Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado

We used Because of Bethlehem: Love Is Born, Hope Is Near by Max Lucado as our advent book/video study option. The series encouraged us to step back from the busy-ness of the season and the challenges of the pandemic to reflect on Christ's birth and what it means for us. It comes complete with an advent devotional/study guide. (224 pages)

This video-based series encouraged us to:

• Revive our wonder that the One who made everything chose to make himself nothing for us.
• Rekindle our connection to the Christ of Christmas who offers lasting hope.
• Lay down our endless Christmas to-do list and receive what Jesus has already done.
• Heal our heartache by embracing the God who is always near us, always for us, and always in us.

The Advent devotional guide content focused on:

• Week 1: Hope
• Week 2: Peace
• Week 3: Joy
• Week 4: Love
• Christmas Eve / Christmas Day

If you haven't read anything by Lucado, I highly recommend him!! 

Eight Doors of the Kingdom by Jacques Philippe

I love that Philippe broke down the beatitudes into their own chapters and went into detail about how to live them out.

Yeah, I've underlined like a third of the book....

224 Pages

Humanae Vitae by St. Pope Paul VI

Human dignity.. It's great. I loved finally getting to read the actual document. St. Pope Paul VI. He's great.
48 pages

Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe

So I love Fr. Jacques Philippe.
His writing and wisdom wrecks me. I may or may not have underlined, like, half the book.
134 Pages

Roses Among Thorns: Simple Advice for Renewing Your Spiritual Journey by St. Francis De Sales; Edited by Christopher Blum S.T.J.

St. Francis de Sales in easy to read bites. I didn't underline the whole book.. That would be extra.
128 Pages

The Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen

I love Fulton Sheen's writing; it has a more artistic style, and I love that he ties Catholic teachings to the events in the scripture.
Also chronological order. I know that's a duh, but having all four Gospels together in order. And tying in the Old Testament. *Angel choir noises*
658 Pages

Bible in A Year- Tim Gray (Editor)

I love the way they've divided up the readings, so that there's a reading from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and something from the Psalms/Wisdom Literature, so it's not like you're reading all of Genesis in one go.
The reflections were awesome too.
I loved that they put Esther in order in terms of the story, rather than in order of when they were found and translated.
P.S. It's a Catholic Bible (so there's 73 books, not 66), RSV translation.
1344 Pages

True Devotion to Mary: With Preparation for Total Consecration by St. Louis de Montfort

Just a heads up, my Catholic brain is getting on a chair of excitement.
I loved doing this devotion. I've done the 33 days to morning glory consecration, but I loved getting back to the roots of the Marian consecration. It took a bit of planning for me to be able to not be overwhelmed by the reading every day. I loved the repetition of the prayers, and all the mic drops about how Mary is the best Mom ever and is the best advocate for us, and how Mary always wants to bring people closer to Jesus. .... I love getting to know Mom more. I could literally go on for hours about how amazing Mary is, and how the consecration has changed my life in the past...five?...years
...I may or may not have underlined a lot of the book.
I love my Mom.
332 Pages

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson

"Our Lady of Guadalupe’s only words of spiritual guidance are her gentle but persistent reminders to Juan Diego about love: a love that can be trusted, a love that gives dignity, a love that is personal. If we are to see in her words an answer to a spiritual problem, the spiritual problem it answers is a lack of love and a lack of understanding about love as relationship rather than as practice. The Guadalupan message is, in its originality, a spiritual education, an education in love."
I love Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I loved learning more about the history...the apparitions, the tilma... Just the analysis of the image and all the meanings. Literally just read any of the scientific and artistic studies of the tilma.
So many Ratzinger and Karol Józef Wojtyła quotes.
I'm fine... I love my Mom. 
272 Pages