Books the Whole Family Can Enjoy: New from Magnificat

Maria V. Gallagher has discovered two books that can help make family time prayer time. 

Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope and Hail Mary: Pondering the Mysteries of Love

By Father Andrew Hofer, O.P. and Father Philip Nolan, O.P. 

Published by Magnificat

When my daughter was little, I struggled to find meaningful, faith-filled books that would keep her attention. I yearned for books that would awaken in her a love of God and compassion for her neighbor. It was a struggle to locate reading material that would fit the bill.

Rarer still were spiritual books that a whole family could enjoy. Talking donkeys and prayerful pandas might entertain a three-year-old but hold little interest for the adults in the room. While I cherished my reading time with my girl, I did not necessarily consider it to be a spiritual experience.

Drawing Closer to God

But my experience with two books from Magnificat has been decidedly different. Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope and Hail Mary: Pondering the Mysteries of Love, written by Father Andrew Hofer, O.P. and Father Philip Nolan, O.P., are visually stunning books that can make family time prayer time. These magnificent works can help to draw parents and their children closer to God.

I do not want to leave a false impression — these coffee table books are not children’s books. But I believe that the incredibly vibrant artwork could appeal to youngsters. While young minds may find it difficult to grasp the idea of God the Father, the painting of The Eternal Father by Paolo Veronese included in Our Father helps to provide a visual representation of the Almighty which can interest children.

A Mini-Retreat

Meanwhile, the Scripture passages and reflections which comprise both books offer a mini-retreat for adults. Each book offers line-by-line musings on the prayer that inspired the work. In this way, the reader can discover how rich in meaning the “Our Father” and the “Hail Mary” truly are.

As the authors note on p.22 of Our Father:

The Our Father perfectly expresses our hope that we are being raised up by Christ to be with his Father and ours. Our life is an Exodus, a going out, from this world to the next. The Our Father inflames our hope for heaven.

Forging Forgiveness

I believe these books can also help to open a dialogue between parents and children about certain spiritual concepts that are often the subjects of our earthly struggles. For instance, Chapter 6 of Our Father focuses on the importance of forgiveness. On p. 92, the authors pose some challenging questions:

Can you imagine the one who hurt you next to you in heaven? Can you imagine someone you have hurt next to you in heaven? Can you imagine Christ in heaven surrounded by those guilty of his unjust death—all now rejoicing in glory?

As we more and more share God’s life of mercy we learn to let go of our earthly judgments, especially the judgments we make about the motivations of those who hurt us.

Each chapter of the two books is rich in spiritual meaning and challenges the reader to delve deeper into the divine life. As it states in the Introduction to Hail Mary:

Whatever she was experiencing in her life, Mary raised her heart to God and pondered his mysterious plans, purposes, and love. Saint Luke tells us, "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart". She is our perfect model of prayer. With her intercession, the Lord always triumphs.

Engaging the Heart and Mind

Both Our Father and Hail Mary are dynamic works which command your attention in an eye-catching style. These coffee table books are exquisite and are the types of works you can turn to again and again to supercharge your spiritual life. Chances are they will engage both your heart and your mind, helping to build your faith one page at a time.

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Copyright 2026 Maria V. Gallagher
Images: Magnificat