My New Book: “Reclaiming Sundays”!

I passionately desire to help families to reclaim their Sundays so I have written this book! In addition, I am very excited to offer to you a sneak peek at the cover of my upcoming book for families: Reclaiming Sundays: Play, Pray, Serve, Rest, Refresh, and Celebrate. It will be released late this year! Please take a few minutes to read the excerpts below as well as to read what some high-profile Catholics have said thus far. If desired, please leave a comment below in the comment box. Soon, I will have this book available for pre-sale.

Here is the Introduction of my book:

Introduction

Vivid memories of my Sundays growing up in a large family are etched upon my heart. My mother made sure that all her eight “ducklings” were home whenever possible. We went to Mass in the morning and came home to enjoy a pancake and egg breakfast. That was after one of us kids ran out to the chicken coop, dodging our protective rooster to collect the fresh eggs warm from the nests. Relatives stopped by later on and we often played board games together. Later in the afternoon, my mother made a nice family dinner and expected that we would all be at the table to enjoy it together. It was not an option. 

Those were the days! Times have changed. Sunday in many families has become just another day. It can be a significant challenge these days to honor and to live the Third Commandment to keep Sunday holy and as a day of rest. Years ago, in a simpler lifestyle, there weren’t as many distractions bombarding parents. Today’s families have a tendency to be stretched—constantly beckoned by technology—and are usually over-active. They might not give much thought to making Sunday the special day that it is meant to be. 

As we rush around, trying to accomplish so much, our busyness typically spills into our Sundays. That’s a problem because often it becomes impossible to carve out the necessary time to rest and re-charge our batteries. There’s no time left! But, let’s hang in here because God has given us a way to do so. This book will help you to happily reclaim your Sundays.

God has set aside a full day each week for us to worship, rest, be refreshed, to serve, and to grow in holiness. At times, we have totally missed God’s invitation because we either forgot, we weren’t listening, or we were just too busy. We also need the reminders to slow down since life is packed with events. 

The Third Commandment is the reminder, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The Catholic Catechism tells us, “The institution of Sunday helps all ‘to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives’” (CCC #2194). Clearly our Church wants us to slow down on Sundays. Most importantly, God wants us to. When families make the (sometimes heroic) effort to put on the brakes to experience the proper rest and refreshment they are meant to enjoy on Sundays, they will not only feel healthier and more balanced, they will be better equipped to fulfill their duties throughout the week. 

God knew what he was doing when he created Sundays! Scripture tells us, “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it” (Exod. 20:11).

I’ll also let you in on the first endorsements:

This may be the most important book you read this year. God gave us very few commandments, and one of them is to keep one day holy for worship and leisure in His presence. He did this not for His good, but for ours. The recovery of Sunday is key to our renewal of our families, parishes, society, and the environment. Please read this book.

Mike Aquilina
EWTN Host and Author of The Fathers of the Church

What a delightful book! Filled with great ideas of how to make Sundays special, Reclaiming Sundays is a treasure trove of prayers, reflections, and family activities to help every family delight in the Day of the Lord. As a priest, I will be recommending this book to families and newly married couples. I am certain this book will be a blessing for families and society in general. 

Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC
Author, 10 Wonders of the Rosary

Wow! Just, wow! Reclaiming Sundays is a must-have for any family that wants to take what they receive in word and sacrament at Mass on Sunday, and integrate a Eucharistic faith into their homes every day. Through the use of simple, practical yet powerful signs of faith and culture, Donna-Marie reminds us that God designed Sundays as sacred family time. She shows how works of mercy, arts and crafts, recipes, and celebrations can be catalysts for developing strong families that form the domestic church. This book will help parents build lasting memories in their children’s hearts, memories that they will bring into their own families one day. 

Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Author, Father Augustus Tolton: The Slave Who Became the First African-American Priest  

If there were an antidote to reclaiming peace in our families and the world, Donna-Marie just wrote the book on it. Reclaiming Sundays is truly the answer to build and rebuild the domestic church.

Leah Darrow, author of The Other Side of Beauty and founder of Lux University

Finally, there’s a helpmate for making Sundays holy again! Donna-Marie has done a spectacular job of bringing to light the vital importance of the Lord’s Day to our spiritual, mental, and physical health and offering a practical, useful, and fun resource for reclaiming Sundays for ourselves and those we love. Keep Reclaiming Sundays handy – you’ll be referring back to it often!

Marge Steinhage Fenelon, speaker and best-selling author of Forgiving Mother, My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena, and Our Lady, Undoer of Knots: A Living Novena. 

Okay! Here is some additional information excerpted from the book…

What to expect from this book

Family togetherness through meaningful activities will be emphasized throughout this Catholic family guide to help you to reclaim your Sundays. By committing to reclaiming your family Sundays, you will be guided to fight the scores of temptations from the secular culture, which urges everyone to become preoccupied with unending busyness and things that take us away from God and immerse us into a darkened culture. At the same time, through using this book, families will be helped in a great way to recognize the importance of growing together spiritually, physically, and emotionally on the Lord’s Day within the blessedness of their family. 

You’ll be guided to words of wisdom from the Catechism and Church teachings, which tell us how to slow down and rest on Sunday. For example: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body” (CCC #2185). 

How to use this book

Each Sunday’s compilation will include an inspirational verse to set the tone for the day, original or traditional family prayers to be said together, and suggested meaningful and fun activities; these could be a work of mercy, a simple craft or project, or a story idea. There are mini teachings about the family and the domestic church woven throughout, and, occasionally, a suggested simple recipe to make together.

Have fun!

There are absolutely no rules in following this book. Keep Reclaiming Sundays nearby and handy to be reminded to slow down on Sundays and to reclaim them as the holy and restful days they are meant to be. Perhaps you will keep it in your kitchen or dining room to pick up and discuss at the table.

I invite you to turn to this book as often as needed for ideas for family togetherness, ministry, and fun while observing the holiness of Sunday. Skip around in the book to find whatever suits your family the particular Sunday that you wish to observe. For instance, you might be in the mood to celebrate a Sunday in a “Marian” sort of way. Simply skip to that section of the book and choose a Marian Sunday. You will discover many categories that are divided into seasons, ideas, and situations from which to choose. 

You certainly don’t have to do every single suggestion listed for each Sunday reflection. However, I encourage you to read the entire chapter each week so that you won’t miss the “mini teaching” and other tips and encouragement for your domestic church. I recommend that you take a look at the book throughout the week and pick out a Sunday theme that you’d like to put into practice the following Sunday. You’ll be prepared in every way and hopefully enjoy a stress-free week while you look forward to your family Sunday! For fun, and perhaps for a challenge, pick a chapter at random and strive to carry it out with your family; this might mean pushing a bit beyond your comfort zone.

I pray that you’ll find this book flexible, practical, and most of all, a welcoming tool to inspire your family to observe Sundays in a manner that is pleasing to God and nurturing for your family as well. All the while, you are sure to carry down family traditions from the past and possibly create new ones together. Enjoy every bit of it!

My heart holds fond memories of my family Sundays when I was a child. In addition to the traditions we kept each Sunday that I mentioned earlier, we never failed to have our treat of a dish of ice cream every Sunday evening! Let us together RECLAIM our Sundays! May God bless your journey.

So, what do you think? Please leave a comment below.