Best of
Catholic

2003

Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession


Scott Hahn - 2003
    Jesus told his first clergy, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In Lord, Have Mercy, Scott Hahn explores the sacrament of reconciliation and shows why it is the key to spiritual growth, particularly in these times of intense anxiety and uncertainty.Drawing on the history of ancient Israel, the Gospels, the writings of the early Church, and the lives of the saints, Hahn reveals the living, scriptural heart of the Church's teachings on penance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It is a story that begins with the sin of Adam and Eve, continues in the biographies of Moses, King David, and the Apostle Peter, and reverberates in the lives of believers today. Hahn presents the Catholic and biblical perspective on sin and mercy, elucidating in clear, easily understood language the true import of Jesus' simple, yet profound promise-"I am the door; if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved (John 10:9).Like Hahn's earlier books, Lord, Have Mercy offers thoughtful, authoritative insights into controversial issues and disputed doctrines in a manner that will enlighten lay readers yet is thorough enough for scholars to appreciate. More than just a Bible study, it is a guide for the perplexed, providing practical advice and inspiration that will help readers come to a deeper knowledge of themselves and of Jesus through the sacrament of penance.

G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense


Dale Ahlquist - 2003
    Chesterton was one of the most well-known and beloved writers of his time. Yet he has been strangely neglected today. Dale Ahlquist's television series, The Apostle of Common Sense, introduced Chesterton to a new generation, and re-introduced him to a generation that had forgotten him. This new book now compliments this highly acclaimed series, and it is a perfect initiation...

Theology of the Body for Beginners


Christopher West - 2003
    With clarity and precision, Christopher West unpacks John Paul II's Theology of the Body, translating it into a language everyone can understand.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia: On the Eucharist in Its Relationship to the Church


Pope John Paul II - 2003
    Topics include: The theology of the Eucharist The importance of the Eucharist in the life of the Church The relationship between the priesthood and the Eucharist The Eucharist as a point of unity - and separation - among Christians The importance of the liturgy and following liturgical norms Mary as an example of our relationship to Jesus in the Eucharist

The Way of the Disciple


Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis - 2003
    It describes the basic requirements for receiving the Word of God effectively in our hearts: namely, that we "become wet clay in God's hands", so that God can impress upon us any form he chooses. It also contemplates the vital position of the Mother of the Lord in the life of his disciples. The author shows that the call to discipleship is above all an invitation to intimate companionship with Jesus, as we read in Mark: "Jesus called to him those whom he desired… in order that they might be with him" (3:14-15). What we normally call the "active apostolate" can never be an end in itself, but only the fruits of a life of prayer and adoration. These are what must be at the heart of a disciple's life, which can never be swept up by mere activism.

The New Rosary in Scripture: Biblical Insights for Praying the 20 Mysteries


Edward Sri - 2003
    This popular introduction to praying the rosary draws readers closer to Jesus and Mary by placing the mysteries-including the new mysteries of light-in the context of Scripture. The book addresses commonly asked questions about Mary and the rosary and provides the biblical background for all twenty mysteries. It also includes a scriptural rosary that offers ten Bible texts suitable for meditation on each mystery. An appendix offers the complete text of Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. A Servant Book.

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Letter of St. Paul to the Romans


Scott Hahn - 2003
    Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights and commentary by renowned Bible teachers Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. These helpful study notes make explicit what Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans often assumes. They also provide rich historical, cultural, geographical, and theological information pertinent to the Letter. The Ignatius Study Bible also includes Topical Essays, Word Studies and Charts. Each page includes an easy-to-use Cross-Reference Section. Study Questions are provided for each chapter of the Letter to the Romans that can deepen your personal study of God's Holy Word. There is also an introductory essay covering questions of authorship, date, destination, structure, and themes. An outline of the Letter and several maps are also included.

Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance from Evil Spirits


Neal Lozano - 2003
    They seek counseling, practice confession, and pursue God-centered lives, yet still these genuine believers feel hopeless in finding freedom. Could they be under the influence of evil spirits? Yes, says author Neal Lozano. In Unbound, he reveals Satan's strategies and the sneaky "entrance points" Satan finds to get a toehold in a Christian's life. He helps readers acknowledge the doors they may have opened to evil influence, and shows them how to close those doors and walk in God's freedom and abundance. Lozano's focus on God and his work in the believer's life, not on intimidating aspects of evil spirits, gives this book a balanced and hopeful tone. Because deliverance is part of the ongoing, glorious work of the Holy Spirit, Unbound outlines a plan for tapping into the potent power of the gospel. It also offers guidance on how pastors, counselors, and laity can pray for others who are still bound by evil and help them to gain victory.

Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book


Fulton J. Sheen - 2003
    Among the wisest of men who shepherded them was Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who won their hearts with his warm, engaging broadcast personality . . . but in secret he put on the armor of God. World War II thrust temptation, fear, danger, and death on the men and women Archbishop Sheen had formed through his popular radio shows in the 1930's. Knowing that many of his listeners were now beyond the sound of his voice, fighting and dying on battlefields afar, he wrote this pocket-sized prayerbook so that they, too, could put on the armor of God as they faced their new trials, physical and spiritual. Recently, a friend showed us his tattered World War II copy. We recognized immediately that with the new dangers we face since September 11, the time had come to draft this old prayer book back into service. Yes, it's for soldiers (and you should send it to every soldier you know so he will have have it in his breast pocket when he needs it), but it's for you and me, too. Archbishop Sheen knew that no matter what our circumstances may be, the deadliest enemy we face is armed not with a gun but with temptation. In dangerous, uncertain times like ours, the Devil lures us quickly into lust, anger, hatred, and despair. Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book will help keep you from these vices so that you, too, can put on the armor of God and triumph over evil in our day.

If You Really Loved Me: 101 Questions on Dating, Relationships, and Sexual Purity


Jason Evert - 2003
    He emphasizes that saying no to premarital sex is saying yes to authentic love. Using anecdotes drawn from stories he has heard in his speaking to youth and his own experience, Evert writes clearly and persuasively on the questions about dating, relationships, sexuality, and chastity that young people have asked him wherever he speaks.

The Benedictine Handbook


Anthony Marett-Crosby - 2003
    Many people who visit communities for retreats and quiet days look for help in integrating into their daily lives some of the things they see and experience. This handbook will help people follow the Rule of Benedict as it explains the essential elements of Benedictine spirituality. It provides information on the spread of the Benedictine movement, its outstanding figures, and the main branches of the Benedictine family today. It also includes a simple version of the Daily Office and a collection of Benedictine devotions. It is a member's handbook" that deepens the sense of belonging among those who seek regular contact with a Benedictine community.The Benedictine Handbook will appeal to a broad range of readers who may or may not be familiar with Benedictine literature. The contributors to The Benedictine Handbook come from Benedictine backgrounds in the United States and Europe.Chapters and contributors include in Part One: Tools of Benedictine Spirituality *The Work of God, - by Demetrius Dumm; *Lectio Divina, - by Michal Casey; *Prayer, - by Mary Forman; *Work, - by Lauren McTaggart; *Perseverance, - by Kym Harris; *The Vows, - by Richard Yeo; and *Hospitality, - by Kathleen Norris. Part Two: The Benedictine Experience of God includes *A Simple Daily Office, - by Fr. Oswald; *Benedictine Prayers, - by Fr. Anthony; *A Benedictine Who's Who, - by Robert Atwell; and *Benedictine Holy Places, - by ColmanO'Clabaigh. Part Three: Living the Rule includes *In Community, - by Columba Stewart; *In Solitude, - by Maria Boulding; *As Oblates, - by Patrick Phelan; and *In the World, - by Esther de Wall. Part Four: The Benedictine Family includes *A Short History, - by Joe Rippinger; *Benedictine Orders, - by Dominic Milroy; and *The Cistercian Tradition, - by Nivard Kinsella. The contributors to Part Five: A Glossary of Benedictine Terms are Terrence Kardong and Jill Maria Murdy. A Benedictine Handbook also includes *Preface to the Rule, - by Patrick Barry; and *The Rule (Patrick Barry's Version). -"

Salvation Is from the Jews: The Role of Judaism in Salvation History from Abraham to the Second Coming


Roy H. Schoeman - 2003
    It will give Christians a deeper understanding of Judaism, both as a religion in itself and as a central component of Christian salvation.To Jews it reveals the incomprehensible importance, nobility and glory that Judaism most truly has. It examines the unique and central role Judaism plays in the destiny of the world. It documents that throughout history attacks on Jews and Judaism have been rooted not in Christianity, but in the most anti-Christian of forces.Areas addressed include: the Messianic prophecies in Jewish scripture; the anti-Christian roots of Nazi anti-Semitism; the links between Nazism and Arab anti-Semitism; the theological insights of major Jewish converts; and the role of the Jews in the Second Coming.

Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II's Gospel of the Body


Christopher West - 2003
    With clarity and precision, Christopher West unpacks the pope's weighty talks and translates them into a much more accessible language. Theology of the Body Explained makes the perfect companion to the Pope's text. For the first time ever, readers have a commentary that follows the complete series of general audiences, explained in an appealing way. Scholars and average readers alike will find this commentary greatly rewarding. "In my biography of the Pope, I wrote that the theology of the body needs explication for those who aren't specialists in biblical studies, theology, or philosophy. I am delighted that Christopher West has taken up that challenge. With intellectual care, with the experience bred of long years of teaching this material in the classroom and the parish, and taking account of his own experiences as a husband and father, Christopher West has put us in his debt by making the "Theology of the Body" available to a wide and, I hope, appreciative readership. " -George Weigel. About the author: Christopher West is a research fellow and faculty member of the Theology of the Body Institute. He is also one of the most sought after speakers in the Church today, having delivered more than 1000 public lectures on 4 continents, in 9 countries, and in over 150 American cities. All three of his books -- Good News About Sex & Marriage, Theology of the Body Explained, and Theology of the Body for Beginners -- have become Catholic best sellers. Christopher has also lectured on a number of prestigious faculties, offering graduate and undergraduate courses at St John Vianney Seminary in Denver, the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and Creighton University’s Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. Hundreds of thousands have heard him on national radio

Apostolic Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II: Novo Millennio Ineunte / To the Bishops, Clergy, and Lay Faithful at the Close of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000


Pope John Paul II - 2003
    Apostolic letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II>

The Grunt Padre: Father Vincent Robert Capodanno Vietnam 1966-1967


Daniel L. Mode - 2003
    Do you know of a Vietnam veteran struggling with his Faith after witnessing the horrors of war? Do you have a son or nephew serving in the military and facing an uncertain future in a troubled world? Here is a book to help them see how a Christian man lives and dies in service to God and country.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal


The Catholic Church - 2003
    The third edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal underscores the nature and importance of the Sacred Liturgy in the life of the Church.

Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians


Scott Hahn - 2003
    Each day features: a brief meditation; a short passage from that day's Mass readings; a reflection on the reading adapted from the writings of the Fathers of the Church; a particular focusing on a relevant point of the mystical or moral life; and a plan with practical applications for everyday prayer and living. This is a thoughtful, practical, and sure-to-be appreciated gift for any new Catholic! (And a great choice for longtime Catholics, too.)

A Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Illustrated)


Robert Bellarmine - 2003
    For the Book of Psalms contains accounts from sacred history, as is evident from Psalms 77, 103, 104 and others; it contains many very plain prophetic oracles, as is evident from Psalms 2, 21, 44, 60 and others; it contains laws and precepts, as is evident in Psalm 118; it contains “hagiographa” in almost all the Psalms, that is, exhortations to virtue, discouragement from vice, threats, promises, examples, remedies for vices, divine praises, prayers to God, in short a complete, natural, moral and supernatural theology. Aeterna Press

You


Fulton J. Sheen - 2003
    Are you happy? Do you love yourself? Do you like the way you look? Did you ever wish you were somebody else? Are you happy with your age? Do you like yourself when you are irritable with others or give in to your passions? If you have answered any of these questions in the negative, don't lose heart. There is someone who does love you just as you are, in spite of all these things, someone who can make you happy and fulfill your deepest longings and desires. It is God you are looking for. Your unhappiness is not due to your want of fame, or fortune, or high position, or good looks or perfect health; it is due not to want of something outside you, but to a want of something inside you. Archbishop Sheen shows you how to find what you are really looking for and how to keep it.

Praying the Rosary: With the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, & Glorious Mysteries


Amy Welborn - 2003
    Based on the format suggested by Pope John Paul II in his apostolic letter

Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind


David B. Currie - 2003
    The unfortunate souls left behind by this "rapture" will endure seven horrible years of tribulation, at the end of which Christ will return to earth for a glorious thousand-year reign. Today, millions of Christians accept this end-times theology, assuming - as Currie did - that the Bible clearly teaches it. Many plan  their whole lives around it. But, after studying Scripture for decades, Currie has come to see that if you accept the Bible, you have to reject the rapture. In these remarkable pages - which constitute the world's most careful and thorough scriptural study of the rapture - Currie demonstrates why. He considers  all the relevant verses (and there are hundreds!) and examines them in the light of ancient history, the writings of the earliest Christians, and the claims of rapturist theologians. With painstaking thoroughness, he unlocks the meanings of the key biblical prophecies that culminate in Christ's Messianic Kingdom - including those verses in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation that rapturists turn to most. Marshaling evidence that's as startling as it is compelling, Currie argues that these prophecies of war and tribulation don't point to some still-unrealized apocalyptic future. Rather, most of them were fulfilled long ago: the spiritual, priestly Kingdom prefigured in the Old Testament was inaugurated on Calvary, consummated in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the Temple, and continues to exist today ... in the Catholic Church! That may surprise you. Yet, shows Currie, it's the only conclusion that fits all the scriptural and historical evidence. Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind makes Scripture, prophecy, and history come alive, and it demonstrates that if you open your Bible, you'll find that God's plan for the future of the world is not filled w

Lent and Easter Wisdom from Fulton J. Sheen


Fulton J. Sheen - 2003
    Sheen inspire the heart and imagination as readers embark on a Lenten journey toward a better understanding of their spiritual selves. Covering the traditional themes of Lent--sin and salvation, death and Resurrection, sorrow and hope, ashes and lilies--these 50 passages and accompanying mini-prayers offer readers a practical spiritual program as a retreat from the cares and concerns of a secular world view.View sample pages."Paperback"

Aquinas


Eleonore Stump - 2003
    He ranks amongst the most famous of the Western philosophers and was responsible for almost single-handedly bringing the philosophy of Aristotle into harmony with Christianity. He was also one of the first philosophers to argue that philosophy and theology could support each other. The shape of metaphysics, theology, and Aristotelian thought today still bears the imprint of Aquinas' work.In this extensive and deeply researched study, Eleonore Stump examines Aquinas' major works, Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles, and clearly assesses the vast range of Aquinas' thought. Philosophers, theologians, and students of the medieval period alike will find this unrivalled study an indispensable resource in researching and teaching Aquinas.

Secrets of a Soul: Padre Pio's Letters to His Spiritual Director


Padre Pio - 2003
    Beyond the extraordinary events that accompanied Padre Pio's life--such as receiving the stigmata--these intimate letters attest to his personal struggles, concerns, temptations, and fears. The book consists of two parts, each with an introduction by a member of the Capuchins.

Can You Find Saints?: Introducing Your Child to Holy Men and Women


Philip D. Gallery - 2003
    Building on the fun and adventure of the award-winning Can You Find Jesus? Introducing Your Child to the Gospel,Can You Find Saints? will provide hours of learning and delight for children. The stories of the heroes of the faith spring to life in dazzling pictures that sprinkle a little learning in with the fun. Includes a Parent's Guide. Casebound. 48 pages. Four-color. Other titles in this series include Can You Find Jesus?, Can You Find Bible Heroes?, and Can You Find Followers of Jesus?.

Rosary Comic Book


Gene Luen Yang - 2003
    Stories of each mystery are told through colorful, glossy illustrations and simple language, helping children ages 9-12 understand and enjoy this beautiful prayer. The story of the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary can be read, as any other comic book would be read, or you can pray with it, using the pictures instead of the beads of a traditional rosary.

Voice of The Saints: Councels from the Saints to bring Comfort and Guidance in Daily Living


Francis Johnston - 2003
    As "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34); so the Saints are able to distill an encyclopedia of meaning into just a few words. In this book we can reap the benefit of their wisdom. Essential for all! Impr. 161 pgs; PB

In the Footprints of Loneliness


Catherine de Hueck Doherty - 2003
    The greatest pain of the world today is loneliness. Loneliness is a part of the journey of faith. When loneliness comes upon you, you want to go and hide in some corner--self-pity carries you like a big, huge wave on a beach all full of stones. You see that beach in your mind and you think you are going to be broken up on the rocks... But in the depths of every heart there is a garden enclosed. This garden is Gethsemane, and the enclosure is a meeting place for the Beloved, God. If you enter into this garden, you will hear the incredible sounds that Jesus heard: the heartbeats of God. God put loneliness in your heart so that you would hunger for him, and learn that unity with him brings unity with all. Catherine Doherty experienced what it was like to be alone and abandoned. Now, she shares meditations written in her poustinia and in the hustle of her life dedicated to the poor. Out of these experiences over many years came this book--which she fervently hoped would offer consolation to those who have trod the footprints of loneliness in their walks of faith.

The Miracle of Hope: Francis Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận; Political Prisoner, Prophet Of Peace


André Nguyen Van Chau - 2003
    Written by a personal friend of Cardinal Văn Thuan, this moving biography chronicles the life of the man Pope John Paul II says was ..."marked by a heroic configuration with Christ on the cross." From a communist jail cell, to Rome as the leader of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Francis Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận remained a man of unshakable faith and undying hope.

Secrets of the Interior Life


Luis M. Martínez - 2003
    "The ways of God are not our ways and the spiritual life is almost the contrary of what we fancy it." So declares author Luis Martinez, the Mexican bishop and mystic whose wise spirituality in "Secrets of the Interior Life" shows readers how to enter into an intense, sustained communion with God.

One Hundred Years Of Modernism: A Genealogy Of The Principles Of The Second Vatican Council


Dominique Bourmaud - 2003
    When it hit the Catholic Church, its faithful were told to expect a glorious springtime. Instead, doubt and instability have prevailed. Where has the destruction come from? - All indicators point to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) as its epicenter. To prove it, the author reconstructed a family tree - a genealogy - of Vatican II to uncover the chain of causes that resulted in this Council and its novelties.What clearly emerges is that the Vatican II "effect" was related to a heresy going back one hundred years: Modernism. The modernists, actively combatted by Pope Pius X throughout his pontificate (1903-14) and condemned by the encyclical Pascendi Gregis (1907), had been working ever since to align the Church with the new ideas in philosophy and modern biblical criticism.But their "new ideas" had an origin too. Following back links in the chain, the author reached the first link: Martin Luther.One Hundred Years of Modernism: A Genealogy of the Principles of the Second Vatican Council is an Everyman's survey of the history of philosophical ideas from Aristotle's sane realism to the existentialists' insanity. Presenting the genealogy in chronological order, the author traces the modernist family tree from its root in Luther's principle of private judgment through its subsequent developments. It shows that modernism, prematurely declared dead after St. Pius X's reign, revived after World War II and reached the highest levels of the Catholic Church's hierarchy.This study moves in time-line order, going from causes to effects and from masters to disciples. The book is divided into five historical periods: Christian Truth, Protestant critical modernism in Germany, modernism in France, neo-modernism in Europe, and triumphant modernism in Rome itself.

Christian Courtship in an Oversexed World: A Guide for Catholics


Thomas G. Morrow - 2003
    It: examines the many meanings of love; defines what a moral approach to courtship is; explains how chastity fosters happiness; offers ways to overcome communication gaps; presents the vision of a Catholic marriage. For anyone who has felt out of step with the times when it comes to modern, commonly-accepted dating practices, this is a reassuring book that says there is a better way. A way that leads to true, lifelong happiness...and holiness.

Mother Teresa's Lessons of Love & Secrets of Sanctity


Susan Conroy - 2003
    Susan Conroy, a Dartmouth junior, didn't just think about it -- she did it, journeying on her own to Calcutta to spend a summer volunteering with Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity. In her moving, first-hand account of Mother Teresa and her work, Susan learned to find incredible peace and happiness in a city where she also found hell on earth. Her experience in Calcutta changed her life forever. Now you can share her account of life in Calcutta, her never-before seen photographs, and her remarkable profile of a modern saint -- the woman we soon will call St. Teresa of Calcutta.

Mass Appeal: The ABCs of Worship


Jimmy Akin - 2003
    The book explains all the things - candles, incense, vestments, statues, chalices, and so forth - you see at Mass, explaining what they are, why they're there, and what they mean. You'll see - perhaps for the first time - precisely how all the pieces of the Mass fit together to create a single, coherent whole. And you'll appreciate the Mass more than you do now. Use this booklet to improve your own understanding of the Mass, to get more out of the Mass, and to assist in your apologetics and evangelization efforts. Or give it to someone who is encountering the Mass for the first time and is having trouble absorbing all that is going on. It's also perfect for RCIA and CCD classes and parish pamphlet racks.

The Way of Prayer: Selected Spiritual Writings


Teresa de Jesús - 2003
    The first set centers on Teresa's growth in the spiritual life, particularly her life of prayer. The second part focuses on the copious store of her contemplative experiences which shed light on the Christian mysteries. Also includes a chronology of Teresa's life and a selected bibliography.“Fr. Kavanaugh's excellent introduction to St. Teresa's understanding and experience of Christian contemplation is required reading for anyone desiring a deeper prayer life.”Kevin Culligan, O.C.D.Institute of Carmelite Studies, Chicago, Ill.“Kieran Kavanaugh, who has given us such fine contemporary translations of Teresa, here focuses on the rich content of Teresa's contemplation, seen through a prism of many colors, from the darkness of the abyss to the bright light of the interior Sun.”Tessa BieleckiAuthor of Teresa of Avila: Mystical Writing.

Go in Peace: A Gift of Enduring Love


Pope John Paul II - 2003
    Arranged by the themes he emphasized in his quarter century as pope—including prayer, forgiveness, family, suffering, the church, and Christ—Go in Peace gives the reader an up-close and personal look at this great churchman’s pastoral heart and passes along his vision for a vital life of Christian faith.“Make time for study, meditation, and reflection. Use your intelligence well; make an effort to reach correct convictions; do not waste time; deepen the motives and foundations of faith in Christ and in the Church, so as to be firm now and in your future. We remain firm in our faith by means of prayer; remember St. Paul wrote: ‘Pray without ceasing.’”  —John Paul II, from Go in Peace

God Is Love: Saint Teresa Margaret, Her Life


Margaret Rowe - 2003
    Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart was born into a large devout family in Arezzo, Italy in 1747. From the earliest days of her childhood, Anna Maria was filled with a deep love of God, questioning the adults around her as to 'Who is God'?The cornerstone of St. Teresa Margaret's spirituality was to remain hidden, to appear just like everyone else in spite of her heroic virtue. To our loss, she has remained very much hidden even after her death. Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen commented, 'This is an odd fact, for we do not hesitate to rank her among the primary figures who represent the glory of Carmel among Teresa of Jesus, John of the Cross, and Therese of the Child Jesus.'Though St. Teresa Margaret led a life of exquisite holiness and purity, it was also a life that is wholly imitable. In her were combined Martha and Mary as she served her community as infirmarian while reaching the heights of contemplation. No one will come away from the pages of this book without his or her own spirit being renewed and reinvigorated. Already she was dissatisfied with answers given her. Only the contemplative life of a Carmelite nun could begin to quench her thirst to know and give herself completely to God. Her entire life was driven by the desire to 'return love for love.' She entered the Carmelite convent in Florence at the age of seventeen, advanced rapidly in holiness, and died an extraordinary death at twenty-two. Her spiritual director reflecting on her death remarked, 'She could not have lived very much longer, so great was the strength of the love of God in her.' The cornerstone of St. Teresa Margaret's spirituality was to remain hidden, to appear just like everyone else in spite of her heroic virtue. To our loss, she has remained very much hidden even after her death. Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen commented, "This is an odd fact, for we do not hesitate to rank her among the primary figures who represent the glory of Carmel among Teresa of Jesus, John of the Cross, and Thérèse of the Child Jesus." Though St. Teresa Margaret led a life of exquisite holiness and purity, it was also a life that is wholly imitable. In her were combined Martha and Mary as she served her community as infirmarian while reaching the heights of contemplation. No one will come away from the pages of this book without his or her own spirit being renewed and reinvigorated.

God's World and Our Place in It


Fulton J. Sheen - 2003
    Indeed, Christianity alone can explain goodness and evil in the world; it alone makes sense of our impulses to love and sacrifice, and our failures to do so.

Come and See: A Photojournalist's Journey Into the World of Mother Teresa


Linda Schaefer - 2003
    It combines the text of a journal handwritten by photojournalist Linda Schaefer as well as some 160 full color photographs taken as she lived and worked with the Missionaries of Charities and the international team of volunteers in various facilities run by Mother Teresa throughout India. Schaefer had decided many years ago that she wanted to shoot a pictorial on Mother Teresa and her work. Finally in 1995 she had a brief encounter with the living saint during a visit to Atlanta. This renewed her passion to photograph the nun in her natural surroundings and share a different look at Mother Teresa with the world. This was not an easy task. Mother Teresa was opposed to "another book" about her. As she put it, "too many people are making money and none of it gets to the poor who really need it." After accepting a challenge from Mother Teresa to put her cameras down and go to work in the orphanages and houses of the dying, Schaefer finally received the answer to her prayers. Mother Teresa penned a note to Linda granting her complete and unfettered access to her facilities, the Missionaries of Charity, the international team of volunteers, and thousands of poor and sick. The result is a book that was created around the dictates of Mother Teresa. As she put it, she wanted the people who picked up this book to see "her world" -- the environment in which she lived and shared her love. She wanted viewers to actually "see, smell and hear" the real world in which she lived and worked.. She didn't want a book packed full of individual photos of herself, and so Schaefer's work portrays all of the component parts thatmade up the world of Mother Teresa. This is the focus of Come and See.

Saint Therese of Lisieux: Her Family, Her God, Her Message


Bernard Bro - 2003
    Thérèse of Lisieux. And, in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared ThTrFse a Doctor of the Church, citing the timeliness of her doctrine and the wisdom and practicality with which she grasped the Gospel message.Why all this acclaim for Thérèse, who was only a little middle-class girl from France at the end of the 19th century? The Centenary of her death, 1897-1997, was celebrated all over the globe. Why is Thérèse so universally loved, invoked and imitated by people from all walks of life in every country in the world?Fr. Bernard Bro, director of the French publishing house, +ditions du Cerf, and a key figure in publishing the definitive editions of Thérèse's writings, decided to set forth those aspects of her life, personality, and writing that do indeed mark Thérèse of Lisieux as one of the truly great exponents of Catholic doctrine. What she offers in her life and in her writing, he claims, is "one of the most certain and simplest evangelical shortcuts ever proposed". What we find in her words is a "struggle between darkness and faith, humor and sadness, realism and pretense, maturity and childhood". The life, words, and texts of Thérèse are of an astonishing freshness, accuracy, immediacy, strength, and genius.According to Bro, Thérèse does not flinch before the important questions everyone must face: Why death? How can we continue in hope when suffering and pain threaten to overwhelm us? How can we remain faithful-and joyful--when we are shaken by the circumstances of our life? And first of all, how are we to love? Thérèseanswered these questions both by her life and through her writing. Illustrated with many photos.

Catholicism Overturned - Interview with Malachi Martin


Malachi Martin - 2003
    These interviews, recorder in 1990, were the first of eight recording sessions conducted during the last decade of Fr. Martin's life by Canadian journalist and publisher Bernard Janzen.

Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart: 101 Stories of Faith, Hope, Inspiration & Humor


Jeff Cavins - 2003
    It will take your heart and soul on a joyous spiritual retreat from the challenges and struggles of everyday life. This collection of 101 stories of faith, inspiration, hope, and humor attest to the power and beauty of God's amazing grace.

Selected Writings


Thomas More - 2003
    But that final struggle, which ended in his execution for treason, was only the crowning act in a life that he had devoted to God long before. In the first selection in decades made for the general reader from his collected works, this volume traces More’s journey of moral conviction in his own words and writings. Drawing on a variety of More’s late writings–the extraordinary “Tower Works,” written in prison, his poignant last letters to his daughter Margaret, and his poems, private prayers and devotional works–this collection will provide even readers lacking a background in Renaissance humanism or history with a rich introduction to a startlingly modern man of spiritual principle. Also included is the famous “Life of Sir Thomas More,” written by his son-in-law, William Roper.In the annals of spirituality certain books stand out both for their historical importance and for their continued relevance. The Vintage Spiritual Classics series offers the greatest of these works in authoritative new editions, with specially commissioned essays by noted contemporary commentators. Filled with eloquence and fresh insight, encouragement and solace, Vintage Spiritual Classics are incomparable resources for all readers who seek a more substantive understanding of mankind's relation to the divine.