Several friends have shared with me recently their perception of God’s absence in their lives. One struggles with depression, another [...]

WASHINGTON –– The following children's books are suitable for Christmas giving:

"Black & White: The Confrontation Between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene 'Bull' Connor," by Larry Dane Brimner. Boyds Mill Press (Honesdale, Pa., 2011). 112 pp., $16.95.

Drama, conflict, adventure, marches, police, Ku Klux Klan – all these elements are contained in this nonfiction history of one the big civil rights battlegrounds: Birmingham, Ala. The tale, told in a fairly straightforward manner from both sides, is gripping in itself, and the author even includes the stories of the children's march on Birmingham. Excellent use of photos – some quite dramatic – from the 1960s, pull-out quotes and the use of black and white add to the graphic attraction of this book. Ages 12-up.

"Friendship With Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI Speaks to Children on Their First Holy Communion," edited by Amy Welborn, illustrated by Ann Kissane Engelhart. Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2011). 32 pp., $14.95.

This simple, faith-filled "conversation" is based on a chat Pope Benedict had with children in St. Peter's Square. Engelhart's watercolors beautifully illustrate the questions and answers – not just related to Communion -- that Welborn has chosen, and adults might find themselves inspired if they read aloud to their second-graders preparing for the Eucharist. Ages 7-10.

"Secrets of Siena," written by Dianne Ahern, illustrated by Bill Shurtliff. Aunt Dee's Attic Inc. (Ann Arbor, Mich., 2011). 131 pp., $12.95.

This book, another in the adventures of Sister Philomena, has humor and mystery, but its main appeal is its travelogue- and history-in-disguise. The adventure of a young boy and girl spending the summer with their aunt, a nun, takes them from Rome to Siena to Avignon, France. Ahern does a delightful job of weaving in cultural and historical details with real-kid impressions that will keep young readers turning the pages. Ages 8-11.

"Great Christian Thinkers: From the Early Church through the Middle Ages" by Pope Benedict XVI. Fortress Press (Minneapolis, 2011). 328 pp., $16.99.

"A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms: 52 Companions for Your Heart, Mind, Body and Soul" by Lisa M. Hendey. Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2011). 320 pp., $16.95.

"Great Christian Thinkers," a collection of Pope Benedict XVI's weekly audiences on central theological thinkers up to the Reformation, offers a concise, well-balanced introduction to the history of doctrine. Accessible to all, it shows not only Benedict's famously concise language, but also his pastoral side.

While the pontiff is not afraid to depict the frequent, intense theological conflicts that have happened throughout Christian history, he shows how theologians constantly found a solution or offered a new insight that could solve the problem.

Heresy could be a life-and-death issue, as Christians tended to judge each other harshly. Inner divisions were a constant problem in Eastern, Greek- and Syriac-speaking Christianity. Thus, Benedict informs us, Theodore the Studite, born in 759, "became the leader of the iconoclasm of (Byzantine Emperor) Leo V."

Even mundane religious activity would be punished in such a theological battle: "The procession of icons organized by the monks of Studios evoked a reaction from the police. Between 815 and 821, Theodore was scourged, imprisoned and exiled to various places in Asia Minor."

Thinkers such as Theodore were fighting for the truth. Benedict's concern for this battle comes out time and again in these writings. The truth is never easy, so struggles were common.

Each short chapter focuses on the background, life and theology of each individual, and Benedict offers us a sense of the personality of some of these thinkers.

One of the great accomplishments of the first Christian millennium was the use of Greek philosophy in the service of the good news. Rabanus Maurus, born in 780, is only one of many who exemplify this. Abbot of Fulda, then archbishop of Mainz, he was an "exegete (interpreter of the Bible), philosopher, poet, pastor and man of God."

I don’t know if many of you are aware of this, but we do a bimonthly book club here at [...]

When I worked in the Dominican Republic in our sister parish, I befriended a family that seemed poorer than most. [...]