Spirituality Catholicism

God spoke to Don Bosco in dreams. These fascinating dreams of St. John Bosco involve prophecy, parables, and reading of hearts, with a powerful spiritual message. These stories include: "To Hell and Back", "Two Boys Attacked by a Monster", "The Snake and the Rosary", and many more. Those dreams led to many conversions and will instruct, admonish, and inspire many today!

"Francis, go and build up my house, which thou seest, is falling into ruin." To fulfill this command of Our Lord, St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) began by restoring physical churches and continued by building up the spiritual church in souls. Francis' humility, purity, and true joy inspired many to conversion and a deeper faith.

An award-winning author, former presidential speechwriter, and mother of four weaves stories of her own struggles against comparison and impossible expectations with those of seven ex-perfectionist saints (and one heretic) who show us how to pursue a new kind of perfection: freedom in Christ.

Drawing from his extensive experience in assisting with cases of demonic oppression and possession, in The Exorcism Files, Adam Blai presents listeners with enlightening true stories and traces their causation. Whether people provided a gateway through Ouija boards or tarot cards, Blai reports from firsthand observation how they were lured into the occult.

The enduring influence of the Catholic Church has many sources, but in the first half of the 19th century, the foundations upon which the church had rested were shaken. For many people, liberalism in the guise of liberty, equality, and fraternity was the quintessence of the evils that shook those foundations. At the Vatican Council of 1869-1870, the church made an effort to set things right by defining the doctrine of papal infallibility. Author John W. O'Malley draws us into the bitter controversies over papal infallibility that at one point seemed destined to rend the church in two.

As Catholics, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We profess it in our creed. We're taught that to bury and pray for the dead are corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We honor the dead in our Liturgy through the rite of Christian burial. We do all of this, and more, because when Jesus Christ took on flesh for the salvation of our souls he also bestowed great dignity on our bodies. In Hope to Die: The Christian Meaning of Death and the Resurrection of the Body, Scott Hahn explores the significance of death and burial from a Catholic perspective.

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom that pastors will find themselves turning to again and again. Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the word of God while orienting others in the same direction

In what is one of the most impressive and authoritative books on the Catholic Mass, Bishop Schneider reestablishes what Catholics have known for centuries but have forgotten today: that the Mass is the highest form of Christian prayer. You'll come to understand why the rubrics are vital to preserving the authenticity of the liturgy, and you'll learn why architecture, music, sacred art, and even incense are vital symbols that direct our attention to Heaven.

Since Pope Benedict XV1 died he has had a remarkably good press. Indeed many have argued that there is a natural evolution between Pope Benedict`s mission and that of his successor Pope Francis. Here for the first time are assembled a collection of Pope Benedict`s most important public speeches and addresses. Dubbed and dismissed by many as an unrepentant traditionalist, we now see a man of profound intelligence and wisdom on matters relating not just to religion but to what is not termed ` The Common Good`.

From the creation of man to the current ecclesial infiltration and world revolution, the devil and his minions have sought to destroy the human race made in the image of God. No longer attacking from without, they are now secretly laying siege from within the Holy Roman Catholic Church. But why is God allowing this? He loves to see souls heroically battle for the faith.

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.

Benedict XVI: A Life offers insight into the young life and rise through the Church’s ranks of a man who would become a hero and a lightning rod for Catholics the world over. Based on countless hours of interviews in Rome with Benedict himself, this two-volume biography is the definitive record of the life of Joseph Ratzinger and the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. This first volume follows his early life, from his days growing up in Germany and his conscription into the Hitler Youth during WWII to his career as an academic theologian and eventual archbishop of Munich.

The past few years have been extremely challenging, but even in dark times, the light of joy can shine bright. True joy, says Pope Francis, is not a fleeting sentiment or a short-term solution to suffering; it springs from a solid hope that nothing and no one can take away. A Gift of Joy and Hope is an invitation to embrace authentic beauty and a reminder to be open to encountering God, even in the midst of challenges. In this inspiring collection, Pope Francis encourages listeners to change attitudes that exclude others.

Though there has been a resurgence in the domestic arts and a desire to live a simpler lifestyle, the role of a homemaker is still unpopular. Viewed as an unfulfilling and even oppressive way of life, many women feel a sense of shame or futility in managing the world of their home. Theology of Home: The Spiritual Art of Homemaking turns this misguided notion on its head, shining new light on the role of a homemaker as it relates the deepest truths of the Faith with an honest and fearless understanding of the modern world.

In The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order, Scott Hahn makes the startling claim that our society's ills and its cures are rooted in whether we reject or accept the divine graces made available through the sacrament of holy matrimony.

In the mid-1990s, a clandestine group of high-ranking churchmen began gathering in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Opposed to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the circle plotted a revolution in stealth. By 2015, their secret ached to be told. Before an audience, Cardinal Godfried Danneels joked of being a part of a "mafia." But as explosive as Danneels's confession was, a thick cloud of mystery still enshrouds the St. Gallen mafia.

Sparkling with intelligence and Boston University professor Peter Kreeft's trademark humor, You Can Understand the Bible will transform dry study into spiritually satisfying adventures in God's word. Regardless of how you approached—or didn't approach—the Bible before, you'll come away with a new appreciation of its depth and meaning. Kreeft also provides practical guidance for praying the scriptures every day, allowing the listener to delve into the messages of scripture in a manner that will surprise, delight, and reward.

Originally delivered in 1962 for artists - and made available now for the first time in English - St. John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyla's) penetrating spiritual exercises on divine beauty and its reflection in our humanity - and the art it produces - remain as timely as ever. The retreat itself, of course, forms the heart of this attractive volume.

The 12 virtues we must all acquire to be happy in this world and to save our souls. The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation is compiled from the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori and is considered one of the classic works of spirituality. St. Alphonsus reviews the 12 key virtues: love, hope, faith, love of God, love of neighbor, poverty, chastity, obedience, meekness and humility, mortification, recollection, prayer, and love of the cross.

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.