Books Published by Sophia Institute Press

In wise and consoling letters written to a mother sorrowing over the death of her child, Fr. Francois Ren Blot, S.J., summons the Church's greatest saints who testify with one voice that death's wound, though grievous, separates us but a short while from those who have died before us. Acknowledging that profound sorrow at the death of a loved one is appropriate, Fr. Blot nonetheless gives us reasons to be joyful even in the midst of our sorrow: not only will we be reunited with our loved ones...

From the young St. Francis de Sales's heroic efforts to bring Calvinists back to the Faith comes this succinct, eloquent defense of the age-old Catholic practice of making the Sign of the Cross, which sixteenth-century Calvinists denounced as a Popish invention and many Protestants scorn even today. Embodying the zeal of youth and the wisdom of age, this gentle jewel of Catholic apologetics traces the origins of the Sign of the Cross back to the Fathers of the Church, to the Apostles before t...

The seven deadly sins are generals leading a vast and deadly army. The soldiers are a variety of sins and misdeeds, and the capital sins are the officers who sent them on their nefarious tasks. With the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas as his guide, best-selling author Kevin Vost tackles the deadly sins one-by-one, showing how they take root in our soul and give birth to offspring other sinful thoughts and deeds that help it reach its sinful goals. You'll learn how they attacks us, and how they...

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...

Meet a Doctor of the Church whose wisdom on health and nutrition will aid you in everything from better digestion and sleep to improved mood, memory, and pain relief. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a mystic and scholar who chronicled more than six hundred pages of visions, wrote cantatas, and even devised her own language. She authored The Book of Divine Works, Causes and Cures, and Scivias and corresponded with the greatest intellectuals, theologians, and royals of her time.As a pioneer...

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...

"At this moment, I see the Church on the edge of a precipice. . . . What happened during the sack of Constantinople comes to mind, when the Turks besieged the city, and at the moment of greatest danger, the theologians were caught up in debating among themselves about the color of Our Lady's eyes." Thus states Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Benedict XVI and foremost defender of the traditional Church, who, for the first time, na...

Imagine if you were privileged enough to sit beside Our Lady and hear from her very lips the story of Jesus' birth and suffering. In these short, moving reflections, told from the perspective of the Blessed Mother to a child, readers young and old will experience a depth of love for God and closeness to Mary's tender heart such as they have never felt before. Patrick O' Hearn masterfully guides you through Our Lady's Seven Sorrows with brief Scripture passages, meditations, and prayers for ea...

The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva In this spiritual powerhouse of a book, Eric Sammons organizes the wisdom of St. Josemaría Escrivá into an action plan for living out holiness in your everyday life. The goal: to foster God's grace within you so that you can be transformed into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Declared "the saint of ordinary life" by Pope John Paul II, St. Josemaría Escrivá -- a twentieth-century Spanish saint and founder of Opus Dei -- did more than a...

The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of Future Life is a timeless book written by 19th century French priest Father Charles Arminjon. Father Arminjon worked valiantly to turn his congregation’s thoughts away from worldly affairs and toward the spiritual world with a compassionate yet uncompromising perspective.In these conferences, Father Arminjon underscored the belief that heavenly goals should govern all aspects of life: what you say, what you do, and how you think. His profound ...

Explore a biblical defence of the Catholic Faith with author David Armstrong’s new book, A Biblical Defense Of Catholicism. Armstrong offers an extensive study of scriptural texts and their interpretation to demonstrate that the Catholic Faith is truly a ‘Bible-based’ Church par excellence. From Lutherans to Protestants and even non-denominationalists, no Christian will remain unmoved by this comprehensive work on the scripture’s integral role in the Catholic Faith.The Catholic mission has lo...

Gain insight into the life and theology of St. Therese of Liseuix with 'Mornings With Saint Therese'. This book of 120 readings from her works allows readers a unique glimpse into the private thoughts and reflections of one of the greatest saints of modern times. Pope Pius X famously called her the “greatest saint” of modern times, and indeed her work continues to resonate with readers today. Her wisdom will be drawn out through carefully curated snippets that offer profound interpretation, s...

Kindness counts. If you have trouble acting with the consistent kindness our Lord expects, your relationships with God and those you love may be suffering. Probably you just can't find the time and can't ever seem to develop the patience that you need in order to be consistently kind amid the irritations that afflict you daily. That's why this book is such a godsend. There's nothing complicated or magical about learning to be kinder; it just takes greater attention to the things that you do a...

This inspiring book gives you a splendid example of how to live as a Christian in a secular environment that can be indifferent or hostile to your Faith. For Elisabeth Leseur had two great loves: God and her husband Felix, who was an atheist. Felix loved Elisabeth as well; yet to their mutual sorrow, he couldn't share the life of the Spirit that Elisabeth cherished. Occasionally the happiness of their life together in upper-class Parisian society was shattered by Felix's frustration and impat...

My Path to Heaven is an old-fashioned "retreat-in-a-book" that helps Catholic children, ages 9-12, ponder the truths of the Faith and calls them to live lives of holiness in accordance with those truths. Based on the traditional St. Ignatius retreat (trusted by Catholics for centuries) and adapted for children, this clear, simple, thoughtful presentation of the Faith is invaluable for parents seeking to form their children in holiness. My Path to Heaven covers such essentials of the Faith as ...

Whatever you're struggling with, you're not alone: there's a saint who is not only praying for you before the throne of God, but who went through the same thing you're going through. In Saintly Solutions, Fr. Joseph Esper introduces you to over 350 saints who suffered in ways that you and I suffer every day, and who will bring you, too, to peace! Fr. Esper considers over forty of life's common problems, showing how saints overcame these challenges and difficulties, and even grew holier as the...

The life of St. John Vianney (1784-1859) was marked by boundless humility and obedience to God. In 1818, when this simple French priest was assigned to the parish of Ars -- a town of just 250 people -- few would have guessed that it would lead to his international notoriety (even without modern communications!). You will see how this happened -- how Vianney's tireless work in his parish quickly flowered into a radical spiritual transformation of the community and its surroundings.Acclaimed dr...

Humility: Wellspring of Virtue provides readers with potent tools to bring humility into our lives and rid ourselves of the perils of pride. A powerful read, it examines not only the many forms of pride in which we can easily become ensnared, but also the only virtue that has the power to break them all—humility. Through carefully explained concepts, this book allows us to gain insight into the independence and strength that true humility can bring.Readers will learn how humility breaks the b...

"A Pocket Guide to Sacramental Reconciliation" by Kevin and Mary O'Neill is a vibrant and informative guide designed to help young Catholics understand and appreciate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through engaging illustrations and dialogue, it introduces the concepts of mortal and venial sins, preparation for a good confession, and the significance of receiving God's healing love, grace, and mercy. This book includes practical elements like a prayer before confession, steps for making a s...

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...

A Mythbusting Apologist Sets the Record Straight  Tired of being stumped when false claims are made about the Catholic Church? Want to be armed with knowledge that puts these mistruths to rest? In these pages, veteran apologist Gerard Verschuuren provides thorough yet concise answers to forty of the most common and absurd lies about the Catholic Church. With precision and charity, you'll soon be able to defend the Church when you're told that Catholics . . . Still lives in the Dark Ages Reje...

It's no secret that there is an abundance of so-called Christian sects populating a wide range of churches, with different worship services and teachings regarding the salvation of your soul. But how can one intelligently make sense of this if there is one God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever? This book will take you on a fact-based journey from the earliest days of Christianity to now. Wherever your personal faith and belief system currently reside, this book will test that fait...

Many claim that Catholic Social Teaching implies the existence of a vast welfare state. In these pages, Anthony Esolen pulls back the curtain on these false philosophers, showing how they've undermined the authentic social teachings of the Church in order to neutralize the biggest threat to their plans for secularization the Catholic Church. With the voluminous writings of Pope Leo XIII as his guide, Esolen explains that Catholic Social Teaching isn't focused exclusively on serving the poor. ...

Introducing the all-new Daily Companion for Young Catholics, a must-have book filled with profound and powerful insights about St. Joseph and his invaluable role in the Universal Church. With edifying words taken directly from the Gospel, this remarkable and exquisite book exposes many of the long-forgotten truths that make St. Joseph great. This compelling tale takes you through a journey exploring more of who St. Joseph truly is, directly from areas of his life we may have never heard befor...

"Sister Marie describes in detail the life of a Carmelite Nun and shows us by what means and in what manner rich spiritual treasure is being gathered for the benefit of all of us."-- Thomas L. Noa, Bishop of Marquette, in the original foreword This gem of a book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing the hidden details of life in Carmel -- "the powerhouse of prayer." Sr. Marie, a young novice, addressed this revealing series of letters to her parents and family about her life i...

"Convert us, O God; and shew us thy face, and we shall be saved" (Psalm 80:3). Although many are familiar with the Holy Face Devotion, key fruits and wonders remain untold, and various of its most important spiritual treasures have yet to be discovered -- until now. In these extraordinary pages, Mary Jane Zuzolo unveils for you how this devotion is prefigured in the book of Job, complements Fátima and other Marian apparitions, encompasses the spirituality of St. Thérèse, crowns the insights o...

In this actionable analysis of one of the most damaging movements of the modern age, renowned author Maria Keffler makes a compelling case that what lies at the core of the transgender phenomenon is a crisis of identity, and that only a loving but firm reality check can staunch the hysteria. Keffler makes unassailable arguments: Maleness and femaleness are immutable biological facts. Masculinity and femininity are personality constructs, conditioned by societal norms. But "gender," the term f...

Its Place in the Spiritual Life This is the book you need to discover the significant advantages of frequent Confession and the keys to making each Confession more fruitful. Spiritual master Fr. Benedict Baur quells criticisms of frequent Confession and shares why it is more efficacious for vanquishing sin and repairing the damage due to sin. In this exceptional book, Fr. Baur shows you how to develop a well-formed conscience, properly confess your sins, and develop a firm, practical purpose ...

Does your mind often wander when you recite the Holy Rosary? Spiritual master Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo― called “a saint” by Padre Pio― will teach you to deepen your powers of recollection as you reflect upon the sacred mysteries. Here is the Rosary companion that will help you develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by entering into the events of His life through the prism of your own. These brief, compelling reflections― written as conversations between Jesus and the soul― will move you...

What Is the Particular Examen, and How Does It Conquer Sin? This step-by-step guide on how to make a Particular Examen is rooted in the five wounds of Jesus and includes prayers, sample format, and predominant faults to avoid in prayer, work, study, and recreation. As most of us struggle with the same assortment of sins, these targeted reflections will assist you in conquering your faults. This reprint of the 1952 classic contains prayers for each topic from the traditional Roman Missal that ...