Religion Catholicism

The Spiritual Combat is considered one of the two greatest ascetic classics, the other being The Imitation of Christ. The authors of both are shrouded in mystery. There are many 17th-century editions which have the name Spanish Benedictine, John of Castanzia. Some Jesuit writers have ascribed the book to the Jesuit Achilles Gagliardi. However, most critics consider Fr. Lawrence Scupoli the author.

At every Sunday mass, Catholics confess that Jesus came down from heaven ''for us men and for our salvation". But what does ''salvation'' mean? In this robust and accessible book, Scripture scholar and theologian Michael Patrick Barber provides a thorough, deeply Catholic, and deeply biblical answer. He deftly tackles this complex topic, unpacking what the New Testament teaches about salvation in Christ, detailing what exactly salvation is and what it is not. In easy and listenable prose, he explains what the cross, the church, and the trinity have to do with salvation.

Daughter Zion avoids the extremes of ignoring the biblical foundation for Marian doctrine on the one hand and fundamentalistic proof-texting on the other. Instead, the author beautifully and lucidly develops key biblical themes to help listeners understand and appreciate the mother of God.

Andreas Widmer gives a behind-the-scenes look into Pope John Paul II, the most authentically human person he's ever met, and reveals how those memories shaped and forged his success as a corporate executive. In what papal biographer George Weigel calls a powerful example of leadership at work, Widmer recounts his personal experiences serving Blessed Pope John Paul II in the Swiss Guard, and the secrets of successful leadership that he learned at the feet of the great pope.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus has so many names? It’s not an accident. Each one is invaluable in helping us to understand, as best we can, the full nature of Jesus Christ. Paul Thigpen dives deep into Scripture from Genesis to Revelation to illuminate the many names of Jesus found therein and explain how each one reveals something new and essential about our Lord.

In the year since he was elected, Pope Francis' simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, he has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope - we want to hear what he has to say. Collected from Pope Francis' speeches, homilies, and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church.

Since Pope Benedict XV1 died he has had a remarkably good press. Indeed many have argued that there is a natural evolution between Pope Benedict`s mission and that of his successor Pope Francis. Here for the first time are assembled a collection of Pope Benedict`s most important public speeches and addresses. Dubbed and dismissed by many as an unrepentant traditionalist, we now see a man of profound intelligence and wisdom on matters relating not just to religion but to what is not termed ` The Common Good`.

The Light of Christ provides an accessible presentation of Catholicism that is grounded in traditional theology, but engaged with a host of contemporary questions or objections. Inspired by the theologies of Irenaeus, Thomas Aquinas, and John Henry Newman, and rooted in a post-Vatican II context, Fr. Thomas Joseph White presents major doctrines of the Christian religion in a way that is comprehensible for non-specialists: knowledge of God, the mystery of the Trinity, the Incarnation and the atonement, the sacraments and the moral life, eschatology and prayer.

The Catholic Prayer Book is ideal for a Catholic individual who wishes to look up a prayer quickly. This book features over fifty of the most popular Catholic prayers and an introduction to Catholic prayer by Jeremiah Vallery.

In this time of waiting and anticipation, prepare your heart by spending time with God each day of Advent. The Little Blue Book guides you through this season with short devotionals that will inspire you. This year's Advent book focuses on the Resurrection Narrative according to Matthew and begins November 30, 2025. Little Books of the Diocese of Saginaw is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging people to pray and spend some quiet time with the Lord during the liturgical seasons.

Aquinas at Prayer draws attention to important aspects of Aquinas's life and work which have been all too often overlooked or forgotten. Today Aquinas is almost exclusively regarded as an outstanding scholastic philosopher and theologian. But what is little known is that Aquinas was, first and last, a teacher of the Bible - a Master of the Sacred Page. Moreover there is a distinctly mystical character to his theology. And, as a writer, he was not only a poet but, arguably, the greatest Latin poet of the Middle Ages.

The Christian longing to share anguish, fear, gratitude, and awe has found expression in many forms of prayer, beginning in Scripture and the practices and words of Jesus. Over the centuries many fruitful approaches to prayer have taken hold, but often there is a certain unease about what is right or what is best. In this book, Fr. Martin eases these concerns with thoughtful, practical encouragement about prayer in all of its forms.

In this book, the pope emeritus and the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments give their brother priests, and the whole Church, a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, while pointing to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and genuine reform.

Experience the profound spiritual wisdom of Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the renowned exorcist of Rome whose ministry revealed the ultimate victory of God over evil. In this revealing interview, Fr. Amorth shares vivid narratives, profound reflections, scriptural insights, and potent words from the spiritual greats to help you encounter the benevolence, beauty, and love of God. Fr. Amorth tackles challenging topics ranging from God’s nature, to the problem of evil, to family dysfunction, to the shocking truth about Freemasonry.

In honor of his canonization, this volume draws together Newman’s Marian writings into an anthology of this new saint’s profound writings on our Lady. Some are doctrinal or apologetic, while others are deeply devotional meditations. These two approaches, not only show two sides of Saint John Henry Newman’s character; they will increase your own love and devotion to our Lady. They illuminate the great depths of Marian doctrine from the Church’s treasury with which Newman has so powerfully permeated his own writings and cause us to go to her for aid.

Jesuit priest John Gerard hid from English authorities for eight years before his eventual capture and torture in the Tower of London. Risking everything to preserve Catholicism in Tudor England, Gerard moved from house to house, converting many people and evading capture by mere seconds. Following a hair's-breadth escape from the Tower to the continent, he survived to tell his tale and pass on his experience to future missionaries and martyrs in The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest, a fascinating tale of espionage, disguise, priest hunters, and brilliantly designed hideouts.

The ancient church fathers documented their struggle with the rebellion of the bishops of Rome. They recorded the heresies that crept into the Roman Catholic Church and their subsequent rebuke of those Roman bishops, or popes. The first section will give a detailed history of Rome from AD 50 to the modern times. The second section will deal with some ancient prophecies about the rise and fall of papal Rome.

Against the backdrop of a catastrophic pandemic that has spared nothing and altered everything, this remarkable document is a cry from the heart of a pastor to all peoples to see beyond their differences and to grow together to build a new and peaceful world. Pope Francis addresses his renewed call to universal fraternity to all people of good will, regardless of their religious convictions.

A guided meditation through the mysteries of the Rosary.

This short, beautiful booklet, The Wonders of the Holy Name, reveals the simplest secret of holiness and happiness ever. It shows us how we can pray "without ceasing", pray "always", and pray "at all times", as holy scripture exhorts us. And since prayer is the key to the heart of God, this little book can easily be the key to obtaining incredible graces and favors from him both for ourselves and for others. This issue, ultimately, is the salvation of souls and peace in the world. Approved by his eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon in 1947.