Catholic Books

With charming rhyming verses, the Benedictine Sisters present glimpses of their everyday life of joy, work, praise -- and fun! Experience the excitement of entering the unknown mystery and beginning a new life inside the hallowed walls of the convent. You will experience the Sisters' excitement about first receiving their habits, their delight in caring for the elderly Sisters (with wheelchair races!), and their joy in tending the frisky farm animals, singing for the Lord, and recording their...

In his masterful 12th-century work, The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride, St. Bernard of Clairvaux--the "Doctor Mellifluus" or "Honey-Sweet Doctor"-- eloquently crafts a soul's guide to spiritual ascent and descent. With his deep understanding of human nature and his own monastic experience, St. Bernard outlines a path that leads away from the self-deception of pride towards the liberating embrace of humility.St. Bernard illustrates humility as the foundation of a life anchored in truth, ...

Awarded the Grand Prix for Literature by the Académie Française and adapted into a classic film by Robert Bresson, Diary of a Country Priest has long been recognized as a literary masterpiece. In this acclaimed new translation by Bernanos scholar Michael R. Tobin, the full, unabridged work is made available to English-language readers for the first time. Set in rural France, the novel recounts the joys and travails of a young parish priest, tormented by illness and afflicted by awkwardness, a...

Is truth knowable? If we know the truth, must we hide it in the name of tolerance? Cardinal Ratzinger engages the problem of truth, tolerance, religion and culture in the modern world. Describing the vast array of world religions, Ratzinger embraces the difficult challenge of meeting diverse understandings of spiritual truth while defending the Catholic teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ. "But what if it is true?" is the question that he poses to cultures that decry the Christian posi...

This book addresses important moral questions people commonly face when they or their loved ones experience life-threatening injuries, end-stage illnesses, or advanced old age. Due to modern medical technology, patients and their family members often confront such questions as: What medical procedures are morally required, and what procedures are optional? Is providing food and water to a patient an optional medical treatment, or is it basic care necessary for all human beings? What roles do ...

In sixth-century Ireland, the memory of the great missionary Saint Patrick was strong, but so was the influence of the old pagan religion. There was still much work to be done to spread the Christian faith.This book tells the story of one of the greatest saints of the Emerald Isle after Patrick, Saint Kevin, whose monastery at Glendalough was a beacon of light for eight hundred years. Saint Kevin worked miracles, communed with animals, and inspired thousands to leave everything to follow Chri...

St. Louis de Montfort inspired a spiritual revolution in teaching us about Marian consecration and giving us a thirty-three-day plan to prepare our souls for that big step in our relationship with Jesus. In these pages, Fr. Boniface Hicks guides you through this 'retreat' to help you gain a deeper trust in and childlike dependence on our loving God. "What this consecration teaches us is that we have a sweet, loving, perfect Mother who actually wants to live in this intense relationship with u...

Introducing the Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life, a revolutionary guide written by Fr. Spitzer, President of Gonzaga University and esteemed spiritual teacher and writer. Perfect for those who strive to maintain a regular spiritual life while leading hectic lifestyles, this book offers insights on how to both grow closer to God and stay engaged with everyday life at the same time. Drawing from years of experience in organizing successful retreats and seminars, Fr. Spitzer has distilled key ...

This book introduces the reader to thirteen Christian spiritual classics that illustrate the ordinary steps we can take toward living the Gospel life more fully.Drawing on the rich teaching of a particular saint or mystic, each chapter helps us grow in a different aspect of holiness, of intimacy with God. Archbishop Hughes offers an itinerary for becoming a good disciple of the Lord, giving the reader access to an impressive spiritual library that can support and strengthen progress in discip...

One morning, attorney Dan Geary, seventy-seven years old, finds himself in the middle of a rolling, polychrome landscape. The greens are bold and bright. Birds sing in the distance. Tall grasses surge like a sea before the wind. He has never seen anything quite like it. But somehow--with the doctors and beeping monitors suddenly gone--he knows exactly where he is: the afterlife.What a relief not to be floating on a cloud, playing a harp. Instead, a hiking pack full of gear sits on his back, a...

When the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas addressed the best arguments against God in his masterwork, the Summa Theologica, he listed only two. The first was the problem of evil: How can God -- who is perfectly good -- exist alongside that which is against Him? His second: Is God really needed to explain the world? In this landmark work, Patrick Flynn presents the best arguments for God while also addressing the strongest objections. This book is destined to become the apologetic gold stand...

"They should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).Sometimes we become so consumed with "activism" that God becomes a mere concept, an uplifting idea we try to wrap our minds around, and we forget that He is really present and in love with us. Far too many souls, even good religious souls, tend to forget that God is a Person -- a Trinity of Persons, in fact -- longing to enter into a relationship with us.Fr. Wayne Sattler awakens us and places us in...

Modern society has forgotten that the joie de vivre and the liturgical life are intertwined. Drawing from his experiences growing up in the Catholic culture of New Orleans, author Daniel Fitzpatrick juxtaposes the beauty of taking time to celebrate the Faith with the ongoing cultural drift toward eliminating the Sabbath. The result is a book that will awaken Christians from their spiritual sloth and enable them to appreciate the Lord's Day more deeply as a means of attaining happiness -- in t...

The power of a woman is most concretely observed in the seeds she plants, day after day, in the lives of those around her. Soul Garden is a sizable collection of personal stories, essays, poems, and recipes written to cultivate the motherly role of women by offering inspiration, camaraderie, and encouragement.Contributors from across the country and around the world invite readers to put away their screens and to pick up this lovely, tangible book, in which they can find nourishment for the s...

The World and Work of Father John J. Burke: A Mystic in Action is a full-length biography of one of the most significant, yet little-known, American Catholic public figures of the twentieth century. Burke was a successful editor and general secretary (chief administrative officer) of the National Catholic War Council and its successor the National Catholic Welfare Conference, which is the present-day United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), one of the most influential institution...

St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617), Patroness of the Americas, is the first canonized saint of the New World. She was the tenth of thirteen children, and her mother experienced no pain at her birth. Though exquisitely beautiful (hence her nickname, Rose), she refused to marry, and while helping support her family by needlework and growing flowers, she practiced heroic charity and lived as a Dominican Tertiary in her parents' home. Rose tenderly cared for the sick, even those with repulsive wounds, ...

This 27th volume in the popular Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series leads readers through a penetrating study of the Psalms using the text itself and the Church's own guidelines for understanding the Bible.Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights by renowned Scripture scholars Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. These helpful study notes provide rich historical, cultural, geographical, and theological information...

One day, philosopher Peter Kreeft reads an open letter published by a friend, Nat Whilk. He's Catholic, but he sees the Church as unsteady, outdated, obsessive. As a challenge to the "True Believers", Nat pens a twenty-point manifesto for "cafeteria Catholics", who pass up certain Church teachings and scoop up others like a diner in a buffet line."I find in [Catholicism] both much to accept and even love and also much to refuse and even despise", he asserts. "If you insist on tying God to the...

This inspiring work profiles sixteen heroic Catholic men and women who defied the odds to advance civil and human rights around the world. Spanning from the birth of the United States to World War II Germany to the current Latin American immigration crisis, this book features people whose faith drove them to courageously defend the dignity of the children of God, especially the most vulnerable, transforming many lives and paving the way for a more equitable society. To understand human rights...

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are endlessly fascinating for those who long for Heaven or are just curious about the things we cannot see (yet). Lost in all the discussion of NDEs, however, is their long, rich history. Saints and mystics have been visiting Heaven for thousands of years, and here, for the first time, Scott L. Smith provides you with a glimpse of what they've been seeing these past two millennia.In these heart-pounding pages, you will first learn about the ancient origin of NDEs...

This is the book you need to master your anger so your anger won't master you. Popular TV host, clinical psychologist, and best-selling author Dr. Ray Guarendi incisively cuts to the heart of the matter to help you determine whether your anger response is justified -- and what to do when it isn't. Dr. Guarendi unpacks for you the many types of anger and the types of people who suffer most from anger. For some, anger is a trait; for others, it is a state. Some are "wired fiery," with an anger ...

Imagine the thrill and wonder in the hearts of children as they witness the divine power of Jesus -- in the astonished leper, his rags falling to the ground as he touches his smooth face; in the deaf man turning his head toward birdsong; in the bent, crippled woman unfurling to full stature, rejoicing!Through the stirring illustrations of Byron Hamilton and the searing simplicity of author Susan Joy Bellavance, When Jesus Speaks convinces each heart that the divine power of Jesus' word is rea...

Are you ready to stop suffering from fear and unworthiness? To heal the pain in your closest relationships? To finally love and be loved as God intended? For more than a decade, “Scripture Evangelista” Sonja Corbitt has helped Catholics encounter the transforming power of God’s Word. In Love Heals, she draws on her years of biblical study and ministry to reveal how the commandment to love God, neighbor, and self (Mark 12:30) holds the key to total healing—emotional, spiritual, and even physic...

St. Manuel González García, renowned as the Bishop of the Abandoned Tabernacle and acclaimed the greatest Eucharistic priest since the Curé of Ars, reflected: "I intend to awaken the curiosity, which in this case can truly be called holy, to understand and uncover what the Heart of Jesus in the Tabernacle does, says, and feels. I promise delightful surprises, invaluable discoveries, unimagined horizons, to those who allow themselves to be piqued by this curiosity." Through these profound yet ...

There are countless books about the sacraments -- but few books about sacramentals. These powerhouses of grace are often overshadowed but should not be overlooked. Here is the book that will help you understand various types of sacramentals and receive the abundant graces that flow from their use. "During the last decades, sacramentals seem too often to have been marginalized, even though they are supposed to be the daily bread of any priest, as well as of the laity," affirms Fr. Ralph Weiman...

Although the story of our salvation began in the Orient, the richness of the spirituality of our Eastern Fathers and Mothers in the Faith has long remained hidden. The Church is indebted to the East for revealing how Christians from apostolic times lived their faith, from founding Christian monastic life to developing the worship that has helped shape our liturgy.In this spiritual masterpiece, Dr. Alexander Harb offers penetrating meditations on nine themes of the spiritual life, drawing from...

Conspiracies and secret societies exist because man, wounded by Original Sin, is inclined to evil and his social nature leads him to unite with other men in carrying out evil plans. With typical precision, historian Roberto de Mattei navigates us through this gloomy labyrinth of evil amid congiure, conspiracies, and plots -- terms often used as synonyms but which, through their semantic and conceptual differences, can each assist us in understanding better the hidden dimension of the history ...

"Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape." C.S. Lewis Lorene Duquin, an experienced grief counselor was no stranger to understanding and explaining grief, and had helped many people work through it. But when she lost her mother she found herself living in an entirely new space. Grieving the Loss of a Loved One contains 52 powerful, one-page meditations that will help you work through the various aspects of grieving as they did for Lorene...

The spiritual wisdom of Saint Benedict has endured for centuries and quite literally shaped Western culture from its inception. Tenets of the order, like its motto and Saint Benedict's Rule, are just as influential for lay people as they are for the Benedictine monks and nuns. The cross and medal of St. Benedict is also among the gifts bestowed by the Benedictine Order. For centuries, it has been a conduit for God's power against malicious spirits.The history of this cross and medal--how it f...

Emily Starr was born with the desire to write. As an orphan living on New Moon Farm, writing helped her face difficult, lonely times. But now all her friends are going away to high school in nearby Shrewsbury, and her old-fashioned, tyrannical aunt Elizabeth will only let her go if she promises to stop writing! All the same, this is the first step in Emily's climb to success. Once in town, Emily's activities set the Shrewsbury gossips buzzing. But Emily and her friends are confident -- Ilse's...

Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam, possessed the Confucian "Mandate of Heaven", a moral and political authority that was widely recognized by all Vietnamese. This devout Roman Catholic leader never lost this mandate in the eyes of his people; rather, he was taken down by a military coup sponsored by the U.S. government, which resulted in his brutal murder.The commonly held view runs contrary to the above assertion by military historian Geoffrey Shaw. According to m...

For centuries, the captivating story of St. Francis of Assisi has inspired millions. Now, delve deeper than ever before with "The Life of St. Francis: A Compendium of Early Legends" by Bret Thoman, OFS.This groundbreaking book brings together, for the first time in one volume, a rich tapestry of the earliest and most influential legends surrounding the beloved saint. Thoman, a respected Franciscan scholar, meticulously compiles and contextualizes these foundational texts, offering unparallele...

This book presents the chief insights concerning the mystery of atonement in the works of four theological guides: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Norbert Hoffmann.The author argues for the central importance and perennial value of a theology of atonement, even as she explains the modern aversion to it. The book's central aim is to deepen our understanding of the biblical claim that God shows himself to be love precisely by sending his Son as atonement...

Italian Carmelite Antonio Maria Sicari''s vibrant biographies of saints--from Augustine to Catherine of Siena to Faustina Kowalska--have been read across Europe for decades. In How Saints Die, Sicari turns to the most difficult challenge in the life of a Christian: the hour of death.What he uncovers in this darkest moment, however, is not desolation, but inexplicable joy. I have recounted the death of many saints, he writes, but all of them have confirmed for me the truth of this ancient Chri...

Compiled in 1782 by St Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St Makarios of Corinth, the Philokalia is a rich collection of spiritual writings from the fourth century on to the fifteenth from various saints and great minds giving counsel to monastics in their ascetic struggles. Though mostly written for monastics, under good spiritual guidance there is much to be gleaned by commonplace Catholics— in particular Eastern (Byzantine) Catholics, as most of the authors presented here were of the Easte...

This unparalleled introduction to St. John Henry Newman--mind, heart, soul, and personality--brings the great cardinal to life before our eyes, and with him the charged air of nineteenth-century England. Drawing from his letters, writings, and journal entries with precision and poetic flair, the book is one of Ida Friederike Görres' masterworks. While famous for his brilliance, Cardinal Newman did not hide in an ivory tower. His life was one of risk, sacrifice, and immense charity. His sharp ...

Eucharistic Gems is an aid to the Eucharistic Revival currently under way in the United States. The specific time-frame set aside by the bishops for a period of Eucharistic Revival will come and go, but the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will always remain in the tabernacles of Catholic churches around the world. What better way, then, to make sure there always remains an on-going fruit of the Eucharistic Revival than to have a book that offers timeless quotes on the Eucharis...

This is a simple, comprehensive guide for men seeking to grow daily in their relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. It introduces men to the rhythm of prayer throughout their entire day - from the moment they wake to their last conscious thought. It offers quick insights and prayers for common concerns facing men throughout their day/life. It also introduces men to traditional devotional practices and prayers of the Church. Prayers for Catholic Men supports men in their primary vocations in...

There's so much noise. Everything can seem like a distraction. Distraction, in fact, seems our oxygen. When was the last time you saw people talking on an elevator? We seem to plug in everywhere. We have earphones and screens and don't evenlook up, never mind find time for silence. Our hearts need quiet. How are we ever going to pray otherwise? How could we ever possibly know God's love and will, and the truth about ourselves and the world without resting in Him?Resting in Him. What does that...

Many of us fail to recognize that obtaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to getting to heaven. We often block their reception through our own faults. We fail to see how they are passed on or strengthened in the sacraments. And, sadly, we forget to petition God in prayer to bestow these gifts upon us.In these pages, Dr. Kevin Vost best-selling author of The One-Minute Aquinas provides us with a substantive yet readable introduction to the seven gifts and how we ca...

St. Francis of Assisi is one of the greatest and most recognizeable saints in the history of the Church. His life was a mirror of the life of Christ. In a decadent age, filled with corruption, Francis became not merely an impetus for reform, but a living image of Christ in his virtue and in his flesh through the stigmata. Candide Chalippe's work is not merely biography, it is a spiritual classic written by an author filled with piety and love for Christ and His Church. This new publication ed...

This book is a memoir of an unlikely relationship between the author, Karen Hall -- a television writer and producer of hit shows like M*A*S*H, Hillstreet Blues, Moonlighting and The Good Wife -- and conservative Jesuit biblical scholar Fr. Paul Mankowski, SJ, who died in September 2020. It exposes the silencing of Fr. Mankowski by his religious order for airing its dirty laundry and for upholding the two-thousand-year magisterium of the Catholic Church. With the same page-turning prose that ...

The greatest teacher of philosophy in all of history was Socrates, according to philosopher Peter Kreeft. In 2,400 years, no one has topped him or his Socratic method, teaching not by monologue, but by dialogue; not by lecturing, but by logical questioning. Yet of the hundreds of textbooks for beginning philosophers today, none uses his method.Kreeft has imagined Socrates University: a log, with Socrates at one end and a typical intelligent modern student beginner at the other, conversing abo...

A Journey through the Catechism: Unveiling the Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Catholic Faith is an award-winning and timely resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Catholicism. Recognized as the number-one faith formation book by the Catholic Media Association, it serves as an essential guide for catechumens, catechists, and lifelong learners of the faith. Across dioceses, parishes, and campuses, an increasing number of adults are entering the Church through the OCIA process...

A Nine-Day Preparation for Investiture in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady The Brown Scapular holds a special place in the devotional life of the faithful. It is neither jewelry, a sentimental religious article, nor a vain token of superstition. Rather, it is a silent prayer, a gift from our Heavenly Mother that draws us to the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son. A simple pairing of two pieces of cloth with ribbon, wearing the scapular is a declaration that you have put on Christ and are seeking to...

The world--indeed, the universe--is charged with grandeur. Everything speaks of its beauty, power, and purpose--of its exquisite and intelligent design. Yet many scientists today flatly deny that the world was intelligently designed. Even some Christian scientists and theologians downplay or deny the evidence nature supplies of intelligent design, especially in biology. This thought-provoking anthology shows why they are wrong, why it matters, and why intelligent design provides a compelling ...