Pierced by a Sword

Pierced by a Sword #1

by Bud Macfarlane Jr.

Nathan Payne: A troubled young securities broker from Chicago. Will Nathan find the faith to win the love of Joanie Wheat--a woman of deep Catholic conventions? — Becky Macadam: A stunningly beautiful young woman, away from the faith since childhood, alone and pregnant in the heartless city of Chicago. — Father Chet Sullivan: A fast-talking young priest from New Jersey with a penchant for getting into trouble.

Tom Wheat: The foremost U.S. expert on Marian Apparitions, desperately trying to warn the world about The Coming Tribulations. Can Wheat reach the country in time?

Lee Washington: A drug dealer from Cleveland, living in the fast lane in L.A. Will he keep his appointment with Our Lady?

This sweeping new novel is set against the backdrop of historical and present-day Marian Apparitions. Join these unforgettable characters as their lives intertwine in a Divine Plan during the Great Tribulations! Pierced by a Sword will take you over the border between heaven and earth!

Genres: Fiction, Catholic, Religion, Christian Fiction, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity

568 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

One of the most popular Catholic writers in America, Bud Macfarlane grew up in New Jersey with nine sisters and one brother and graduated with honors from the University of Dame. In 1991 he started the Mary Foundation, the world's largest producer of Catholic CDs and booklets. A father of four, his three best-selling novels are available from Saint Jude Media and on Kindle, and his long-running monthly email newsletter is read by tens of thousands worldwide.

Reviews

[Walter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to be frank here. This is a thoroughly awful novel. It is poorly written. The dialogue was completely unbelievable, using 1950s slang in a 1990s context. There is no character development in this novel. The main characters of this novel were drug abusers, materialists and womanizers who miraculously are converted to perfect Christians overnight. One of the great features of religious fiction is the believer's struggle with their own sinfulness as well as society's rejection of Christian values. This novel has none of that. The characters are instant
Saints who never struggle again.

For Catholics who read "Pierced by a Sword" and are confused, let me clarify something. The Catholicism in "Pierced by a Sword" is not the same Catholicism that you probably practice personally. McFarlane was an advocate of the "Marian Movement" in US Catholicism in the 1990s. This school emphasizes the role of Mary almost exclusively, largely ignoring the role of the Saints, the Church or even the Trinity. McFarlane discusses Mary in this novel as though she were a goddess, actually performing miracles and personally answering prayers without God. This is not orthodox Catholic teaching, although it is presented as such in this novel.

The plot of this book is a struggle between the Marian Catholics as represented by McFarlane, against the enemies of religion as personified by Mormons, liberal Catholics and a bizarre cast of Russian Generals typecast from the old 1950s Cold War novels. He has a naive view of the world in which the good guys hang out on the campus of Notre Dame, eat at McFarlane's favorite campus pizza joint, drink his favorite brand of whiskey (Maker's Mark) and smoke his favorite brand of cigarettes (Marlboro). Does anyone else find it bizarre that a work of Catholic religious fiction should advocate the drinking of hard liquor and smoking?

There are much better works of Christian religious fiction out there. Consider a novel in which a director of a large Catholic non-profit organization, a man who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, should violate Church teaching by divorcing his wife and the mother of his four sons for another woman. The man then uses his large salary to hire divorce attorneys who remove her sons from her and force the divorce settlement against his wife who wants to preserve their marriage despite her husband's adultery. This scenario is actually an episode from the life of the author, Bud McFarlane Jr. It is far more compelling than anything you will read in "Pierced by a Sword."

[Judine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books that actually makes me want to take action in changing the world. It's excellent Catholic fiction that clearly depicts the power of prayer and the influence of God in the world. It's a powerful tale with engaging characters (there are few more real people in fiction than Fr. Chet) and clearly illustrates the heroic courage they have in professing faith and doing what is necessary to "save mankind for eternity."

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comes from the page just before the book's Prologue and is the source of the book's title: 'And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Luke 2:34-35)

Although it is a work of fiction, Pierced By a Sword is a thought-provoking read. An Irish Pope, a playboy, an unmarried pregnant woman, a professor, a multimillionaire, a fast-talking priest, a druggie: in the beginning their lives seem to have little in common, but as the story progresses, they are being drawn together by Providence, prayer and perhaps so . . . 'that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed'?

I would give this book an additional 1/2 star rating if goodreads had that capability. It's a noble 'First Novel' effort by the author and it reflects his belief in his chosen ministry which is to provide free tapes and other Catholic materials for evangelization. I wish I shared his belief that a warning or even a Warning would sufficiently change the human heart so much that the world he envisioned could come to pass. Nevertheless, it is a thought-provoking book and I'm very glad I read it, especially in conjunction with Mary: The Church At Its Source.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read many novels, but I read this within a week; I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next two by Macfarlane: Conceived Without Sin and House of Gold. I read this one as a young teenager well over a decade ago but it was over my head at the time and I only remembered a few scant details. Now, however, this story has helped me better visualize Mary's role through the grace of God in the Communion of Saints for the greater glory of her Son. It has inspired me to look more seriously into making a consecration to Jesus through Mary; I just ordered the book 33 Days to Morning Glory as a result and am looking forward to it.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book for free from the local Catholic church and I guess the price was about right! Let me just start by saying that the theological positions the writer of this book apparently takes are horrible. He appears to have very little knowledge of the historic Catholic faith and oversimplifies a very complex and rich faith tradition.

I would venture to say that the superstitiousness of Macfarlane is almost laughable. I fail to see how it is genuinely spiritual to believe that God and the Saints intervene to such a drastically large degree in the events of all of our lives. Within this framework it is as though God is bribing people to have devotion. Very icky. Characters in the book even make deals with God and Mary, insulting His sovereignty. Devotion to God and the Saints should be for its own sake.

From a strictly literary standpoint, this book is very poorly written. The characters are unbelievable and conversations are unrealistic. When the characters try to make jokes, the humor is forced and it's not funny! These don't seem like real people to me.

Another big problem is that this book is sexist. The only female character that is not sexually chaste is portrayed as a stereotypical beautiful victim. Furthermore, she is only a mouthpiece for the author's anti-abortion views. (Also- most normal people think it is a little crazy to portray someone as going to hell for using a condom with their wife!) Also, it is irresponsible to promote families with 9 children! That is not good for women, and it is certainly not good for the environment or the children in the third world who are starving to death.

One thing that I liked about this book is that it is quick paced and is divided into many small chunks. It shifts between plot threads and characters a lot. I also found the beatific vision interesting.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was noble attempt at fending off the Left Behind hysteria. Not all of the Marian Apparitions in the book were approved. I did enjoy the story line and the author's ability to weave in Catholic perspective was interesting. However, I thought there were many instances of unfavorable stereotyping. I would not encourage someone to read this book unless they were a devout Catholic and could see around these tricky nuances...between the True Faith and fear.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did (I think the author’s style of writing is not my favorite and I’m spoiled with Michael O’Brien). However, talk about a book that makes you reflect on the state of your soul and your preparedness for the end of the world! My dad used to tell me about “The Great Warning,” or “Illumination of Conscience,” and this book does encapsulate and describe what that perhaps will be like for us. It is a hard task to write a work of fiction that will probably hit closer to home than any of us could possibly imagine. This book makes me hungry in the pursuit of truth and wary of how “normal” it is to live outside of the realm of it.

[Sean Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book with such extremes of greatness and nails on chalkboard
The storyline was incredible. It made me appreciate Marian intercession, spiritual warfare, Divine Providence, and everyday holiness so much more.
The stilted dialogue and cheesy analogies, however, made it feel like a Hallmark movie.
It started out strong, towards the middle (when it was dialogue heavy) it slackened, while the ending was just beautiful. The ending brought the book from 3 stars to 4 stars
Despite its weak parts, I’d still call it an important story people should read

[Laine Bodin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book! I could not put it down. The characters are so real. You feel like you know them and they are your friends. Full of action and suspence. It is also a love story that goes with the plot (guys - don't be scared). A great book for guys and girls! After reading it, it jumped to number 1 on my favorite book list! Read it. You will love it!

[Sally Sarko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book 4 or so times and it is a treat each time I read it. It's one of the few books I remember both my parents reading (on vacay) and being really excited about and I couldn't wait until I was old enough to read it

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ok book, not great, but ok. What I liked about it was the way the communion of saints is represented, how the prayers affect stuff in ways most people are not aware of. It made me pray more, so the fruits of the book were good in that way. I liked the way Catholic families were presented thinking to myself, "so is this what it's like? awesome".

One section made me laugh. It was one sentence, three simple words: "Sacraments were consummated." after the marriage of two couples. It was just different...

The story is kind of hard to get into, but picks up around chapter 5. There are way too many characters, and a lot of time not much is going on (at one time it seemed like every character went on a tour of Notre Dame right one after another! what was up with that?) I didn't like the supernatural stuff in this book - made it very hard for me to suspend disbelief; it's just that no one really knows what heaven and hell would be like, and this particular vision of the author didn't ring true.

For instance, Lanning's experience of hell really strikes me as far-fetched -- his sin for which he is condemned is "contraception", which he didn't know was wrong. (For a sin to be mortal, you must have knowledge that it's wrong and serious matter and full consent of the will.) Based on previous story of Lanning's life, I would think it would be "lies", intentionally misrepresenting the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in order to attract more people to it, leading people astray. By the way, I had an issue with the Mormon religion or its leaders presented as evil. Hmm...

I'm also not satisfied by the supernatural conversions, by the Warning in which people are shown their sins and the goodness of the Lord. It kind of takes away the virtue of believing in something you don't have direct experience of. I thought at least Nathan should have gained faith the hard way *shrug* Lee Washington's conversion was ok, though.

[Jackie's Bookbytes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helps you understand and experience what Divine providence is like. It can help fallen away catholics or even protestants come back to the Church even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed. In fact the book is used by the Mary Foundation and St. Jude Media to evangelize. They are offered free to anyone interested at catholicity.com.

If you are into Marian Apparitions and the Catholic Faith you'll want to read the next in the series: Conceived Without Sin. It is purely fiction as one of Bud MacFarlanes character is an Irish Pope; Pope Patrick.

For someone who is only beginning to read more , I greatly enjoyed this book. I rated it amazing only because if Mary had anything to do with , it is.

[Kerry]

I can't even give this book one star. It was just that bad. The author attempts to demonstrate the superiority of self-righteousness, giving the impression immoral behavior (taking a life) is okay if you do it for Jesus. The entire story centers around superstition and prophecy that is believed as fact by a small segment of the population. There is better religious fiction out there. Avoid this one. Unless you need kindling.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating as a uniquely Catholic apocalypse novel. No "left behind" rapture theories here, just good ol' Marian apparitions, incredible insights into the power of prayer and plenty of amazing references to Catholicism that will have all you papists proud to be part of the original Christian tradition.

[Katiejculotta]

i want to make a movie of this book. it is outstanding

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this about 10 years ago..The entire series is excellent! Catholic Fiction at it's best.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible.

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gotta be honest, I expected to like this book more than I did. The plot is interesting, but the characters lack depth. Bud McFarlane Jr. also cannot write relationships well. Characters meet and ten minutes later are calling each other "lover", "darling", "my man", etc. The romance overall was just corny and awkward to read. I almost put the book down several times because the plot slowed down to almost a stand-still, just for it to pickup in a landslide towards the end of the book.

I also found it interesting that McFarlane considers "Marian Catholics", which are borderline radically devoted to Marian doomsday prophecies, to be a separate group from the "radtrads". He also seems to flirt with the border of sedevacantism in a certain part of the book where a, spoiler, antipope is not preaching or teaching anything contrary to the Faith ex-cathedra, but is still somehow tearing apart the Church with his liberal views. The conversions of certain characters in this book are also unbelievable. They are just given the right argument and then boom, they're Christians. Those parts of the book feel like the type of fantasy a Christian might have in their head about "owning the libs/atheists".

There were some redeemable parts of the book. McFarlane clearly understands the marriage between Divine Justice and Divine Mercy. He also understands how it is never too late to change your ways. The look at the concept of evil is sobering too. Some people are evil no matter what, even when they are shown the true nature of their evil ways.

When all is said and done, I am glad I read the book, but I can't say I recommend others to read it. It isn't downright terrible, but there is better Catholic fiction out there.

[Emily Rink · Rating 5 out of 5]

A harrowing tale of love, loss, faith, and service. Mcfarlane writes a story so believable it feels like you were actually living the lives of the people in the story. Following the lives of Nathan Payne, Joanne Wheat, Father Chet, "Shoeless" Joe, Beck Macadam, and Lee Washington their lives go from null to Blessed in the blink of an eye. As Father Chet connects with an old friend, he finds himself consoling the broken heart of Becky - pregnant and single. As Joanne Wheat struggles with love, she finds herself drawn to notorious lukewarm-at-best Catholic Nathan Payne. When Lee Washington finds himself pulled into spiritual warfare, his family and mother must do their best to protect him and his soul. Told in many points of view, Mcfarlane writes a tale so interwoven that it captures you into the pages and forces you to read more. As much as we don't want to admit it, we all see a little bit of ourselves in the pages of this book. Whether we are Joanne Wheat continuously finding strength in the Church, or we are Lee Washington, fighting through Hell (literally) to find God in our lives Mcfarlane writes a powerful and moving story that shows us all whether we come back in small pieces or all at once, Holy Mother Church will welcome us home.

[Soren Chargois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few books have changed my life and this is one of them. I have lent it to friend after friend, but I can't get myself to give it away for good. There's too much richness and knowledge! I mean, I have found myself going to Mary more and more since this book, and the book actually started me on a journey to become consecrated to Mary! So I'm looking forward to joining Mary's Militia on March 25, 2018. I believe every practicing Catholic who is serious about death and conversion and salvation needs this in their library. It's a quick read and impossible to put down once started, so carve out a weekend and just grab a kettle of tea and read! 10/10.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for my book club. I would not recommend this book to anyone. The writing is atrocious. The dialogue is awful. There is no real character development and it’s all very disjointed. I skimmed over many parts because they were too ponderous to read. I gave it 1 star because there were a couple of passages that actually were not too badly written but that’s all. I realize the book is a work of fiction but it just doesn’t seem believable at all. This book should be classified as a fantasy.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was life-changing. I am a devout Catholic but generally find it hard to reach my family and friends who are not Catholics themselves. This book gave me tremendous hope, it has encouraged me to live my faith radically and be unafraid to share it with others. This is easily my favorite book. It has had such a profound impact on me in just the past days of me reading it.

[Phillip Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book but would love to know why Bud took out the thank you to me that was in the original print. Giving that he used most of my life stories for Nathan I thought the thank you to Phillip on the original print was a nice tribute but then it went away on future prints. Guess stealing someone else’s life for your story is ok for a supposedly Christian man.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars - very quick and easy popcorn read.. but higher score because of the way this fictional tale is an instrument to teach the importance + power of intercessory prayer! Pray for your family, friends, and those you don’t know!!! The imagery of The Warning was quite harrowing - what we do here on earth matters, do not die to sin!

[Deborah Yetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking

This book made me really think of my relationship with the BVM and DM. Through Mary's Immaculate Heart to Jesus' Sacred Heart I pray for many conversions to our Lord.

[MaryAnne Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time

Bud MacFarlane has written a masterpiece. It is even better the second time. Picture a world where society has broken down and evil is about to triumph. This story will .keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I - COULD - NOT - PUT - IT - DOWN !!!! Love stories the way they should be written, with respect and honor. War, accidents, Utah, there is so much in this novel and it has masterly been woven together!

[Mary Elizabeth Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belief that's believable

An apocalyptic novel where the apocalypse isn't important. This novel imagines the in bursting of divine grace into ordinary lives at a time of world crisis. Hard to put down.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much and believe it is an important read! I would rate it much higher if there was more imagery, but the overall dialogue was cleverly written, extremely realistic, and leaves you wanting more.

[Nancy Marrufo · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! Read this book!

I am so happy I decided to read this. Faith becomes a real thing reading this book.I have so much more to reflect on than I had before. My consecration to our Lord and his Blessed Mother was strengthened.