I was probably in eighth grade the first time I came to De Sales Catholic Bookstore. I remember very little about that trip other than that I found a book that was designed for young people, and ended up spending my own allowance to get it. At the time, it was simply an interest in the book and its cool cover that attracted me. Well, that, and it was from Notre Dame, which was the way I envisioned “success.”
When I began working at De Sales Catholic Bookstore in 2005, I looked through the shelves, and certainly enough, there was a copy of Day by Day: the Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students, my favorite prayer book right in the middle of the youth section. It was exactly as I had remembered, both compact and full of great prayer starters for a young mind.
Soon after I began working here, a new edition of the prayer book emerged, with a completely new cover and cut size. But many of my favorite prayers have remained in the book unchanged. It’s little wonder to me that this book has been one of our best-selling titles for several years. A great resource for young people, especially high school and college students, it is small enough to keep in a backpack, but filled with enough resources to help students take time to pause and reflect, regardless of where they might be.
This prayer book has served a great purpose for our area churches as a graduation or confirmation gift. Its comprehensive nature helps young spiritual minds grow and expand to take on both traditional prayers and contemporary meditations. It does include a basic, simplified 4-week Psalter, helping young people learn about the Liturgy of the Hours. It also has one of the best examinations of conscience I have found anywhere, as well as a superb explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Consider this book for the next gift you need to give a young person. Although it is really designed for the upper-high school and college age bracket, I still hold very fond memories of being a junior high student enamoured by the texts.