vocation should read this book, because it is a true portrait of the beauty which comes from total dedication to Christ.

Another wonderful part of the book which was really inspiring to me personally was seeing how often Mother Angelica placed her trust in God when other people doubted her. As a certified worrier myself, her radical trust in Jesus and His plan was a really powerful example. The book does a good job of portraying a real human being. Raymond Arroyo describes the pain and frustration which Mother Angelica experienced, but also shows her heroic response to that pain.

The account of EWTN’s founding was amazing. It was another testament to the power of trust in God. The book does an excellent job of describing Mother’s personal life in the midst of her activities. There was a nice section in the middle of the book with photos from all different periods of Mother Angelica’s life. I wish there had been more!

Finally, I think that the book fairly describes Mother Angelica’s conflicts with various bishops. It also details her response to the 1993 World Youth Day in which a female portrayed Jesus during the Stations of the Cross. I don’t know if anyone can watch the video of her response to that event and not want to cheer. I know that I certainly wanted to applaud! 🙂

Mother Angelica was one of the most inspirational figures of modern times. This book does what all the best ones do: make its readers strive for holiness.

Tag: Biographies

Review of “Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence”

Review of “Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles”