A kaleidoscope of ideas, gems, and values found in being Catholic.

Here are beautiful, simple, profound insights that few people think about these days when they talk about the Catholic Church. Yet they are truths that make a positive difference in peoples' lives. They include:

• Being Catholic means being a part of a community that remembers Jesus
• Being Catholic means drawing on rich traditions of spirituality
• Being Catholic means always having something to celebrate
• Being Catholic means being part of a family
• Being Catholic means having examples of splendid heroes and heroines
• Being Catholic means taking a stand on peace and justice
• Being Catholic means participating in a universal faith

At a time when many Catholics have grown frustrated with their church, The Best of Being Catholic reminds us of the powerful treasures and practices that we will never read about in the daily news.

Kathy Coffey is the author of several popular books on spirituality, including Hidden Women of the Gospels (Orbis, 2003), God in the Moment (Orbis, 2005), Mary (Orbis, 2009), and Women of Mercy (Orbis, 2005). She is the winner of ten awards from the Catholic Press Association and a recipient of the Foley Poetry Award. She lives in Denver.