Spirituality Catholicism

This spiritual classic has long been beloved by Catholics for its wondrous distillation of the teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into a listener-friendly set of meditations. It's perfect as a personal retreat when you have only a few moments to spare each day and for spiritual listening anytime and anywhere.

Through beautiful prose and inspiring meditations, Caryll Houselander depicts the intimately human side of Mary, Mother of God, as an empty reed waiting for God's music to be played through her. Lovingly bringing Our Lady down off her time-honored, ancient pedestal, Houselander shares her insightful and beautiful vision of Mary on earth, Mary among us, Mary as a confused but trusting teenager whose holiness flowered with her eternal "Yes".

What could be more familiar than the Christmas story - and yet what could be more extraordinary? The cast of characters is strange and exotic: shepherds and magicians, an emperor and a despot, angels, and a baby who is Almighty God. The strangeness calls for an explanation, and this book provides it by examining the characters and the story in light of the biblical and historical context.

St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696 - 1787) was an Italian bishop famous for his moral teaching. He was born in Naples to a noble family who directed his life into law. After earning his degree, he led a very successful law practice until at the age of 27 he gave it up to become a priest. He was ordained at the age of 30, and then became a minister to the poor, founding a number of "evening chapels".

Still as fresh and relevant as when it was first released, The Faith makes the Catechism of the Catholic Church accessible to a new generation of listeners. Fr. Hardon helps to form Catholics in the faith by focusing on the principle points of doctrine, moral teaching, and spirituality conveyed so richly in the Catechism.

With St. Teresa of Avila’s masterpiece The Interior Castle as his guide, best-selling author Dan Burke takes you on an illuminating journey through the seven levels of spiritual progress, explaining what God is accomplishing within your soul at each stage, as well as the finely tailored demonic strategies applied to throw you off your path. You’ll learn how the devil is as active in your prayer life as you are, and how the saints were able to counter Satan as he adapted his schemes to correspond with where they were on their spiritual journeys.

In John 14:12, Jesus promised that his believers will do the works He did and even greater ones. Through Jesus we have access to the life, power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit which enable us to do what He promised. Throughout our 2,000-year history, God has not stopped raising up holy men and women who have been filled with the Holy Spirit and cultivated lifestyles that demonstrated the supernatural power and love of God to advance the Kingdom of God in their time.

Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book I, written by Diane Allen and published by Padre Pio Press, features 55 chapters and is a glimpse into the life and spirituality of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who has often been called "the greatest mystic of the 20th Century."

Jesuit priest John Gerard hid from English authorities for eight years before his eventual capture and torture in the Tower of London. Risking everything to preserve Catholicism in Tudor England, Gerard moved from house to house, converting many people and evading capture by mere seconds. Following a hair's-breadth escape from the Tower to the continent, he survived to tell his tale and pass on his experience to future missionaries and martyrs in The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest, a fascinating tale of espionage, disguise, priest hunters, and brilliantly designed hideouts.

With the papacy embattled in recent years, it is essential to have the perspective of one of the world's most accomplished historians. In Absolute Monarchs, John Julius Norwich captures nearly 2,000 years of inspiration and devotion, intrigue and scandal. The men (and maybe one woman) who have held this position of infallible power over millions have ranged from heroes to rogues, admirably wise to utterly decadent.

To navigate the inevitable ups and downs of our spiritual lives, countless souls have found comfort and guidance in St. Ignatius of Loyola's Rules for Discernment. For the past 40 years, popular retreat master and author Fr. Timothy Gallagher has been at the forefront of making St. Ignatius's Rules understandable and applicable to hundreds of thousands of Catholics seeking greater sensitivity to the movements of their souls. Now Fr. Gallagher returns with a more focused mission: to help you apply these rules to your role as a husband or a wife.

In this powerful book, the renowned exorcist of Rome tells of his many experiences in his ministry as an exorcist doing battle with Satan to relieve the great suffering of people in the grip of evil. The importance of the ministry to "expel demons" is clearly seen in the Gospels, from the actions of the Apostles, and from Church history. Fr. Amorth allows the listener to witness the activities of the exorcist, to experience what an exorcist sees and does.

A master theologian offers inspiring insights into the mystery of Christ's presence in our lives. As festive as the film Babette's Feast and as profound as the work of Ronald Knox, this fresh look at the Eucharist brings to light the spiritual meaning of meal, sacrifice, and real presence in our lives.

In this new book by New York Times best-selling author Immaculee Ilibagiza, listeners will rediscover this important message from Mary. Mary wanted the whole world to know the seven sorrows rosary, and Immaculee not only shares it, but explains Mary's specific teachings for how to pray it, as well as offers the promises attached to the prayers.

Countless Christians, including scores of saints, have suffered the profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call depression. Then, as now, great faith and even fervent spiritual practices have generally failed to ease this wearying desolation of the soul. Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty reviews the effective ways that have recently been devised to deal with this grave and sometimes deadly affliction - ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church but even rooted in many of those teachings.

Each of the four Gospels tells only part of the story of Jesus...and all of them leave out background facts that are essential to understanding events surrounding Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Which is why Fr. Ralph Gorman has here crafted a single, unforgettable, detailed account that combines material from all four Gospels with critically important Old Testament passages, plus relevant facts from Jewish and Roman history, laws, traditions, and practices.

Leading Catholic theologian Romanus Cessario, OP, offers an in-depth explanation of the seven sacraments celebrated in the Catholic Church. He addresses the rationale for the sacraments and provides detailed exposition of each one, highlighting the importance of the Catholic tradition—and of Thomas Aquinas, in particular—for contemporary reflection on the sacraments.

There is no better way to Christ than through his mother. That’s why St. Louis de Montfort’s traditional method of total consecration to Jesus through Mary is the time-honored, saint-tested way to grow closer to our Lord. This is the traditional method devised by St. Louis de Montfort himself. And now, we’ve made it available in this audiobook, perfect for preparation for a total consecration and for yearly renewal. This classic and revered devotional is essential for every Catholic home.

Listeners will be fully engaged in a unique and altogether fascinating discussion of Christian spirituality. Rolheiser seeks to reconcile the rift between a smorgasbord of spiritual voices and an authentic Christian discipleship by the use of anecdotes, personal examples and a wide range of literary and cultural references. His starting point is the desire within us that longs irresistibly for fulfillment.

Incredibly revealing and edifying background of Our Lady, her parents and ancestors, St. Joseph, plus other people who figured into the coming of Christ. Many facts described about the Nativity and early life of Our Lord, as well as the final days of the Blessed Mother–all from the visions of this great mystic.