Book Review: Peter

 "Perhaps simplicity is simply the ability to...to take pleasure in the eternity of the commonplace.  Even if... things change."

It's sort of uncanny that this is the first book review here on this blog because its ancestor, (Is that what you call it?) the second book in the Veritas Chronicles, was my first book review over on my old blog.  Now, this is also my first time giving a review in exchange for a copy of the book.  (How exciting!! 🥳)  As you may know, I already raved about the previous book in the series without any compensation, so you can be assured this is also going to be my honest, heartfelt review.  I've been meaning to purchase this book for a while (even before it came out, really) but I'm just so bad at purchasing online for myself. 😅

Let's start off with the Amazon synopsis again, shall we?

The final installment in The Veritas Chronicles that has been compared to the writing of L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)!

And then, just like that, it happened.

Twenty-four-year-old Rebecca Veritas is a clinical psychologist, quickly establishing herself as a young success with her own thriving practice in a comfortable area of town. Reeling from the painful reality of recent events, she settles into her new life with neat precision, a practical choice conveniently removed from memories that her childlike nature and romantic heart might otherwise indulge. When an unexpected visit from an old friend one fateful summer sends Rebecca on a journey almost 2,000 miles from home, she will discover that the greatest change of all may be recalling who you truly are. Yet, as she begins to find healing in this idyllic setting, malevolent forces threaten the quiet serenity of its majestic landscape. As they calculate their revenge, the paradigm shifts, bringing it full circle, to the very beginning of the story.

Readers will delight in their encounter with characters old and new in this suspenseful conclusion to The Veritas Chronicles, a story of humanity, forgiveness, and healing that serves as a timeless reminder that the simple intermissions that give life meaning may never be cast aside.

Now you must read the first two books in the series before touching this one.  It may not make very much sense otherwise or at least you won't be getting the entire picture.  It was so good to revisit the dear characters and Gina's poetic style.  It truly is like a breath of fresh air because not many people seem to understand my sometimes whimsical and romantically simple way of viewing the world.  But Rebecca Veritas is like that even more so than me with a dash of zany thrown in. 😄  I once again related to Rebecca in many ways, some different than before because I've had new experiences in my life.  Rebecca fell in love and I had fallen in love.  Rebecca was hurt and I was hurting.  Rebecca was healing and I am learning to heal.  But if you're wondering if I say "dude" next to a line of Shakespeare-like words... I'm sorry to disappoint.  That is one small way Rebecca and I are not alike. 😂

Do you know who else is a kindred spirit?  Little Dan.  Ugh... he is just The. Sweetest. Ever.  I think I might be a little upset he doesn't exist in real life.  If I ever have my own children someday, I pray at least one of them can be like Danny.  He would fit right in with the children of Rainbow Valley.  (In a bonus interview at the back of the book, Gina mentions her plan to eventually write a Veritas Chronicles Christmas novella or novelette which would revisit Little Dan as a twenty-year-old and I am just soooo excited for that.  Please don't let it be an actual ten years away though. 💗  I'm just so interested by the thought of a young man of Dan's personality and temperament.  We have plenty of books like Anne of Green Gables that have romantic leading ladies but to have a tenderhearted leading young man who is faithful and pious would be delightful.  But enough of my imagining... back to the review.)

As for the storyline, it was marvelously written!  I was happy and contented to journey along with Rebecca and Peter experiencing the beauty, family life, and shenanigans of it all.  But then, when I thought I should be nearing the end of the book, I realized things were just getting started.  An unexpected turn was taken and I could no longer put the book down.  Then, when I thought, ok, the book has to be coming to its nice happy conclusion, WHAM!!  Oh no!  Here we go again!  This time I was not sure what was going to happen but I wasn't hopeful. It looked pretty bleak.  At the risk of being annoyingly vague but not wanting to give away the conclusion entirely, I'll just say that I was very pleased with the ending and felt so many emotions throughout the concluding chapters. 

Once again, although not as prominent through the book as in the earlier installments, the Catholic Faith still supports our beloved characters and this is the aspect that I love most about this trilogy.  I have lots of quotes from the book I'd like to share with you but here is one of my favorites,

  "Well," Peter said with a thin smile, his voice measured, "as I see it, we have two options: The Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary."

In moments of trial, anxiety, or uncertainty, where secular literature characters would be despairing or rely on human strength and affection, Rebecca, Peter, and the whole cast rely on God.

Cue mild spoilers warning...

And you know another thing I surprisingly like about this book?  It's not overly romantic like a Hallmark movie.  (Don't get me wrong, I like them and I've watched more this Christmas season than I ever have in the past.)  But this is a romance novel in a purer and truer form.  The main characters don't go all soft and dreamy-eyed over each other just because someone does something cute or flirtatious.  They are friends first.  Not "first" in the sense of before they hit the sappy stage, but first and foremost.  That's the foundation of their relationship and it's rock solid.  

Ok, spoilers over...

Peter and his brother have a beautiful relationship too and Rebecca sees this but instead of swooning like any normal romance leading lady, that thought doesn't seem to be first in her mind.  Instead, she appreciates the charity and sacrifices Peter gives to his brother.  It's just that plain and simple; unadulterated fraternal charity.  And Peter and Dan invite Rebecca into that.  I just loved the relationship between the three of them.

Of course, there is plenty of sappy romance in this book if you're worried about that.  Like I said, Rebecca loves and she loves deeply, as do I.  Memories are made, lessons are learned, seasons change, and hurts take hold.  But there is healing and grace too.  I was honored to begin to learn that alongside Rebecca.

As much as I could keep rambling in awe of this book, let's get to some quotes I saved.  I sometimes forget I can save quotes on my kindle so this is not a complete list of my favorites but just some of them that stuck out that will hopefully spark your interest in reading the series.

"It was nearly 9PM, and a wintery lull had settled over the landscape, yet it was not an icy coldness, but a refreshing chill, wafting through the air, enhancing it, making it more alive and real.  I breathed it in."

"And guitar, piano, and cello raised themselves upward, soared in the lament of a lost love.  In echoes of a heart that used to laugh freely, smile without shadow, speak without the broken mask of sorrow.  I had told Adriana, long ago, that one day the broken pieces would become a beautiful mosaic.  One day.  But not today."

"Pain enlarges the heart, increasing its capacity to understand and care.  Joy enters the heart bathing it anew."

"...the rays of the sun finally returned home, clouds moving to cover them with a lullaby of sleep."

There are more quotes I highlighted but they just seem too sacred to retype here.  I'll let them reveal themselves to you as you read this book.  All in all, I must say I was so happy with this third installment in The Veritas Chronicles and I wasn't even upset it was over!  That's uncommon.  The author just wrapped it up so lovingly and neatly not rushing the ending or leaving anything to be desired.  She even put a nice little bow on it. 😉  So, thank you for reading my review and I hope you get a chance to enjoy The Veritas Chronicles!  I highly recommend them to 17+ young adults who also like Anne of Green Gables, poetry, Catholic contemporary fiction, lighthouses, nature, sentimentality, adventure, suspense, and friendship.

If you'd like to get a copy of Peter you can find it on Amazon!  HERE!!

Saint Joseph Emerges: A Personal Account

 "How precious you are to God, O peerless Joseph, for to you he confided his three great treasures: the virginity of Mary, the person of his only-begotten Son, and the secret of all his mystery." ~Fr. Jacqes-Benigne Bossuet

I am so excited to celebrate Christmas this year after having completed my consecration to St. Joseph in this year that has been dedicated to him because I am more aware of the crucial part he played in our redemption history and in the Christmas story.  But more importantly, I just know him better as my spiritual father, the head of the Holy Family.  With Jesus as my brother (I call myself His little sister), Mary as my mother, and Joseph as my father, I can enter into the Christmas story with a great sense of familiarity and yet wonder.  Until you read the Consecration to St. Joseph, I can't expect you to fully understand how wonderful this will be.

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, I remember coming home from Catholic school (or religious-ed, can't remember which), sitting on my bed, and thinking Joseph was such a terrible character in the story because he wanted to divorce Mary.  For whatever reason (I have no clue what put this image into my head) I thought Joseph was not to be trusted and that he was a selfish, begrudging man.  I later realized that wasn't the case at all.  I was just so young that when I heard he wanted to divorce Mary, I knew that was a bad thing and wanted nothing more to do with him.  Oh, silly young Sarah.  I didn't hold that misconception for long though.  My mom helped me understand St. Joseph wasn't like that at all.

Still, I had a lot of learning about St. Joseph to do.  For years he stayed quiet, just like he did in his earthly life, not revealing anything about himself or his son to me.  He was contented to remain the silent character in the nativity scene at Christmas guarding the precious Child.  As I grew, I learned he was the patron of the Universal Church, a happy death, and a guardian of purity.  Still, I never felt the need to especially invoke him.  I would include him in my prayers with Jesus and Mary, but almost as a formality.  I have a holy card of him on the front of my prayer journal but I'm pretty sure I only used it because it had an image of the child Jesus, to whom I'm so devoted.  

So you can tell, I just wasn't very devoted to St. Joseph.  He was there, and he was good, but not special to me.

Finally, in the spring of this year, St. Joseph was ready to begin his ministry in my life.  When I was telling a fellow parishioner about my new relationship and how good my beau was, she excitedly exclaimed in her thick New York accent, "It sounds like you may have found your very own St. Joseph!"  Hmm... I had never thought about looking for all the virtues of St. Joseph in my partner but this was a very good idea.  I began to pray just a little bit for St. Joseph to make my boyfriend after his own heart.  Still, I only offered this as a quick intention and moved on.

In June, I went to visit friends in Texas, and their parish is called after a title of St. Joseph.  At the end of the trip, we walked through a giant antique mall.  There were many beautiful Catholic items and I was blessed to get a few.  I picked out two antique holy cards, one of which, depicted St. Joseph and a person clothed in a scapular.  I knew I wanted to invoke St. Joseph more over my relationship and life so I immediately knew I wanted to get this holy card.  I thought it would be perfect to picture myself as the soul on the card.

Our Guide to Heaven: Good Saint Joseph, thou who reignest in heaven
 by your intercession obtain, that, I too may enter there.

You would have thought that with this dear image, I would have begun to entrust myself and my relationship to St. Joseph especially but I still wasn't committed.  St. Joseph was emerging as a more personal figure in my life but he hadn't quite come into clear view yet.  He was waiting to reveal himself and lend his aid until I really needed it.

After my relationship ended, I was crushed and prayed like I never had before.  I threw myself into many devotions including novenas to St. Anne, St. Therese, and for the Nativity of Mary, just to name a few.  Well, when a local parish announced they were doing the Consecration to St. Joseph with weekly meetings, I was definitely interested.  A little hesitant at first but the book came with rave reviews from friends so I decided to try it out and drop out if it got too modern or anything.  

Whoa.  I never put it down.  I easily finished all the reading.  Sure I may have skipped a day here or there, but I made sure to make it up the following day because the reading was just that good.  The Consecration to St. Joseph book by Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC taught me so much about our spiritual father and his virtues.  I can't begin to go into all that here.  We'd be here for another month. 😅  Anyway, I just want to say, I'm so very glad I completed the consecration because I have found in St. Joseph an exemplary man to follow to our dear Jesus.  After I lost the earthly man I thought would accompany me to the Bethlehem crib, St. Joseph came alongside me at just the perfect time and introduced himself as a loving father and strong support.  I still do not love him or trust him as much as I should, but I do find myself asking for his intercession more now and I'm so very glad of that.

St. Joseph practiced all the virtues to such a great degree that he was privileged to raise the Son of God on earth.  Remember, St. Joseph was just a regular man conceived in original sin so he is the most inspiring of the Saints.  He practiced heroic chastity, humility, and perseverance.  I want to take him as my model and guide.  

St. Joseph is a wonderful model of silence too.  Not just contemplative silence, but silence when we don't understand or when something is hard.  Not a word of his is recorded in scripture but he promptly obeys when God asks something of him.  I definitely could use the help of St. Joseph to hold my tongue and do things cheerfully when asked.

One other very impressive note about St. Joseph is that he must be worthy of our attention and honor because God Himself was obedient unto him.  Jesus loved and obeyed St. Joseph just as He would His Heavenly Father.  If Jesus can do it, so should we!  So let us love St. Joseph taking our lead from Jesus Himself!

I am very very excited to dive into this Advent and Christmas season under not only the patronage of our holy mother Mary but also under the fatherly mantle of St. Joseph.  I absolutely cannot wait to contemplate his tender loving care when I set up the manger scene and think on the Christmas story.  And I pray that this newfound devotion will continue to grow and that St. Joseph will guide me in the new year and for the rest of my life.  I highly encourage you to read "Consecration to St. Joseph" so you can get to know this exemplary man that God chose to be the guardian of His most precious Son.

"Be in good spirits under the fatherly mantle of St. Joseph, a place of safest refuge in trials and tribulations." ~St. Joseph Marello

 Finally, here is my favorite prayer to St. Joseph which I discovered at my friends' parish in Texas but didn't memorize until nearly a year later when we started attending my current parish.  They recite this prayer every Sunday before Mass so that's how I committed it to memory. 😊

To Thee, O Blessed Joseph | Ad te beáte Ioseph

(This prayer was prescribed by Pope Leo XIII for the month of October, to be recited after the Holy Rosary.)

TO THEE, O blessed Joseph, do we have recourse in our tribulation, and, having implored the help of
thy thrice-holy Spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also.

By that charity wherewith thou wast united to the immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and by that fatherly affection with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we beseech thee and we humbly pray, that thou wouldst look graciously upon the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood, and assist us in our needs by thy power and strength.

Most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, protect the chosen people of Jesus Christ; keep far from us, most loving father, all blight of error and corruption: mercifully assist us from Heaven, most mighty defender, in this our conflict with the powers of darkness; and, even as of old thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from the supreme peril of His life, so now defend God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; keep us one and all under thy continual protection, that we may be supported by thine example and thine assistance, may be enabled to lead a holy life, die a happy death and come at last to the possession of everlasting blessedness in Heaven. Amen.
(Pre-1968 Indulgence of 3 years)

 

Long Live Christ the King: Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus

Recognize this Carmelite Blessed?  I bet not.  I didn't recognize him either.  I actually couldn't find any info about him on the internet that was even in English! 

I only stumbled upon this intriguing Carmelite because I follow the Carmel of Lisieux on Facebook.  Yep, that's the Carmel that St. Therese and three of her sisters entered.  But their page only posts in French so I'm left to the mercy of Facebook Translate to read their posts.  It's ok but leaves a bit to be desired.  Still, the artwork caught my eye.  Here was a Carmelite friar seated next to the Infant of Prague and if you know me, you know He's my absolute favorite!!  Whenever I find someone or someplace devoted to my Little King, I must get to know them!  

So I scanned the short translated post and decided to look up more of his story.  Google was next to no help at all.  I only found this one little spot with the most basic information not including any explanation of his life story whatsoever.

Meet Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus.

So far, all we know is that his feast day is October 12th.

He was a discalced Carmelite priest martyred in the Spanish Civil War.

Born February 8th, 1897, and died on October 12th, 1934 at the age of 37.

He was Venerated and Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

I must know more!!  

So I continued my google search but came up empty-handed.  I returned to the link with very little information and decided to look a little closer.  At the bottom was a link to some website in Italian.  We're practically world travelers by this point, don't you think?! France, Spain, Italy?!

Thanks to Google Chrome's handy dandy translation plug-in, I could read the Italian webpage about our new heavenly friend.  Eufrasio Barredo Fernández was born in the parish of Cancienes, in the province of Asturias, Spain in 1897 and was baptized the following day.  He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Vincenzo.  He entered the Teresian College of Villafranca in 1912 and traveled to study at different colleges of the Carmelites, making his simple profession on July 26, 1916, and solemn profession on March 18, 1922. Eufrasio was ordained a priest on September 23, 1922, in Santander.  He celebrated his first Mass on October 1st in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. (Less than a year before St. Therese was Beatified, for context.)  

Photo by Francisco Santiago

After his ordination, Fr. Euphrasio was appointed professor of philosophy and theology in various colleges, while at the same time devoting himself to a fruitful priestly ministry.  In 1926, his superiors sent him to Krakow, Polland to strengthen and consolidate the Carmelite presence in the countries of Eastern Europe.  He cared very much for this work as shown by his dedication to learning the difficult Slavic language in order to be able to carry out his mission.  He stayed there until recalled to Burgos in the fall of 1928 where he worked as director of two magazine publications, "Il Monte Carmelo" and "Eco del Carmelo e Praga."  In 1929, he became a professor of Theology in Oviedo and directed the catechetical meetings held in the convent.  Fr. Euphrasio was elected prior of the community on May 8th, 1933 but the community was beginning to sense the coming revolution. On October 5, 1934, the Spanish leftist revolution erupted in Asturias and Father worked to ensure the safety of his brothers.  He worked to help them escape and was about to himself.  He made to flee over the high garden wall but fell dislocating his hip.  The injury worsened and Fr. Euphrasio requested to be taken to the hospital.  There, he was recognized as a religious, and even himself declared that he was prior of the Carmelites so he was taken from the hospital bed by the militia and carried off to the marketplace to be shot by the wall of the "Mercato Vecchio."  

Photo credit: CarlosGlezPaniagua on Twitter

He addressed the men about to kill him as, "My children," forgiving them and then crying three times 

"Viva Christo Rey!"  "Long live Christ the King!" 

Pope Benedict XVI recognized Euphrasio's martyrdom on December 16, 2006, and beatified him on October 28, 2007, with 497 other victims of the same persecution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, I have made a list on Google Maps of the prominent places in Blessed Euphrasio's life so we can better visualize his story.  Here's the link! 

Map of Blessed Euphrasio's Life

I had so much fun combing the internet search results for images of our new Carmelite friend. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe learned something new!  Have you heard of Blessed Euphrasio or the martyrs of the Spanish revolution before?  Please do let me know in the comments below!  Here's a site with more info on some of the other Carmelite martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.

(Fun fact: I translated the prayer from Spanish in Google Translate and then replaced the text in the image for you. 😊)

Bibliography:

Isn't this artwork from M. Andres adorable?

https://www.facebook.com/carmel.delisieux/posts/2190891461051470 

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-eufrasio-of-the-child-jesus/    

http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/93500  http://www.artesacro.org/Noticia.asp?idreg=42540

Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus, pray for us!

God love you!!

Practice and Advance, O Daughter of God!

 Hello, my lovely friends! 

How have you been?  It's been just about a month and a half since I've posted but it feels like such a long time.  The season has finally changed here in the desert and I'm happy about that although I'm not ready for the cold.  (I know, my northern friends will scoff at my idea of cold.  It's relative, believe me. 😝)  Even though the leaves don't turn color much here, the temperature has dropped.  The exit of Summer and the arrival of Fall brings a twinge of sadness with it.  

I should let you all know that I am no longer in a relationship.  It ended well, all things considered, and I've been taking the last few months to process everything before I share anything here.  You may or may not know this, but this was my first relationship so I've been learning a whole lot from this process.  I had no idea that certain feelings and emotions existed and I can say with confidence that I have a greater capacity for empathy now.  Thank God for His hidden blessings.  I've also been learning lessons about life and myself.  As I made my tea the other morning, I had a rush of blog inspiration and just had to write it down.  I'm so glad I have something to share with you here again.

Eventually, I'd like to be able to write a letter or make an Instagram Reel talking to my younger self but today's post just comes from asking myself what I've learned and what I need to learn going forward.

Don't just exist until you're married.  Live life to the fullest as who you are right now.  You are not a wife lacking a husband when you are single.  You are a daughter of God and you must live as such.  You'll never get this time back.  Use it well.  In simple ways, you can keep the house and your room clean.  A clean house provides so much more scope for the imagination.  Your mind can breathe more clearly.  Do your chores promptly so they're out of the way.  Spend time with friends and practice virtues in these relationships.  Practice skills and hobbies that make you happy.  For me, it's watercolor, knitting, photography, and baking.  I have many other happy pastimes as well, (such as blogging, obviously,) but these are the ones I'm doing right now.  I want to practice them and grow my skills.  

I've also realized I have so much growing to do as a person.  I have so many shortcomings.  I should work on myself so I can give the very best version of myself to the right person at the right time.  If I'm failing myself and my family now as a daughter, how am I going to make it as a wife?  Seek to get real housewife experience.  Don't just help with fixing a salad for dinner; plan the menu, take on the whole operation, do the shopping, prep, and cooking.  Watch a baby; not just for a couple hours, but the whole afternoon or day.  Realize you're going to need help and learn to ask for it kindly, humbly.  Listen to your parents' advice and put it into practice.  (Guys, I'm mostly telling myself this.  I struggle with this a lot.  I think I may have to do an entire blog post about this to convince myself.)  You'll always have someone higher up to submit to in life whether it be your boss, your husband, your landlord, etc., and ultimately, God.  Learn to take advice and obey wise counsel.  Increase your devotions.  You won't get more time for prayer later, but less.  Cover your future in prayer.  Just because you don't know what your future holds doesn't mean you can't pray about it.  

Most importantly, practice surrender to God's Will.  It is most important to do this in tiny things.  If we just wait for the big things to come along, no matter how resolved we think we are, we are more likely than not going to buckle under stress, pressure, or desire.

"Lord, help me desire to desire to do Your Will."

Going one step further, we should not only strive to stay in God's Will in a stagnant way, but we should strive to advance in His most holy Will.  I don't just want to stay barely on the edge of doing God's Will becoming a legalist, but I should be striving every day to do God's Will more and more with my whole heart.  Firstly, God wills that we remain in His grace through the Sacraments but He desires so much more too.  God wants us to draw closer to Him having charity for those around us and even closer by uniting our sufferings to those of Our Lord on the Cross.  This should be our ultimate desire; to be so advanced in God's Will that we can unite our sufferings to His.  This takes practice so like I said, we should practice our resolve in small ways no matter what season of life we're in.

 The problem is, I haven't been doing all these things.  Therefore, I am challenging myself to make changes and practice these things so that I can improve myself and advance in sanctity, God willing.  Enjoy your time in this season.  Seasons change so quickly and soon this season will be a memory of the past.  Make sure it's a fond one.  It may not be exactly happy, but if we strive to do our best and advance in God's Will, it will become a fond memory with lessons to look back on.  Thank God for your blessings and strive for Heaven in all you do!