Hubert van Zeller (1905–1984)

5716. The Outspoken Ones Twelve Prophets of Israel and Juda, by Dom Hubert Van Zeller (read 5 Nov 2020) This book was published in, apparently, 1955, though approved by Catholic authorities in 1936 and 1937. It discusses the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament: Hosea (in the book called Osee), Joel, Amos, Obadiah (in the book called Abdias) Jonah (in the book called Jonas), Micah (in the book called Micheas), Nahum, Habakkuk (in the book called Habacuc), Zephaniah (in the book called Sophonias), Haggai (in the book called Aggeus), Zechariah (in the book called Zacharias) and Malachi (in the book called Malachiac). There is a chapter on each prophet, ranging from 28 pages on Jonah to 5 pages on Obadiah. Naturally I found the discussions of varying interest. Probably the most interesting to me was the discussion on Jonah--the best known of the 12 minor prophets. In the Wikipedia article on the author appears this sentence: "When discussing people's fear of death with Ronald Knox: "One clings, and I can't think why. You would have thought anyone would prefer heaven to fruit juice."… (more)

Holiness for Housewives could really be called "Holiness for Busy People", because it is essentially about how to pray when you don't feel like you have time. Mothers with small children fall into that category, but so do all kinds of other people, male and female. If you've ever wondered how to follow St. Paul's advice to pray always when you have a full-time job, grad school, and an elderly parent to care for, this book is full of good advice for how to do just that. Highly recommended for any busy Catholic, house-wife or not.… (more)

This is a great book that opens one's understanding to what true repentance (penance) looks like. It does this by showing us healthy and godly repentance (based on the Bible) and unfolding its real purpose. It demonstrates a salutary approach that avoids setbacks that can come from wrong understanding, or methods, or exercises that are too harsh. The book is not a theological book. However, it does give insight into the role of our flesh and our spirit in the battle for sanctification/salvation - and the directional role that our will has in guiding us to new heights. The book's overarching view is that we should embrace penance as does the serious Christian engage the life of prayer. One caveat however: spiritual dullness often makes for reading spiritual material less fruitful, if not dull. Praying to the Lord for an awakened mind and an open heart can remedy this along with reading the book a second time (many times indifference is turned into joyful satisfaction when applying these remedies).… (more)