Rediscover Catholicism [Hardcover]

Matthew Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2011

Over the past 20 years, Matthew Kelly has seen more of the world than most presidents and more of the Church than most bishops. Now, in this unique and timely book, he proposes that Catholicism is not a lifeless set of rules and regulations , but a way of life designed by God to help each person reach his or her full potential. With remarkable insight, Kelly dispels dozens of myths that surround the rejection of Catholicism today and provides a profound and practical vision of what will lead the Catholic Church to thrive again in the future. Rediscover Catholicism is quickly becoming the most read catholic book of our times. From the spellbinding opening story, Kelly grips his readers and takes them on a life-changing journey to rediscover the genius of Catholicism.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matthew Kelly has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, more than four million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than fifty countries. Today he is an internationally acclaimed speaker, bestselling author, and business consultant. His books have been published in twenty-five languages, have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold in excess of three million copies. Kelly is also a partner at Floyd Consulting, a Chicago based management-consulting firm. His clients include: Pepsi, Procter and Gamble, Chick-fil-A, General Electric, FedEx, HSBC, the Department of Defense, McDonalds, US Bank, 3M, Ernst & Young, the U.S Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. The Matthew Kelly Foundation was established in 1995 to help young people discover their mission in life. Over the past fifteen years Kelly has visited several hundred high schools, inspiring students to use their lives to make a contribution. The foundation's most recent initiative is a grade-school program entitled, Why am I Here? Matthew is also one of the most passionate Catholic speakers and authors of our time. Raised Catholic, Kelly discovered what he calls the genius of Catholicism in his teens and has spent the past two decades inspiring millions of men, woman, and children to explore the faith in a fresh way. He foundered The Dynamic Catholic Institute to research why Catholics engage or disengage and determine what it will take to establish vibrant Catholic communities in the 21st Century. Matthew Kelly s core message resonates with people of all ages and from all walks of life. Whether he is speaking in a business forum, at a high school, or in a church, he invites his audience to become the-best-version-of-themselves. His personal interests include golf, piano, literature, spirituality, investing, spending time with his wife Meggie and their son Walter, and making a difference in the world.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Publishing; 2nd Revised & Expanded edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984131892
• ISBN-13: 978-0984131891
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Candid and Practical January 23, 2011

By Edward J. Barton TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

A good book for the "former" Catholic, of the Catholic who doesn't really embrace or understand their religion. Matthew Kelly takes a very candid approach to the Church's problems, calling for reform and review of the institution of the temporal Church, but this is a minor element of the book, and only adds credibility to the main focus of the text - which is the need for a spiritual renewal and reform. Emphasizing seven tenents of:

*Confession
*Daily Prayer
*The Mass
*The Bible
*Fasting
*Spiritual Reading, and
*The Rosary

Kelly calls the reader to rediscover the spiritual, mystical and mystery of the Church through practice and perseverence. Using the example of several sains, Kelly demonstrates that our goal needs to be self-improvement and becoming our best-self, and that the Church provides a spiritual vehicle for that journey. A good read and a reminder that regardless of the temporal failings and human nature of the institution, the mystery and deep traditions of the Church hold much transformative spiritual and mystical power and all should not be tarred with the same brush.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Go, You Are Sent!" April 2, 2011

By Signature Image

Format:Hardcover

Matthew Kelly has gotten straight to the heart of the matter in his book Rediscover Catholicism: as a whole, the fire is missing from our parishes. Kelly tenaciously addresses the issue of Catholic evangelization. This key element directly affects the vitality, spirituality, and fate of the faith we love.

His words encourage us to take back our spiritual heritage, to live our faith richly.

His point that Protestants have taken sole claim to Christian evangelization is painfully true. His comment that the Mass can be seen as uninviting is important. As Kelly explains, the Holy Mass is not designed to be an outreach program. It is designed to be an intimate worship of our Holy God.

Protestants have mastered the art of outreach, and that is why ex-Catholics are flooding into Protestant churches. The Protestant community is meeting people where they are--by providing coffee bars, hosting seminars, and having live worship bands rock outdoor picnics. These events are appealing and in comparison make our beautiful Catholic parishes seem out of touch. Like Kelly, by no means do I believe this makes the Mass irrelevant. I simply think it means we need to take note of what brings people in, and then provide solutions to people's mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs outside the Mass.

The Christian trend away from the Mass is sad and ironic, because the Catholic Church is responsible for the evangelization of nearly the entire world and the spread of modern medicine, public education, the preservation of Holy Scripture, and the promotion of human rights.

But despite this spiritual legacy, Kelly's description of today's generation as disengaged and un-disciplined is dead on. Society at large is driven by consumption. We are asking all the wrong questions like: `What's in it for me?'

We are a generation that makes moral decisions on sound bite assumptions. As a whole we don't want to be bothered with books and study, rather we want someone to reduce `the facts' to a blog snippet or text. We avoid correction at all costs because admitting we have done something wrong is admitting we are not always right.

Today's generation has limitless resources. Yet in our pride we do what is convenient for us and forgo the wisdom of the scholars and Saints from the past 2,000 years.

Kelly is right - this way of living is not working for us. Elkhart County, for example, has one of the highest suicide rates in the state of Indiana. How can this be? Why are whole generations of people listless, feeling forgotten and worthless - living lives of `quiet desperation'? What we really need is a good grasp on our spiritual relevance. As individuals we need to reclaim our worth through God's grace - which, as Kelly states, is attained through the habit of daily prayer and the Sacraments of the Church.

Here is our golden opportunity. The question is: are we willing to take up that challenge? Or will we let it go by and say, "What can I do?"

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, just as your body cannot function if one part is not working correctly, neither can God's work on earth be done fully without you. I am impassioned by the idea that we are all uniquely gifted and can each make signature contributions to the work to be done. So let us raise up this Catholic Generation and purposely become, as Kelly says, more authentic and genuine version of ourselves through Christ. We must `let our life sing.' Surely, we will find no real meaning in our lives until we do.

I advocate for the dignity and value of human life through my personal vocation, and I encourage everyone to read this book. I argue that Kelly's leadership has initiated the `new evangelization' toward a greater spiritual relevance.

In the concluding rite of mass we say, `Ite missa est,' or `go, you are sent'; It is time for us as a laity to determine what we are being sent to do, and then, to go do it.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars sRediscover Catholocism - strengthening the faith of practising Catholics@ bringing dissillusioned Cathollics back to the faith August 12, 2011

By J. Tschirhart

Format:Paperback

Great book to help fallen away Catholics want to return to Catholocism. It gives you answers to all the negative comments people give for ex. confession, mass etc..Learn what to tell them. It is also for Catholics that are disillusioned by all the scandals taken place. This is the book that is presently helping individuals return to the church. Please, think about purchasing this book for your loved ones and friends. It is helping to save souls as I type,lol. You will want to read and reread this book . My church bought 1000 copies and gave them away to members. Great book.