Blessed Are the Bored in Spirit: A Young Catholic's Search for Meaning

by Mark Hart

My image of God the Father, enthroned in heaven in flowing white robes and Birkenstock sandals, was overshadowed by my certainty that he didn't want me to have any fun. God was all about rules.—from Chapter Five

Too many young Catholics experience their faith as Mark Hart They rarely miss Mass even if they don't understand it; they have a Bible even if they never read it; they go to confession even if they aren't particularly repentant.

Is that your experience of Catholicism? Is yours a faith of Thou Shalt Nots? If so, forget about a dreary life of mindless obedience to rules you don't understand. It's time to enter into the transforming light of your Creator who invites you to live from the still center of his undying love.

The author's humorous and hard-hitting reflections drive home the point that God isn't calling the reader to be a good person—someone who merely obeys the rules—but a new person in Jesus Christ.

The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via

Genres: Faith, Catholic, Nonfiction, Religion, Christian, Theology, Christianity

131 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2006

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there are any young adult Catholics (18-30) who have questioned why they believe the way they do (I'm a cradle Catholic and was just always told to do things and not why), then this book is perfect. Hart targets a teenage audience, but this is an excellent read to put Catholic beliefs into perspective. I actually began to rebuild confidence in how I act with regards to my faith. I believe it is making me a better Christian and a prouder Catholic.

[Nanci de Suffren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm Catholic. Not exactly something to brag about in today's world. Scandal has rocked my world and often made it difficult to be someone striving to be like Christ because rather than focusing on the majority (albeit not overwhelming majority) of devout, decent, caring Catholics, the world seems to be intent on focusing on the media driven frenzy caused by the stupidity and evil of those priests who selfishly have all but destroyed the image of the Church in the 21st century. Of those clamoring for the heads of every priest out there, I would like to ask, how many of the priests in your personal history are among those disgusting perverts? I must admit, there was one in my parish many years ago. Before and since, there have been hundreds of priests and Catholic friends in my life. There are those who have shared ministries with me. There are those who have been there in times of sorrow and joy. Illness, death, marriage and birth have all been marked with the stamp of the Catholic faith at its very best. I have been blessed with a world filled with far more decency than today's media seems to be able to find in the Catholic Church.

So what is my point? Our young people don't have a lifetime behind them. They are living in today. There is no sugarcoating the commandments, the pressures, the influences that they will have to weigh in making their decisions about how they live their life. This is a "nuts and bolts" without having to defend the faith. This is about how and why we should live our faith.

I wish I'd read this book a long time ago. It would have made my journey a bit easier and, maybe, I wouldn't have made so many mistakes. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it now and hope others take the time.

[Johanna Pichardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book for cradle Catholic teens or young adults who are trying to find meaning to their Catholic faith. An older adult may reap some benefits as well by reading this book. Makes you reflect on where you are on your journey and those things you should consider to deepen your relationship with Christ. Enjoyed it very much .

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started this a couple times, but have not yet finished it...I will one day! Mark Hart is an AMAZING guy! I did his bible study and abosolutley LOVED it. He makes the faith SO intersting. This book does have some humor in it! Not a boring read. If you go on a Silent Retreat, this would be a great book to bring along.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book; written in a conversational style with lots of antedotes. Great for a high school theology class or anyone who needs a 'lift.' I truly enjoyed it and this Hart would do well to write something on the young adult (as opposed to adolescent) level. Good read!

[Maddly Peculiar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some on the chapters were really good and enriching but most of the paragraphs were littered with questions.

[Laurel Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for my teen daughter who told me she wasn't searching for meaning, that she was very comfortable in her faith, so I decided to read it instead. I'm not really searching for meaning either but I was hoping for some strong calls to action that would really fire me up. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

[Amy]

I really wanted to finish this, but it's geared toward high school or young college students, which isn't where I'm at in life anymore. What I did read I liked and found interesting, there are just other things on my shelf I want to read right now. I plan to finish this later, just need to give it a break for now.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book spoke to my experience of taking ownership of my faith after coming from a "faith" of going through the motions and not understanding my faith at all. I think this book would be great for people who know in their heart that their faith lacks substance and depth and are yearning for more.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book for teenage Catholics in need of some spiritual vigour. It was easy to read, entertaining, and boldly realistic. I recommend reading it with a pencil in hand for note-taking and underlining.

[Adam Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those that are looking for reason NOT to be bored... Mark Hart gives an insight to how we can overcome "boredom" in our spiritual life.

[Andy]

I've read parts of this and I really like it.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one couple of years ago. I thought it was well written and thought provoking.

[Cecelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a young man's search for truth. Filled with Catholic awesomeness, hilarious anecdotes, & thought-provoking questions.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sounds just like my life growing up. Really got me to thinking.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll give the book some credit. It really started out strong. The first two chapters had a lot of direct hard hitting questions that made you actually confront yourself and think. After that, every chapter was mostly a bunch of vague anecdotes whose purpose was yet to be determined until Mark managed to loosely - emphasis on loosely - tie it to whatever the subject of the chapter was. It reminded me of John Mulaney’s bit on sermons, “A woman and her son went to a shopping mall…”

That and the chapter on sex implied that porn is just lonely women taking pictures of themselves in panties and that’s when the book lost me.

[Jon Wisnieski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Very simple, practical advice and a message that challenges you to change. I wanted to read this because I thought it would give me more insight into the traditions of the Catholic Church. It didn't deal with that specifically, but it did address the attitude we have to bring to our faith. I will have to look elsewhere for more detailed explanations of the liturgy, sacraments, and traditions involved. Nevertheless, awesome read. Great for cradle Catholics like myself who need a little kick in the rear and some common sense advice.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there were some nuggets of wisdom, overall I think this book fails to hit the mark it's shooting for. Part memoir, part Catholic self-help, but does a poor job of tying the two together. Mark's anecdotes also aren't very relatable to my experiences, and his writing is often strained to fit in empty wordplay and jokes that don't really land.

[Em Bouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals honestly with modern issues challenging the faith of young Christians. The book is accessible, humorous, and practical. particular, each chapter ends with a bulleted list of how to apply the concepts to your own life.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this one. I was hoping that this would cover topics relevant to a high school student. It was based more on a college/shortly after college young adult. Very surface-level discussion of topics.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a great book to use with teens heading toward confirmation. It is written in a laid back, common speak. I’m on social security, passed time for me, but I think it serves a purpose in combination with discussion.

[Danielle Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would be more of a memoir instead of a devotional or "how-to," which meant much of the text didn't apply to be as a non-Catholic. I also felt like Hart was sometimes trying too hard to be funny or clever, and it didn't always land. Still, it's a solid book.

[Marc Jude Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author explained various aspects of the Catholic faith well and made it relevant for today's generation. Highly recommended for Catholic millennials!

[Pamela Chavarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our core members for a youth ministry read this book as preparation for our teen retreat. I thought it was a very good insightful book. A quick read.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine but didn’t do much for me personally.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Thanh Tu Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was all the stories and images he used to connect the readers closer to God and make it easier to understand what it means to truly be and live out the Catholic faith.

[Jenn Tatum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, easy read but not insubstantial. Definitely provides good food for thought, in a non-threatening way.

[Amy Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this book, made me rethink a lot about how I was approaching my faith and my relationship with God. Gave some good insights and I hope they stick with me.

[Theresa F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main difficulty I've had with other religious 'self-help' books that I've read is that they told me 'what' I should do to live my faith more fully or what areas of my life I should work on, but they didn't really tell me 'how'. I'm the type of person who requires very specific instructions in order to feel confident enough to attempt a task, and vague statements aren't particularly helpful. When the author of this book encouraged readers to make a point of noticing God's presence in their lives, and went on to say that one could find God in less-than-obvious ways such as seeing the dirty dishes in the sink as evidence that God had provided food to eat for yet another day, I thought, "That's a concrete example that gives me a clearer idea what you're talking about."

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1075...

Unfortunately, this book could use a few more concrete examples, in my opinion.
Did I like it? It wasn't quite as helpful as I was hoping.
Would I reread it? Not sure.
Would I recommend it? If nothing else, it makes for a good starting point in helping 'cradle Catholics' evaluate the current state of their faith.