Showing titles in Catholicism

Holy Father Benedict, the father of monks in the West, is one of the greatest saints of the Church's illustrious halls of fame. His movement to become a hermit and found monasteries, writing the famous Rule of St. Benedict, was the decisive moment of monasticism's growth in the West, under the maxim of ora et labora, "prayer and work." His blessing caused a poisoned cup to shatter and a raven to swipe away poisoned bread; he miraculously saved someone from drowning, and he raised another from the dead. This is the story of the holiest monk of the West, the hero among religious founders.

Western civilization has given us modern science, the wealth of free-market economics, the security of law, a sense of human rights and freedom, charity as a virtue, splendid art and music, philosophy grounded in reason, and innumerable other gifts we take for granted.

An Introduction to Prayer offers a collection of rich yet brief reflections on prayer in the Catholic spiritual tradition from acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian Bishop Robert Barron.

The Story of a Soul conveys St. Therese of Lisieux's "Little Way" of spiritual childhood - her "elevator" to Heaven, as she called it. This method was approved by Pope Pius XI as a way for all to grow in holiness through unfailing confidence and childlike delight in God's merciful love. Again and again in this audiobook, St. Therese shows us how her "Little Way" of love and trust comes straight from Sacred Scripture.

A beautiful rendition of all the mysteries of the Rosary, with accompanying Scripture passages for each mystery, to help better understand each of the 20 aspects of the life of Christ and His Holy Mother that we meditate upon in the four sets of mysteries. A beautiful, spiritual, meditative aid for the proper and devotional recitation of the Holy Rosary.

In this fascinating autobiographical interview, one of the most prominent and outspoken Catholic Cardinals gives witness to his Christian faith and comments on many current controversial issues. The mission of the Church, the joy of the gospel, the “heresy of activism”, and the definition of marriage are among the topics he discusses with wisdom and eloquence. Robert Cardinal Sarah grew up in Guinea, West Africa. Inspired by the missionary priests who made great sacrifices to bring the Faith to their remote village, his parents became Catholics.

In A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, Jim Manney introduces Christians to a 500-year-old form of prayer that dramatically altered his perception of prayer and the way he prayed. The prayer is The Examen, which St. Ignatius Loyola developed for the purpose of nurturing a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God’s presence.

In Struck Down, Not Destroyed, Vatican reporter for America magazine Colleen Dulle takes listeners for the first time into her own experience of reporting: how the church has put her own faith into crisis, and how she has managed to stay Catholic by meeting again and again the spiritual reality at the heart of the church—God and the saints. With each chapter, Dulle revisits her reporting on a church crisis, revealing to listeners that in every instance of anger, betrayal, and hurt, she was ultimately renewed in hope, courage, and resolve.

First published in 1986, Open Mind, Open Heart remains one of the best introductions to contemplative prayer. Father Thomas Keating discusses the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and introduces the listener to the practice of centering prayer as a spiritual discipline.

There is no better guide than St. Ignatius Loyola if one desires to discover how faith and everyday life can thrive together. In The Ignatian Adventure, Kevin O'Brien, SJ, follows St. Ignatius's lead and offers todays time-strapped individual a unique way of making the Spiritual Exercises in daily life. The first part of O'Brien's book provides helpful background information, including a brief history of St. Ignatius, an explanation of the Spiritual Exercises and their purpose, and a description of different ways to make the Exercises.

Of all things Catholic, there is nothing that is so familiar as the Mass. With its unchanging prayers, the Mass fits Catholics like their favorite clothes. Yet most Catholics sitting in the pews on Sundays fail to see the powerful supernatural drama that enfolds them. Pope John Paul II described the Mass as "Heaven on Earth," explaining that what "we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy."

"Imagine if a Martian showed up, all big ears and big nose like a child’s drawing, and he asked to be baptized. How would you react?" Pope Francis posed that question - without insisting on an answer! - to provoke deeper reflection about inclusiveness and diversity in the Church. But it's not the first time that question has been asked.

It is said that one cannot fully know someone else without visiting the place where they grew up. This is also true of Padre Pio. Like us, the saints led human lives. They were not formed in a vacuum. Among parents and relatives, educators and catechists, and companions and confreres—their personalities, minds, and spiritualities were formed. In this unique work, a continuation of Following Padre Pio: A Journey of Discovery from Pietrelcina to San Giovanni Rotondo, author and Padre Pio expert Bret Thoman explores all the convents where Padre Pio lived. There are ten sites. In 1903, young ...

TikTok-famous nun and Protestant-turned-Catholic Sister Lisa Hezmalhalch invites listeners into her discovery that following Jesus meant becoming a Catholic, one faith question at a time.

In a world drowning in noise, the wisdom of a 4th-century desert monk offers a lifeline to clarity, peace, and purpose. Evagrius of Pontus for Beginners is your guide to the profound teachings of one of Christianity’s most influential thinkers, presented in a way that’s accessible, transformative, and utterly relevant for modern life. Unlock the secrets of apatheia—a state of inner calm that frees you from the tyranny of distractions and passions. Master the eight evil thoughts that threaten your peace and learn practical strategies to overcome them with grace and resilience. ...

The Catholic Church is on the threshold of a bold new era in its two-thousand-year history. As the curtain comes down on the church defined by the 16th century Counter-Reformation, the curtain is rising on the Evangelical Catholicism of the third millennium: a way of being Catholic that comes from over a century of Catholic reform; a mission-centered renewal honed by the Second Vatican Council and given compelling expression by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

Noted author Mike Aquilina conducts an intriguing and insightful tour of the symbols that expressed the life and devotion of the Church through the first four centuries of its existence. He explains how Christians freely borrowed pagan and Jewish symbols, giving them new, distinctly Christian meanings. Recover the zeal of our spiritual ancestors as you learn to read their symbolic language—and discover the impact the symbols still have on your life today.

What if we were able to gain profound insight into the unique design, creative drive, and potential destiny of the people in our lives? The bold promise of this book is that we can. This ability carries an awesome responsibility: We must all be mentors and midwives to the personal vocations of others. Unrepeatable is about the urgent need for each of us to cultivate the vocations of others and the steps we should take to do it well. As we enter into the stories of others' lives, we enter into the story of God's love. There is no greater adventure. Unrepeatable invites you to be a part of it.

Most parents have no trouble telling their children how to dress, drive, study, or shave, but struggle to talk with them about how best to live about real love, faith, integrity, values, true enrichment, and success. In the tradition of Tuesdays With Morrie, Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft shares with us the wisdom that he has compiled for his children as his best gift to them. These heart-to-heart chats present priceless truths to live by in a casual yet compelling way.

Recent decades have been marred by pervasive Eucharistic abuse, from violations of liturgical norms and rubrics to practices that encourage irreverence and facilitate habitual sacrilege. The coronavirus crisis in 2020 has occasioned a further wave of sacramental manipulation, desacralization, and deprivation that has left almost no Catholic in the world unharmed. The Holy Bread of Eternal Life is a powerful and timely book by scholar Peter Kwasniewski that exalts the divine gift of the Blessed Sacrament, which can never be too much loved or too much sacrificed for.