Awake My Soul: Contemporary Catholics on Traditional Devotions

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: I didn't know much about Catholic devotions, but this book really helped me to understand things like the rosary, and the saints and relics, etc. It's a great collection of beautiful essays by wonderful writers, and I would recommend it highly. I really liked the essay by Lawrence Cunningham on the saints, in particular. It would be great for book reading groups, too.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully done
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I'm a Catholic, but knew about only a few of these things--like the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross. But I learned so much not just about the history and the traditions behind these devotions (and others--my favorite essay was on what the tradition of the saints means) but also on the ways that the individual writers find personal meaning in these ways of prayer. My favorite essay was by Christopher Ruddy, a young Catholic theologian, who talked about the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a way of pondering the way that Jesus loved. I really liked that. This is a fantastic book for Catholics interested in learning (and refreshing) an old tradition, that will speak to them today. It would be a great book for almost any Catholic, I think