Catholic Recommended Reading
Catholic Recommended Reading
Recommended Reading
Catholic Books for Every Age Group
Reflecting on one's life, a person sees memorable events marking every phase: getting their driver's license, graduating from school, getting married and having kids. Similarly, a faithful Catholic can look back and see the reception of each of the Seven Sacraments as a milestone. Perhaps we can also divide our spiritual timelines with the books we have read, as the knowledge we gleaned from the pages informed and shaped us into who we are today--and, will continue to influence who we will become tomorrow.
May we suggest, then, this regimen of recommended books pertinent to each age group, from birth to when God calls us home. Hopefully these suggestions will help one grow in faith, in whatever part of this one lifetime we are given.
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Early Childhood - Bible Stories
We already know the value of reading to our young children from an early age. It prepares them for their formal education by developing their communication skills as well as providing an activity to stimulate their imagination. What better book to use than adapted stories from Sacred Scripture! Our Bible is filled with colorful figures and epic adventures--stories that young children will enjoy and remember--and, they have wholesome moral lessons and provide a solid foundation for their growth in our faith.
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Late Childhood - The Lives of the Saints
By this age, our children begin to read independently and develop their individual identity. This is also the time they go to their First Communion, becoming fully received into the Catholic Church. Stories on the lives of the Saints are ideal.
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Teenagers - Apologetics
When our teenagers receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are considered adults in the eyes of the Church. They can make decisions for themselves in terms of their faith. It is vital, then, that our teenagers thoroughly comprehend what and why they believe, to be educated on the truths of Catholicism on a mature level. Approaching adulthood, they will be faced with many questions that will shake their foundations--apologetics will give them answers from a reasoned and logical vantage.
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Young Adults - Discernment of Vocations
Getting ready to graduate from college, the young adult wonders: what's next? A career, marriage, a family? Are they considering the religious life? This is the time one realizes that God has a plan for them, and all along they had been guided by His hand to this very crossroads. But, they will need help in uncovering exactly where that call is leading them--the discernment of their vocation. These guides will help one sort through their life and the Lord's daily messages to find the one true path He has set.
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Adults - Parenthood
As a married couple, they are charged to multiply the people of God. But the same can be applied to those who have taken a vow of chastity in the religious life--all are similarly called to increase the glory of God in their respective vocations. And with that comes the joyful burdens associated with parenthood. Where husband and wife are responsible for raising their children in the Church, so too are His shepherds who lead His flock. Parenting guides consistent with the Church's teachings are priceless.
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Seniors - The Next Life
When we face judgment before our Lord, we hope to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:23). As one approaches the completion of their life, one is curious about what awaits them in the next. Sacred Scripture provides many descriptions of the Heaven that is set aside for us--and, there are many books considered insightful as well on what to expect when God calls us home.
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