Lenten Books
It can be hard enough figuring out what you should do for Lent, so how do you help your kids have a meaningful experience? Instead of another year without chocolate and candy, try out these 10 different (and easy) ways of getting your kids actively engaged in Lent and thinking about their Catholic faith in new ways.
A true treasure of spiritual insights, this little booklet contains the remarkable meditations on the Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane by Blessed Padre Pio, the stigmatist priest. One of his few writings, the booklet also includes many pictures of Blessed Padre Pio from throughout his ministry. Padre Pio's beautiful and descriptive manner of writing provide a wonderful spiritual insight into that last night of Jesus' human life.
Excerpt:
"Jesus has returned to His place of prayer, and another picture, more terrible than the first, presents itself to Him. All our sins with their entire ugliness parade before Him in every detail. He must clothe Himself with this entire unclean mass of human corruption and present Himself before the sanctity of His Father, to expiate everything with individual pains, to render Him all that glory of which they have robbed Him, to cleanse that human cesspool in which man wallows with contemptible indifference.
And all this does not make Him retreat. As a raging sea this mass inundates Him, enfolds Him, oppresses Him. Behold Him before His Father the God of Justice, facing the full penalty of divine justice. He, the essence of purity, sanctity by nature, in contact with sin, indeed, as if He Himself had become a sinner! Who can fathom the disgust that He feels in His innermost spirit? The horror He feels? The nausea, the contempt He senses so vividly? And having taken all upon Himself, nothing excepted, He is crushed by this immense weight, oppressed, thrown down, prostrated. Exhausted, He groans beneath the weight of Divine Justice, before His Father, Who has permitted His Son to offer Himself as a Victim for sin, as one accursed."
Excerpt:
"Jesus has returned to His place of prayer, and another picture, more terrible than the first, presents itself to Him. All our sins with their entire ugliness parade before Him in every detail. He must clothe Himself with this entire unclean mass of human corruption and present Himself before the sanctity of His Father, to expiate everything with individual pains, to render Him all that glory of which they have robbed Him, to cleanse that human cesspool in which man wallows with contemptible indifference.
And all this does not make Him retreat. As a raging sea this mass inundates Him, enfolds Him, oppresses Him. Behold Him before His Father the God of Justice, facing the full penalty of divine justice. He, the essence of purity, sanctity by nature, in contact with sin, indeed, as if He Himself had become a sinner! Who can fathom the disgust that He feels in His innermost spirit? The horror He feels? The nausea, the contempt He senses so vividly? And having taken all upon Himself, nothing excepted, He is crushed by this immense weight, oppressed, thrown down, prostrated. Exhausted, He groans beneath the weight of Divine Justice, before His Father, Who has permitted His Son to offer Himself as a Victim for sin, as one accursed."
Don't just give something up for Lent! Gather your family, and with Kate Basi's fresh ideas, you will Bring Lent to Life!
Fasting is not just giving up candy, almsgiving is more than giving away your unused allowance, and prayer becomes active. Embark on the adventure of practicing the three tenets of Lent in new ways:
Paperback
"This helpful and creative family guide offers practical suggestions for Lenten devotion, inspired by the life and wisdom of beloved pope and newly canonized St. John Paul II"--P. [4] of cover.
Did Jesus of Nazareth really rise from the dead?
Of the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity.
But a dead man coming back to life? In our sophisticated age, when myth has given way to science, who can take such a claim seriously? Some argue that Jesus never died on the cross. Conflicting accounts make the empty tomb seem suspect.
How credible is the evidence for--and against--the resurrection? Focusing his award-winning skills as a legal journalist on history's most compelling enigma, Lee Strobel retraces the startling findings that led him from atheism to belief. He examines:
Written in a hard-hitting journalistic style, The Case for Easter probes the core issues of the resurrection. Jesus Christ, risen from the dead: superstitious myth or life-changing reality? The evidence is in. The verdict is up to you.
Helps children understand this time of preparation for Jesus' Resurrection. Full-color illustrations.
Bestselling author Christopher Carstens (Devotional Journey into the Mass) leads readers through Lent, the Easter Triduum, and the Easter season through Pentecost.
This perennially popular meditation booklet combines imaginative, full-page photos with a dialogue between Christ and the reader, urging us to carry on Christ's unfinished business and unite our human will with the divine will. Each mediation is an authentic application of Jesus' suffering to our personal lives. Ideal for either private devotion of public Stations of the Cross, for adult parish Lenten programs, and high school use.
Bishop Serratelli invites you to journey with those who were with Jesus in His last hours. You may be like Peter one day, and like Judas, Simon, Mary Magdalene, or Our Lady on another. This Lenten book provides a deeper appreciation for God\'s eternal saving love.
These pages are for all those weary ones who go to Mass faithfully but still find no relief for their parched and careworn spirits. The famed novelist Francois Mauriac walks through the great events of Holy Thursday, showing how each -- the foot washing, the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist, and more -- flows from the abiding love of the Savior. His reflections on each are vivid, spirit-filled, and able to move the stoniest heart to fervor.
Hosanna is a Lenten devotional journal that is a deep and wide study of the Gospel of Matthew. The team at Take Up and Read delivers another gorgeous book that includes Scripture, devotional essays, room to journal, and stunning art. Each weekday, readers will find a simple prompt for journaling tuned to the heart of the ancient prayer form of lectio divina. Weekends are reserved for rest and for hiding God's word in the hearts of those who love him. Hosanna is designed to help you reflect on all aspects of your life in light of Jesus' call to live for the kingdom of heaven. It's at once gentle and challenging-a journey with one of Jesus' closest followers that will bring you into the presence of our Lord, from his birth to his resurrection.
Bestselling author and beloved retreat leader Joyce Rupp has offered companionship and gentle guidance throughout the seasons in such books as May I Have This Dance? and Anchors for the Soul. In Jesus, Friend of My Soul--Rupp's only meditation book for Lent and Holy Week--each two-page daily reflection brings our attention to the Lenten season, providing reflections for growth and inviting us to follow Jesus and become more like him.
"As Christians," Joyce Rupp writes, "we look to the person of Jesus to learn from him." Because our lives are filled to the brim with activity, it is easy to drift away from trying to live as Jesus did, and we find ourselves in need of time to focus on drawing close to him again and learning from his example. In Jesus, Friend of My Soul, Rupp guides us from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday illustrating both how Jesus called his followers to change and how his actions provide us a blueprint for growth.
Rupp helps us learn from the qualities of Jesus and the actions and teachings that marked his time on earth, including:
Each day's reflection begins with a verse from scripture and a meditation centered on Jesus' life, actions, and teachings that are applied to our lives. We are then offered a prayer and an intention to carry with us throughout the day. Each brief reflection gently leads us to new growth in our lives and invites us to reach new depths in our faith. Questions for individual or group study are included.
The successor to Pope John Paul II shares a Lenten blessing that evaluates the meaning of the season, the significance of the birth and death of Christ, and the meaning of Jesus in the lives of Christians everywhere, in a spiritual meditation that follows such themes as the mystery of Mary and the Pentecostal sending of the Spirit.
"Christians know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet it can have meaning and become an act of love and entrustment into the hands of God who does not abandon us."
- Pope Francis in Lumen Fidei, or The Light of Faith
While Lent might feel like it's only about our regrets, suffering, and disappointments, Pope Francis shows us there is so much more. With great compassion and mercy, he helps us to break free of despair and choose trust. Here we find our greatest hope, lifting us up until the joy of Easter arrives. As you read these meditations for every day of the Lent and Easter season, reflect on the powerful words of Pope Francis and the accompanying Scripture, prayer, and action. Make the journey from suffering toward the healing and transformation found in Jesus' resurrection.
Although they lived nearly 800 years ago, Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi serve as excellent guides for the modern Lenten journey. Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi abandoned their comfortable lifestyles and embraced lives of poverty, humility, and penance to better follow the call to Christian discipleship. Both saints underwent powerful conversion experiences in their lives. In the course of their conversions, they ignited a movement that reformed the medieval Church and that continues to influence and inspire millions of Christians to this day.
In this book of prayers, letters, poetry, rules of life, and testaments, Francis and Clare express their vision of the Gospel life. Included are numerous themes extremely appropriate for the Lenten and Easter seasons: penance, conversion, self-sacrifice, service, embracing the cross, the humility and charity of Christ, joy, new life, and mission. Through these daily meditations, Scriptural readings, and spiritual exercises, we follow two of the most influential figures in Church history.
Each selected writing is followed by a brief scripture passage, a fitting prayer, and a suggested action-making this book an ideal companion for daily use. The words and example of these two great saints will inspire readers faithfully to follow Christ to the cross so that, together with them, they might experience the joy and new life of Easter.
View sample pages.
Paperback
Take a journey through Lent with St. Ignatius of Loyola as the wisdom of this great saint deepens your passion for Christ. Fr. Connor, SJ, offers a selection of readings from St. Ignatius, illuminated by Scripture and his own insight into Ignatian spirituality for the modern Christian.
Each day provides you with words from the saint, a Scripture passage, a short reflection, and an action that will aid you in discerning God's will in your life.
View sample pages.
Paperback
St.Thérèse of Lisieux, the "Little Flower of Jesus," bore much suffering, from her mother's death when she was young to declining health and an untimely death during her time in the Carmelite convent. Despite her sufferings, St. Thérèse continued to love Jesus in her "little way."
In Lent and Easter Wisdom, John Cleary uses passages from St. Thérèse's classic autobiography, The Story of a Soul, to comfort and challenge you this Lenten season. As you meditate on Saint Thérèse's life, let her show you how to keep your faith when you suffer and how to find your way to God when you are lost.
John Rybolt, CM, matches passages from St. Vincent's meditative writings with seasonal reflections and prayers. Through the Apostle of Charity's words and thoughts, we are led to a greater love for all, especially the poor. Let St. Vincent's wisdom inspire you to free yourself of the burdens and temptations of this world, so that you, too, may be ready to serve. Each entry includes a quote from St. Vincent, a scripture verse, a prayer, and a action all in keeping with the daily wisdom.
"Late have I loved you, Beauty so ancient and so new," prayed Saint Augustine. He searched long and passionately so, moving through various philosophies like a lost sheep. In the end, however, he discovered that God is near, within himself, in the depths of his soul. Augustine's Confessions immortalized the path of his conversion, a humble and sincere testimony of a sinner who experienced unconditional love.
In Lent with Saint Augustine, Waldemar Turek presents selected excerpts for each day of Lent from this pearl of spirituality and literature, while incorporating commentary that takes the cycle of liturgical readings into account. These reflections serve as a prayerful aid for living Lent spiritually, allowing the reader to better experience the sacred while returning to the sources of faith to celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ.
A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary invites you to walk with the world's singular model of faith and purity -- the Virgin Mary herself -- each day of your Lenten spiritual pilgrimage to Easter. Here the enlightened Fr. Edward Looney presents Mary's messages one by one, dedicating each week of Lent to an overarching theme from her apparitions and drawing from each a vibrant new spiritual lesson for your life.
Prayerfully journey through Lent with Mary DeTurris Poust's fresh and meaningful reflections on the daily Mass readings. In just minutes per day, the insightful meditations of Not by Bread Alone can deepen your experience of this solemn season of prayer and penance.
Prayerfully journey through Lent with Mary DeTurris Poust's fresh and meaningful reflections on the daily Mass readings. In just minutes per day, the insightful meditations of Not by Bread Alone can deepen your experience of this solemn season of prayer and penance.
Lent is a time of remembering Christ's sacrifice--and yet it is not meant to be depressing; it is meant to be reorienting. The 40-day holy season is one of transition when we turn our eyes away from fading disappointments and move ever closer to the radiance of Easter hope.
This is the purpose of The Promise of Lent Devotional: to stir up the hope that God has given us in the midst of a fallen world. Each day you'll read of death and new life, temptation and the power to overcome it, the life and ministry of Jesus, and the transformative power of God. Because when we gaze at God's true nature--his sacrificial love and his glorious resurrection--everything changes. The past fades, the tomb's stone rolls away, and our hearts awaken to faith once again. Discover that to be true this year, through The Promise of Lent Devotional.
This is the purpose of The Promise of Lent Devotional: to stir up the hope that God has given us in the midst of a fallen world. Each day you'll read of death and new life, temptation and the power to overcome it, the life and ministry of Jesus, and the transformative power of God. Because when we gaze at God's true nature--his sacrificial love and his glorious resurrection--everything changes. The past fades, the tomb's stone rolls away, and our hearts awaken to faith once again. Discover that to be true this year, through The Promise of Lent Devotional.
''Jesus wept, not merely from the deep thoughts of his understanding but from spontaneous tenderness, from the goodness and mercy, the encompassing loving-kindness and exuberant affection of the Son of God for his own work, the race of man.''
This precious insight takes us to the heart of the interior life of St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890), from the treasures of which these meditations are offered as a devotional aid for the season of Lent. Drawn chiefly from his sermons and gently modernized, these meditations offer a share in the fruit of his contemplation, that we might the better enjoy with him the ''one thing which is all in all to us,'' which is ''to live in Christ's presence, to hear his voice, to see his countenance.''
Experience New Growth this Easter
Do you feel like Easter sneaks up on you, as if you're spiritually and emotionally unprepared to celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection as victorious King?
In Uncovering the Love of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu invites you to reclaim the Lenten season with 40 devotionals that reveal the deep love of Jesus that's exhibited at the cross and tomb. Each daily reflection looks at Jesus' personal interactions in Scripture and leads you in meditation on a new aspect of His love. Don't let Easter pass by this year. Reflect, engage, and be transformed as you uncover the love of Jesus and learn to love your neighbor as He would.
Includes optional family activities to help you celebrate Jesus together.
Helps us recall loved ones who have died. Assists us in reflecting on the reality of purgatory. Aides us in remembering, station by station, the Passion and death that Christ endured for those souls.
These daily meditations on the readings of the Mass invite us to immerse ourselves in the season by getting in touch with the saints within. A shining, wondrous book, full of wisdom for Lent.