“We read to know that we are not alone.” C.S. Lewis

Faith sharing, friendship, fun, and food are what you will find at Saint Katharine Drexel’s “No Pressure”  Book Group (NPBG)

Due to CoVID concerns the book club in early 2021 is meeting through Zoom.

Meetings are held in the Blessed Stanley Rother Room. The book discussion begins at 7:00 p.m. In the past we were able to enjoy a meal together then proceed to our discussion. For the Fall of 2020, face masks and 6 feet social distancing are required. The book group does not meet over the summer (June, July, and August) or in December. For additional information contact Sandy at middlef48@icloud.com.

September 8, 2020

Into His Likeness:

Be Transformed as a Disciple of Christ 

By Dr. Edward Sri

• Into His Likeness, Dr. Edward Sri provides an approachable but in-depth exploration of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. At the outset, he emphasizes the importance of every Christian’s developing the desire to be a true disciple of Christ and gives the reader a first glimpse of what the life of a disciple looks like. As the book progresses, he unfolds what a true encounter of love with Christ entails and explores the transforming power of God’s grace. He also offers for consideration “the four habits of a disciple”: prayer, the breaking of bread (the Sacraments), fellowship, and the teaching of the Apostles. The book concludes with a powerful call to fulfill every Christian’s mission of evangelization. Into His Likeness is a down-to-earth and tremendously valuable handbook for anyone wishing to pursue Christ wholeheartedly.

October 13, 2020

Salvation: What every Catholic Should Know

by Michael Patrick Barber

At every Sunday Mass, Catholics confess that Jesus came down from heaven “for us men and for our salvation.” But what does “salvation” mean? In this robust and accessible book, Scripture scholar and theologian Michael Patrick Barber provides a thorough, deeply Catholic, and deeply biblical, answer. He deftly tackles this complex topic, unpacking what the New Testament teaches about salvation in Christ, detailing what exactly salvation is, and what it is not. In easy and readable prose, he explains what the Cross, the Church, and the Trinity have to do with salvation. While intellectually stimulating, Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know is deeply spiritual, and at its core is the salvific message that God is love, and his love is one of transformation and redemption.

November 10, 2020

Joy to the World 

By Scott Hahn

What could be more familiar than the Christmas story – and yet what could be more extraordinary? The cast of characters is strange and exotic: shepherds and magicians, an emperor and a despot, angels, and a baby who is Almighty God. The strangeness calls for an explanation, and this book provides it by examining the characters and the story in light of the biblical and historical context. Best-selling author Scott Hahn who has written extensively on Scripture and the early Church, brings evidence to light, dispelling some of the mystery of the story. Yet Christmas is made familiar all over again by showing it to be a family story. Christmas, as it appears in the New Testament, is the story of a father, a mother, and a child – their relationships, their interactions, their principles, their individual lives, and their common life. To see the life of this “earthly trinity” is to gaze into heaven.

January 12, 2021

Return of the Lord:  Narrative Reflections on the Apostles’ Final Moments

by Michael Creavey

Jesus’ apostles were not particularly remarkable men at first glance: fishermen, carpenters, even tax collectors! And yet he said, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” (John 15:16). Little is known for certain about what happened to each of them following the Resurrection, yet ancient traditions abound. What were their final moments like in this life? How did each apostle summon such astounding courage to face trial, tribulation, and martyrdom? What might it have been like when the Lord returned for them as he had promised? Mike Creavey reimagines these final moments in an intimately personal way, inviting the reader into an experience of the profound love that God plants in the hearts of his closest friends.

February 9, 2021

Meet the Author, Michael Creavey

March 9, 2021

Hard Sayings; a Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties  by Trent Horn

Have you ever read something in the Bible that made you just scratch your head? Has a skeptic ever challenged you to defend a seemingly scandalous verse of Scripture? You re not alone. The Bible contains more than a few hard sayings (John 6:60): ancient idioms, apparent contradictions, myth-like events and figures, and passages that seem to be embarrassingly out of step with modern culture or science. How can a Catholic reconcile such things with his own faith, and with what the Church teaches about the inspiration and inerrancy of Sacred Scripture? Don t worry. As Trent Horn (Answering Atheism) explains in Hard Sayings, God s revelation in the Bible is not something Catholics need to be ashamed of or read with a mental reservation. Trent examines dozens of the most confounding passages in Scripture and offers clear, reasonable, Catholic explanations to unlock their true meaning. He also provides basic principles for reading and interpreting Scripture that the wisdom of the Church has developed over the centuries.

We will discuss the Introduction and Part I which addresses external difficulties, the dark passages that appear to contradict scientific or historical facts known apart from the Bible (e.g. Genesis and evolution, or the historicity of the Gospels).

April 13, 2021

Hard Sayings; a Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties  by Trent Horn

We will discuss Part II which addresses internal difficulties, those passages that appear to contract other parts of the Bible.

May 11, 2021

Hard Sayings; a Catholic Approach to Answering Bible Difficulties  by Trent Horn

We will discuss Part III which addresses the passages that seem to contain “moral difficulties” that seems to endorse evils like chattel slavery or the slaughter of innocent women and children.

SUMMER BREAK

2021 -2022 Schedule

September 14, 2021

Traveling Light by Max Lucado

Weary travelers. You’ve seen them-everything they own crammed into their luggage. Staggering through terminals and hotel lobbies with overstuffed suitcases, trunks, duffels, and backpacks. Backs ache. Feet burn. Eyelids droop. We’ve all seen people like that. At times, we are people like that-if not with our physical luggage, then at least with our spiritual load. We all lug loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent. No wonder we get so weary. We’re worn out from carrying that excess baggage. Wouldn’t it be nice to lose some of those bags? That’s the invitation of Max Lucado. With the Twenty-third Psalm as our guide, let’s release some of the burdens we were never intended to bear.

October 12, 2021

Learning to Pray; a guide for everyone by James Martin S.J.

In The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Father James Martin included a chapter on communicating with God. Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives.

A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Father Martin makes clear there is not one secret formula for praying. But like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart.

November 19, 2021

I’ll Push You:  A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair by Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuck.

Friendship takes on new meaning in this true story of Justin and Patrick, born less than two days apart in the same hospital. Best friends their whole lives, they grew up together, went to school together, and were best man in each other’s weddings. When Justin was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs, Patrick was there, helping to feed and care for him in ways he’d never imagined. Determined to live life to the fullest, the friends refused to give into despair or let physical limitations control what was possible for Justin.

So when Justin heard about the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile trek through Spain, he wondered aloud to Patrick whether the two of them could ever do it. Patrick’s immediate response was: “I’ll push you.”

I’ll Push You is the real-life story of this incredible journey. A travel adventure full of love, humor, and spiritual truth, it exemplifies what every friendship is meant to be and shows what it means to never find yourself alone. You’ll discover how love and faith can push past all limits—and make us the best versions of ourselves.

January 11, 2022

February 8, 2022

March 8, 2022

April 12, 2022

May 10, 2022