Enflamed With a Love for Souls - A Catholic Company Book Review

You might remember that I sung the praises of another book from The Catholic Company earlier this summer.

Well, the latest book that I received to review for them, A Heart Like His by Fr. Thomas Williams is just as wonderful and, with its padded cover, daily devotional format and ribbon marker, would make a perfect gift (St. Nicholas is coming after all!)

From the website's description:

You can know what's on a man's mind while never giving a second thought to what might be in his heart. But you can't know a man's heart without getting to know him. As Father Thomas Williams shows in A Heart Like His, it's no different with Jesus.

Except, of course, that the Sacred Heart burns with limitless love for you.

In 32 lively yet learned meditations and prayers - one themed selection for each day of June (the month of the Sacred Heart) plus two bonus alternates - the popular priest and scholar helps you develop a Sacred Heart devotion that is both richly traditional and rousingly fresh.

In June, or any time of year you choose, these daily readings guide you on a spiritual voyage to the heart of God.

Oh, how I wish I had thought to request and start this at the beginning of June - what a wonderful devotion during the month of the Sacred Heart!

Alas, I did not, and instead have been reading one or two (or three as time and toddlers permit) each morning with breakfast and have been pleased with the spiritual results nonetheless. Each mediation is short, yet pointed, includes scripture, a few sidebar questions to provoke a spiritual reflection to carry with you through the day and the ends with an in-depth prayer to Christ, that focuses on a particular quality of His Most Sacred Heart - His honesty, His charity, His loyalty, His patience, and so on.

These devotions are especially fruitful, at least for this mama, because they do so much to make Christ come alive as a Man, but without losing sight that He was also Divine. Each selection is crafted to help the reader focus on how to be a little more like Jesus - to love a little more like Him - on that particular day, in concrete and approachable ways. In addition, the brevity and clarity of each chapter makes it perfect for a mom of littles trying to squeeze as much time with God into her day as possible - my son even calls it my "Jesus book," often reminding me to read it at the breakfast table!

Once I have finished it, I personally plan to use it again, as a start to a daily prayer routine that I have been meaning to begin for a long time. Purposefully reading one of these chapters each morning or evening before bed will definitely go very far in making sure I can not only establish such a rhythm in my day, but can stick to it (really, it will be a perfect read while nursing my little one this fall!).

I highly recommend this book as a devotional for the month of the Sacred Heart, for those preparing for an Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in their home, or for any Christian trying to get to know the Lover of their soul a little better so that they might become more like Him everyday.