Family Life and Parenting
The Battle for Your Child's Mind
by Michael D. O'Brien
The Harry Potter series of books and movies are wildly popular. Many Christians see the books as largely if not entirely harmless. Others regard them as dangerous and misleading. In his book A Landscape with Dragons, Harry Potter critic Michael O'Brien examines contemporary children's literature and finds it spiritually and morally wanting. His analysis, written before the rise of the popular Potter books and films, anticipates many of the problems Harry Potter critics point to. A Landscape with Dragons is a controversial, yet thoughtful study of what millions of young people are reading and the possible impact such reading may have on them.
In this study of the pagan invasion of children's culture, O'Brien, the father of six, describes his own coming to terms with the effect it has had on his family and on most families in Western society. His analysis of the degeneration of books, films, and videos for the young is incisive and detailed. Yet his approach is not simply critical, for he suggests a number of remedies, including several tools of discernment for parents and teachers in assessing the moral content and spiritual impact of this insidious revolution. In doing so, he points the way to rediscovery of time-tested sources, and to new developments in Christian culture.
If you have ever wondered why a certain children's book or film made you feel uneasy, but you couldn't figure out why, this book is just what you need. This completely revised, much expanded second edition also includes a very substantial recommended reading list of over 1,000 books for kindergarten through highschool.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 261 pages
The Christian Family Today
by Fr Alain Delagneau
What makes a successful family? Is it merely fulfilling the bare minimum of our obligations, teaching our children prayers, ensuring the family goes to Sunday Mass, but not much else? In the midst of the modern world, is it even possible to think that a family could do much more?
In this profound, and yet easy-to-read book, Fr. Alain Delagneau considers what makes a successful family and how to achieve it. Starting with the basics, this book begins by examining the Sacrament of Marriage and ends with a look at those things which will disrupt the harmony of your Catholic home.
Chapters include:
- The Sacrament of Marriage
- The Harmonious Union of the Spouses
- Conjugal Love: Its Friends, Its Enemies
- Catholic Education
- Some Family Virtues
- May Catholic Spouses Consider Separation?
- The Spiritual Life of the Home
- Human Equilibrium
- Friends or Enemies of the Christian Home
This short book, written by a priest with over 30 years of pastoral experience, is a powerful antidote to the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, which seek to corrupt Catholic homes and destroy souls. Whether you have been married for only a few days, or are nearing the twilight of your married lives, this book is for you, and will certainly show you to how to live the Catholic family life ordained by God, and by which we will save our souls, and the souls of those we love the most.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 108 pages
And Other Working Women
by Hubert Van Zeller
This unique spiritual guide will help you grow holier and more prayerful as you perform the most menial household chores -- not in spite of those chores, but in the midst of them.
Written especially for women in charge of households, Holiness for Housewives will help you better understand and respect your vocation as a housewife -- and discover in it your own God-given path to sanctity.
This handy guide will show you how to:
- Find meaning in even the most boring work
- Pray in the midst of a bustling household
- Bear the stress of those long days in which the work never seems to end
- Develop a greater awareness of God's presence -- even amid the diapers and the dirty dishes
- Learn to rely more on your will and less on emotions, when life seems to be an endless round of drudgery
- Handle your burdens and sorrows with prayers that are especially fashioned for housewives
Let Holiness for Housewives show you how to find and savor the lasting pleasures that await you in your noble, God-given vocation as a housewife!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 104 pages
by Dietrich Von Hildebrand
These pages will give you what you need to make your marriage a source of profound happiness and lasting peace:
- Knowledge: You'll come to understand the nature of marriage and its superiority to "living together" and other temporary unions.
- Love: You'll learn to distinguish love from lust, infatuation, and other common counterfeits; and you'll discover the healing role it can play in the best - and bleakest - of marriages.
- Faith: You'll come to see how the sacramental marriage of Christians is the fulfillment and perfection of marriage, giving husband and wife what every spouse secretly longs for.
Especially today, this beautiful book - which reveals the sublime vocation of Christian marriage - is a must for anyone who is eager to live worthily this great mystery of love.
Marriage will show you:
- The one right motive for marrying - and the many wrong ones (some often accepted by Christians)
- The difference between the meaning of marriage and its purpose (and the dangers of confusing the two)
- The five ways in which married love differs from other loves
- Six counterfeit loves: what sometimes passes for love isn't
- The key role of will in sustaining love
- Your unhappy marriage: it may be a clear "call" from God
- How difficulties and suffering can deepen your marriage - and make you and your spouse better persons
- How marriage reveals God's love and presence
- How Christianity intensifies married love
The meaning of marriage as a sacrament: its promises, its demands, and how it is a source of strength and grace
Paperback, size 6.8" x 4.9", 84 pages
Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers
by Monsignor P. Lejeune
"My daughters, you all aspire to perfection. But what is your idea of perfection? Do you not often use this word in a vague and even false sense? It trips so lightly into your conversation that each one prides herself on having a very clear conception of it. I am positive, however, that if I were to ask you to define this word, the response would be a confusion of tongues."
These are the first words of Monsignor Lejeune in his book Counsels of Perfection for Christian Mothers. Written around a hundred years ago, this book of instructions applies to our corrupt modern age at such great urgency. Where mothers are immensely overwhelmed with haste, worry, and confusion brought about by feminism and capitalism, the deeply respected author exhorts mothers to turn to the Mother of mothers, our Blessed Virgin Mary.
The author continues:
"Do you ask for an example of a perfect woman? I shall give it to you from the heavenly hierarchy, by recalling the life of Mary, who, in the matter of perfection, is the nearest approach to God. She it is whom I charge to prove my thesis in such a way that you will be clearly persuaded that sanctity does not at all consist in splendor or magnificence or the glitter of exterior things, but rather in an interior principle which animates the most ordinary actions, and communicates to them an almost inestimable value. Consider for a moment the life of Mary......."
Read for yourself and begin to rediscover your vocation as a mother and a wife according to the will of God. Includes planning pages for My Rule of Life, Daily Schedule and more.
Paperback, size 9” x 6”, 186 pages, Impr
by Mary Reed Newland
First published fifty years ago, How to Raise Good Catholic Children is a rare treat for today's parents: a wise and readable book on child care that derives its wisdom from the Catholic home rather than from psychologists.
Author Mary Reed Newland here draws on her own experiences as the mother of seven to show how the classic Christian principles of sanctity can be translated into terms easily applied to children - even to the very young.
Because it's rooted in experience, not in theory, nothing that Mrs. Newland suggests is impossible or extraordinary. In fact, as you reflect on your experiences with your own children, you'll quickly agree that hers is an excellent commonsense approach to raising good Catholic children.
Let Mrs. Newland show you how to introduce even your littlest ones to God and develop in your growing children virtues such as:
- The habit of regular prayer
- Genuine love of the Rosary
- A sense of the dignity of work
- Devotion to Mary and the saints
- A proper love for the things of this world and for the things of Heaven
- Attentiveness at Mass
- Love for the Eucharist
- An understanding and love of purity
- The ability to make good confessions
- And dozens of other skills, habits, and virtues that every good Catholic child needs.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 336 pages
The Classic Key to Knowing Yourself, Getting Along with Others, and Growing Closer to the Lord
by Art and Laraine Bennett
All of us are born with distinct personality traits. Some of us live for crowds and parties; others seek solitude and time for quiet reflection. Some of us are naturally pushy, while others are content just to get along. We don't pick and choose these traits; they're just part of the way we're made.
For in the womb God doesn't merely mold our body; He also gives us the temperament that, all our days, colors our understanding, guides our choices, and serves as the foundation of our moral and spiritual life.
Ancient philosophers identified four basic temperaments, and over the centuries, countless wise souls have used these four to understand human nature. Now comes The Temperament God Gave You, the first Catholic book on the subject in 70 years. Here veteran Catholic counselor Art Bennett and his wife Laraine provide an accessible synthesis of classical wisdom, modern counseling science, and Catholic spirituality: a rich understanding of the temperaments and what they mean for you and for your family.
Drawing on decades of study, prayer, and practical experience, Art and Laraine show you how to identify your own temperament and use it to become what God is calling you to be: a loving spouse, an effective parent, and a good friend. Best of all, they give you a Catholic understanding of the four temperaments that will bring you closer to God and help you discover the path to holiness that's right for you.
Peace. Happiness. Holiness.
You'll find yourself growing in each of these qualities as you come to understand -- and learn to use as you should -- the temperament God gave you.
Take the temperament test!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 288 pages
Television
The Soul at Risk
by Isabelle Dore
There are few technological inventions that have had such universal impact in the past century. But what should we think about this phenomenon, especially from a Catholic perspective? A brief study such as this helps demonstrate that, indeed, it is something which puts "the soul at risk." Sooner or later, we all have to make choices: Television in the home or not? Moderate use or not? Grudging toleration or opposition with all one's might? The best thing to do in making a choice is to consider all the aspects of television and audio-visual media in general. Movies, videos, and DVDs are in various ways both alike and different from TV.
How does television affect the intellect's capacity to apprehend what is true? How does television affect the will's capacity to love what is good? These questions and more are answered inside.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 80 pages
by Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance
Reprinted from the 1906 edition.. This is a wonderful guide for Catholic young women; filled with many counsels and devotions.
It addresses many of the issues which face girls in their adolescent years. After admonishing the young lady to be a 'child of Mary,' Fr. Lasance builds a 'Maiden's Wreath' combining catechism and virtues with an appropriate flower (lily, rose, etc.). Should the religious state or married life be followed? Chapters discuss both alternatives with an additional section on family life. Extensive traditional devotions (novenas, prayers, etc.) end the book, which also contains detailed information about the Sodality of Mary. A classic, as is the Young Man's Guide.
Paperback, size 6" x 4", 680 pages
12 Heart to Heart Talks of a Father to His Son
by Anonymous
Twelve heart-to-heart talks to be given by Dad to his boys and young men about the mysterious processes of reproducing life. Presents timeless supernatural attitude in accord with Catholic principles. No crude language. Graduated structure in three parts: ages 9-13; 14-16; 16-19. Suggestions for preserving purity.
Booklet, size 7" x 4.5", 75 pages
by Fr Francis Xavier Lasance
A Guide for the young Catholic man.
In this book by Fr. Lasance, he provides counsels, reflections and prayers for young Catholic men. This is a good source for young men on a variety of subjects, including: how to conquer sin and the occasions of sin; virtues needed to fight in the battle for salvation; choosing one's state in life; and guidance to various devotions for Mass, Confession and Holy Communion.
ANGELUS PRESS has completely re-typeset this Catholic classic from 1905. This edition is printed on beautiful cream paper and encased in a gold-embossed hardback cover with a black ribbon.
Hardcover, 760 pages
Time-Tested Ways to Help You Strengthen Your Marriage and Raise Good Kids
by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik
Here is a crucial book for you if you want to shield your family from the effects of our selfish secular culture, which destroys families and poisons relationships.
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, the renowned author of The Hidden Power of Kindness, gives faithful Catholics all the essential ingredients of a stable and loving Catholic marriage and family — ingredients that are in danger of being lost in our turbulent age.
Using Scripture and Church teachings in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step format, Fr. Lovasik helps you understand the proper role of the Catholic father and mother and the blessings of family. He shows you how you can secure happiness in marriage, develop the virtues necessary for a successful marriage, raise children in a truly Catholic way, and much more.
Let Fr. Lovasik strengthen your marriage and family as you discover:
- Three things you can learn from the Holy Family about living as a family today
- The secret of gaining God's blessing and peace upon your family: do you know it?
- Four crucial lessons no school can teach to your children (only you can!)
- Why marital happiness is not automatic, but must be earned (and how to earn it)
- Common mistakes fathers make that can damage their families irrevocably
- The primary requirement for family happiness: does your family measure up?
- The secret of overcoming the anger that can disrupt any relationship
- Eleven simple steps you can take to bring harmony to your marriage right now
- Are you selfish? Sixteen searching questions to ask yourself in order to find out
- Four qualities that every good parent has: can you name them? Do you have them?
- Sex education: how to navigate this minefield in a way that is good for your kids
- Plus much more that will help you imbue your family with Catholic values!
Paperback, 240 pages
In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola
by Fr. Ludovic-Marie Barrielle
Since 1533, the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius have been used by millions to deepen their Christian life. This booklet distills the wisdom of the 30-day retreat into 20 principles so you can discern the spiritual influences in your life that are from God from those that are from the devil. Father writes from 40 years of experience as a retreat master.
Booklet, size 8.5" x 5.5", 60 pages
How to Discern and Prepare
by a Bishop, Priests and Religious
“What the current situation of our world calls for is a generation of priests and religious (both men and women) who bear witness to Our Lord Jesus Christ—even against all odds. For this world that is half-dead, we need a generation who will bear witness to the all-powerful redemptive force that is found in Our Lord Jesus Christ, and only in Him. We need a generation who will bear witness to this truth through their words, without fear or deviation, and even more so through their lives, lived according to His rule and His love. This will be a generation in which each person, in his or her own way, will be—as Pope Pius XII declared— ‘a living image of our Savior.’”
—Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
Sermon, Ecône (January 7, 1973)
This little book is for those seeking to understand Christ's call more deeply. If you are considering the priesthood or religious life, it will illuminate the profound nature of this sacred calling. It will help you discover both your strengths and weaknesses, and it will equip you to prepare thoroughly so you can respond with your whole heart. Without vocations, the Catholic Church would cease to exist, and without the assistance of the grace procured by priests and religious, many souls would be lost. The awesome reality of a vocation cannot be understood without a clear vision of what this call from God truly entails. Take this book, read it, and decide if you, too, will answer the call!
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 144 pages
by Fr Leo J. Kinsella
Here is a marriage blueprint that every woman can follow. Happy marriages do not just happen, they are made. It takes three parties to make a good marriage; the husband, the wife, and the Lord. This book is concerned with helping the woman to become the wife desired and therefore loved, that every man worth having, wishes to find and keep.
This book sold over a quarter of a million copies shortly after its publication in 1951, and it was read by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is a practical manual. It should be read by every woman considering entering the matrimonial state and also by those women who are already married. It can also be read by men who may wish to see what a real challenge it is for a woman to live up to their expectations and how grateful they should be if they are blessed to find the woman of their desires. Father Kinsella penned another book titled The Man For Her, that covers the topic for the man.
When this book was first published in the early 1950 s, one in four marriages in the USA ended in divorce. Today, half of all first marriages end in divorce, and a much higher percentage of second and third marriages find the same end. This means that the majority of Americans are unsuccessful at the most important enterprise of their life, and it follows that the resultant destruction of the happiness, mental stability, and moral character of the majority of the people is the greatest problem that we face as a nation. Of course, the dangers to the salvation and earthly happiness of these people, and to the unfortunate children born of such unions, is where the cold statistical facts become more personal and of immediate concern to each of us. The divorce rates also do not speak to the issue of those many couples who do not divorce, but who nonetheless are not living in what could be termed deeply happy and fruitful marriages. Being a party to an unhappy marriage is one of the most difficult (yet largely avoidable) situations that anyone can endure in life.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 100 pages
Know Yourself
by Fr Conrad Hock
Self knowledge is a great gift. You can't form a strong Catholic character or properly cooperate with grace without it. There are four temperaments: choleric, sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Which are you?
Includes questionnaire to help determine your basic temperament. Learn each of their character traits, bright and dark sides, methods of self-training, and special considerations in dealing with and educat-ing each temperament.
Booklet, size 7" x 5", 55 pages
Intimate Conversations with Christ
by Fr. Daniel A. Lord, S.J.
In this rediscovered spiritual classic, Rev. Daniel A. Lord, S.J., offers a collection of sixteen deeply personal letters written to Christ as Lord was dying of cancer. Known as “the Hollywood priest” because of his involvement in the film industry, Lord was the author of ninety books and almost three hundred pamphlets. First published in 1963 and now back in print, these letters are still a shining example of an intimate relationship with Christ and a model of how to talk with God in an honest and intimate way.
In 1954, Fr. Daniel Lord made his annual Ignatian retreat while being treated in a St. Louis Hospital. On the second day of his eight-day retreat, Lord learned that his lung cancer would leave him with only a short time to live. He shares his reflections in this collection of letters written to Christ. Remarkably, Lord doesn’t write about his cancer, and if not for the introduction by the book’s original editor, Rev. Thomas Gavin, S.J., readers would never know of it.
Following the path of the Spiritual Exercises, Lord eloquently expresses gratitude and praise; acknowledges his complete dependence on God; confesses the constant repetition of the same boring sins; and reflects on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But this is no ordinary retreat companion. Lord’s originality and lively imagination shine through as he reflects on the beauty of a hyacinth, compares himself to a goldfish in a bowl, and pictures the scene of himself standing before God in judgment.
This new edition includes a foreword by Michael Rossmann, S.J., editor of the Jesuit Post, and an introduction to Fr. Daniel Lord’s life and work by US Catholic historian Rev. David Endres. Lord’s popular article, “Cancer Is My Friend” is included as an epilogue.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 120 pages
by Michael O'Brien
Master storyteller, best-selling novelist and artist Michael O'Brien - the man to whom CNN went for comment on Harry Potter - has penned the definitive work assessing the Potter phenomenon. This book is essential reading for all parents whose children have read or are considering reading the wildly popular offerings by J.K.Rowling and similar works such as Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Although this is an analytical work, the reader will be captivated from the beginning, from the must-read preface onward.
O'Brien's earlier work, A Landscape with Dragons, delineated authentic Christian fantasy literature from its counterfeits. Now in Harry Potter and the Paganization of Culture, he contrasts Potter-world with C.S. Lewis's Narnia and with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and specifically Harry with Frodo. For those whose children have consumed Potter, O'Brien's analysis will enable parents to comprehend the messages which have been fed their children and give them the points and arguments which will hopefully be the antidote to properly reset their moral order.
The book goes beyond Potter, however, to address other bestselling series such as Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass. In addition to these and other fantasy books, O'Brien reviews the films which they spawned.
In all, O'Brien's new book teaches Christians how to discern harmless fantasy literature and film from that which is destructive to heart, mind and soul.
"The corruption of Christian civilization's symbols is a centuries-old phenomenon, yet until the modern age the mutations and inversions, along with the making of new diabolic symbologies, remained on the fringes of society in secret societies and small esoteric cults. Now the culture of the cults is visible everywhere, and with the Harry Potter series is entering (and captivating) the mainstream. Through it, the corruption of symbols has moved to a new level of influence, and it has done so on a scale that is unprecedented in the history of literature. If we lose the language of true symbolism, we lose at a basic level of consciousness our way of knowing things as they are. Symbols are not items in some storage room or attic of the psyche that we can take up and discard at will, or rearrange without consequences. To tamper with them is to destabilize the very foundations of the house. While most Christians would never knowingly exchange symbols of evil for symbols of good, many have accepted a new realm of eclectic symbology that allows a mixture of good and evil symbols to influence their thoughts and feelings. But two contradictory symbol worlds cannot long remain in a state of peaceful co-existence within us. Either one or the other will come to dominate and will eventually demand the expulsion of the other." - Michael O'Brien
Paperback, size 8" x 5.5", 278 pages
by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, SVD
This booklet contains practical advice on the subjects of dating and choosing a spouse from the Catholic theological viewpoint. Father Lovasik points out clearly what one's moral obligations are in this area, providing an invaluable aid to youthful readers.
Booklet, size 7" x 4.25", 80 pages
Talks to Boys and Girls
by Fr. Winfrid Herbst, S.D.S.
These talks were given by the great storyteller, Fr. Winfrid Herbst, in the early part of the 20th century. So well-received were these talks that it was decided to put them in print so that all Catholic children across America could benefit from them. Parents and teachers alike will also find them useful as fools for teaching the Faith or as a read-aloud.
Contained in this work are talks about Virtues, the Holy Family, the Liturgical Year (and how to observe the different seasons properly), Angels, School Days, and many certain truths found within our Catholic Faith.From each and every story, the child should be able to draw good thoughts, from which they will be directed to make good resolves. Thus these stories will have a salutary influence on the lives of children and help them to grow in goodness; to become model Catholic boys and girls.
Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.75", 206 pages.