Rekindled

How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire

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Pub Date 06 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 15 Dec 2020

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Description

Mallory Smyth has been where many young Catholics are today. But the difference between her and other fallen-away Catholics is that she figured out that when she overlooked the shortcomings of the Church as an institution, she fell in love with Jesus and rediscovered the beauty and truth of her faith.

In Rekindled, Smyth’s raw, relatable account of her own disillusionment and departure is sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled to feel at home in the Church. For anyone who has left the faith or has one foot out the door, this powerful book just might illuminate a path back home—to a Church that is both holy and in need of perfection.

Shallow homilies. Hypocritical authority figures. Trite answers to pressing questions. These and other shortcomings of the Church have led plenty of Catholics to question their faith—or to abandon it entirely.

Rekindled is for those who have left the Church and those with one foot out the door. Smyth’s account of her own disillusionment and departure is relatable and honest. She understands and validates the pain and doubt that many Catholics and former Catholics feel. Smyth also provides you with practical guidance for keeping your faith even when what you encounter in the Church falls short:

· How to recognize Christ’s presence even in the most mediocre Mass experiences.

· Strategies for finding faithful role models when authority figures let you down.

· Where to turn when the answers and pastoral guidance you receive don’t reach the heart of the issue.

· How to find fulfillment in Christ and in the community of the saints even when joy seems to be in short supply in the Church.

Mallory Smyth has been where many young Catholics are today. But the difference between her and other fallen-away Catholics is that she figured out that when she overlooked the shortcomings of the...


A Note From the Publisher

Mallory Smyth is the content manager at Walking with Purpose. She previously worked as director of program growth for ENDOW and as a recruitment manager, development officer, and missionary for FOCUS.

Smyth earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Louisiana State University. She has spoken at ENDOW and FOCUS conferences, including SEEK. Smyth has been a guest on EWTN and her writing has appeared in Radiant magazine.

Mallory Smyth is the content manager at Walking with Purpose. She previously worked as director of program growth for ENDOW and as a recruitment manager, development officer, and missionary for FOCUS.
...


Advance Praise

“At a time when so many young people are confused and searching for moral clarity, Mallory Smyth’s story of coming back to the Catholic faith, Rekindled demonstrates the power of the Catholic Church to give young people what they need.”
Emily Stimpson Chapman 
Creator of The Catholic Table
Coauthor of The Catholic Almanac 

“I loved Rekindled—it is quick, concise, and super transparent. Mallory Smyth’s honesty is a gift to so many Christians and Catholics alike and Rekindled is an essential read for parents of adult children who have left the faith or have become lapsed in their practice. This book belongs in every Catholic home.”
Jenny Uebbing
Blogger at Mama Needs Coffee 
Creator and content director of Off the Charts  

Rekindled is a gripping story about how we should move past surface-level deficiencies in the Catholic Church and embrace the beauty of Catholicism’s timeless truths. I highly recommend it.”
Trent Horn
Staff Apologist at Catholic Answers
Author of Why We’re Catholic 

“This book will become a great aid in helping others find the fullness of joy in the Catholic Church!”
Sarah Swafford
Catholic speaker and author of Emotional Virtue  

“At a time when so many young people are confused and searching for moral clarity, Mallory Smyth’s story of coming back to the Catholic faith, Rekindled demonstrates the power of the Catholic Church...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781646800094
PRICE $15.95 (USD)

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Featured Reviews

Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire is a coming-of-age, coming-to-the faith work that is thoroughly absorbing. Author Mallory Smyth manages to tell the unvarnished truth about her journey away from the Catholic faith and back again in a way that is winsome and compelling.

Indeed, many readers may be able to relate to Smyth's tales of trying--and failing--to find meaning in trivial pursuits while her heart hungered for a deeper relationship with God. Smyth is candid about her missteps on the path to self-fulfillment. She is also quite bold in addressing such topics as a "hypocritical hierarchy," "mediocre Masses," and other obstacles to an embrace of the Catholic faith.

In the end, Smyth makes a strong case for the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, available to anyone open to its treasury of promises. The book may have special appeal to Millennials and members of Generation Z, who may be in the midst of a search for a spirituality that satisfies.

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This book is relatable and refreshingly honest. Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire is much more than a testimony. With a rare sincerity, Mallory gives us a look at her personal struggles with, and return to, her vibrant Catholic faith. Any honest Catholic might be scared to admit the weaknesses she points out in the Church, but reading about them in her lense lifts the burden and lightens the load. I'll be purchasing for many on my Christmas list!

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When Mallory Smyth was invited to a party for a former NFL player's sixteen-year old son, she expected the best food and drink and a fun night. What she got was an evening of watching under-age kids wearing revealing clothes and dancing to songs with lyrics which made her cringe. She just felt emptiness. One scene especially stood out - the rope separating the teenagers from the adults. The parents of these Catholic schools knew that their children were breaking the rules, but they didn't care.

It reminded Mallory of the life that she'd lived which didn't bring true happiness. She writes luminously about how only faith can bring freedom and joy and she found it by going back to the Catholic faith in which she'd been brought up. She had 'cute clothes and great friends' and everything that she thought that she wanted, but she eventually realised that these were just idols, so she decided to explore the truth and the history of Christianity.

Mallory Smyth doesn't shy away from controversial topics in this book. She discuss the child abuse scandal of the Church, and she also writes about the Church's teachings on homosexuality, sex before marriage and birth control. She is also very concerned with how the Church can reach out to the young.

This is a wonderful book to read for anyone considering converting, or wanting to return to the fold. Congratulations, Mallory!

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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As someone who lost their faith as a teenager and returned to it later on, I appreciated this memoir. The author tells her faith journey with a lot of reflection and it was meaningful to read.

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This book was both validating and challenging to me as a cradle Catholic. Mallory Smyth acknowledges the disappointment and discouragement many Catholics raised in the '80s and '90s feel over the poor catechesis they received in CCD class and over the sex abuse scandals, but it doesn't stop there. Rather, Mallory demonstrates the many wonderful reasons to stay in the Church despite the human faults that have plagued it over the decades, and encourages a reversion to the truth of the faith. Almost all of my Catholic friends are converts, and sometimes it feels like they don't relate to the cynicism I felt about the faith during my teens and 20s. This book helped me see clearly the path that I have been on, taking me away from those feelings, and how far I might still have to go on that journey. I think this is a great book for anyone seeking to return to the Church and also for anyone who wants to understand cradle Catholics who have either left and come back or simply struggled to stay.

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