Here is straight talk from a man who has sought authentic New Testament community for more than fifty years and who has discovered it in the most unlikely places.

    She slept on a bed of thorns. She had a friend whip her. She put hot coals between her toes. She suffered from smallpox, and the disease left her almost blind. Yet she still fasted, in penitence, and ministered to the sick and elderly. When she died, it was said, the smallpox scars instantly vanished from her face. It wasn’t long before people began to credit her with miracles.Indeed, the Vatican has just announced, 300 years after her death, that Tekakwitha is a miracle worker. She will be named a saint—America’s first indigenous saint, no less—as early as next fall. But what, exactly, does that mean? How does someone become a saint? What’s the vetting process? In this thoroughly entertaining investigation into the mysterious world of saints, Bill Donahue tells the strange and fascinating story of how the holy get their halos. The journey to canonization is long (sometimes, as in the case of Tekakwitha, it can take centuries), lurid (decayed body parts play a role), and, nowadays, surprisingly cutting-edge. Tekakwitha earned her saint status thanks to a medical miracle she allegedly caused in 2006: A boy suffering from a fatal flesh-eating bacteria suddenly and inexplicably recovered after his family prayed to the Blessed Kateri. Church experts grilled the boy’s doctors, studied his MRIs and hospital chart, and came to the conclusion that a force stronger than modern medicine saved him. In addition to Tekakwitha, Donahue introduces us to a cast of celestial characters, from Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II—both on the fast track to sainthood—to Saint Francis, Joan of Arc, and the shady Padre Pio, who claimed to suffer stigmata and raise bodies from the dead. But it’s what happens after these holy folk die that’s arguably even more intriguing. Mixing legend and science, history and on-the-ground reporting, The Secret World of Saints sheds light on one of the Catholic Church’s most arcane and captivating traditions.* * *Early praise for "The Secret World of Saints":"My sinful covetousness for Bill Donahue's talents and the fun he's having here has put me out of the running for sainthood. I love his story anyway."— Mary Roach, author of the bestselling "Stiff," "Spook," "Bonk," and "Packing for Mars"* * * About the Author: Bill Donahue is a journalist living in Portland, Oregon. His work has appeared in "The Atlantic," "The New York Times Magazine," "Wired," "Runner’s World," "The Washington Post Magazine," and "Inc." He has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards, and his stories have been reprinted in Best American Travel Writing, Best American Sports Writing, and numerous other anthologies.

    It is written for theological students, ministers, and laymen, who desire to understand the modern attitude to the Old Testament as a whole, but who either do not have the time or the inclination to follow the details on which all thorough study of it must ultimately rest. These details are intricate, often perplexing, and all but innumerable, and the student is in danger of failing to see the wood for the trees. This Introduction, therefore, concentrates attention only on the more salient features of the discussion. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

    Therese's mother herself a saint? The Church now says "Yes!" Zelie Martin and her husband, Louis, were declared Venerable by the Church in 1994 for their heroic virtue, and the couple's cause is now complete, ending with their cannonization in 2015. Zelie married at 27, bore 9 children, ran a home business and did a superb job of raising 5 daughters, including "the greatest saint of modern times" (St. Pius X). She died of breast cancer at 45, but her greatness was recognized by her family and friends, and is now known to the world. Zelie suffered many of the ordinary burdens of life, yet she was happy, loved her children madly and enjoyed them immensely. This book was written by her daughter, Celine, who had access to Zelie's letters and to the reminiscences of her older sisters in the Carmel of Lisieux. It is authentic and inspiring, showing what a tremendous life's work and accomplishment it is to be a truly Catholic mother. Looking at Zelie's picture, one can see her incredible character, integrity, goodness, constancy and love.

    Donald Calloway, MIC, deftly shares his personal insights on topics including Divine Mercy, the Eucharist, the papacy, the Church, confession, prayer, the cross, masculinity, and femininity. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the central thread weaving a tapestry throughout with quotes about Our Lady from saints, blessed, and popes. Certain to become a "tour de force" Marian book for the Year of Faith!

    Each word in Biblical Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic is numbered, presented in Greek/Hebrew script and in transliteration and is accompanied by a pronunciation guide. Each word is defined in English, and the translation(s) of that word in the Authorized English Version are presented. Strong's work was originally published in 1890 under the titles A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Hebrew Bible; with their Renderings in the Authorized English Version and A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek New Testament; with their Renderings in the Authorized English Version. They were bound together with Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.Beautiful Greek, Hebrew in This E-BookThis digital edition of Strong's classic work is distinctive in not only presenting the Greek and Hebrew/Aramaic in their respective scripts but doing so using in an aesthetically pleasing manner that looks great on the Kindle. All Greek and Hebrew is accompanied by beautiful transliteration; you do not need to know Greek or Hebrew to make use of this e-book.Superior Navigation Features in This E-BookThis digital edition of Strong's Greek and Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible recognizes that you do not generally read dictionaries linearly. As a result, there are multiple options provided for powerful and rapid navigation. Note that navigation details might be different in the various Kindle applications for platforms other than the Kindle itself.First, when you click on Go to in the menu, you have the option of selecting Table of Contents. This Table of Contents provides hyperlinks to each letter of the dictionary, first for Hebrew and then for Greek, along with the range of Strong's numbers for that letter. Clicking on a link to a letter provides a list of options for the first two letters of the word as well as the range of Strong's numbers for that letter combination. Once you click on the desired two-letter combination, you can flip the page to get to the desired entry if need be.Second, when you are reading, clicking the 5-way controller to the right will advance you to the hyperlinked list for the next letter of the alphabet. Clicking the 5-way controller to the left does similarly.Third, you can navigate directly to a particular glossary entry by clicking on Index in the menu and typing in the letter "g" followed by the Strong's number for that entry for Greek, or "h" followed by the Strong's number for that entry for Hebrew. For example, to navigate to the entry for Strong's Hebrew #1234, simply type "h1234" into the text box and hit enter. To navigate to the entry for Strong's Greek #1234, simply type "g1234" into the text box and hit enter. This option is not available on first generation Kindles and might not be available on Kindle applications.Fourth, you can navigate directly to a particular glossary entry by clicking on Index in the menu and typing in the word in transliteration, preceded by "g " for Greek and "h " for Hebrew/Aramaic. For Greek, use the same SBL transliteration scheme used in this book, leaving off any diacritics and using all lower-case. For example, to navigate to the entry for Strong's #124, Aígyptos, simply type "g aigyptos" in the text box and hit enter.

    You will learn the prophetic purposes of the feasts, how the feasts are fulfilled in Messiah, future implications of the feasts and practical truths for life

    

    Maybe you've never heard of it until now and are asking, theology of the what? Maybe you're already familiar with the basics and are ready to incorporate this teaching on sex, love and marriage into your own life. Whatever your level of understanding, you're probably ready for some good news about sex in a culture littered with the bad news of divorce, adultery, sexually transmitted disease, heartache and loneliness. This guide is designed to help you appropriate the Pope's astonishing message: True, lasting love—that which humanity enjoyed in the beginning, before the Fall—is possible here and now. In nine straightforward lessons, Men and Women Are from Eden introduces the reader to the pope's warm, deeply biblical understanding of God's original plan for men and women, a plan that brings with it healing of mind in regard to sexuality and the body.

    This essay is an attempt to contribute effective strategies to engage our own time and culture once more with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and – for a weary world – to awaken the Catholic imaginative vision.

    It is intended to instruct the faithful, and satisfy their pious desires. There might, perhaps, have been some reason to fear, at the very outset, that the mere title of Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, however it might attract many persons to read this book, might also deter many others. Arrested by the first words, they might be led to form an inaccurate idea of the devotion. To remove this difficulty, it has been thought well to explain in the beginning, what is understood by devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. Experience has proved, that there is no one, who, after seeing in what it consists, does not agree, that it is reasonable, solid, and most useful, for our salvation, as well as for our perfection

    

    They were distracted, discouraged, and ready to throw in the towel. But the prophet Haggai reminded them they could find courage in the God who had never left them.Sometimes the landscapes of our lives feel wrecked, with our hope and purpose in shambles. We too get distracted and discouraged. However, God's presence and promises give us courage to press on and trust Him with our story.In this 7-session study on the Book of Haggai, learn to walk confidently in your calling, stay motivated despite opposition, and courageously invest your life in God's purposes, trusting Him for results you may never see in this lifetime.Features: Leader guide to lead discussions within small groupsPersonal study segments to complete between 7 weeks of group sessionsEnriching teaching videos, approximately 25 minutes per session, available for purchase or rentBenefits: Defeat discouragement through God's presence, people, and Word.See beyond your current circumstances to a future hope.Learn to trust God more than your feelings.