A Franciscan Christmas
by kathleen M. Carroll
foreward by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.
Published by St. Anthony Messenger Press
ISBN 978-0-86716-986-7
$12.99
The first thing that caught my eye when I received this book in the mail was it's size. It's a rather small little book. However, the cover art was peaceful and made me immediately think of Christmas. It didn't make me think of Christmas in the secular/consumerism manner but in a spiritual way.
I did not expect much from this book and assumed it would be a little fluff like most gift sized books. BOY WAS I WRONG!
This little book packs a BIG punch!
Kathleen Carroll presents 10 elements of the nativity.
Jesus
Mary
Joseph
The Shepherds
The Magi
Angels
Villagers
Musicians
The Star
The Animals
As she presents each element, she also provides you with a Biblical reading which sets the stage for the chapter. You go into each chapter learning not only quite a bit about Saint Francis and his life but also about the story behind each chapter in the bible. Carroll presents some unique questions in this book. One that I remember vividly is a discussion about animals in The Animals chapter. Carroll mentions that the Bible does not specificially state that there were animals present when our Savior was born. Of course there wouldn't be an empty stable in a town packed full of people so we know there must have been animals!
I learned a great deal about Saint Francis and his life from this book as well as discovered new meaning and important details of the nativity that I had previously overlooked.
Carroll challenges her readers to consider the true meaning of Christmas and reflect on the birth of Christ at this time of year. It is so easy to get pulled into the trappings of society and our "give and get" mentality that it is easy to simply go through the motions during this most Holy season.
A Franciscan Christmas would be a wonderful addition to any library and will definitely become a permanent part of our Christmas library collection!
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Franciscan Christmas . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.
* A copy of this book was provided to me free of charge by The Catholic Company for review purposes
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Franciscan Christmas . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.
* A copy of this book was provided to me free of charge by The Catholic Company for review purposes
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