Religious Saints

Among the most beloved saints in the Catholic tradition, Francis of Assisi (c. 1181-1226) is popularly remembered for his dedication to poverty, his love of animals and nature, and his desire to follow perfectly the teachings and example of Christ. During his lifetime and after his death, followers collected, for their own purposes, numerous stories, anecdotes, and reports about Francis. As a result, the man himself and his own concerns became lost in legend.

You'll never again think of Santa Claus in quite the same way. Here is a touching rendition of the historical origins of our modern-day Santa by an in-demand speaker reacquaints us with the true meaning of Christmas.

St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most venerated Christian figures, and his profound teachings, deep love of nature, and commitment to simplicity have resonated with generations of followers. St. Francis of Assisi, a title in the Essential Wisdom Library, offers a simple and universal introduction to Francis' life, his key teachings, and the spiritual practices that enriched his faith and the lives of those who follow his legacy.

Alban Butler was born in England and worked for a time as a Roman Catholic missionary priest. He was later appointed president of an English seminary in France. His primary literary work, the Lives of the Saints, was published between 1756 and 1759.

Quoi qu'en disent les pragmatiques à outrance, les utilitaires, ce que l'Homme cherche tout le long de sa vie, ce qu'il poursuit plus que le pain et tout le bien-être matériel, c'est le savoir. L'essence même de notre vie est de tendre non pas à être mieux, mais à être plus. Or, un instinct plus fort que toutes les remontrances des sceptiques et des faux sages nous en avertit : pour être plus, il faut d'abord que nous sachions plus.

The Little Flowers of St. Francis is a classic collection of popular legends about the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Composed at the end of the 14th century by an unknown author, this manuscript is a version of the Latin Actus beati Francisci et sociorum eius, which can be dated to 1390 AD. Most scholars are now agreed that the author was Ugolino Brunforte (1262-1348). The text was the inspiration for Roberto Rossellini’s 1950 film Francesco, giullare di Dio (Francis, God’s Jester), which was co-written by Federico Fellini.

Voici une magistrale association de deux talents : la voix du hautbois d'un moine bénédictin et celle d'un comédien, tous deux habitués de longue date à la récitation des psaumes.

Born Helena Kowalska on a clear August day in 1905, to a poor Polish family, she was the third of 10 children. When Helena turned 19, she felt called by Jesus to go to Warsaw and enter a convent. After arriving, she was turned down by convent after convent, until finally, one accepted her. She took the name Faustina and stayed in the convent until her death in 1938.

Here are yet more of those human and lovable people whose mysterious passion for God led them into preposterous escapades. Ethel Pochocki presents a follow-up collection of wildly distinctive saints-from Hyacinth to Zita to Longinus to Kentigern. Listeners will again be charmed by the vivid immediacy of their settings. We find out what very real people they were, these saints who lived and breathed in a world as changeful as our own. Ethel Pochocki leads us through their adventures, joys and sorrows to the truly happy ending each one gained.

In My Sisters the Saints, author Colleen Carroll Campbell blends her personal narrative of spiritual seeking, trials, stumbles, and breakthroughs with the stories of six women saints who profoundly changed her life: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Drawing upon the rich writings and examples of these extraordinary women, the author reveals Christianity's liberating power for women and the relevance of the saints to the lives of contemporary Christians.

Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination-one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness, where God opens up a way of living that extends far beyond what we can conjure for ourselves. Literature has the power to show us what a holy life looks like, and these depictions often scandalize even as they shape our imagination.

In the heart of the Roman Empire, presbyter Nikolaos faces an otherworldly battle far beyond anything he has ever experienced. Melitta, daughter of a fallen merchant, teeters on the precipice of slavery, her family's fate entwined with a demonic force gripping her father's soul. Nikolaos is tasked with the impossible: to free Melitta’s father from the demon’s malevolent clutches and save Melitta and her sisters from a life of shameful servitude. Can he overcome his own uncertainties to confront the demon and unravel the secrets binding Melitta's family to a fate worse than death?

Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) - also known as Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face - lived a short life. She died at the age of 24 from consumption - what we now call tuberculosis. However, in her short life, she inspired many nuns in the Carmelite community of Lisieux, Normandy. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925 and wrote much regarding the path of humility and holiness befitting a Christian.

In this Christian Encounter Series biography, author Jonathan Rogers explores the life of Saint Patrick: slave, shepherd, and courageous missionary.

A dazzling and uplifting biography of the great Saint Francis of Assisi who gained the world by giving up worldly goods to be be independent of all. Less is more at the highest level. Told in a remarkably astute, nuanced, optimistic, uplifting biography by G. K. Chesterton, known as the Prince of Paradox.

Si l'Église réfléchit depuis déjà longtemps autour de la protection de la nature, jamais un pape ne lui a consacré une encyclique, son mode d'expression le plus solennel. Les mots italiens "Laudato si': Dieu soit loué", qui ouvrent la première encyclique du pape François sont les premiers du "Cantique des créatures", écrit par Saint François d'Assise peu avant sa mort en 1226. Considéré comme l'un des premiers textes de la littérature italienne, le Poverello y célèbre Dieu à travers sa création : frère soleil, sœur lune, frère vent, sœur eau, frère feu, notre mère la terre.

Frère François naît à la fin du XIIe siècle, dans une Italie divisée par les guerres, entre les murs d'une petite cité moyenâgeuse : Assise...

Au dire de l'auteur, son livre "L'enfance de Jésus" n'est pas le troisième tome de son étude magistrale sur Jésus de Nazareth, mais bien "une porte d'entrée" dans les deux autres tomes.

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.

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.