Religious Saints

Biographies will only take you so far. It's impossible to truly understand Francis of Assisi without hearing his own words. A scholar and lover of Francis, Sweeney has added six writings to his best-selling compilation, additional texts that we're most certain came from Francis himself. Now, short writings such as The Form of Life He Wished for Clare, The Sermon to the Birds, and The Source of True Joy combine with Francis's rules, letters, messages, songs, praises, canticles, and final spiritual testament in a most ideal introduction to the saint.

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.

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.

Francesco Forgione might be a name lost to history, but over the course of his life, he became one of Catholicism's most well known figures during the 20th century as Padre Pio. It was a remarkable path for a man who was legendarily afflicted by a series of illnesses and most famously bore the stigmata, very noticeably bearing what appeared to be the crucifixion wounds Jesus's hands suffered. Padre Pio was also known for his eccentricities, including unique forms of deep meditation and experiencing visions.

Of all of the important Catholic men and women who have been venerated over the last 2,000 years, one of the faith's most popular and influential men also lived one of the most unique lives. Like Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) found God about as far away from church as possible; it was during military service that he underwent a remarkable conversion.

For more than 500 years, the story of Joan of Arc has been an inspiration and a mystery. The least likely of heroines, a peasant girl with no education and no prospects, Joan turned herself into the legendary Maid of Orleans, knight, martyr, and saint. Following a voice she knew was God's, she led an army to victory in battle and crowned the king of France, only to be captured by her English enemies and burned at the stake as a heretic, all by the age of 19.

Veronica Matthews is on a mission to get the Catholic Church to accept its share of blame for Father Paul Peña’s rape of her son. While Peña himself is remorseless, it’s salt on the wound that the Church she’s always loved won’t admit that institutional failures enabled repeated abuse of its flock. Instead, it acts like every other litigious corporation: offering carefully worded statements of sympathy while refuting any responsibility.

Saint Constantine was no ordinary person. Some say he was destined for greatness; others say he simply made decisions based on his beliefs and principles. Let’s hear about his life to better understand how he handled mistakes and pushed himself to be a better person.

Este livro é um relato fiel e livre de estereótipos dos Puritanos, homens que souberam aplicar a teologia em muitas áreas de suas vidas. A cada capítulo, Ryken apresenta a compreensão teológica dos puritanos aplicada às principais esferas da vida do homem, como fé, igreja, família, trabalho, dinheiro e tantas outras.

An introduction to the life, ministry, and spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, this book also emphasizes the importance of a personal experience of God.

Nacido en la ciudad italiana de Asís en el seno de una adinerada familia burguesa, Giovanni Bernardone abandonaría la comodidad y los privilegios económicos para vivir en la más profunda pobreza dedicado de lleno a su fe católica. Guiado por la voz divina y los estigmas sagrados de Dios, pasaría a convertirse en Francisco de Asís, fundador de una orden religiosa que predicaba una vida austera y simple al servicio del prójimo.

Uno de los cuatro Padres de la Iglesia latina, y calificado como el santo más grande de la iglesia católica, además de uno de los mejores filósofos y teólogos de la Europa Medieval. La influencia de sus escritos ha marcado el rumbo de gran parte de la teología de los siglos posteriores, e influenciado a miles de pensadores hasta la actualidad.

La biografía de la enaltecedora y hermosa vida del gran santo peruano de la orden de los dominicos. Con toda una vida dedicada al servicio al prójimo, Martín fue el primer santo negro de América y es considerado Patrón universal de la paz, siendo conocido también como el Santo de la escoba y símbolo de la humildad.

Juan de Yepes Álvarez, su verdadero nombre, conocido en su época de estudiante con el nombre de fray Juan de Santo Matía y más tarde como San Juan de la Cruz, fue un poeta místico y un religioso carmelita descalzo del Renacimiento español, que desde 1952 es el Patrono de los poetas en lengua española.

Johannes Joergensen, scrittore danese convertitosi al cattolicesimo, in seguito ad un suo lungo soggiorno ad Assisi scrisse nel 1907 questa sua biografia del Santo, attenta non solo alle fonti, ma penetrata di fede e di dolcezza nelle sue descrizioni della natura. Il successo di tale lavoro gli valse la nomina di cittadino onorario di Assisi.

Célebre estudioso del latín, este santo nacido en Dalmacia es considerado Padre de la Iglesia, y uno de los cuatro grandes Padres Latinos. La traducción al latín de la Biblia hecha por San Jerónimo, llamada la Vulgata (de vulgata editio, 'edición para el pueblo'), ha sido hasta la promulgación de la Neovulgata en 1979, el texto bíblico oficial de la Iglesia católica romana.

Una ricca biografia corredata da fonti storiche ripercorre la vicenda dell'uomo e del santo. Una storia avvincente che testimonia come l'eroismo e la santità non dipendano da doti particolari ma dalla volontà di affidarsi con gioia alla fede. Il testo, rigorosamente documentato, ripercorre la vita di San Paolo, l'apostolo che volle difendere la nascente religione sia dalle lotte interne sia dalle persecuzioni esterne. Un uomo che non ebbe paura di affrontare lunghi e faticosi viaggi per portare il Vangelo alle genti.

El famoso sacerdote, vinculado ineludiblemente al amor de las parejas, hacia el siglo III a. C, enfrentó al emperador romano Claudio II, quien decidió prohibir la celebración de matrimonios para los jóvenes, porque en su opinión los solteros sin familia eran mejores soldados, ya que tenían menos ataduras. De allí el origen de su fama.

No puede perderse esta biografía dedicada a este notable religioso, militar y poeta español nacido en el siglo XV, declarado Santo por la Iglesia Católica, y fundador de la mundialmente famosa Compañía de Jesús (la mayor orden religiosa masculina católica de la actualidad).

The following is a compilation of lessons from the life of Merlin R. Lybbert.