Catholic Review: Good Words

I recently joined the Catholic Company as a product reviewer, and I received my first book about a week ago! It's amazing how God knew exactly what I needed before I did.


Good Words: Inspiration for Catholic Women

This is the kind of book you want to have on your dresser or nightstand, where you can read it whenever you need to. Of course, you could read it all the way through if you wanted to, but I prefer a little more randomness in my life. The book is separated into different categories such as "For Every Matter Under Heaven," "A Time to Break Down, A Time to Build Up," and "A Time to Seek, and a Time to Lose." In each category are a selection of quotes from a multitude of women writers. The Contents are based off of Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-8.

Given that this has been one of the hardest times in my life, having just been diagnosed with an illness that I will have forever, I've been opening this little book almost every night to find support, inspiration, and hope. I only read a little at a time, and then reflect and pray on that passage. The book includes Questions for Reflection after most quotes, but I choose to skip over those. However, I could definitely see someone starting a devotional journal to go along with this book, selecting a passage, and answering the reflection questions. To each their own.

So far I've really enjoyed it. It's a nice little pick me up, a reminder that I'm not alone and others have walked this path before me. I'm sure as I enter new trials and times in my life that there will be more quotes for me to identify with, and that is very reassuring. You can be sure that these are the best of the best, the cream of the crop quotes, plucked from the best Catholic women authors. The book is small, doesn't take up much space, and is travel friendly. I think I will take it with me to Germany for our vacation - some might even want to carry it with them in their purse.

My favorite quote so far:

Sometimes in the dream of making a difference in the world, our number one enemy is ourselves. We sabotage our dreams, thinking we are too young, too old, too skilled, too unskilled, too poor or too out of it. The truth is that change in the world is effected by people with strengths and weaknesses. Change is effected by ordinary people, and most of us are simply that--ordinary.
- Joan Mueller, Living a Spirituality of Action: A Woman's Perspective

For a casual, occasional, and inspirational read that you will keep coming back to, I highly recommend Good Words: Inspiration for Catholic Women - it has definitely helped me!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Good Words - Inspiration for Catholic Women. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.