Religious Saints

Through her autobiography and an extensive collection of letters, St. Thérèse helped people understand nothing was too little to give Jesus, and nothing done out of love for him was insignificant. Perhaps this is why so many lives still resonate with hers. It is easy to feel insignificant and unimportant. Yet, the clear and compelling language of her story and her letters remains the perfect antidote to such feelings.

The witness of the lives of the saints is a powerful testimony to the reality of God's plan and the possibility for truly following it in one's life. So often we do not see this witness. We see hypocrisy and mediocrity among Christians. That is why we must look to the saints - the ones who really followed the words of Christ and let them be carried out fully in their lives. The saints also give us a reason to hope. Saints were not born; they were made through lives of cooperation with God's grace despite many difficulties, weaknesses, and temptations.

Saints have over the years inspired many tales that go beyond what we know about them. These pious fictions are delightful and can even be instructive. For the lovely legends of the saints that have come down to us reflect not only the holiness but also the gaiety of the saints. These Irish legends are in that tradition. Patrick, Brigid, Columcille—“the three brightest jewels in Ireland’s crown”—are here, and Canice, Finbarr, Cormac, Finnian, Brendan, Gall, and others.

To say Edith Stein lived a remarkable life would be a dramatic understatement. Born in Breslau (then part of Germany) at the end of the 19th century, Edith was raised as an observant jew, only to turn her back on religion right around the time World War I devastated the continent. In the wake of the war, during which she earned a doctorate and began working as an assistant at the University of Freiburg, she began reading the works of the legendary St. Teresa of Ávila, one of the most influential Catholic saints in history.

Voici l'histoire époustouflante d'un jeune séminariste plongé, à l'aube de la seconde guerre mondiale, dans la sinistre légion de Hitler.

In 1979, 24-year-old Maura O'Halloran moved to Japan and became the first woman ever admitted to Toshoji Temple. Soshin-san (O'Halloran's monastic name) labored through three intense years of work and study in preparation for becoming a dharma teacher. Her life ended abruptly during a trip to Thailand, and today Soshin-san is revered as a Buddhist saint. The material in this program is from her private and heartfelt journals and letters.

For centuries, the story of Saint Philomena was hidden away in the darkness of the ancient catacombs of Rome. Only in recent years has her story finally come to light! In this book, the Virgin-Martyr herself shares the splendid account of her short life: from the first moment she fell in love with God to her final moment on earth, when she laid down her life for him. Join the Greek Princess Philomena as her dangerous and breathtaking story unfolds. Bear witness to how this young “daughter of light” defeated the forces of darkness and inherited the extraordinary title “Powerful with God”.

Hear about old favorites, such as Augustine and Luther, and learn about the obscure, though equally influential Christians, such as Cocceius and Olevianus. This collection of short biographies details the lives of fifty-two professing believers who lived and died for Christ. Not sentimental or fictionalized, these accounts tell what Christians actually said and did during difficult times, and they prepare the listener to face opposition today.

The Confessions, an autobiography by Saint Augustine of Hippo, has become one of the most important texts in Christian literature. It is also considered to be one of the first Western autobiographies ever written. It continues to influence modern society with its striking honesty and timeless Christian themes of faith, identity, and truth. This perennial classic is a collection of 13 books detailing St. Augustine’s journey to self-knowledge and his life as a follower of Christ.

The drumbeat of horses’ hooves and clatter of chariot wheels echo through the rolling green hills of what will be known much later as the Emerald Isle. The driver is a lone woman whose long hair and homespun cloak whip through the wind behind her. Headstrong, confident, and intelligent, she blazes a trail that will change her nation forevermore, yet not in her own name or for her own sake, but for that of the God who sent her. This is a woman who will love the poor, feed the hungry, house the homeless, teach the ignorant, and defy the odds doing it all. This is Brigid of Kildare.

Alice von Hildebrand is a household name to millions who know her from her countless appearances on EWTN, her many important books, and her voluminous articles and essays. But little known is the story of her life, notably the 37 years she spent at Hunter College in New York City. There, despite unceasing opposition that might have defeated even the strongest of souls, she endured with grace and devotion, leaving a mark on a generation of students through her defense of truth through persuasion, wit, and love.

In this beautiful spiritual travelogue, New York Times best-selling author George Weigel leads listeners through the historic streets of Kraków, Poland, introducing one of the world's great cities through the life of one of the most influential Catholic leaders of all time.

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897) is one of the most popular saints in modern times. What makes her life so outstanding and such an inspiration to so many people? She had no sustained spiritual visions, unlike St. Bernadette of Soubirous before her or the three children of Fátima after her. She had no stigmata, was not a martyr, was not a teacher during her lifetime, and did not start a religious order.

Parmi les grandes figures du moyen âge, il en est peu dont létude soit plus propre que celle de saint Bernard à dissiper certains préjugés chers à lesprit moderne. Quy a-t-il, en effet, de plus déconcertant pour celui-ci que de voir un pur contemplatif, qui a toujours voulu être et demeurer tel, appelé à jouer un rôle prépondérant dans la conduite des affaires de lÉglise et de lÉtat, et réussissant souvent là où avait échoué toute la prudence des politiques et des diplomates de profession?

Pope St. John Paul II was known for many things. In his youth, he had a passion for the theater. He eventually became one of the most charismatic and influential bishops in the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals. During his long pontificate, he was one of the most beloved, but also most controversial, people in the world. Still, in order to understand what motivated his life, it is crucial to understand that he was - above all else - a thoroughly devoted and convicted disciple of Jesus Christ.

In an age that smirks at the mention of miracles, sin, angels, and demons, St. Pio of Pietrelchina has emerged as a figure of immense popularity, attracting fascination, veneration, and emulation. Padre Pio, who once wrote in a letter, "I am a mystery to myself," is certainly a mystery to all who know of him. To those who moved beyond mere credulity, he became an inspiration to embrace the fullness of faith.

Big Bang Theory vs. the Bible has a truly unique comparison between two seemingly opposite perspectives. It brings religion and science together by using the truths of the Big Bang Theory, evolution, astronomy, mathematics, statistical probabilities, and the solar system. It reconciles the calendar of the creation recorded in the Book of Genesis with the calendar of the Big Bang Theory—as the two calendars perfectly and mathematically correlate.

Plus l'Humanité se raffine et se complique, plus les chances de désordre se multiplient et leur gravité s'accentue ; car on n'élève pas de montagne sans creuser des abîmes, et toute énergie est également puissance pour le bien et pour le mal. Tout ce qui devient souffre et pèche. La vérité sur notre attitude en ce monde, c'est que nous y sommes en croix.

L'humanité présente hésite et souffre, au comble de sa puissance, parce qu'elle n'a pas défini son pôle spirituel. Elle manque de Religion. En face du phénomène évident et inéluctable de la "totalisation humaine", la seule attitude possible est d'"accepter", de se fier, et de se lancer courageusement en avant, escomptant que la Vie, qui nous jette dans ce creuset, nous aidera à développer la chaleur spirituelle (les forces de sympathie et d'Amour) qui nous fera sortir de la transformation, non pas mécanisés, mais humanisés et personnalisés.

In Saint Augustine's Confessions, he writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and Saint Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity.