Spirituality Catholicism

We hear the voices of the early Church Fathers even today. Their teachings, their guidance, their insights, and their sacrifice shaped the Catholic Church. They defined the canon of Scripture. They developed our creeds and forms of worship. They defined Christianity's distinctive moral sense. But who were they? What can we learn from their ancient teachings? What can the Fathers teach the twenty-first century—about holiness, culture, faith, and the Gospel.

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`.

Spiritual writer, theologian, and philosopher Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our moral and spiritual transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness. The book is divided into two main parts: the realities of God's goodness and of spiritual evil, and recognizing and overcoming diabolical tactics, which range from temptation and deception to the Deadly Sins.

With prophetic insight into our times, Benedict warns of a "radical manipulation of man" in the name of tolerance, insisting that the only "authentic counterweight to every form of intolerance" is Christ himself—and Christ crucified. A lifelong Catholic, the late pope pays tribute to some of the giant figures of Christianity who have served him through the years as guiding stars: his predecessor Pope John Paul II, the 20th-century German Jesuit martyr Alfred Delp, and the silent carpenter Joseph, his patron saint.

For more than half a century, the question of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has been widely dismissed in our culture. That wasn’t always the case. Some of the best minds of the last 25 centuries in Western civilization have grappled with this mystery. In Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith, best-selling author Paul Thigpen begins with a fascinating historical survey of the public conversation about ETI, tracing the thought of prominent Catholics and others. This is a thorough guide to navigating the conversation from a faithful Catholic perspective.

In his first Encyclical, Pope Benedict helps to clarify the meaning of love. He examines the nature of various kinds of love—human love and divine love, eros, friendship, and charity. He writes beautifully and inspirationally of how man was made for love by the God who is love, the God who became one of us out of love—Jesus Christ.

In this classic devotional book, St. Francis de Sales shows the average believer how to become closer to God. St. Francis avoids the extremes that might lead to imbalance; his purpose is to arouse in the listener a complete love of, and trust in God. This life of devotion is open to everyone. The book is easy to understand, explaining in simple terms how to expand one’s spiritual life, with examples from scripture and from a variety of other sources. It covers topics such as creation, cleansing the soul, confession, sin, death, judgment and paradise.

Macarius was born in Upper Egypt around AD 300. As a young man, he was a saltpeter smuggler and became familiar with the desert. He was known for his wisdom and was called "old young man" by his friends. While in the desert, he visited Anthony the Great and learned monasticism from him. After he left, around the age of 40, he returned to his former desert and governed a monastic community there for the rest of his life. St. Macarius is venerated in all Christian denominations, and his spiritual homilies have always been held in high regard throughout the ages.

Why were the early Christians willing to die rather than change a single iota of the creed? Why have the Judeans, Romans, and Persians - among others - seen the Christian creed as a threat to the established social order? In The Creed: Professing the Faith Through the Ages, best-selling author Dr. Scott Hahn recovers and conveys the creed's revolutionary character.

Looking for an easy way to start studying the Bible? This audiobook is exactly what you need! It combines two powerful tools into one: a study guide that explains everything clearly and a workbook that helps you put what you learn into action. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to truly understand the Bible and apply its teachings to their life —without wasting time searching for multiple resources.

A playful and moving book of essays by a "born storyteller" (Seattle Times) who invites us into the miraculous and transcendent moments of the everyday When Brian Doyle passed away at the age of sixty after a bout with brain cancer, he left behind a cult-like following of devoted readers who...

In every line, Cultivating Virtue imparts the true spirit of the Catholic faith. This audiobook takes 12 Christian virtues—one for each month, with a description for each day of the year—and shows you how to master each one. Master the virtues, and set out on your road to becoming a saint by learning directly from the great saints, such as St. Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vincent de Paul, St. John of the Cross, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. John Chrysostom, and many others.

Our Lord is constantly pouring out graces upon mankind, yet only a few — those closest to His heart — know how to receive them. Sadly, countless graces are left unclaimed (likely many by you!) and are thus never allowed to further God’s will on earth. How different our lives would be if we accessed God’s grace more intentionally! Thankfully, God in His compassion gave us a perfect model for disposing ourselves to His graces and responding to them: the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Fr. Vincent Miceli breaks ground in this analysis of seventeen Enlightenment theologians and philosophers who contributed to the rise of atheism. He explores their efforts and successes in convincing mankind to deny the existence of God, and he demonstrates how atheism has succeeded by creating mythical gods to stand in the place of God. What Fr. Miceli shows is that each tenet of atheism doesn't deny the existence of a Higher Power; it simply replaces the true Power with a false power.

Just as Job was tried, all of us are tested by suffering. It comes to us in many different forms: grief about the past, pain in the present, and sadness about what might have been. The personal dimension of suffering means that it marks our experience and, in some ways, makes us who we are. Coping with suffering as Christians includes certain spiritual practices that lead us to surrender our lives more fully to the Lord.

John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, wrote a short treatise in dialogue form between his friend Basil and himself, about the dignity of the priesthood. The work includes sections on the importance of preaching, the call to the priesthood, the purity of the priest, and the exalted position of the priesthood.

Think you have what it takes to be a saint? Lucky for you, thousands of souls have paved the way to heaven—creating a clear formula for getting the job done while also leaving a rich, disturbing history behind them. And in just five easy-ish steps, you can learn how to secure your own halo! How to Be a Saint is an endlessly entertaining ride through Catholicism for anyone who enjoys their history with a side of comedy.

The main sources of information on the life of St. Joseph are contained in the first chapters of the first and third gospels. They are practically the only reliable sources we have of St. Joseph. From them, we know that he was a carpenter and a working man. Despite his humble status, Joseph came from a royal lineage. For, the angel who first tells Joseph about Jesus greets him as "son of David". This royal title is used also for Jesus.

Cardinal Ratzinger compellingly shows us the biblical, historical, and theological dimensions of the Eucharist. The cardinal draws far-reaching conclusions, focusing on the importance of one's personal devotion to and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for the personal reception of communion by the individual christian, as well as for the life of the church. For Ratzinger, any transformation of the world on the social plane grows out of the celebration of the Eucharist. He beautifully illustrates how the omnipotent God comes intimately close to us in the Holy Eucharist, the heart of life.

In this book, Justin Martyr boldly defends the Christian faith before the Roman government. He addresses the core beliefs of the early church and refutes the lies spread abroad about them. A truly inspirational piece of literature that should not disappoint the hungry soul looking for pure doctrine and teaching. He truly was a man of God that held great understanding of godly virtue and wisdom. May you be abundantly blessed as you partake in this book!