By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, to be released May 9, 2013, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, Indiana, Paperback. Available from Our Sunday Visitor, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Catholic book stores. Autographed copies are available at Donna- Marie's website HERE.
Reviewed by Jean M. Heimann, M. A. Theology, wife, mother, freelance writer, and oblate with the Community of St. John.
In her latest book, Catholic Mom’s Café: 5-Minute Retreats for Every Day of the Year, Donna-Marie Cooper-O’Boyle offers busy Catholic moms a wonderful way to grow closer to God by rejuvenating their prayer lives. She provides 365 days of devotions based on the virtues of faith, hope, and love that are brief enough to be enjoyed in just five minutes. Each meditation consists of four parts: Ponder, which is the reading of a Scripture verse or quote, Offer, which entails offering yourself to the Lord through an activity or idea, Pray, which consists of the recitation of a few short prayers related to the theme, and Savor, which is a final thought to ponder and carry with you throughout the day.
As I read through each day’s meditations, I found myself uplifted and inspired by the words of wisdom and also by the diverse and appealing range of themes presented. Each brief meditation is power-packed with spiritual nourishment and is certain to help moms grow in holiness. I especially enjoyed those meditations that focused on prayer and shared stories of the lives of the saints and quotes from the saints. While these meditations were written primarily for moms, at times, it seemed to me that many of them were almost general enough to apply to most women—even those without husbands and children.
In summary, Catholic Mom’s Café: 5-Minute Retreats for Every Day of the Year offers busy mothers a quick and simple method of meditation and prayer to help them grow spiritually, while remaining attentive to their families. These prudent and pithy meditations are ideal for helping busy women rejuvenate their prayer life. I am looking forward to contemplating each of these daily devotions over the course of the coming year in order to grow in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, and develop a more intimate union with God.
© Jean M. Heimann, April 2013.
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