Religion Catholicism

A very optimistic audiobook showing how an "ordinary" Catholic can become a great saint without ever doing anything "extraordinary"—just by using the many opportunities for holiness that to most people lie hidden in each day. Written with an assurance of success that is totally convincing and infectious, these are many easy but infallible means of reaching great sanctity.

Author S. C. Slawin spent his first 44 years as a faithful Catholic, having been born and raised in the Roman Catholic Church. His faith led him to take an active role in the church, spending time as an altar server, a CCD teacher, a lector, and an RCIA instructor. After living his life dedicated to the traditions, doctrines, and practices of Catholicism, he embarked on a very unexpected and momentous journey into a deeper exploration of the teachings of the Catholic faith and the Holy Scripture.

Brother David Steindl-Rast takes us on a journey to discover the wisdom preserved in common-sense sayings that have been passed down through generations. These timeless words reflect the shared values cherished by people all over the world. "When you drink from a stream", says one Chinese proverb, "remember the spring". From these simple words, we are reminded to be grateful for even the smallest graces that we receive.

Published to coincide with Pope Francis' Year of Mercy and the Vatican's canonization of Mother Teresa, this new book of unpublished material by a humble yet remarkable woman of faith whose influence is felt as deeply today as it was when she was alive offers Mother Teresa's profound yet accessible wisdom on how we can show mercy and compassion in our day-to-day lives.

Discover the Christian meaning in The Hobbit. In Bilbo's Journey, go beyond the dragons, dwarves, and elves, and discover the surprisingly deep meaning of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel The Hobbit.

This book, edited by biologist Ann Gauger, clears up common misconceptions regarding intelligent design, showing why it is an argument not from ignorance but from knowledge and how the evidence for God's design of the natural world is growing.

With heart-warming reassurance, Friar Jack reminds us that God's goodness is reflected in the whole family of creation. We can be confident that our beloved animal companions will be waiting for us at the pearly gates with wagging tails, soft purrs, and enthusiastic welcomes.

When Fortune announced its list of the World’s Greatest Leaders, the top spot was awarded - not to a captain of industry - but to the new pontiff. In the year since his election, Pope Francis earned that accolade - and more. He has achieved the remarkable: breathed life into an aging institution, reinvigorated a global base, and created real hope for the future.How did a man who spent his life laboring in slums far from the Vatican manage to do this and so quickly?

Truth is stranger than fiction...and scarier! This audiobook contains accounts of real Catholic exorcisms. Many of these exorcism were made into movies, but even Hollywood with all its special effects and spinning heads couldn’t recreate the true horror experienced by these possessed children. These true stories of exorcisms are meant to inoculate you against the tricks and traps of evil. It is highly recommended that you listen to the Pray of St. Michael the Archangel (provided) before embarking on these accounts.

In the year since he was elected, Pope Francis' simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, he has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope - we want to hear what he has to say. Collected from Pope Francis' speeches, homilies, and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church.

Starting with the birth of Jesus Christ and ending with the Eastern Orthodox/Roman Catholic split, Catholicism: Nine Events That Shaped the Early Catholic Church takes a vast subject and breaks it down into easy-to-understand pieces that form a whole. By focusing on just nine events, we are able to dive deeply into relevant history and politics while still bringing you a short history that covers the major occurrences in the early period of an important institution.

El camino hacia la edad moderna de armonía y aceptación cultural es una de las hazañas más hermosas del progreso humano, pero habiendo dicho esto, hubo un tiempo en que la simple duda de la existencia de una figura religiosa era no solo un crimen punible legalmente, sino que muy bien podía costarle a una persona la vida. Este era el crimen de herejía.

Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer, a devoted husband and father, and a devout Catholic, was executed in 1943 as a result of his refusal to serve in the Nazi army. Before taking this stand Jägerstätter consulted both his pastor and his local bishop, who instructed him to do his duty to the fatherland and to obey the law, an instruction that violated his conscience.

Continuously popular since it first appeared in 1977, The Incorruptibles remains the acknowledged classic on the bodies of Saints that did not undergo decomposition after death, many remaining fresh and flexible for years, or even centuries. After explaining both natural and artificial mummification, the author shows that the incorruption of the Saints bodies fits into neither category but constitutes a much greater phenomenon which is unexplained by modern science even to this day.

"We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing is more profitable." On Loving God is first a touching description of God's love for us as unmistakenly demonstrated in the death of His Son. Second, it is a call for us to joyfully respond to God like the child who runs and embraces her father whose love is sure. As St. Bernard writes, "They love all the more because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly."

Faithful Catholics are beginning to realize it’s not their imagination. Pope Francis has led them on a journey from joy to unease to alarm and even a sense of betrayal. They can no longer pretend that he represents merely a change of emphasis in papal teaching. Assessing the confusion sown by this pontificate, Lost Shepherd explains what’s at stake, what’s not at stake, and how loyal believers should respond.

In How to Converse with God, St. Alphonsus Ligouri teaches us how to use the small events of everyday life to raise our hearts and minds to God: in praise, contrition, hope, joy, and union with God's will. In this way, we can “pray unceasingly” and converse with God in the way most pleasing to him - personally and confidently.

One part biography, one part prayer book, The Life and Prayers of Saint Padre Pio is an essential for any Christian. The foundation for Padre Pio's work in the world was love. His love of God became intertwined with his love of humanity so that the two became inseparable and unwavering. Padre Pio is notable not for his erudition or even his teachings, per se, but for the man he was and the intercessor he continues to be. Pio gave himself to Christ as a spiritual victim for the souls of sinners.

The Beggar's Banquet is a feast of reflections to savor while meditating on the astounding mystery of God's love for His people. Dr. Regis Martin infuses these discourses on Christ, His Mother, the spiritual life, and the saints with a wide breadth of influences - the writings of popes, mystics, and theologians, great works of literature, and even poetry. The author rekindles the familiar Gospel message with ever deepening wonder, whetting the appetite for that which alone truly satisfies: the Bread of Life.

Anti-Catholicism has a long history in America. And as Philip Jenkins argues in The New Anti-Catholicism, this virulent strain of hatred - once thought dead - is alive and well in our nation, but few people seem to notice, or care. A statement that is seen as racist, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, or homophobic can haunt a speaker for years, writes Jenkins, but it is still possible to make hostile and vituperative public statements about Roman Catholicism without fear of serious repercussions.