My Review Of..

"Take Five ~ Meditations With Pope Benedict XVI" by Mike Aquilina & Fr. Kris D. Stubna..

I am a big fan of Mike Aquilina, not only because he's from my hometown (Pittsburgh) but because he writes such wonderful books..This is the 2nd book that I've read of his & Fr. Stubna..So when I received "Take Five" I knew I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't..

"Take Five" is a small book that you can fit in any pocket or purse..It's not a chapter book, it's a book of 72 meditations from Pope Benedict XVI..They are mostly taken from his encyclicals, speeches, and other writings of his..

What I really liked about this book was that in the Introduction it explains all about what you are going to encounter in the meditations..There are basically 4 elements to the book..

The first element is Pope Benedict's speech, writing, etc..And the authors hit everything from "The Value Of Every Human Being" to "Going To Confession" & "Mary Our Mother" & "Praying The Rosary"..Like I mentioned above there are 72 meditations, so I can't post everyone..

The second element is the "Think About It" section..There are 3 or 4 questions to answer personally about the meditation that you just read..Aquilina & Stubna have put some great thought into these questions..I found myself trying to answer them honestly, and I didn't like some of the answers that I came up with..These questions make you really think..

The third element is "Just Imagine"..This part is scripture readings..They also deal with the meditation you read about..

And the last element is the "Remember" part..I'm assuming these are the authors thoughts about the meditations..They are thoughtfully written..

This book is a wonderful read..I have marked quite a few of the meditations as they relate to something I am going through or just want to read again..I definitely think that anyone who reads this book will come away with something they never thought they would encounter spiritually..

And as always..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 Take Five - Meditations with Pope Benedict XVI.