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Sunday, August 10, 2014

Book Review: Sacred Fire: Practicing Devotion to the Heart of Jesus




About the Book:
On the night before He died, Jesus called His disciples to abide in Him. This startling invitation to an intimate relationship with God is a great gift to all generations. The devotion to the Sacred Heart gives Catholics a practical way to respond to this invitation. Each of us can experience the love of Jesus in a way that transforms our own hearts. Sacred Fire illuminates the rich scriptural roots of the Sacred Heart devotion and recounts how it has evolved through the centuries. More importantly, it provides steps anyone can take to experience the infinite blessings of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Embracing the Sacred Heart devotion brings the believer into a dynamic, personal relationship with Jesus. Lukewarm souls become fervent, and fervent souls enjoy ever greater blessings of Divine Mercy that begin in this life and last for all eternity.

My Comments:
I'm not big on practicing a bunch of devotions but one year my parish was pushing Sacred Heart Enthronement so we did it.  Now we have pictures in our living room but other than that, there was no long term change in our lives.  Nevertheless when asked to review this book I figured I'd give it a shot.  

The book is divided into two parts.  The first is titled "A Heart Open to All of Humanity" and it goes through the stories of the Sacred Heart including those of its devotees St. Gertrude the Great, St. Margaret Mary, St, Theresa Margaret, St. Teresa of the Andes and St. Faustina.  While I found the writing style to be somewhat simplistic and reminiscent of a high school term paper, the information was interesting.  

The second part is titled "Elements of Devotion" and discusses the Eucharist, the Litany of the Sacred Heart, Reparation to the Sacred Heart, Scriptural Foundations and the Promises of the Sacred Heart.  Those looking to practice devotion to the Sacred Heart will find a lot of possibilities.  

I'd like to thank the author, Philip Michael Bulman, for sending me a review copy of the book. I'm not expert enough in theology, scripture etc. to determine whether the book comports with Catholic doctrine.  I have not been able to find any information about the publisher (Laudate Press) and it looks like a self-published book.  There is a substantial bibliography.  Grade:  B.

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