Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious

I love using the summer months to get caught up on my reading. Going to my sister's cottage often turns into a bit of a retreat. This year I brought up a stack of books and ended up reading three of them!

The first book, Blessed Beautiful and Bodacious, written by Pat Gohn, caught my eye several months ago. The title itself caught me hook, line and sinker. I must admit, I picked it up and put it down several times. The distractions of the city life wouldn't let me get past the first chapter or two. When I was finally in the country, sitting in my Adirondack chair, staring at the lake, listening to the wind rustling through the trees, I was finally able to dig in and give the book the attention it deserved.

Right from the word get go, I was smitten by Pat's raw honesty. She is a woman who is no stranger to suffering and in writing about suffering so openly, she really gave me something to hang on to. Because honestly, sometimes I feel like I am the only one that has had to suffer! It is so sobering to read about another woman's struggles and to know that she has come out the other end, with her faith and spirits in tact.

I know, from having been interviewed by Pat on her Podcast, Among Women, that Pat herself is a dynamic and yes, bodacious woman. Not once have I have suspected that she had suffered so much. Her beautiful smile, her infectious laugh and her peaceful spirit, leave not a single trace of bitterness and resentment. The woman has left me inspired. When I grow up, I want to be more like her!

Being a Catholic author myself, I am always quite struck by women who have the courage to write about Our Lady, or quote from a papal encyclical or broach topics like the Theology of the Body.

I would never have the confidence to do that -- but Pat has it in spades. She heroically draws from a number of sources, especially Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women). Her suggested readings and resources, at the back of the book is certainly a section, that will make the book a worthwhile addition to any library. I must admit, I was disappointed not to find my book, Motherhood Matters, listed there. I kept looking and looking, the world of female Catholic authors is not that big. I guess the good Lord is wanting to keep me humble. No such luck. My loss.

Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious is a good and enjoyable read. It is accessible, written with humility, by a woman who is not a snob, but a woman who has an authentic and pure heart. If you like down to earth women, you will like this book.

I could relate to Pat in so many ways. Her old driven workaholic nature, the love of her guitar, her devotion to motherhood, her insights on the sacrament of Baptism and finally her determination to share the graces she had been entrusted with, all of those things really kept my attention and left me inspired.

There was a story in the book that brought me to tears (the beautiful kind). It is a story about two mother's groups called Mothers' Morning of Prayers. I would tell you all about it my friend, but instead I want you to get the book and read it yourself! You can get it right here! .