Have you heard of these 12 Catholic Mysteries?

It is a pleasure to see your child reading a book that stops her in her tracks and absorbs all her attention. It is an even greater thrill when that book is about the Catholic faith. And it is still more wonderful when, after she finishes reading it, she brings it to the dinner table, and in the car, and to nighttime prayers to regale us with all the incredible information she has learned.

It is rare that I see such a strong reaction to a book (another daughter had a similar reaction a few years ago that you can read about) so I picked up the book to see for myself what was so intriguing. I quickly found that I too was was completely engaged by Holy Mysteries! 12 Investigation into Extraordinary Cases.

Right away, the layout of Holy Mysteries! pulled me into the true accounts of these magnificent accounts. With lots of pictures and thumbnail facts throughout the book, the layout leads the reader from one case to another in an engaging way (especially for hesitant readers)!

The well-designed layout does not stop with the pictures–the authors have also broken down each mystery into small bits so it is easily understood by young readers.

I was finally struck by how I, an adult Catholic, was not aware of some of the mysteries this book describes! Not only does it introduce the lesser-known mysteries of the Catholic Church, but it explains them historically, scientifically, and how these mysteries have been examined, criticized, and tested over the years. 

Here are some of the mysteries that I had never heard of before picking up this book! Are any of these new to you as well?

Have you heard of Our Lady of Rocamadour and the mysterious bell that rings when a sailor is saved? And did you know that Jacques Cartier (yes, the famous French explorer from history books!) prayed to Our Lady of Rocamadour and went on a pilgrimage to honor her, crediting her with saving him and his crew!

What about the Holy Fire that is miraculously lit in the tomb of the Holy Sepulchre every Holy Saturday for more than a millennium? The first reports of this phenomenon go back to the 4^th century with no source of fire to light this holy flame.

And did you know that we know Jesus’ blood type? When the WHO and the United Nations tested the Host of Lanciano, they came to the same conclusion as the investigations of the Catholic Church–that the host was the flesh of a human heart and that the blood was type AB!

Have you heard of the Stairs of Loretto? Located in the southwestern United States, these stairs were built without nails or glue and are still standing to this day. How is this possible? Well, there was a very talented carpenter who appeared one day and constructed them…and he has never been seen since….

Many know the magnificent story of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, but there are intricacies about the tilma that many Catholics do not know. For example, did you know that the fabric of the tilma on which Our Lady of Guadalupe appears remains at the same temperature of the human body?

And did you know that the veins in the back of the eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe are swollen, just like the veins of a pregnant woman?

These are just a few of the amazing facts in this book and each one is worth an exclamation point! Once I was finished reading this book, I felt like I should give it to other adults to read! While certainly appropriate and geared toward children, I would encourage other parents to get this book to read themselves. It will truly inspire your faith in the way that only true miracles can.