Conversation With Christ: The Teachings of St. Teresa of Avila about Personal Prayer


Peter-Thomas Rohrbach - 1980
    Teresa's teaching about mental prayer shines through in this wonderful synopsis of her writings about it–something she said "the whole world could not purchase." Learn how we should pray, in order to grow in the spiritual life. Impr. 184 pgs, PB

A Layman's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours : How the Prayers of the Church Can Change Your Life


Timothy M. Gallagher - 2019
    Paul exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” — a beautiful goal that sounds daunting, even impossible. But wait! These pages break open an authoritative, time-tested method that countless laymen still use today to pray with constancy and thereby soar to the heights of holiness. It’s called the Liturgy of the Hours. Also known as the Divine Office or the breviary, the Liturgy of the Hours is an important vehicle for advancing in the spiritual life — a step that any serious Catholic, with the help of Fr. Timothy Gallagher, can take today. Relying on insights from popes and saints, as well as on his five decades’ experience praying the Liturgy of the Hours, Fr. Gallagher opens your eyes to this spiritual treasury and shows you how, by means of its sanctifying rhythm, it will help you progress on your spiritual journey. Soon, you will be among the multitude of Catholics who pray the Hours daily and are richly blessed by the flow of graces these prayers yield. From the wise Fr. Gallagher, you’ll learn: • The basic elements of the Liturgy of the Hours • How to incorporate them into your day, no matter how busy it may be • How the Hours will revitalize your daily prayers and prevent them from becoming routine • How they will extend the graces you obtain at Mass into your entire day • How praying the Hours with your family will link you more intimately to each other—and to the universal Church If you’re looking to invigorate your prayer life and draw closer to Our Lord in friendship and holy contemplation, discover the Liturgy of the Hours.

Leonie Martin: A Difficult Life


Marie Baudouin-Croix - 1993
    Therese of Lisieux. She was an emotionally disturbed child who suffered and and caused anguish to her family. Her mother, the heroic Zelie Martin, suffered most of all. Marie Baudouin-Croix, well-known French poet, has examined Zelie's correspondence with her daughters, her sister, her brother, and her sister-in-law. We see the awkward child, the despair of many, who was the first to follow Therese's Little Way. It was only after three valiant but unsuccessful attempts that Leonie was finally accepted by the Visitation Order in Caen. She succeeded in conquering a 'tough' temperament, so that by the time of her death in 1941, at the age of seventy eight, she was regarded as a saint and her convent at Caen was inundated with letters testifying to her posthumous aid.

Pope Awesome and Other Stories


Cari Donaldson - 2013
    Catholic homeschooler Cari Donaldson here relates how her friend’s newborn baby, a portrait of the Virgin Mary, and the words of the Miraculous Medal called her forth from a selfish, small way of life into the welcoming arms of the Church.

Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration


Benedict XVI - 2007
    . . my personal search 'for the face of the Lord.'"--Benedict XVI In this bold, momentous work, the Pope seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from today's "popular" depictions and to restore his true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope incites us to encounter Jesus face to face.From Jesus of Nazareth ". . . the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom literature-the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love."

Difficulties in Mental Prayer


Dom Eugene Boylan - 1943
    Eugene Boylan discusses the nature and ways of prayer, the difficulties that you’re likely to face if you don’t pray, the purpose of meditation, and more. He examines all this not from a theoretical standpoint, but from the perspective of the individual Catholic who’s trying to pray better. As such, this book offers you solid encouragement to press on in prayer.

Prayer Primer: Igniting a Fire Within


Thomas Dubay - 2002
    Dubay answers many questions on prayer. Why pray? Why vocal prayer is important and yet should be limited? What contemplation is and is not. How to pray with Scripture. Prayer in a busy life. Pitfalls and problems. How do you even get started? Where and how to begin? Assessing progress. Growing in depth. All of these subjects, and more, are clearly and concisely explained for citizens of this 21st century. A Servant Book.

Tales of a Magic Monastery


Theophane the Monk - 1981
    Like the parables of Jesus, these tales repeatedly unfold new levels of meaning if we are willing to sit with them.

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul


Maria Faustyna Kowalska - 1981
    This amazing narrative will stir your heart and soul while it chronicles the experience of a simple Polish nun.

A Minute in the Church


Gus Lloyd - 2010
    In this easy to read booklet, you'll find 37 one-minute teachings on how to explain and defend Catholic teaching.

The Soul of The Apostolate


Jean-Baptiste Chautard - 1937
    In this age of relentless activity it is easy for Christians, particularly those involved in good works, to fall into the pattern of the activist.  But mere activity and material results are not sufficient for a successful apostolate.In his classic work The Soul of the Apostolate,  Dom Chautard demonstrates that the very foundation of all apostolic work must be the Interior Life.  The apostle of Christ will grow to become an instrument and true channel of God’s graces to the world only through prayer, meditation and the cultivation of the Interior Life.  When one is involved in works of spiritual or corporal charity, his work can only be truly efficacious when he anchors his Interior Life in Christ.  Without Christ we can do nothing.  Inside you’ll learn about the:Pre-eminence of the Interior Life over the Active Life Dangers of the Active Life: for you and your apostolateThe Devil’s  special temptations for those working for Our LordSteps necessary in order to develop and grow in the Interior LifeNecessity of the Interior Life to a successful and spiritually fruitful apostolateFor anyone who would work for Our  Lord and His Church there is simply no book more important to read and to follow than The Soul of the Apostolate .

The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory: An Interview with Maria Simma


Sister Emmanuel - 1997
    The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory is such a book. Maria Simma, lived humbly in the mountains of Austria. When shew as twenty-five, Maria was graced with a very special charism - the charism of being visited by the many souls in Purgatory - and being able to communicate with them! In her words, Maria shares with us some amazing secrets about the souls in Purgatory. She answers questions such as:What is Purgatory?How do souls get there?Who decides if a soul goes to Purgatory?What are the sins that most lead to Purgatory?How can we help get a soul released from Purgatory?Are there religions which are bad for the soul?Are there children in Purgatory?How can I avoid Purgatory?This is a remarkable interview on after-death realities, a true revelation for those who have lost a dear one!

Furrow


Josemaría Escrivá - 1986
    Josemaría’s rich interior life and extensive experience as a pastor. Aphoristic and perfect for meditation, Furrow was written in order to encourage and ease personal prayer. These 1000 points for spiritual reflection are directed toward the whole human person: body and soul, nature and grace. With the skillful hand of an experienced and holy priest, St. Josemaría interweaves the divine and human and helps you see how to bring them into harmony in your own life.

How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint


Peter Kreeft - 2016
    This question is central to all the great religions, Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.Kreeft admits that he is only a beginner on the climb to holiness, and it is to novices like him that he has written this engaging and encouraging book. Using the insights and experiences of saints and great spiritual writers throughout history, Kreeft shows what holiness is and how it can be achieved. He especially draws upon the spiritual classic Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. The core of Caussade's timeless gem is that God reveals himself to all of us through the daily events of our lives. The surest way toward spiritual growth, therefore, is by perceiving and accepting the merciful will of God in every situation.Kreeft stresses the simplicity of his approach to holiness, which focuses mainly on the virtue of love. Sanctity is love, he asserts, and only that can give us what we all long for—deep and lasting joy.

The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer


John Bartunek - 2007
    Beginning with a detailed and practical guide to Christian meditation, there are over 300 units - each consisting of a passage from the Gospels and a four-part commentary based on common themes. All four Gospels are contained and commented on in their entirety. Small enough to be portable, The Better Part is an elegant, sturdy softcover with French folds and a ribbon marker. Truly a book for a lifetime of spiritual enrichment and growth