General Books

In The Spiritual Way: Classic Traditions and Contemporary Practice, Philip Sheldrake aims to make the wisdom of Christian spirituality better known to contemporary readers. After an introductory chapter on the foundations of Christian spirituality, Sheldrake describes its diverse riches through the centuries in terms of five distinctive types of Christian spiritual wisdom, illustrated by a rich selection of classical examples. The five types are "The Way of Discipline," "The Contemplative-Mystical Way," "The Way of Practical Action," "The Way of Beauty," and "The Prophetic Way." This book also briefly explores the contemporary interest in spirituality within and beyond conventional religion and suggests how we might engage with these five types on our spiritual journeys in today's world.

Author: Philip Sheldrake

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814644584
Details: 192 pgs , 6 x 9 x 3/8
Publication Date: 09/06/2019

At the youthful age of nineteen Bieke Vandekerckhove was diagnosed with ALS (a degenerative neurological disease, aka Lou Gehrig's disease). Unexpectedly, three years later her disease went into remission and, even though partially paralyzed, she lived with ALS for more than twenty years.

In twenty-seven short chapters, written at various points in her life, the author shares her search for meaning and strength. Much to her own surprise, she found both in the stillness of contemplation, in the richness of silence. The practice of Benedictine spirituality and Zen meditation became, as she says, the two lungs through which she breathes.

Along the way of her painful but illuminating journey, she shares insights learned from artists of all stripes, whether poets, painters, sculptors, or moviemakers, and from great contemplatives and thinkers. The result is a work that offers a deep trove of spiritual wisdom for every reader, whether afflicted with debilitating illness or in perfect health.

This book won the Best Spiritual Book 2011 award in the author's home country of Belgium.

Subtitle: How I Came to Be at Home with Myself
Author: Bieke Vandekerckhove; Translated by Rudolf Van Puymbroeck

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814647738
Details: 176 pgs , 5 3/8 X 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 08/11/2015

The publication of Laudato Sía papal encyclical on a defining issue of our times-was a moment of great importance for Catholics and for the world. Now Fr. Joshtrom Kureethadam, one of the church's top experts on the document, provides a thoughtful, passionate, and highly accessible commentary on its key ideas and themes. Faithfully attentive to the outline of the six chapters of the encyclical, Fr. Joshtrom has also insightfully arranged the book according to the see-judge-act methodology that is increasingly used in spirituality, moral theology, and the social sciences.

If Pope Francis is right when he insists that the solution to our environmental problems cannot be found only in technocratic approaches by governments and institutions, but by a wide and thoughtful embrace by all of us of our common responsibility, then Fr. Joshtrom's book is precisely what we need at this time.

Paperback 240 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4

Publication Date: 02/15/2019

How do ministers, whether lay or ordained, form their spiritual life? What practices do they need to foster in order to become good and to be holy in their service? To answer these questions, Richard Gula invites readers to think along with him about the kind of minister they want to be: "If we don't know where we want to go," he writes, "we will easily end up somewhere else." Gula then presents a variety of virtues?including gratitude, self-care, humor, and courage?and explains how developing these qualities is essential for a minister?s moral and spiritual life. By grounding a spirituality for pastoral ministry in the virtues, Gula provides a way for ministers to bridge the gap between who they are and who they hope to become in imitation of Christ Jesus.

Subtitle: A Spirituality for Pastoral Ministers
Author: Richard M. Gula, SS

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 978-0-8146-3347-2
Details: 184 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 01/01/2011

This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults

This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults is a bestselling overview of the faith for those preparing entry into the Church, as well as for both newly initiated and lifelong Catholics who wish to understand Church teachings more clearly. This revised and updated edition strengthens one of the strongest endorsements of the book: that it communicates important Church teachings in an engaging and understandable manner.

Revised and updated in collaboration with longtime OCIA leaders, this new edition of This Is Our Faith has been refreshed with two new chapters, with language and style more in line with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and with updated cultural and historical references.

The text maintains the popular book"s accessible tone and easy-to-follow organization, following the four pillars of the Catechism:

• the Profession of Faith
• celebration of the sacraments, liturgy, and the Paschal Mystery
• life in Christ: foundations of Catholic morality
• Christian prayer

Chapters in each of the four parts lead with a thought-provoking story that connects the reader to important teachings, which are then communicated through an easy-to-understand question-and-answer format. Discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading are included for OCIA and parish adult-education groups wishing to explore Church teachings in a group environment.

This Is Our Faith provides a solid, clear presentation of the Catholic faith for adults at any stage in their faith journey.

Author: Michael Pennock

ISBN: 9781594718410

6" x 9" Paperback

384 pages

On-sale date: August 3, 2018

homas Merton recognized the value and possibility of contemplative dialogue between monastics and contemplatives of other religious traditions and hoped that, through such dialogue, monastics would strive for "inter-monastic communion" and a bonding of the broader "spiritual family." He held out hope that this bond would demonstrate the fundamental unity of humanity to a world that was becoming ever more materialistic and divided.

Among other themes and topics, this book explores Thomas Merton's role as a pioneer of Buddhist-Christian dialogue and monastic interreligious dialogue. It delves into the process of Merton's self-transformation through contemplative experiences, explores his encounter with Zen and Tibetan Buddhists and his pioneering engagements in Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and presents and responds to the criticisms of those who raise questions about Merton's understanding of Buddhism.

Author: Jaechan Anselmo Park, OSB

Paperback 5-1/2 x 8-1/2

Pages 304

ISBN: 978-0-8146-8474-0

Publication Date: 04/15/2019

Dan DeMatte, former star of the A&E reality series God or the Girl, and his wife, Amber, unlock the keys to marital happiness and saintly holiness by guiding you on a thirty-three-day, at-home study for couples that will not only strengthen your marriage but also reenergize your relationship with God and improve your entire family"s walk with Jesus. The retreat will help you incorporate the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience into your marriage so you can become the spouse, parent, and Catholic you"ve always wanted to be.

The ultimate goal for the Christian life is heaven, but what path should a couple take to get there?

The DeMattes, who have worked together in youth and family ministry for more than fifteen years, believe it"s holiness living as Jesus did.

Giving and receiving love and living for the sake of others especially your spouse and children will help you achieve holiness, the DeMattes say. You can even find holiness in the everyday tasks of marriage and family life such as doing the dishes, changing diapers, and cleaning up messes.

In The Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage, the DeMattes walk you through a thirty-three -day retreat that culminates in consecrating your marriage to Christ. They will help you achieve perfect love for each other, your family, and God by incorporating the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience into your life. This retreat will help you fall deeper in love with Christ, your spouse and children, and the world God calls you to serve.

Each chapter includes discussion questions and a prayer for couples.

Author: Dan and Amber DeMatte

Format: Paperback

Pages: 224

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-799-4

On-sale date: March 16, 2018

How often have you heard, "Don't let your emotions get the best of you"? But what if instead of ignoring our feelings, we noticed them, named them, and let God use them to draw us closer to Himself and others?

Many of us need to unlearn damaging messages about our emotions. We've been taught, for example, that emotions are untrustworthy, when, in fact, God can use them to help us see where we need His healing.

In  Untangle Your Emotions,  Jennie Allen uses scientific research, biblical insight, and her own story to help you

� exchange stuffing, dismissing, or minimizing your emotions for a five-step process to know what you feel and what to do about it
� debunk the myth that feelings are sinful by learning how emotional maturity leads to deeper connection with God and others
� live emotionally healthy by applying biblical wisdom and therapeutic research that works whether you self-identify as "emotional" or not
� sit with feelings that are confusing and painful by discovering the depth of God's love and compassion for you

Feelings aren't something to fix; they are something to feel. As we discover how to name and navigate our emotions, we'll learn how they can draw us closer to the God who built us--soul, mind, and heart.

Written by Mary De Turris Poust

Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas 2022-2023

Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing Christs Passion through the Eyes of Women

Walk in Her Sandals, edited by popular Catholic author and speaker Kelly M. Wahlquist, takes you deeper into your relationship with Jesus by helping you relate to him in a profoundly intimate way. Looking at six universal gifts of women through the eyes of women in the gospels, the book guides you on a prayerful and creative journey through the days of Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.

As you imagine the experience of the women who met Jesus, you will discover how each of them expressed one of six, distinctive, feminine gifts identified in the writings of St. John Paul II. Through the eyes of an imagined woman who watched Jesus" entry into Jerusalem, you will understand how she conveyed the gift of receptivity. Through the hands of Veronica, who reached out to wipe the face of Jesus, you will discover how sensitivity is present and can grow in your own life. These gifts, along with generosity, prayer, maternity, and the Holy Spirit, come to life through the vivid portrayal of women who walked with Jesus. Their imagined stories are complemented by the real accounts of contemporary women who share their own stories of receiving and cultivating these gifts.

Walk in Her Sandals is a collaborative effort, edited by Wahlquist with contributions from ten leading Catholic women writers, all of whom are associated with the organization she founded WINE: Women In the New Evangelization. The contributors will help you break open the scripture, reflect upon it and apply it to your own life, and share those insights in a small-group setting through the use of questions and challenges.

Each chapter unfolds in eight movements:

• A Moment to Ponder: Wahlquist sets the stage for the theme of that chapter.
• Entering the Scripture: Sarah Christmyer, codeveloper of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible Study, reveals the riches of the scripture that corresponds with the day, both in the biblical narrative and in the liturgical year.
• Walk in Her Sandals: Stephanie Landsem, author of the biblical fiction series The Living Water, draws you into the story and allows you to experience what it may have been like for women who lived and walked with Jesus.
• Unwrapping the Gift: Catholic author, speaker, and faith-formation leader Pat Gohn shows how each woman demonstrates a particular feminine gift and invites you to nurture that gift in yourself and understand anew the beauty of your dignity and vocation.
• Reflect on the Meaning: Writers including CatholicMom.com founder Lisa M. Hendey and popular media personality Teresa Tomeo offer insight, encouragement, and inspiration for your own journey through their personal stories.
• Lectio and Meditation: A prayerful reading of the scripture and a guided meditation to draw you more deeply into an intimate relationship with Jesus.
• Questions for Group Discussion: Carol Younger, senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, offers a helpful tool to share your experience with other women.
• Walking in the New Evangelization: Wahlquist offers two ways to contribute to the New Evangelization first by growing in your contemplative spiritual life and then by giving you practical suggestions to enhance your active spiritual life.

Walk in Her Sandals will allow you to enter more fully into life in Christ by praying over his passion, death, and resurrection. It will help you experience a conversion of heart and recognize your own giftedness.

Author: Kelly M. Wahlquist

ISBN: 9781594716911

6" x 9" Paperback

160 pages

On-sale date: October 10, 2016

Welcome to the Feast is an invitation to explore the theme of celebrating God's unfolding covenant relationship with humanity in the context of a meal. Starting with Abraham's hospitality in providing a feast for three divine visitors, the menu in Welcome to the Feast begins with ample servings from the Old Testament before delving into Jesus' many controversial meals with his disciples and other sinners. After savoring the accounts of miraculous feedings, the accounts of the Last Supper as recorded in Paul and the Synoptic Gospels become the main course. Yeary follows with the "breaking of the bread," in the book of Acts. Finally, we hear in Jesus' bread of life discourse in John the call for all who are hungry for true food to come to the feast.

Subtitle: The Story of the Eucharist in Scripture
Author: Clifford Yeary

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 978-814649695
Details: 96 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 10/31/2014

What I Am Living For: Lessons from the Life and Writings of Thomas Merton

Some of today's most popular spiritual writers including Rev. James Martin, S.J.Bishop Robert Barron; Robert Ellsberg; Rev. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M.and Kaya Oakes explore the meaning of life and what we live for using Thomas Merton's life and writings as a guide.

In his address before the US Congress, Pope Francis praised Merton as one of four exemplary Americans. This was no surprise to the thousands who already know and appreciate the twentieth-century monk, but there were many listening that day who still have no idea who Merton is.

What I Am Living For offers readers new to Merton, as well as longtime enthusiasts, an opportunity to see how the influential twentieth-century monk and writer continues to encourage the awakening of faith in the twenty-first century.

The book is in two parts. Each contributor to part one focuses on an aspect of the spiritual life that is of vital importance today and on which Merton made a profound impact. These include:

• Martin Finding who God intends you to be
• Ellsberg The spiritual need for solitude and stability
• Oakes The importance of coming to terms with our sexuality, whether married, single, or celibate
• Horan The importance of dialogue with God, culture, society, and people of other faiths

Part two features shorter, often more personal reflections on the future of faith, the life and teachings of Merton, and what he still says to anyone who seeks a relationship with God.

Author: James Martin, S.J. Mary Neill, O.P. Robert Ellsberg, Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., Kevin Hunt, O.C.S.O. Gregory K. Hillis, Kaya Oakes

ISBN: 9781594717413

5.5" x 8.5" Paperback

224 pages

On-sale date: March 16, 2018

Why is My Teenager feeling like this?: A Guide for helping teens through Anxiety and Depression by Author  David Murray

"Helps parents to guide their teens through anxiety and depression with biblical and practical solutions"--  

Have you ever looked at your anxious or depressed teenage son or daughter and wondered,  Why is my teenager feeling like this?

In this companion guide to his book for teens  Why Am I Feeling Like This?, pastor and counselor David Murray offers spiritual encouragement and practical direction for parents and other adults who want to help but don't know where to start. Structured around eighteen real-life examples, Murray provides tips for having open conversations with teens about anxiety and depression, as well as discussion questions, Bible verses for memorization, and prayers. With these tools in hand, parents and teenagers alike will be equipped to experience freedom from the chains of anxiety and depression.

The  New York Times  bestselling author of  Chase the Lion  reveals seven powerful habits that can help you tackle God-sized goals by turning yesterday's regrets and tomorrow's anxieties into fuel for a better today.

"This book will change the trajectory of your life."--John Maxwell, #1  New York Times  bestselling author, entrepreneur, and leadership expert

Too many people delay, downsize, or shrug off their dreams just because they don't know where to start, but playing it safe doesn't account for the massive cost of a life not fully lived.  Win the Day  is the jump-start you need to go after your goals, one day at a time. You'll discover how to:

1. Flip the Script:  If you want to change your life, start by changing your story.
2. Kiss the Wave:  The obstacle is not the enemy; the obstacle is the way.
3. Eat the Frog:  If you want God to do the super, you've got to do the natural.
4. Fly the Kite:  How you do anything is how you'll do everything.
5. Cut the Rope:  Playing it safe is risky.
6. Wind the Clock:  Time is measured in minutes; life is measured in moments.
7. Seed the Clouds:  Sow today what you want to see tomorrow.

As Batterson unpacks each of these daily habits, you'll see how simple it is to pursue them with focus and dedication--not someday down the road, but now. Transform your perspective of a single day and you'll discover the potential waiting to be grasped at the beginning of each new sunrise.

A leading Catholic intellectual explains why the teachings of the Second Vatican Council are essential to the Church's future and the world's

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was the most important Catholic event in the past five hundred years. Yet sixty years after its opening on October 11, 1962, its meaning remains sharply contested and its promise unfulfilled.

In To Sanctify the World, George Weigel explains the necessity of Vatican II and explores the continuing relevance of its teaching in a world seeking a deeper experience of freedom than personal willfulness. The Councils texts are also a critical resource for the Catholic Church as it lives out its original, Christ-centered evangelical purpose.

Written with insight and verve, To Sanctify the World recovers the true meaning of Vatican II as the template for a Catholicism that can propose a path toward genuine human dignity and social solidarity.

Prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey in Missouri, this edition presents these moving passages of the Bible in an accurate and poetic translation, while keeping a smooth cadence especially suited to singing and recitation.

It establishes the definitive form of psalms and canticles that will gradually appear in official Catholic liturgical books such as future editions of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Lectionary for Mass.

Liturgy directors, composers, parish music directors, and the clergy, religious, and lay faithful will value this collection. Anyone who loves to study and pray with Sacred Scripture will find this work to be a timeless treasure.

Catholic theologian Ann M. Garrido—author of the bestselling and award-winning book Redeeming Administration—continues her work on Christian leadership by examining power not as a manipulative force in short supply but as Jesus understood it: an abundant good meant to be shared and put to use for the sake of harmony and holiness.

In Redeeming Power, Garrido helps you develop a spirituality of power by considering the skills and personal qualities that will enable a healthy and holy use of power in your role as one who leads. Garrido explores key passages from the creation stories of Genesis where we find the roots of how Jesus understood power. She shows how God shares divine power with all humans and calls leaders to specific ways of exercising power that will benefit the people and institutions they serve.

Ann Garrido’s 2009 article in America magazine on the spirituality of administration in Catholic settings created a wave of demand in this successful academic administrator’s already full speaking schedule. Garrido admits that she sometimes finds administration draining, even boring, as it fractures her days into “tiny shards of time” that make it impossible to focus on “the big ideas.” And yet she has found spiritual gifts in her many years as a theologian, parish minister, and administrator in higher education. In Redeeming Administration, she reveals those gifts by examining twelve spiritual habits for Catholic leaders in parishes, schools, religious communities, and other institutions—presenting a saint who embodies each habit—and showing readers how to experience their administrative work as a crucial ministry of the Church.

A brief prayer and questions for personal reflection, group conversation, or spiritual direction complete each chapter. Free downloads to accompany Redeeming Administration include a small-group guide and prayer resources.

When a serious illness or a health crisis occurs, few people are prepared to deal with it, and when faced with big medical decisions, patients often are confused and overwhelmed, and they are sometimes too sick to make important decisions. Many times, decisions fall to family and loved ones who don’t always know the patient’s wishes. Intensive Caring: A Practical Handbook for Catholics about Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care is the perfect resource to help everyone involved navigate the complexities of healthcare during serious illness and end-of-life care.

In Intensive Caring, Dr. Natalie King, a palliative care physician, shares real-life patient stories and provides practical medical information to bring clarity and understanding to these complex healthcare decisions. In this easy-to-navigate guide, King helps you and your loved ones think through the issues at hand and align your decisions with your values and faith while safeguarding the sacred dignity of human life.

Losing a child is devastating. For Catholic parents who lose a child before or shortly after birth, this profound grief often comes with distinctive, sudden, and difficult questions about God, the Church, and who they are now as parents to the child they have lost. Why did God let this happen? Where is my baby? Can the Church help me make sense of this? What do we do now?

In A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss, Abigail Jorgensen serves as a companion and guide through perinatal loss in light of Catholic teaching. She addresses difficult medical, theological, and practical questions asked by loss parents and the friends, family, pastors, ministers, and medical professionals who support them.

Jorgensen has first-hand experience, both as a mother who has lost children in miscarriage and as a Catholic bereavement doula—someone who walks with families through early child loss. Through her own experiences, she discovered how hard it can be to find adequate answers and spiritual help from within the Church, so she wrote the book that she and her clients have needed.

Topics related to Catholic social teaching emerge regularly in American political and civic discourse, often connected to discussions about religious freedom, abortion, immigrant rights, racism, capital punishment, and health care. This third edition of A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching by Rev. Kevin E. McKenna incorporates the essential teachings of Pope Francis in Evangelium Gaudium, Laudato Si’, and Amoris Laetitia to offer a clear, beginner-level reference tool and study guide for Church leaders and other interested Catholics to help them navigate this vast body of teaching.

Building on core themes of human dignity, community, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor, dignity of work, solidarity, and care of creation, McKenna distills a vast amount of Catholic teaching into easily digestible summaries, each carefully referenced to its primary source and correlated to pressing issues making today’s headlines. 

This practical and thorough guide remains a perennial favorite for study and reference in Catholic parishes, universities, and ministry formation programs.

Every educator needs a friend to turn to when they are facing a rowdy classroom, challenging parent interactions, tense staff meetings, or even just the everyday demands of teaching. Seasoned teacher Amy Cattapan recommends you form a posse of saintly mentors who are always there to offer inspiring examples and powerful intercession.

In A Saint Squad for Teachers, Cattapan introduces you to a team of forty-five diverse and relatable saints ready to lift you up and intercede for you during every twist and turn of the school year. By drawing from the stories and wisdom of these heavenly educators and holy mentors, you’ll not only flourish as a teacher but also tackle the highs and lows of your calling with renewed vigor and unshakeable hope.

Catholic school teachers have a special vocation to reach the hearts and minds of young people, even in the midst of never-ending lesson planning, grading papers, and trying to lead a balanced life. Called to Teach, a book of 366 short, thought-provoking reflections, can help teachers stay focused on their Christ-centered mission by providing a source of energy, renewal, and affirmation for their day.

This collection of one-minute daily reflections offers a prayerful opportunity to recapture the joyous expectation Christ has in mind for Catholic teachers. Each day begins with a scripture passage that sets a theme and provides much-needed encouragement as a reminder of the daily gifts present in a Catholic school. Justin McClain, a theology and Spanish teacher at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, will help teachers take a fresh look at everyday benchmarks of success in lesson planning, classroom prayer, and dealing with difficult theological questions. He also addresses needs outside the classroom—relaxation and a good night’s sleep, healthy eating habits, continuing education, and more time for prayer.

When someone you love dies by suicide, confusion, shame, and guilt often add to the emotional upheaval and spiritual turmoil in your life. When a Loved One Dies by Suicide was written by Catholics who have lost a loved one due to suicide. The contributors share their personal stories of loss, of learning to cope with the crushing grief, of finding comfort in faith and community, and of discovering hope as they began to move forward again.

Suicide, although common, too often is hidden in our culture and in the Catholic Church. When a Loved One Dies by Suicide dispels the misconceptions about what the Church teaches about suicide and offers a wealth of guidance and support to help you find your own path toward healing. The contributors include Deacon Ed Shoener, Bishop John P. Dolan, Msgr. Charles Pope, Leticia Adams, Tom and Fran Smith, and clinical experts in the field of mental health and suicide.

Many pastoral leaders feel ill-equipped to respond to the turmoil of those who face the death by suicide of a loved one. Responding to Suicide is the first book written for Catholic leaders that takes a holistic approach to understanding suicide and ministering effectively in its aftermath.

More than a dozen leading mental health practitioners, Catholic theologians, and pastoral care experts share how best to respond to suicide as leaders in parishes, schools, healthcare systems, and other Church settings. The book offers a cross-disciplinary approach that provides basic information about the central role of mental health in suicide and clarifies Church teaching about suicide, funerals and burials for those who have died by suicide, and their afterlife.

Death by suicide is usually sudden, often violent, and frequently comes at the end of a long and difficult struggle with a mental illness. Heaped on top of that is a social stigma that leaves loved ones in shock and often burdened with shame. Responding to Suicide addresses common concerns of the bereaved following a suicide: skepticism that Catholic leaders will understand; fear that the Church teaches that their loved one is in hell; and belief that they will find little if any support in the Church.