Books/Literature

Contemporary spiritual writer Fr. Donald Haggerty offers penetrating observations of the phenomenon of Christian conversion. Arranged as a collection of concise, meditative reflections, this book discusses the essential elements of a soul's return to God, including the repercussions of sin, the proper understanding of mercy, and the importance of a more radical response to God's will.

Fr. Haggerty also explores the fruits of conversion that make the difference between a mediocre relationship with God and a truly holy life. He identifies these special graces as love for the poor, simplicity of lifestyle, and devotion to the Eucharist.

The author's treatment of a "second conversion" is a unique and thought- provoking contribution to his subject. The ever renewed invitation to embrace a deeper passion for God is the thematic undercurrent of this inspiring work.

Courageous Women: A Study on the Heroines of Biblical History is another volume in Stacy Mitch's popular Courageous series of Bible studies for women.

An example is worth a thousand words. Using the stories of Sarah, Esther, Judith, the Blessed Mother, and other heroines of Scripture, Stacy Mitch helps her readers see how they can follow these examples in their daily lives. Divided into nine sections, this book is ideal for individual or group study.

The most up-to-date "catechism" in print! For the first time in over fifty years, a Catholic bishop has published his own comprehensive presentation of the Faith--what to believe, how to live, and how to pray as Christ taught.

Sure to be a classic for generations to come, Credo: Compendium of the Catholic Faith offers a clear and readable summary of Catholicism as a whole, given in the pastoral style of the apostles. Using the simple and direct "Question-Answer" format so popular among instructors (and internet search engines), Bishop Athanasius Schneider shares a bold new articulation of timeless truths, while also engaging current issues with courage and kindness.

After an Introduction outlining Christian identity and doctrine, Part I unpacks what Catholics believe, following the articles of the Apostle's Creed. Part II explains the principles of right moral action, following the Commandments. Part III teaches on grace, the sacraments, prayer, and worship. Appendices include the five major Christian Creeds, and a stellar Index (plus unique headers and bleed tabs) makes navigating the book delightfully easy.

Including treatments of several contemporary issues:

hile social norms and political movements are rapidly changing, the truth of the Catholic faith stands firm. In Cross-Examined: Catholic Responses to the World's Questions, readers are equipped to address even the most sensitive topics, from the existence of God to the existence of hell, from women's ordination to Marian devotion, from assisted suicide to transgenderism.

In Cross-Examined, Fr. Carter Griffin begins each discussion not with Catholic teaching but rather with its most common objections. Articulating these objections serves several purposes. First, it helps Catholics to respect those who do not share their beliefs by identifying intelligent grounds for disagreement. Pointing out objections also helps believers respond more persuasively in discussions with non-Catholic friends. Perhaps most importantly, knowing the common objects instills confidence that the Church is committed to the truth and unafraid to engage with those who dispute her teaching.

After identifying principal objections, each discussion continues with a brief summary of relevant Catholic teaching and then responds to each objection in turn.

In our shrill age that seems ever less capable of rational discourse, the method used in Cross-Examined can offer a way to remain faithful to our beliefs while acknowledging, respecting, and responding to alternative points of view.

2021

The Effective Catechetical Leaderseries, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God's word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

Effective catechists don't simply walk into a classroom and instinctively know what to do. To be successful, they require careful training and development. For that reason, recruiting high-quality candidates to the vocation of catechist, providing them with proper formation and training, and nurturing their vocation every step of the way is perhaps the highest priority for the successful catechetical leader. This fourth volume of The Effective Catechetical Leader series delves into the specific qualities and skills to look for when recruiting catechists; how to supervise, evaluate, support, and affirm your catechists; how to facilitate spiritual growth and transformation for the catechists in your care; and so much more.

The Effective Catechetical Leader series, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God's word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

As fixed-hour prayer gains in popularity among Christians of all persuasions, it is only natural that they should want to adopt this ancient practice to particular life circumstances. Drawing on her own experience of losing her young husband to cancer, in this poignant offering, Lisa B. Hamilton accommodates the practice of fixed-hour prayer for those who mourn.

With a soul purified from earthly attachments, we can advance through the much quoted but oft misunderstood dark night of the souls into unity with God. By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens itself to receiving and revealing more perfectly God's glory.

Be not afraid--Dark Night of the Soul, though austere and exacting in its instructions for holy living, is laced with St. John's charity and kindness, his love of all things beautiful and sacred--including you.

We've heard the story so many times that it fails to shock us: the appearances of the angel, a virgin giving birth, a child placed in a manger, the arrival of shepherds and magi. "But what if we had never heard the story before?" Edward Sri asks. "What if we were first-century Jews hearing this plot for the first time?" Only two Gospels give any details about the birth of the Messiah, but these chapters are packed with allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that any contemporary Jew would have recognized.

Today's reader, unfamiliar with the ancient Jewish world, misses the significance of many details in these accounts. This book bridges that gap, explaining the original context of every line and detail in the biblical stories. Sri not only helps us understand an earlier and pivotal time and place, he also brings us to a deeper understanding of the great mystery of God's entry into the world as one of us.

These pages bring you a beautiful collection of spiritual treasures drawn from the celebrated Diary of Catholic visionary and mystic, St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938).

Arranged by award-winning and best-selling Catholic author Susan Tassone into a handy, day-by-day form, these selections from Faustina's writings on Divine Mercy - revealed to her over the years in mystical conversations with Jesus himself - will help you do what Jesus told Faustina he wants you to do: trust completely in His mercy and show mercy to others.

By means of these daily readings, you'll come to know - and be enriched by - St. Faustina's "Secrets of Sanctity," awakening in you the qualities of Divine Mercy that Jesus himself infused into Faustina's soul: mercy (of course), but also trust, humility, and peaceful acceptance of God's will for you.

Since her death just over 80 years ago, St. Faustina has been a source of strength and inspiration for millions of souls across the globe, including St. John Paul II who canonized her in the year 2000. Today, she can begin bringing you, too, the strength and inspiration you need.

In Day by Day with Saint Faustina, you'll learn how to:

Soon you'll begin to experience in your soul the graces that were poured into hers. You'll find yourself becoming, like Faustina, an Apostle of Mercy, teaching others - by word and example - about the infinite love and compassion of God, who is Divine Mercy.

Fr. Livio Fanzaga, the Rome-educated, Vatican-endorsed writer and director of Europe's largest Catholic radio network, warns: Efforts to soft-pedal the reality and continuous threat of the devil have left many Catholics "unarmed and unprepared" to resist him. But the question is: How does Satan tempt and deceive us? And how can we see through and resist him?

In The Deceiver: Our Daily Struggle with Satan, Fr. Fanzaga confidently guides you through everything the Catechism, Sacred Scripture, and the wisdom of the saints tell us about the wiles and antics of the devil. You'll come to understand why evil exists, and you'll explore real-life examples of how the enemy tempts and ensnares us. The Deceiver masterfully unmasks the devil's seductive plan to create a kingdom of his own in your heart, ruled by pride, sensuality, greed, anger, fear, violence, and destruction.

Most importantly, Fr. Fanzaga provides you with the weapons you need to combat the darkness of the enemy and the seven capital vices. "Satan wants to buy you at a cheap price, but Jesus has poured out His blood in order to obtain your soul," reflects the author.

These pages correct many of the most common misconceptions about Satan while shedding important light on the end times. They also reveal:

Fr. Fanzaga warns us in this stunning book: "In a cultural climate that excludes the supernatural, the devil acts without being noticed. In a context of life in which God and His moral law are denied, Satan moves like a fish in water. Souls without light and deprived of the
weapons of the holy battle are doomed."

The Deceiver will equip you with the weapons you need to defeat Satan while opening your eyes to the miracles of God's healing love as you prepare for eternity.

Host of EWTN's "Deep Adventure Radio," and two-time Masters World Champion Surfer, Bear Woznick is the Adventure Guide for Deep Adventure Quest Retreats, where people step out of their comfort zone and into the danger zone of God's will. In Deep Adventure: The Way of Heroic Virtue, Bear shares his real-life adventures as a way to challenge you to go deeper with God and live a life of virtue. Pulse-pounding stories of ocean rescues, huge waves and deadly encounters with sharks show us that when people abandon themselves to God, they do not become some soft, pastel version of themselves. On the contrary, a life lived in pursuit of God's will is the boldest, most rewarding way possible to live. If you're tired of being spoon-fed the message that you just need to be "nicer," this book is for you.

You know deep inside that you are meant for more. You feel the call to be valiant and heroic for your loved ones and for the world. What you seek is profound, but you want a clearer goal and the means to accomplish that. Join us on this quest. Abandoning yourself to God's will takes every ounce of your courage and dedication. You will be tested, but Jesus is the one calling and he will empower you in ways you've never even imagined.

This moving story shows how a family found joy after their hopes and dreams were shattered by the rare, fatal neurological illness of their two sons. Told by the family's father, a popular Catholic radio host and marriage counselor, it recounts the way he and his wife received the courage and the support they needed to give their children abundant, fulfilling lives in spite of their gradual decline.

What initially seemed to be a tragedy for Joe Sikorra's family became a story of human triumph, an outcome made possible by the compassion and mercy of God. Their example can help those facing unexpected losses and challenges to believe that by placing their trust in Providence they too can overcome hardships with the most powerful force on earth--God's love.

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 favored by activists, has no solid definition. The language introduced by gender ideology is entirely subjective, which allows emotions to redefine reality. The very premise of the ideology is flawed and requires mental gymnastics of its adherents.

Keffler outlines the disturbing parallels between cults and gender ideology: recruitment tactics that prey upon insecurities, indoctrination in nonsensical beliefs that must never be questioned, requirements to shun nonbelievers, and in-group newspeak which cultivates a sense of belonging.

She exposes the cult of gender ideology with journalistic detail, digging into aspects the mainstream media chooses to ignore. She investigates:

Keffler also provides a manual for parenting children during the time they are most vulnerable to predatory gender activism. She instructs parents in navigating this brave new world, including discerning fact from fiction, setting boundaries regarding names and pronouns, how to find a trustworthy therapist, and how to determine what vulnerabilities led the child to the gender cult in the first place.

The book includes an abundance of resources for parents whose children are currently in the throes of or recovering from gender dysphoria. Central to her approach is unconditional love and forgiveness, with a focus on moving forward together.

Packed with statistical data, reasoned arguments, and practical advice, Desist, Detrans, and Detox equips readers to prevent, work through, and heal from the "medical scandal of the 21st century."

The Effective Catechetical Leader series, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God's word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

St. Pope John Paul II reminds us in Catechesi Tradendae that catechesis is a moment—"a very remarkable one—in the whole process of evangelization." In other words, catechesis is an essential part of evangelization, not something separate from it. Therefore, it is critically important that catechetical leaders recognize how to effectively catechize in a way that advances the Church's primary mission to evangelize. To that end, this third volume of The Effective Catechetical Leader will explore a Catholic understanding of evangelization grounded in Scripture and Tradition, how the New Evangelization supports and enhances today's catechesis, the inseparable nature of content and methodology in catechesis, the absolute importance of adult catechesis, and so much more.

The Effective Catechetical Leader series, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God's word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

"We can do nothing against you because you are too protected!"

So declared a frustrated host of devils to Father Gabriele Amorth, the priest exorcist in Rome who spent thirty years battling the Devil and his minions by performing more than sixty thousand exorcisms. All the while, he deftly used modern media to awaken our disbelieving modern culture -- and even the Church -- to the reality of the Devil and his nefarious actions at all times and everywhere.

In these eye-opening pages, angelologist Father Marcello Stanzione tells the fascinating story of Father Amorth and his life as an exorcist. You'll learn of his daily schedule and how he managed to perform dozens of exorcisms each week. You'll find out what his exorcism room looked like, and how various devils responded to his bold practice. Best of all, you'll read Father Amorth's own startling explanations of many truths about the Devil that our culture has forgotten -- and about the canny methods the Deceiver has adopted in recent years to corrupt believers and unbelievers alike. Among the many questions Father Amorth answers here are:

"We can do nothing against you because you are too protected!" cried the devils that Father Amorth battled. Let Father Amorth teach you in these pages how you, too, can be protected!

One of the greatest spiritual classics of all time is Introduction to the Devout Life, the St. Francis de Sales masterpiece written in the seventeenth century. Deacon Matthew Newsome breaks open this divine guide from one of the most sought-after spiritual counselors in history and helps you apply it to your life today. In these pages, you will find the direction you need to grow closer to God and practice Christian discipleship regardless of your vocation.

De Sales insisted that devotion is for everyone, not just the professional religious class. He wrote for the average layperson, as Deacon Matt does in bringing de Sales's wisdom to any Christian looking for practical advice on advancing in holiness today.

Deacon Matt aligns short, easy-to-read chapters derived from de Sales's work with relatable circumstances of modern life to prepare you for a life of communion with God. You will learn how to cultivate prayerfulness and virtue, weed out temptations, and enkindle holiness. Included are questions for self-reflection, Scripture for contemplation, and additional step-by-step meditations. This book is perfectly designed for both private devotion and small-group discussions.

You will also learn:

Moreover, you will find out how to assist worthily at Mass and derive the most benefit from your reception of the sacraments. You will discover how to grow in the virtues you need most in your state in life, married or single, through examples from Scripture, the saints, and daily living.

De Sales used practical examples for the people of his time to teach them about spirituality, and, in these pages, Deacon Matt similarly lays out the path to devotion for you on such issues as fostering virtuous friendships, fasting wisely, socializing charitably, enjoying leisure, living generously, and more. With de Sales as your guide, you will learn not only how to grow in holiness but how to live a grace-filled life with consolation and joy.