Spirituality Catholicism

Purgatory (Latin "purgare", to make clean, to purify), in accordance with Catholic teaching, is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. The whole penitential system of the Church testifies that the voluntary assumption of penitential works has always been part of true repentance. The councils of the Church remind the faithful that God does not always remit the whole punishment due to sin together with the guilt.

Nous vivons une époque d'agitation et d'inquiétude. Cette tendance se manifeste jusque dans notre vie spirituelle ; notre recherche de Dieu, de la sainteté, du service du prochain est agitée et anxieuse, au lieu d'être confiante et paisible. Mais comment faire pour traverser les moments de trouble et de peur, tout en restant dans la confiance et l'abandon ?

Discover the spiritual insights needed to face your fears and grow in holiness with Renewal and Reconciliation.

Little Thérèse was "the baby" of the Martin family. She was also her Papa's "Little Queen." With her Mama, her Papa and her four big sisters to love her, Thérèse could have turned out to be a very spoiled little girl. And indeed, it is true that sometimes she was cross and naughty.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan offers a powerful, universal message on God’s grace and the healing power of Jesus to get us through tough and turbulent times. Drawn from sermons and writings offered during the early days of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, I Am with You provides solace, hope, and healing for anyone suffering through illness, grief, job loss, isolation, or anxiety.

Gregory the Great (bishop of Rome from 590 to 604) is one of the most significant figures in the history of Christianity. His theological works framed medieval Christian attitudes toward mysticism, exegesis, and the role of the saints in the life of the church. The scale of Gregory's administrative activity in both the ecclesial and civic affairs of Rome also helped to make possible the formation of the medieval papacy.

St. Teresa's (1515 - 1582) book of her foundations, is a historical account of the birth and development of her monastic order. Written by the saint herself, she gives her first-hand account of the trials and successes she had in spreading Catholic monasticism throughout Spain. The book is in a sense a sequel to her autobiographical, The Life which tells of her internal struggles to grow spiritually. A classic of Catholic literature, this book gives a rare first-hand glimpse of the labors of one of Spain's most revered saints.

Gratitude and Grit tells the startling story of the simple friar whose loving concern for everyday people dramatically transformed thousands of lives. A warm, straightforward account of Casey’s life from someone who knew him personally, this book is a testament to the fact that God is present in even the most unlikely places.

Recent decades have been marred by pervasive Eucharistic abuse, from violations of liturgical norms and rubrics to practices that encourage irreverence and facilitate habitual sacrilege. The coronavirus crisis in 2020 has occasioned a further wave of sacramental manipulation, desacralization, and deprivation that has left almost no Catholic in the world unharmed. The Holy Bread of Eternal Life is a powerful and timely book by scholar Peter Kwasniewski that exalts the divine gift of the Blessed Sacrament, which can never be too much loved or too much sacrificed for.

This wonderful piece of literature displays the conversation of Justin Martyr and Trypho the Jew concerning different topics of the Christian faith. Justin marvelously defends the belief in Christ with superb wisdom using the Jewish Scriptures as his foundation. Truly a work of art that will only build one's faith that Jesus is indeed the Christ - the son of God.

The rosary is much more than an optional Catholic devotion for the old and dying. In fact, it is a vibrant and powerful intercessory tool in the hands of valiant spiritual warriors. From the moment Our Lady entrusted it to St. Dominic early in the 13th century, the rosary has been at the heart of authentic Catholic devotion. And yet it has also been an indispensable weapon in the hands of intercessors and those who actively resist the workings of the devil.

Joseph is the most hidden of the saints a simple, retiring, and humble man of Nazareth. His exterior life reveals nothing extraordinary or striking. Drawing not on private revelations or pious legends, this beautiful and edifying work unearths many truths about St. Joseph hidden in the Gospel, to bring them to light and make use of them in Joseph's honor.

One Old Testament passage seized the imagination of the early Church - and directed Christian hearts and minds toward the Eucharist. It was the oracle of Malachi 1:11, and it was cited (like Isaiah’s Suffering Servant oracles) to prove the identity of the Messiah through his church and his sacrament. In The Eucharist Foretold: The Lost Prophecy of Malachi, Mike Aquilina reveals that the Messiah’s true identity - and the identity of the Eucharist - helps us find our identity as “Catholic”, and will lead us to discover our roots in the religion of ancient Israel.

Our human hearts were made to love and to be loved, to give and receive love. Every beat of every heart is made possible through a god who is love. But did you also know that the very heart of God beats just for you? That is what Jesus said when he spoke to St. Margaret Mary Alocoque, Apostle of the Heart of Jesus, and revealed his enflamed heart to her. The revelation of his heart is what we have come to know as the Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of the most recognizable images and symbols of our Catholic faith—but one of the least understood devotions of our day.

In this encouraging easy-to-digest book, Father Jeffrey Kirby offers hope to the tired, overburdened, and unhappy. He reminds us that we are made for happiness. But he goes beyond that, showing us the path to achieving happiness. It’s not a new path. In fact, Jesus showed us the way in the Beatitudes, but Kingdom of Happiness reveals how these aren’t merely nice sayings; they are powerful ways of living.

The Revelations of St. Bridget were highly esteemed throughout the Middle Ages, so much so that she was canonized and considered to be one of the most influential mystics of her time. Her visions have served as a spiritual guide for countless believers, offering insights into the life and passion of Jesus Christ. This prayer book is inspired by the life and work of St. Bridget and her sainthood. Countless people have sought her intercession and experienced miracles.

In his first book published as Pope, and in conjunction with the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis here invites all humanity to an intimate and personal dialogue on the subject closest to his heart—mercy—which has long been the cornerstone of his faith and is now the central teaching of his papacy. In this conversation with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, Francis explains—through memories from his youth and moving anecdotes from his experiences as a pastor—why “mercy is the first attribute of God.”

We seem to be living in an age of insanity. Crimes against born and unborn children, marriage defiled and redefined, the madness of transgenderism, the looming terror of trans-humanism...the list goes on and on. And it’s getting uglier out there every day. Everywhere you look, the culture is twisting truth into lies and lies into truth.

N'a-t-on pas tout dit, tout écrit, tout publié sur sainte Bernadette Soubirous ? C'est sans compter avec le Père Marie Antoine, celui qu'on appelait le "Grand apôtre de Lourdes" qui "aidait la Sainte Vierge à faire ses miracles". Il a connu Bernadette, elle a reçu la communion de ses mains. Il s'en est fait le défenseur confiant quand on parlait de l'enfermer au cachot.

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.