`Letters to a young catholic` by George Weigel

He at times succeed in introducing a simple , carefree approach to a section , but as he progresses , reverts back to doing an intellectual tirade . I feel that the average Catholic youngster would have difficulty grasping some of the author 's messages . Also , many ideas can come off as too lofty for most young Catholics . Not everyone is versed with the ideologies of characters such as Sartre or Nietzsche . Although older , more educated readers can be comfortable with this , it may alienate the very audience that he is trying to reach

Though

the Catholic doctrine is supported by ideas , faith is affirmed by things that allow us to experience God on an earthly level . This affirmation can also be achieved through the sacraments of the Catholic Church . He makes the reader embark on this journey to real people places , and things that defined Catholicism . The author shows us that the Catholic Church is founded on reality and has a rich historical and cultural heritage

One of the ideas that struck me is the issue of self-denial and suffering as a necessary part of the Catholic life . Weigel expounds that "suffering makes us the kind of people who can live with Love itself without suffering from it or getting bored by it " But still , he advocates joyful living and and an appreciation of the beauty of life Another concept worth noting is his argument against the contemporary nihilist perspective holding that all values are baseless . He maintains that "Catholicism insists that everything is of consequence , because everything has been redeemed by Christ " He adds that keeping this state of mind changes the way one sees the world If I could have a chance to meet the author , I would be very much interested in knowing if he himself had cultivated any...