Catholic Books

This is a new edition of Fr. Paul de Jaegher's classic work on the interior life. In these few simple pages we aim at expounding a conception of the spiritual life, which, of its very nature, seems well adapted to help the soul in its progress through these two stages on the road to sanctity. Founded on a fundamental dogma of the spiritual life, the dogma of sanctifying grace and of the divine indwelling, it helps us singularly to esteem and practice this precious intimacy with Christ, which...

A mass-market paperback edition of The Horse and His Boy, book three in the classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, featuring cover art by Cliff Nielsen and black-and-white interior artwork by the original illustrator of Narnia, Pauline Baynes. On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the f...

 Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods In his book, The Intellectual Life, A.G. Sertillanges synthesizes an instruction manual for future Dominicans on how to dedicate themselves to their studies as intellectuals and lovers of truth. By writing this book, Sertillanges makes a compelling account iterating what a vocation to the intellectual life should look like. Written shortly after the end of the Great War, Sertillanges fills his book with concrete examples of what a routine day of the life of an...

Following after brilliant authoritarian Pope Pius XII and good-humored Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI seemed hesitant, anxious, even tormented. Yet the impact of his fifteen-year-long papacy was colossal: not a single aspect of Church life was left untouched in the whirlwind of change unleashed by the Ecumenical Council he guided and sought to implement. Who was this man, Giovanni Battista Montini (1897-1978), who so altered the face, the voice, the bearing of Catholicism? Versatile historian ...

The Autobiography of a Latin Mass Exile Fr Bryan Houghton's life was fraught with momentous transitions. As a Protestant child educated in a Catholic school, he gradually awakened to the truth of the Faith and eventually converted. He responded to the call to priesthood, which he understood in its traditional sense as an office of offering sacrifice, reconciling sinners, feeding the spiritually hungry, and preaching divinely revealed truths. When the Second Vatican Council hit, and even more ...

A Brief History of Catholic Traditionalism in the United States, from Triumph to Traditionis Custodes In this compact and informative book, Stuart Chessman tells the tale of the traditionalist movement in the United States of America, from its birth in the era of Triumph (1965-1975) to the mounting tensions with "conservative Catholicism" (1975-1985), to the dawning of hope in the "Indult regime" (1985-2007), leading into the broad daylight of Summorum Pontificum (2007-2021), and then descend...

"Ceremonial may be interpreted as a spiritual obeisance to the created beauty of the world." So writes Abbie Graham in the Foreword to her Ceremonials of Common Days. In this succinct yet surprisingly profound work, Graham demonstrates this same "obeisance to beauty" in her own artful writing on the special celebrations, festivities, and traditions accompanying the four seasons. Looking not with the modern eye (which views such things as little more than random, culturally produced rituals) b...

Mohammed and Charlemagne the last book penned by Belgian historian Henri Pirenne before his death in 1935, is in many ways the culmination of his lifelong study of medieval history. As Professor of History at the University of Ghent from 1886 until 1930 (with a brief hiatus during Germany's invasion of Belgium during World War I), Pirenne contributed many works to the study of medieval Europe. Not the least of these is the present volume, left unfinished at the time of his death but meticulou...

Too little intimate history has been written of common people in the Middle Ages. Most "comprehensive" works pass them by in favor of tales of monarchs and warriors. Yet if we truly wish to form an accurate understanding of how life was during a certain period, it is to the lives of ordinary people that we should first direct out attention. It is precisely this strategy that Eileen Power employs in Medieval People. In this refreshingly insightful collection of lives untouched by fame, Power g...

In this thought-provoking book, Roberto Spataro provides readers with a compelling argument for the relevance of the Tridentine Mass and Latin language to joyful evangelization. Drawing from Pope Francis’s call for renewed evangelical excitement, Spataro shows how the forms of the ancient Latin liturgy provide clarity in a chaotic world. He set out to prove that despite often being viewed as stodgy and passé, Latin still has the power to unite Catholicism into a cohesive whole that highlights...

The Eucharistic Sacrifice and the Roman Liturgy The Holy Mass, by Fr. Lucas, is a historical treatise on the Roman Rite which is meant for the average reader that does not have a lot of study on the subject. It was first published in 1914 in two volumes and is now republished containing both volumes in one book.Father Lucas says in his preface: "The attempt to write yet another book about the Mass while for English speaking Catholics Dr Fortescue's work on the Roman Liturgy holds the field ma...

Every great religious order runs into difficulties, and God provides a saint for those difficulties. Where would the Benedictines be without St. Maurus, the Franciscans without St. Bonaventure, or the Dominicans without Blessed Jordan? Likewise, where would the Poor Clares be without St. Colette? Colette of Corbie was born in one of the most turbulent times in the Church, the 14th century. She moved within the world of the Western Schism, having interacted with many of the great figures of he...

The second volume continues where the first left off in Our Lord's life and continues the same original commentary and discussion all the way to passion week. The wonderful thing of Bishop Goodier's narrative is that it does not make use of secondary sources or copious quotes, rather he simply quotes the Scriptures and organizes the teaching of the Gospels into the sequential occurrence of events. If you want to know more about our Lord and understand the places he is going to, what he is doi...

The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by bishop Goodier, takes the subject of Christ's life from the coming of John the Baptist until his last day before Palm Sunday and the beginning of His passion. Goodier notes in his introduction: "Hence in a work of this kind it has not seemed necessary to introduce any discussion concerning the four Evangelists, or the authenticity of their work. These have been examined and proved by writers far more skilled and learned than the author and he is co...

St. John Fisher was a standout figure in the 16th century, going against the reigning king to remain true to his faith. Fisher was a brave defender of traditional Catholic priesthood and liturgy, and his renowned work Defense of the Priesthood attacks Luther's dissenting arguments head-on. This work stands as an important piece of theological literature, both for its critique of Martin Luther’s theology and for its defense of sacraments which were traditionally accepted in Catholicism at the ...

St. Robert Bellarmine was one of the best known of the Counter-Reformation theologians by both friend and foe. His apologetic writings were the most widely read treatises on theological subjects during the 17th century, and they also brought numerous conversions to the Catholic faith. Now for the first time, St. Robert's amazing treatises are available to you in English! In this treatise on the Sacrifice of the Mass, St. Robert divides his work into two topics: That the Mass is a Sacrifice, a...

Dominican Life, by the French Dominican Joret, is a masterful treatise for Dominican Tertiaries or anyone who with an affinity for St. Dominic and his sons to seek union with the Divine Will through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Children of this family of St. Dominic, forming themselves on the traditions and examples of seven centuries, are bound together within God's Church by ties that transcend differences of race and language and are more enduring than the bonds of earthly kinship. This book...

Finding the Eternal in the Everyday A home is so much more than just a roof over our heads. It's a place where we can feel safe and loved, a place to raise our families and create memories. But too often, our homes are places of stress and turmoil, places that don't reflect our deepest desires or values.Theology of Home is a book that seeks to change all that. Written by two wives and mothers, it's a simple guide to help reorient all of us toward our true home, allowing us to think purposeful...

A Catholic Vision of Angelic Reality The Other World We Live In is more than just a book. It is an exercise in broadening your perspective and understanding the angelic realm with which we share our world. In its pages, readers will better understand how the cosmic, human, and angelic aspects of life truly interact. Saint Thomas Aquinas said that our place as human beings within this system is one of a ‘marvelous connection’ connecting the material and spiritual worlds. With The Other World ...

A Catholic Approach to the Natural World Do you want to deepen your understanding of Catholic teachings about the environment? Then look no further than The Glory of the Cosmos! This book provides both devout Catholics and those who may not necessarily be aware of Church doctrine with a deep exploration into authentic Catholic beliefs. With persuasive arguments from St. Thomas Aquinas, you'll be able to move beyond political issues regarding the environment and get to the heart of timeless te...

Explore the vibrant and complex first thousand years of Christian culture with Popes, Emperors, and Elephants: The First Thousand Years of Christian Cult. This carefully researched book is written in an accessible style that adults and children alike can enjoy. Roy Peachey takes you on a journey from Athens to China, from Rome to Ethiopa and through ancient lands like Jerusalem and Iraq. You’ll learn about saints, popes, emperors, sailors —and yes, even the occasional elephant! It’s an eye-op...

Christians and the New Age is a book that confronts the challenges of our changing world, offering a refreshing perspective on humanity, our relationship with God and how it can be embraced in society. Written by Christopher Dawson in 1931, the book analyzes humanism as a dangerous institution and offers an alternative to the Western culture in hope of restoring Medieval beliefs such as The Economy of Grace and The Great Chain of Being. This text provides insight that is essential for readers...

The classic debate over the existence of God is presented in a way like never before with Does God Exist?: A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas. Written as a series of conversations between Lucy and AJ at a coffee shop, this unique book covers St. Thomas Aquinas's five arguments for the existence of God in everyday language to make it easily accessible to readers. With helpful examples and analogies, Fradd and Delfino's dialogue helps bridge the gap between faith and underst...

These pages, now collected in one small volume, have been written for the purpose of helping the faithful, ordinary souls, to attain one most important object: active participation in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass; so that, consciously and deliberately, they may offer the sacred Victim, offer themselves and be nourished by receiving the holy Eucharist. In a word: that they may live the blessed Eucharist, the sacrifice and the sacrament, in its entirety, and that by living it they may sanctif...

Tired of the withered fruits of a devastated vineyard, an increasing number of "postconciliar exiles" are making their way, in a pilgrimage of irrepressible curiosity and improbable delight, to the haven of Catholic Tradition--laboring to recover it piece by piece, word by word, rite by rite, chant by chant, devotion by devotion. Tradition and Sanity brings together a round-table discussion, interviews, and imaginary dialogues exploring the depths and shallows of Catholic liturgy, the lyricis...

Is man an isolated, voluntaristic, autonomous individual, as modernity would have him? Or is he subject to natural, social, and transcendent orders? Much has been written since Rerum Novarum in 1891 on the general outlines of Catholic social, economic, and political thought, but what Catholics need today is a sure guide to how to live out these principles in their daily lives. To this end, Brian McCall’s To Build the City of God responds with chapters on marriage and the family, dress, educat...

Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin assists us in our understanding of Mary’s role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished and refreshed. For those who have not yet turned to Mary, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the po...

To the medieval thinker, man was the center of creation, and all of nature existed purely for his benefit. The shift from the philosophy of the Middle Ages to the modern view of humanity's less central place in the universe ranks as the greatest revolution in the history of Western thought, and this classic in the philosophy of science describes and analyzes how that profound change occurred. A fascinating analysis of the works of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Hobbes, Gilbert, Boyle...

J. R. R. Tolkien was a profoundly metaphysical thinker, and one of the most formative influences on his imagination, according to this new study of his works, was the great thirteenth-century theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. Structured around Tolkien’s Middle-earth creation myth, the Ainulindale, The Flame Imperishable follows the thought of Aquinas as a guide in laying bare the deeper foundations of many of the more familiar themes from Tolkien’s legendarium, including such notions as sub-cre...

In No Strange Land illuminates the richness of mysticism--in the life of Philip Neri--as an "experience of the activity of God." The life of the Apostle of Rome demonstrates that it is primarily people, not arguments, that reveal the mysteries of God. Philip's experience of God, his mysticism, was given him for the sake of others. Furthermore, that experience itself was embodied; that is to say awakened, nourished, and brought to fruition within the religious tradition into which he was born,...