May Crowning, Mass, and Merton: 50 Reasons I Love Being Catholic

by Liz Kelly

Thirty-something Liz Kelly is successful writer, a jazz singer, and an assistant to the president of Harvard Univeristy. She is also a devout Catholic who loves her faith and is eager to share its beauties with others. "Mine is not an extraordinary faith," she writes, "so much as a faith growing, a little messy, a little rough and subversive around the edges. But the litany of reasons to love being Catholic is extraordinary."

Kelly offers...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0829420258
• ISBN13: 9780829420258
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Loyola Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Spurred wonderful memories...

Reading this wonderful book reminded me of the lovely ceremony to the Catholic religion, the beautiful ancient symbolism and sacred traditions passed from generation to generation through these past two thousand+ years from the days of the Christ and His apostles and disciples. Reminded me how blessed I've been to be a part of it.

Simple reflections that open up deep spiritual treasures

Through simple, short reflections on a wide array of Catholic life Liz Kelley helps to shed a light on the faith and traditions of the Church. Some of the things she reflects such as confession are of deep importance to the whole Church, others such as some of her favorite saints may be more important to her than to others, but even then her insights provoke interest in learning about these saints. Throughout the book she brings a down-to-earth and "from the depths of the heart" approach to the subjects of her reflections which really helps to break them open for the reader.

A Great Reflection on Some of the Trademarks of Catholic Christianity!

Kelly does a very nice job at sharing some of her reflections on what are the tenets of Catholicism that strike her as both most inspiring and most significant. While not an exhaustive list by any means, Kelly - a young Catholic writer and musician - presents those aspects of her faith that are closest to her heart. I found this book to be a welcomed change from the standard "Why am I Catholic" or "The Greatest Things of Catholicism" genre of publication. What makes this unique is that it is written from the perspective of her lived faith experience bearing no tone or sense of proselytizing. It is an approachable book that is divided into chapters, 49 in total in addition to a prologue and an epilogue, representing each of the "reasons she loves being catholic." Each chapter is short and to the point, allowing for someone with a hectic schedule or a limited attention span to digest this book in prescribes segments over time. While one might presume that this book is primarily for a Catholic audience, Kelly explicitly invites non-Catholics, on a number of occasions throughout the book, to explore some her devotional interests and "see for your self." That said, this book is an interesting read to both the cradle Catholic, the convert, the person of another denomination or faith and the unbeliever - this book is for all.

A life and faith-affirming testimony by a fresh young voice

May Crowning, Mass, and Merton and Other Reasons I Love Being Catholic by jazz singer Liz Kelly is a testimony of love for the Catholic faith, particularly the beloved rituals, cherished spiritual expressions, and close bonds with holy people and places. A celebration of the extraordinary tradition of Catholicism, that reaches out to the fellow reader to partake in the joys of faith, love, and reverence for God, May Crowning, Mass, and Merton is a passionate and wonderful testimony of true belief. A life and faith-affirming testimony by a fresh young voice.

A Look at Amazing Traditions and practices

This is a fascinating little volume, part meditation, part, biography and part theology. Liz Kelly open's up to us her life and her faith and in doing so can help us to understanding our own faith and tradition better. She examines the things, traditions, places and people that are a source of encouragement, challenge and trial to her faith, and through these pense's and thoughts opens our eyes to see Catholicism in anew light. As she states in her prologue "One: It's hard. Being Catholic has taught me about balance and prudence and the deep joys of daily discipline and commitment...Two: It's Hard. Sometimes it is painful to be Catholic, not because of rules and regulations so often associated with being Catholic are so restrictive, but because the love of heaven leads us to fearless expansiveness..."(p.XIII, XIV) Yes being Catholic can be hard but as Kelly shows us it has much in the way of consolation and rewards to make the hardships worth the efforts. Kelly has separated her book into five roughly equal parts that examine different aspects of the Catholic tradition: 1. Objects with Meaning 2. Those who Journey With Us 3. Devotion in Practice 4. Truths That Bring Grace 5. Rhythms of the Faith In each of these area's she examines different elements and examples of peoples, places, things, beliefs and practices that are means of grace in our lives. She opens up each of these categories like a flower blooming in an ever progressive way to draw us deeper into understanding the faith she is explaining to us. In the first section she examines such elements as the Crucifix, Holy Water, incense, the Rosary, kneelers ... and through them helps us to focus our faith on what matters most. She states "I don't think heaven needs my burning candle any more than it needs holy water or incense. Sacramentals are for us, because we are sensory beings, and symbolism and sacramentals help infuse the spiritual into other planes of our experience - physical, emotional, mental."(p.12) In exploring these items she opens us to the grace inherent in the use of them as tools to draw us closer to God. Not as an end in themselves, but as a means to an end. In looking at the lives of some of those who journey with us in this quest for faith and a life in God, Kelly shares some of those examples of saints and people of faith who's stories can be a source of challenge, inspiration and encouragement in our own journey with God. In Writing about Pope John Paul II Kelly says: "This picture is famous now, Pope John Paul II and his would be assassin, sitting together in intimate conversation two years after the incident. The Holy Father leaning toward the man with gentle attention, ...He was unafraid of the vulnerability created by living in forgiveness, of sitting in total love with the enemy."(p.59) Later while reflecting on the Communion of Saints Kelly reminds us of our own call to be saints, "Most saints did not have easy lives. Many were persecuted a