Spirituality

A Spiritual Pilgrimage

At critical times throughout Salvation History, God’s people have been invited to consecrate themselves. We are at one of those critical times in history, and consecrating ourselves, our families, our country, and indeed, the whole world to the Eucharist may make all the difference.

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory is the first ever Eucharistic Consecration. This unprecedented spiritual resource presents profound truths, astonishing historical facts, powerful practical examples, a daily virtue to adopt, extraordinary prayers, and inspiring stories—all in an easy-to-follow daily format.

Life is a pilgrimage. It is a sacred journey toward our eternal home with God. Learn what it means to be a pilgrim in a world that is constantly trying to reduce you to a tourist and consumer. Journey with Mother Teresa, John Paul II, Thérèse of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, Thomas Aquinas, Sister Faustina, the Children of Fatima, and Mary the Mother of God to experience Jesus in the Eucharist like never before.

Prepare yourself for an explosion of grace in your life. Grace is the assistance God gives us to do what is good, true, noble, and right. And there is no better way to receive God’s grace than through the Eucharist. Over the next thirty-three days you will learn how these great saints and others lived in Eucharistic Glory.

This extraordinary spiritual guide will forever change the way you spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist.

THIS CONSECRATION IS AN INVITATION to dedicate yourself to God and make yourself 100 percent available to carry out His will on this earth. It is an act of unconditional surrender to Jesus in the Eucharist, an opportunity to set aside our distractions and selfishness, dedicate ourselves abundantly, wholeheartedly, and completely to the will of God, and promise to faithfully respond to God’s grace in our life.

In the Book of Exodus, after the incident with the golden calf, Moses realized that the people had lost their way, and so he called them together and said:

“Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord . . . that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day.”

In the First Book of Chronicles, after God chose his son Solomon to lead, David gave everything he had over to God and the people of Israel. And then he asked:

“Who else among you will contribute generously and consecrate themselves to the Lord this day?”

In the Book of Joshua, God’s chosen people entered the Promised Land after wandering in the desert for forty years. Joshua asked the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant before the people and said:

“Consecrate yourselves to the Lord, for tomorrow He will do wonders among you.”

For the Jewish people, the Ark of the Covenant was God’s dwelling place on earth, God’s presence among them. The Eucharist is God dwelling among us today. And so, today I say to you, with Moses, David, and Joshua . . . “Consecrate yourself today to the Lord . . . that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day.”

33 Days to Eucharistic Glory is the first guide to Eucharistic Consecration. Catholics have consecrated themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Saint Joseph, Saint Raphael, Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Anne, the Holy Spirit, the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mediatrix of All Grace, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Sorrows, and to the Holy Trinity.

I believe it is time we consecrated ourselves to Jesus in the Eucharist—it is time for a Eucharistic Consecration.

Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. So whether you want to deepen your love of Divine Mercy or have a devotion to St. Therese, 33 Days to Merciful Love is the book for you.

In A Beautiful Second Act, bestselling author Maria Morera Johnson explores the adventure of life's second half, drawing inspiration from twenty saints and "soul sisters" who faced these challenges with courage.

As advancements in health and medicine extend our lifespan, women of the sandwich generation--those balancing the needs of both children and parents--are experiencing a multitude of challenges as they transition out of the workforce and into the promise of retirement. A Beautiful Second Act: Saints and Soul Sisters Who Taught Me to Be a Badass Age with Grace contains encouragement and wisdom from saints and contemporary soul sisters who experienced similar challenges during their transition to midlife and beyond and offers insight into the aging process.

Chapter after chapter, these inspiring saints and contemporary changemakers from all over the world will help you, too, embrace your second half and the changes it brings to our health, our personal relationships, our responsibilities, our work, and our faith.

Each chapter offers experiences of female saints and soul sisters as they illuminate different aspects of this season of aging: physical changes in the body, shifts in work and purpose, dealing with aging parents and end-of-life issues, the need for strong spiritual friendships, and the importance of mercy.

Drawing from a diverse range of occupations, races, times, and outcomes, Johnson writes about her own struggle to redefine her second act and what it means to trust God as our lives begin to wind down and our ultimate purpose comes into crystal-clear focus.

Blaise Pascal reflected that humanity is obsessed with divertissement, that is, diversions. By embracing noise and pleasure, we avoid thinking about anything that may be associated with aging, dying, or our final end. But what if our determination to avoid these thoughts means that we are consigning ourselves to living an aimless life? Best-selling author Vittorio Messori invites you to explore this and other aspects of Pascal's Wager in a compelling, conversational way.

In these soul-stirring pages, you will find that death isn't simply an individual concern but a collective one. Society's continual advancements in technology and rising political hostilities make the possibility of nuclear apocalypse and other mass extinction events ever more real. Modern culture, however, seems fascinated with death only in entertainment. For death in reality, it relies on euphemisms and escapism rather than direct, honest engagement with the problems of sin, suffering, and grief.

Through thought-provoking examples from history, entertainment, psychology, and culture, you will learn ways in which society's treatment of death is impacting education, careers, mental health, and daily living. You will also discover:

- How death is viewed in light of ideologies from the Enlightenment to Marxism to existentialism
- The connection between radical liberalism and individualism, which lead to a culture of death
- Why the burden of proof lies with those who deny the afterlife
- How the challenge to consider religion is really about human dignity, self-respect, and duty
- How Christian belief is unique from other religions and its denominational differences
- What the Bible says about the afterlife, beginning with the Old Testament

You will also learn ways to restore hope and will see how silence can be a gift and why Messori believes that humor is a virtue. In addition, you will see why the Church's worldview helps to bring meaning and value to every human life, why death is triumphing in modernity, and how you can help turn the tide by choosing life -- now and in the world to come.

Tanner Kalina was destined for an acting career in Hollywood but couldn't escape the nagging feeling that the limelight would never be enough; after all, neither was baseball stardom, stand-up comedy, or the thrill of surfing. No matter his pursuit, he was always haunted by the reality that booking the part, winning the award, or catching the perfect wave (you name it) would never quite satisfy him.

In Aching for Greatness: Discover God's Love in the Restless Search for More, Kalina shares how his restless search for more led him to the realization that God is the only one who can ever truly fulfill the longings in his heart. Kalina didn't change everything about his life overnight, but he did commit to giving Jesus a real chance, going all in and no longer walking with one foot in and one foot out.

Inspired by the early Christians after Pentecost, the men and women who "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42), Kalina shares how these four spiritual practices became a model for developing intimacy with Jesus:

Chances are, this restless search for more is something you can relate to, something you've experienced in your own life. When those empty feelings lead you to ask, "Why do I feel so alone? Why don't I feel fulfilled?," Kalina encourages you not to feel ashamed or defeated but to realize that acknowledging how you feel is the first step to a life filled with greater joy, connection, and peace.

So, what's your next step? Are you ready to find what you've been looking for?

Aching for Greatness will inspire you to set out on the adventure that only a deep, personal knowledge of God can offer. With a two-thousand-year-old roadmap to follow and the conviction that nothing aside from an intimate relationship with God will bring lasting peace, you're sure to discover God's powerful love.

Pat Gohn knows what her one thing is: "More than any single factor in my life, belonging to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church has had the greatest impact on me. Faith gives meaning to everything in my life."

In this passionate and unapologetic account of why her faith in Christ and the Catholic Church are the source of meaning and joy in her life, Gohn--popular speaker, retreat leader, catechist, and author of Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious--invites you to become more confident in the power of the Catholic faith to transform your life as well.

Being a cradle Catholic, cancer survivor, wife, and mother are all a part of Gohn's story. But in this appealing, personal book, she shares why her relationship with Jesus and her confidence in his Church are so much bigger than her medical diagnosis, more powerful than her family history, and more significant than her career path.

Gohn ardently shares why belonging to the Church will strengthen and nurture your relationship with God. It will keep you connected with Jesus and the sacraments--conduits of grace, forgiveness, healing, wisdom, and renewal. Belonging to the Church connects you to millions of others around the world, to the saints, and to your loved ones in heaven. These relationships are at the heart of Catholicism. In this time when life and society are so fragmented, the joy of belonging to a community--as imperfect as it can be--easily outweighs the agony of separation or isolation.

Gohn's confidence in her faith emerged despite and even out of a struggle with disillusionment. Working in a parish when news of the sex abuse scandals broke in Boston, she confronted heartbreak and anger within herself and her fellow parishioners. Yet she never left the Church and relates how she found a way to dig deeper and discover reasons to stay faithful.

Each of the nine chapters identifies a dimension of the Catholic faith that is a source of Gohn's confidence, including the Incarnation, God's plan, the Fatherhood of God, the friendship of the Holy Spirit, and the love of neighbor. Each chapter also features reflection questions to challenge you.

In Ancient Wisdom, Living Fire, bestselling author and multiplatinum recording artist John Michael Talbot reveals how the Church fathers--great martyrs, saints, theologians, and mystics--helped him to become closer to Jesus.

Talbot weaves his own spiritual journey with thirteen lessons he learned from Church Fathers including Sts. Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great, explaining how their witness became part of the sure foundation of his own faith and ministry.

The early Church Fathers built on the foundation of Christianity passed down to them by Jesus through the apostles. In this powerful work, John Michael Talbot introduces readers to both well-known and less familiar but highly influential Church Fathers of the first through eighth centuries. These are the great minds and hearts of ancient discipleship that have deeply influenced Talbot's own spiritual, professional, personal, and religious life. Their words and witness have drawn Talbot closer to Jesus, giving him, and all of us, the guidance, assurance, and wisdom we all seek as we walk with the Lord.

In Ancient Wisdom, Living Fire, Talbot highlights thirteen essential lessons that will show us how to grow closer to Jesus, including:

You, too, can walk along the path of the ancient fathers with Talbot to become closer to Christ.

In Answering God's Call, spiritual director Barbara Lee uses Scripture-focused prayer to help readers connect with some of our elder saints and consider what God reveals to us through their lives. We will spend time with Anna and Abram, Simon's mother-in-law and Namaan the Syrian, a widow, a leper, a king, and a late-in-life mother-to-be, among others, who will open for us the calls to

Rather than turning away from death, great saints such as Robert Bellarmine, the author of this book, use it as a lens through which to view life from the right perspective ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 God's perspective.

Seen this way, death becomes for them ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 and can become for you ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 a source of spiritual liberation rather than a reason for fear, enabling you to love the world as it ought to be loved and to answer your final summons with joy.

St. Robert Bellarmine makes it simple for you. He explains sixteen things you can do to put your life in order now, so you'll start living better today and be prepared for death whenever it comes, be it tomorrow or years from now. Not only will these sixteen insightful measures free you from fear; they'll invigorate your spiritual life and bring into all aspects of your life the consoling peace of Christ.

Let St. Robert Bellarmine ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 the brilliant Doctor of the Church who influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence and other American founding documents ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 introduce you to the art of dying well. You'll discover:

Over many centuries, Christians have lost sight of the heart of the Eternal Covenant: our nuptial union with God in Jesus as members of his Body and Bride. This has fueled a growing crisis of Christian identity and witness. Only by rediscovering the depth and beauty of our salvation in Christ will we be drawn to share more fully in his life and saving mission. But that requires encountering anew the scriptural and early Christian understanding of redemption as a nuptial bond rather than merely a juridical pardon of sin. Beginning with the Trinity's revelation of himself and his Covenant in the person of Jesus, As I Have Loved You examines our own existence as persons and how the Covenant relationship weds us to Christ in his loving service of God and neighbor. That union prepares us for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, when we will know and love God even as he knows and loves us.

Imagine a dialogue between Jesus and someone we read about in scripture, someone who had an extraordinary encounter with the Lord. The daughter of Jairus, a synagogue official, had such an encounter. What might she have thought upon meeting him? What might she have learned in years following, from being in his presence? Her words to Jesus might sound like your own as she shares with us her struggles, her prayers, and her questions to the Lord. His words to her might sound like the answers you too need to hear.

As St. Catherine of Siena so aptly stated, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!" Despite our fallen natures, we have the ability, through the solid Christian understanding of the human person—body and soul—how we can rise above it all. The authors of this Christian personality book guide us towards spiritual maturity, by teaching us how to improve one's personality, self-esteem, and virtue, without imitating models that distract us from our own identity. We learn how to live a happier and more coherent life, and how to acquire greater empathy with others—especially with our own family members and those in our immediate environment.

Here is the fascinating life and compelling spirituality of María Concepción Cabrera de Armida (1862-1937), now Blessed Conchita, presented for the first time by an American author. This saintly Mexican wife and mother of nine children experienced a "mystical life...comparable to that of St. Teresa of Ávila," according to Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the Papal Household.

Author Kathleen Beckman shows how Blessed Conchita -- who founded a religious community for women and one for men and published forty-six books and sixty-six diary volumes -- modeled the heroic fortitude you need to live out your vocation. Her heroic life experience and mystical writings show how to dispose yourself for deep conversion and transformation in Christ.

Stirring excerpts from Blessed Conchita's writings reveal her great love and her profound spiritual insights for priests, religious, and married people alike. Passages describing Jesus' personal and prophetic words to Blessed Conchita and her compelling eucharistic reflections are enhanced with explanations of how they relate to your life.

You will learn about Blessed Conchita's vision of the Cross, her spiritual marriage with Christ, her numerous mystical encounters, and the vows she professed -- all while living a domestic life. You will also be enthralled by the miraculous physical healing, through Blessed Conchita's intercession, of a young father with a mysterious debilitating illness. Blessed Conchita will hearten and mentor you as you learn:

Hurts experienced in our youth, be they traumas or trials, might get stowed away, yet our inner child remembers. It doesn't matter how much time passes or how mature we become; such hurts can eventually cause friction in our daily lives, casting a long shadow over our relationships with ourselves, our loved ones, and our God.

Written in a compassionate and pastoral tone by licensed marriage and family therapist Brya Hanan, Befriending Your Inner Child: A Catholic Approach to Inner Healing invites you to venture deep into your heart and befriend your hurts, emotional wounds, and childish behavior--or in the world of psychotherapy, your "inner child"--to reclaim your truest self, experience inner wholeness and healing, and strengthen your relationship with God and others.

Part one of the book explains why it is essential to befriend your inner child as well as the wounds and self-protections that this "child within" holds. Through this discovery, you will learn how to transform your deepest hurts into opportunities for healing and integration. Part two of the book offers practical tools to tend to your inner child compassionately.

Through Hanan's practical "5 A's," you will learn how to

1. anchor yourself in God and in your God-given body;
2. acknowledge your feelings and where you notice them showing up in your body;
3. attune to your deepest wounds, core beliefs, and distressing feelings;
4. ask God to show you what you need and how to participate in his healing work; and
5. act consistently with loving compassion toward yourself.

Hanan vulnerably shares her own journey of "reparenting" her inner child with God and offers additional case studies from her clinical practice that highlight how different life stories and life stages can respond to befriending their inner child. Each chapter includes charts, lists, and "Befriend Work" exercises that challenge readers to reflect further on the content.

If you long to experience more fulfillment and wholeness, this book is for you.

In what was to be the last chapter of the book, Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin wanted to tell the story of a woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. The woman told her husband that at the many potluck church dinners she attended, she was always told to hold onto her fork after the main dish because there was still one more course--dessert. The best was yet to come!

Sr. Anne possessed an uncanny gift to inject new life into familiar words and simple lessons such as life is a precious gift, don't take yourself too seriously, and little things mean a lot. She reminds us in her final work that no matter how difficult some moments in life can be, the best is yet to come.

In the tradition of her popular books Tickle Your Soul and Live, Laugh, and Be Blessed, Sr. Anne's down-to-earth wisdom and warm sense of humor once again break through the mundane routine of life, inviting you to wake up and take a fresh look around. Twenty-seven brief chapters will take you on a delightful tour through topics such as keeping perspective, living in the present moment, seeing the connections, and appreciating the past.

The book was written just before Sr. Anne's untimely death and is being published posthumously in honor of her work and inspiration. Lifelong friend Sr. Patricia St. John, C.S.J., put the finishing touches on this manuscript. In her foreword, Sr. Patti recalls some of Sr. Anne's personal qualities--her wide-open heart to anyone in need, her delight in simple things, her ability to lovingly focus on each person she met--the same qualities she imparts as you read this book.

Every one of us suffers from some sort of addiction. For some, it might be a television series, while others struggle with a crippling reliance on drugs or alcohol. The cycle of dependency always leaves you wanting more; you are never satisfied no matter how much you indulge. If you are ready to break the unfulfilling cycle and experience internal freedom, this insightful book offers an optimistic view and can support you on your journey.

"Brother Rohr may just take you to places you've both avoided and longed for, to truth, union, joy, laughter, and, greatest of all, to your own precious self, here on earth with us, child of God."--Anne Lamott, from the foreword.

To survive the tidal wave of compulsive behavior and addiction, Christians must learn "to breathe under water" and discover God's love and compassion. Globally recognized spirituality author Richard Rohr says we can only be healed and find true fulfillment by facing our dependencies head-on. Rohr connects the gospels to the core of the Christian faith in the Twelve Steps. This prophetic book guides you to disentangle from cultural cycles of sin and emptiness, discover how to get free from your personal toxic dependencies, learn how the Twelve Step program can supplement Christian teaching, find compassion for others and yourself, and enjoy a deeper spiritual life, feeling certain of God's love for you. We cannot stop the addictive culture that surrounds us, but we can become free of it and build "a coral castle and learn to breathe under water."

Call Him Father is a delightfully practical guide to attaining joyful intimacy with God, and to knowing Him truly as your Father. Fr. Edward Maristany leads you through a simple approach to getting to know God through prayer and service. In this book on the the fatherhood of God, he describes the crucial role of parents in introducing children to the love of our heavenly Father, and explains the role of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Mary in fostering this love. He shows you how even your times of difficulty can lead you to deeper love for and trust in God your Father.

How will you -- how can you -- answer God's call to holiness?

The path to holiness is traveled step by step. The way of holiness is lived grace by grace. Your journey to God is nothing more, and nothing less, than that series of steps.

But how do you take that step each day? How do you live that grace each day? How, each day, do you answer God's call, God's personal invitation to holiness?

What New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan recommends, urges, reminds, and teaches is radical in the truest sense of that word: It is basic. It is at the roots. It is fundamental.

This solid theologian, noted Church historian, and natural-born storyteller goes first to the source: what Christ said and promised, what Scripture and Tradition tell us. Then building on that firm foundation, here, too, is what the Church teaches; what the saints have discovered, lived, and shared; what the Fathers and Doctors of the Church have written; what "ordinary" Catholics -- on that path, accepting those graces -- have come to learn.

Here is a detailed examination and encouraging explanation of faith, hope, humility, love and chastity, human formation, patience, penance, joy, and obedience.

Here is how to be a good steward of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as you hear and answer God's call.