Recommended Books: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James' Court

Amidst all of the studying, spending time with family and friends, and getting caught up in activities, I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read a full book outside of books for school since last Summer...Okay, maybe it's partially due to the fact that I spend too much of my free time on the internet. But I'm working on it. ;)

Finally, during Holy Week break, I had the downtime to actually read something for fun.  So I turned to this masterpiece: A Philadelphia Catholic in King James's Court by Martin De Porres Kennedy.

Brilliant.  That's really all I can say! 

Basically, it's a fiction story that brings the struggles of a Catholic in an anti-Catholic world to light. A lot of us have had the struggles of encountering someone who knows the Bible better, and uses it against what we believe...It's hard to know how to take it.

That's exactly what Michael O'shea wrestles with when he travels to the south with his uncle and cousins after his father passes away.  He helps his mother cope with the loss of her husband while they stay on Michael's uncle Les' farm.  They live a quiet life, during which they spend quite a bit of time discussing faith.

Uncle Les is a protestant man; a very good, Faithful Christian.  He wishes to do whatever he can to lead Michael toward the "right path" of protestantism.  He mourns the misguided ways of the Catholics.  At the same time, Michael grasps onto his Faith, trying to understand and defend what his parents taught him.

One of the things I really like is how polite the discussions are, and how much respect each denomination has for one another.  Even though things get heated and people feel passionately, they can all agree on one thing: that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and through Him we find peace, solitude, and salvation.  They keep the overall message that we're all Christians and we're all worthy of Love and Salvation, but they do not fail to stress that Catholicism is the True Foundation of Christianity. 

It's so easy to empathize and relate to Michael in all of his struggles. When he encounters a question, or someone threatens a Catholic teaching, you feel the intensity of the moment, and then the relief when the answer is revealed.

This book is entertaining, enlightening, and easy-going -- it's not a difficult read in the least! If you're looking Catholic fiction, you will enjoy it, I guarantee.