12 Books to Read this Holy Week

The Holy Week is the best time for us to renew or strengthen our relationship with God. We might not be able to attend various religious activities such as processions, vigil and station of the cross to mention a few; we can still have our own way of being one with this week-long yearly occasion. And the best way to get closer to get to know God better is by reading His teachings.

Here are some of the books I recommend for you to read if you have nothing else to do next week.

1. The Holy Bible – The Bible is actually a compilation of books from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. Most of us Roman Catholics own a Bible but don’t actually take the time to read it. This week, I urge you to dust off your Bible and discover the words of the Lord. You may also read an online guide like BibleGateway.com to make your Bible research and study more efficient.

2. The Children’s Bible – If you have children with you, this book would help in capturing their interests and as early as now they would have an idea about what’s good or bad. It will also help them grow into a good person in the future.

3. Stations of the Cross Booklet – Even if you cannot attend the Stations of the Cross in your place you can still do it by just reading the booklet on your own or with your family in the comfort of your own home. After all, Jesus even denounced the old practice of people in showing their repentance. A silent yet solemn prayer might be more appropriate.

4. The Road Less Travelled – The book written by M. Scott Peck is considered as a new psychological way of understanding the fundamental of Life, Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth. By reading this book you can get ideas on how to face and resolve your problems, helps you understand yourself better and most of all lets you develop spiritual growth.

5. The Mystery of Faith – Is a book written by Rev. Michael Himes, wherein he invites readers to ponder upon the basic truths about Catholicism and at the same time shows the importance of the holy sacraments towards personal growth. This could also serve as a good resource for small parishes such as what we have in the Philippines that they may be able to have a deeper understanding of the basic Catholic practices.

6. Jesus of Nazareth – This book was written by Pope Benedict XVI, it is the first of his three-volume reflection about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Included in this book are the important events in Jesus’ life here on earth such as; Christ’s baptism and his Sermons.

7. Sins and its Consequences – From the title itself, this book helps us understand the sin, its nature and the consequences of even the smallest sin we commit.

8. The Purpose Driven Life – This devotional book written by Rick Warren actually provides a 40-day personal spiritual journey but you may also ask your family and or friends to join you so you could share your reflections about the topics discussed in every chapter. With this, you could also build a much stronger relationship with your family and or friends.

The next three books I have on my list was written by Dan Brown, they are all best sellers and I think would help you be more interested about Christianity.

9. The Da Vinci Code – Released in 2003, this book made Dan Brown one of the best known authors of thriller fiction novels.

10. Angels and Demons – shared the same success and controversy as both have the same theme and subject.

11. Inferno – It was released in 2013 and its movie adaptation’s shooting will start next month and is expected to be released on October 14, 2016. This book would probably be the most controversial books written by Dan Brown, especially here in the Philippines because Manila was mentioned as the “gateway to hell” but I strongly suggest that people should read the book first before they make bad comments about it.

12. Your book of choice. Last but not the least, read the book that you really want to finish reading but you couldn’t because you’re too busy to read it . This Lenten season, you have the chance to pick that book, read its pages, and include it in your list of books that you’ve already completed.

I know you can’t read them all in just a week but just take a pick and if you still can’t finish them by Easter Sunday I don’t think there’s a law which prohibits us to read spiritual books or novels beyond Holy Week so feel free to read on and make it a habit. Enjoy reading!