Book Review: Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures ed. by Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica's Private and Pithy Lessons from the Scriptures introduced and edited by Raymond Arroyo

Mother Angelica, famous as the founder of EWTN, held many different Scripture studies throughout her life. Many were recorded (on tape, if you know what that is) and a selection has been made available by Raymond Arroyo, a friend and collaborator on the network. This book follows the Biblical structure, with lessons based on the Old Testament books coming first, followed by the Gospels and then the epistles.

This book is a mixed bag. She has a lot of interesting and entertaining insights. Her main idea is to see the Scriptures as a living story, as if you are actually there. Imagine you are in the Garden of Gethsemane--you can see torches in the distance and hear the low rumble of a crowd as it approaches your group on a moon-lit night. I liked that a lot. On the other hand, I did not agree with some of her characterizations and interpretations. Her earthy literalism is a two-edged sword. It can put you right there in the historic event; it can strike you as superficial or trivial or inaccurate. I found myself disagreeing with her, though my disagreements were far less than half the time. Your mileage will probably vary.

Mildly recommended. I'm glad I read it but probably won't re-read it.

Sample Quote: 

What is it that you do when you're proud or you lack humility? You kind of nourish yourself: "Mmm, I'm wonderful, I'm always right, I'm always good, I'm always persecuted, I'm always this, I'm always that." It's me, myself and I. You see, you're going to live with a trinity one way or another. The trinity is either me, myself, and I, or it's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The choice is yours. But if you're not with God, you're with yourself. [p.156]