Sophia Institute Press
by Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet
Even three hundred years ago, believers found it difficult to sustain for forty days the proper Lenten spirit. That's why even then, countless Christians turned to the writings of Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1627-1704), whose great piety and simple eloquence won him renown as one of the greatest preachers of his time.
There is no better time to begin—or to renew—the habit of meditation than during the penitential season of Lent.
If you want to combine the spiritual benefits of a holy Lent with the supernatural harvest that regular mental prayer brings, then you stand to profit from Bossuet’s Meditations for Lent.
These brief but powerful meditations have been collected from the voluminous writings of the great 17th Century Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, a close follower of St. Vincent de Paul and considered to be among the greatest homilists in Catholic history.
In these pages, Bishop Bossuet will bring you on a stunning inner pilgrimage to encounter Our Lord’s divine charity for souls, as He freely gives His life for you on the Cross. “The whole of Christian life consists in making this journey well,” says the author. “Why do I hesitate to leave?”
Read Meditations for Lent and avoid arriving at Easter Mass distracted and exhausted, having neglected your sacrifices and even ordinary prayers.
Instead, find yourself coming joyfully unto the altar of God, ready and eager to adore the Risen King, with your soul prepared as a worthy dwelling place for the Redeemer.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 225 pages
Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters
by Kevin Vost
"They laughed when I said I could name all 27 books of the New Testament . . . but after I named them all in order, plus the 46 books of the Old Testament, they begged me to show them how I did it."
Yes, I know that memorizing the Faith is no substitute for living a holy life, but even devout people can't live by truths and precepts they don't remember.
That's why, over 700 years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas perfected an easy method for his students to memorize most any information, but especially the truths taught by Christ and His Church.
As the years passed, our need for this ancient art of memorization grew, yet somehow our culture largely forgot it . . . which is why today, when you and I try to remember a list of things, we have to repeat their names over and over. Or, to remember to call the dentist, we tie a string on our finger. And we clutch at any means whatsoever to recall our passwords for ATMs, credit cards, and voicemail, our login names for Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon, and the host of other names and numbers that clog our minds and clutter our days.
Now, thanks to the delightful pages of Memorize the Faith!, you can easily keep all these in mind - and learn the Faith! - by tapping into the power of the classical memory system that helped St. Thomas become the Church's preeminent theologian, and made it easier for him to become one of its greatest saints.
Here, Catholic scholar Kevin Vost makes available again Aquinas's easy-to-learn method - the method Dr. Vost himself has used for decades to recall names, dates, phone numbers, the first dozen digits of pi (3.141592653589) and even whether, when his wife called him at work today, she asked him to bring home ice cream and toffee . . . or was it truffles and coffee?
Indeed, Dr. Vost will teach you to remember virtually anything, but he devotes most of his book to showing you how to improve your memory of Catholic truths so you can live the Faith better.
By the time you finish this book, you will have memorized dozens of key teachings of the Church, along with hundreds of precepts, traditions, theological terms, Scripture verses, and other elements of the Faith that every good Catholic needs to know by heart.
Memory is the foundation of wisdom. It makes holiness easier. To grow wiser in the Faith . . . and holier . . . turn to Memorize the Faith! today.
Note: Memorize the Faith! will teach you and your children how to remember anything, but it's particularly useful to those involved in religious education: catechists and converts, CCD teachers, RCIA members, and homeschoolers of all ages.
Here, Dr. Vost and St. Thomas Aquinas show you easy ways to memorize the following truths and precepts of our Faith, plus many more:
- The 9 Beatitudes
- The 12 Apostles
- The 7 Virtues
- The 7 Sacraments
- The 4 Last Things
- The 7 Capital Sins
- The 10 Commandments
- The 4 Marks of the Church
- The 14 Stations of the Cross
- The 5 Precepts of the Church
- The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit
- The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy
- The 20 Mysteries of the Rosary
- The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy
- The 10 Holy Days of Obligation
- The 6 Sins Against the Holy Spirit
- The 5 Proofs for the Existence of God
- The 27 Books of the New Testament
- The 46 Books of the Old Testament
And anything else you want to remember, from the 14 items on your grocery list to the birthdays of your 7 nephews and nieces!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 250 pages
by Fr Bede Jarrett, OP
In these pages, Fr. Bede Jarrett helps you penetrate the great mystery of God's presence in our hearts. He explains the ineffable dignity that this presence of the Holy Spirit gives you, no matter how lowly your station or how small you may feel.
He shows you how to listen for the soft voice of the Spirit calling you from within, inviting you to know Him, to love Him, and to cooperate with Him in all things great and small.
No longer need you struggle alone. Let Fr. Jarrett show you how to grow close to the Holy Spirit - the Consoler - who Jesus sent to assuage your loneliness and renew your strength and your hope.
Among the things you'll learn in The Little Book of the Holy Spirit:
- Why you mustn't be troubled when you can't feel the Spirit's presence in your soul
- You can increase the presence of God's Spirit in your soul: what you must do
- Why God's presence in your soul doesn't overwhelm your personality
- How the dignity of each human soul depends on God's presence in it
- Your vision of Heaven can start right away: learn how in these page
- The gift of God that's greater than creation itself. Fr. Jarrett explains it
- How the presence of God enables you to see everything in a new light
- It's a fact, not a metaphor: you really participate in the divine nature
- Can you hear God as He speaks to you constantly? You can learn how
- Where to find the strength to do the right thing, day in and day out
- "The fear of God": what it really means - and why it's a gift from God
- Plus: many other topics to help you know the God who dwells within you
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 128 pages
by Archbishop Luis M. Martinez
Huge in scope, yet simple and readable, True Devotion to the Holy Spirit covers virtually everything there is to know about the Spirit's role in our salvation — and it does so with a refreshing reliance on God's Word, not on opinions or subjective visions.
Luis M. Martinez, the former Archbishop of Mexico City, maintains that as the Spirit is God's supreme gift, so your devotion to Him should be profound and encompassing. In beautiful, practical terms, Martinez illuminates the difference the Spirit can make when He's given His proper place in your soul. This handbook explains how you should respond to the Spirit, how the Spirit helps you grow in virtue, and the characteristics of true love of the Spirit.
Even more, each of the Spirit's gifts and fruits get detailed treatment here. Martinez shows how each contributes to the maturing of the soul, so that by means of the Spirit's active help, you can conquer your sins, learn how to make proper use of the things of this world, become master of yourself, and fully realize the greatness that is available to you as a Christian. This is an essential guide for everyone who longs to know and to love the Holy Spirit more fully.
You'll learn virtually everything we can know about the Holy Spirit's work in the world and in your soul, including:
- Why you will never attain true holiness without the Holy Spirit's constant help
- How the Holy Spirit tenderly teaches you all that you need for salvation Inspirations of the Holy Spirit: they're not extraordinary and superfluous in the spiritual life! How to become attuned to them
- How the Holy Spirit teaches you not just to know and love God, but to enjoy Him
- Maturity in Christ: it doesn't happen automatically as you grow older. How the Holy Spirit can help you gain it today
- The virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit: the distinctive role of each in your salvation
- Consecration to the Holy Spirit: why it must be total — or it's useless
- How the presence of the Spirit in your life will increase your faith, hope, and love
- Three main characteristics of devotion to the Father, inspired by the Spirit: examine your soul in their light
- The Cross: how and why the Holy Spirit will teach you to love it in your own life
- The gifts of the Holy Spirit: how to understand them properly — and gain their help in your soul's perfection
- And much more that will help you not only to know the Holy Spirit better than ever, but to gain His help in your salvation!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 288 pages
by Fr Dominic Prümmer, O.P.
First published in 1921, Fr. Prummer's Handbook of Moral Theology was immediately regarded as an international classic. The author's clarity of vision, precision of expression, and humble fidelity to the traditional Catholic moral framework during a period of social upheaval and increasing doctrinal deviation made his manual the standard reference text for generations of clergy, seminarians, and laity. For those seeking answers to moral questions, the Catholic advice was often "Look it up in Prummer!"
At long last, this centenary edition restores the superb English translation of 1956 in a fresh new typesetting, making Fr. Prummer's original text much easier to navigate and more pleasant to read. The many citation errors that plagued earlier editions have been painstakingly corrected, and scores of additional citations have been added from Aquinas's Summa Theologiae, Denzinger's Enchiridion, and the Roman Catechism - three of the author's favorite sources. The topical index has likewise been expanded and now includes technical moral terms of more recent use (such as "double effect") to allow for more rapid contemporary reference.
After a brilliant introduction to the science of moral theology, part 1 explores the end of man and all aspects of human conduct, and part 2 examines the sacraments and sacramentals and their core importance to the Catholic moral life. These packed pages contain the traditional Catholic moral teachings on:
- Law, conscience, sin, and the passions - with their respective types, causes, and effects
- Divine rights and obligations in Christian family life and civil society
- Scandal and moral cooperation in evil
- Right worship, secret societies, private property, capital punishment, sexuality, abortion, war.
- And much more!
In our own time of widespread confusion and decay, Fr. Prümmer’s Handbook is the definitive and complete Catholic source book of the Church’s moral doctrine as it was received and taught before the laxity and innovations of the last century. Far more than a work of mere historical interest, this surprisingly relevant guide to Christian moral perfection is a treasure that will endure as long as there are souls seeking eternal life.
Hardcover, size 9.2" x 6.2", 512 pages
Daily Meditations on the Traditional Mass
by Fr. Benedict Baur, O.S.B.
Between the countless duties, deadlines, and distractions that afflict man, finding space to concentrate on the powerful omnipresence of God is a struggle. Still, spending just a few minutes each day in quiet recollection conveys rich rewards, enabling us to reorient our lives to the rhythm of the sacred prayer of the Church. Liturgical piety is indispensable for our sanctification as it draws us into the mystery of our Faith and fosters within us a spirit of charity and divine praise.
For the first time ever in a single volume, the spiritual classic The Light of the World, by the renowned Dom Benedict Baur, O.S.B., offers a year-long cycle of powerful meditations following the traditional Catholic liturgical calendar. In the celebrated lineage of Prosper Gueranger, The Light of the World combines dogmatic precision with spiritual unction to offer a “daily retreat” for the entire Church year, renewing one’s daily spiritual life through the prayers of the classical Roman Rite. Features include:
- Reflections for every Sunday, weekdays, ember days, rogation days, and more
- Guidance for mental prayer and contemplation based on the liturgical orations
- Daily prayers incorporating adoration, thanksgiving, petition, and reparation
- Practical suggestions and resolutions for battling vice and growing in virtue
- Devotions to Christ’s redeeming sacrifice and sanctifying presence as our spiritual center
- Classic exegesis on the Sacred Scriptures and the sacraments
- Colloquies on Our Lady as the model of prayer and guide to the interior life
- Instructions on remote and proximate preparations for daily meditation
- Spirituality based on the Rule of St. Benedict: “Let our mind be in harmony with our voice”
- Methods of prayer from St. Ignatius of Loyola and the tradition of St. Sulpice
Instructive and deeply inspiring, The Light of the World is an ideal companion volume for providing spiritually nourishing yet accessible reflections to extend the graces of the Church’s venerable worship into one’s entire day. Dom Baur offers readers an expansive tour of the treasures of our Faith through the prism of traditional liturgy, to preserve and impart its riches to future generations.
Hardcover, size 9.2" x 6.2", 736 pages
A Defense of the Catholic Priesthood
by Michael Davies
On 30 June 1968, pope Paul VI pronounced his Credo in which the doctrine of the Sacrifice of the Mass "celebrated by the priest in the Person of Christ in virtue of the power he received in the Sacrament of Order" was very clearly, unambiguously, and correctly expressed. Twelve days earlier, Pope Paul VI had signed the Apostolic Constitution in which he approved and imposed the new ritual of the ordination of deacon, priest, and bishop. In this book the author examines the new rite of ordination to the priesthood and exposes its differences with the former one used in the Roman rite for a number of centuries, enjoying the highest authority.
There can be no doubt of the validity of the New Rite but there are certain features which the author deplores. A number of prayers and ceremonies have been suppressed which, in the Old Rite, served clearly to express the most essential character and duty of priesthood: to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass. This is a sign of a tendency which can be observed in other official liturgical innovations (not to mention illegal ones). It is a matter of great concern for many Catholics that this and similar things are done at a time when the sacrificial character of what is now commonly called the "celebration of the Eucharist" is questioned or even denied by many who do not leave the Catholic Church.
Mr. Davies gives an impressive exposition of the facts and the meaning he attaches to them in the light of Trent, the Pontifical letter Apostolicae Curae of Pope Leo XIII, other official documents, and also the Canterbury Declaration on Ministry and Ordination in the Anglican and Catholic Churches. He rightly rejects the latter completely as a totally ambiguous document.
This is a rich and scholarly book which should be in the hands of all who study post-conciliar developments in the official Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Christ.
Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.25", 255 pages
of St Frances of Rome
by St. Frances of Rome
St. Frances of Rome (1384–1440) displayed mystical gifts from childhood. Though she longed to remain a virgin, her parents arranged a marriage for her, and, as a wife and mother, she led a devout life that mirrored that of a consecrated religious, through fervent prayer and tireless works of charity. In fact, she founded a community of Benedictine oblates who live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, each according to her own state in life; the community now counts thousands of members worldwide.
Frequently, St. Frances experienced ecstasies and visions, especially after receiving Holy Communion. In these absorbing pages, translated by Fr. Robert Nixon, O.S.B., her spiritual director records her life, mystical graces, and miracles as well as her severe demonic attacks and her unwavering trust in God throughout.
These pages are ideal for reflection before or after Mass or during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In the visions of St. Frances, you will encounter the Fountain of light eternal and His embrace as the fire of divine love inflames your heart with more ardent devotion. You will also encounter:
- Brilliant sights, harmonious sounds, and sweet scents of Heaven to fortify your faith
- Five streams of virtue flowing from the Lamb of God to quench your soul’s thirst
- The sure remedy for all distractions and anxieties that impede your love for God
- Sacred Scripture in a fresh, vibrant way to be nourished and renewed
- Lessons from the saints who visited St. Frances on her journey toward Heaven
- Guidance from our Eucharistic King on how to cast aside your worldly cares and ambitions
As you perceive ways to make the sentiments of this great mystic your own and be enriched by her insights, you will draw increased strength from the Holy Eucharist and adore God’s Presence with awe and love as never before.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5" x 144 pages
And Other Reflections
by St. Francis Borgia
St. Francis Borgia (1510–1572) was a member of a devout and influential family in Spain, served as the Duke of Gandia, and was a favorite of Charles V. He penned these pages as an exercise during a retreat prior to entering the Jesuits, but their riches quickly became known and widespread.
Due to his humility, fervor, and leadership, St. Francis is referred to as “the second founder” of the Society of Jesus. In this spiritual treasure, he will guide you in imitating the sentiments and actions of Christ to repair for your sins, grow in union with our Lord, and share the benefits of this devotion with others. Moreover, he will teach you his overriding goal: to perform every good work that the Holy Spirit places on your heart, in communion with Christ, for the Father’s glory — while there is still time.
To this end, he offers fruitful spiritual exercises to help your soul grow in the virtue of humility and sanctify your daily living. With this incomparable confessor, you will discover:
- What to ponder while getting dressed, praying, performing acts of charity, eating, and retiring
- Penetrating reflections on uniting your suffering to the sufferings of Christ
- The wedding garment with which you need to clothe yourself to enter the Eternal Banquet
- Three potent meditations to teach you how to grow in humility
- Profound meditations for Holy Communion to help you prepare to receive devoutly and thankfully
- Stirring meditations to help you grow in self-knowledge and gratitude to God
In these absorbing pages, you will find guidance for your state in life and probing reflection questions to spur you on to more ardent faith. These exercises will touch your heart, enlighten your mind, and inspire your soul to aim for greater glory.
Hardcover, size 7" x 5" x 128 pages
The Aquinas Catechism
A Simple Explanation of the Catholic Faith by the Church's Greatest Theologian
by St Thomas Aquinas
The essentials of the Catholic Faith — clearly & beautifully explained by one of the Church’s greatest thinkers!
Although St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the Church’s most intellectually powerful theologians, few know that he also wrote a great deal that’s well within the reach of ordinary believers.
In fact, as you’ll find in The Aquinas Catechism, St. Thomas had a remarkable ability to communicate the Faith — including both its most complex and its simplest elements — in plain language. Here you’ll find his deeply insightful, straightforward, and clear explanations of the Apostles’ Creed, the Commandments, and the Sacraments — as well as of the Our Father and the Hail Mary.
In other words, this book will give you a basic course in the Catholic Faith, taught by the Church’s greatest theologian.
Let him help you:
- Gain a better grasp of Church doctrine
- Pray with greater fervor and understanding
- Receive the Sacraments more worthily
- Learn what God requires of you and why
- Explain Church teachings to non-Catholic friends
- Discover the scriptural sources of our Catholic Faith
- Find remedies for moral weaknesses that still afflict you
- Glimpse the greatness of the Church’s supernatural mission
- And much more!
Above all, let St. Thomas teach you how to explain, defend, and live your Faith . . . with the clear-sighted wisdom of a saint!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 336 pages
A Handbook for Christians
by Fr William Ullathorne
Find lasting happiness through the two virtues that lead to all others: patience and humility.
Heroism, self-denial, and even martyrdom are worthless without humility and patience. This book shows you how to develop these two key virtues, no matter how difficult your circumstances may be.
You’ll learn why Jesus said that to save your life, you must first lose it, and you’ll come to see how the self-surrender in humility and patience is guaranteed to bring you lasting peace and happiness.
From this simple book you’ll learn many things:
- Ten ways you can start acquiring patience today
- Why God’s patience is the guarantee of your salvation
- Humility: why it’s the foundation of our Christian Faith
- The startling reason why God rejects the proud
- The four ways that patience heals the soul
- Easily hurt or disappointed? Learn the Lord’s antidote!
- How to avoid all spiritual injury – forever!
- Why humility is the very core of holiness
- The battle for your soul: do you know who’s winning?
- God’s own humility: it’s a searing lesson for the proud
- Minor troubles: how to keep them from overwhelming you
- The secret rewards of humility that only the humble know
- Five obstacles to virtue: how to overcome them
- Why troubles may be your most valuable possessions
- How faith depends on the virtue of humility
- Three obstacles to prayer: a simple way to wipe them out
- Six conditions for making your prayer more effective
- Spiritual problems: how to gain strength to overcome them
- And many other truths to make your life happier and holier
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 144 pages
by Romano Guardini
If you already say the Rosary, this book will help you pray it with greater devotion. If you don't say the Rosary, you'll discover why you should—and how to begin.
Unlike most Rosary books, The Rosary of Our Lady doesn't assume you already have a special love for Mary. Rather, it shows why such love is appropriate to all Christians who yearn to grow closer to Christ.
In these pages, you'll learn how to pray the Rosary as it was meant to be prayed and to identify—and overcome—the bad habits that too easily develop in those of us who pray the Rosary often.
Whether you've already spent many hours praying the Rosary or only want a simple, clear, and holy book to introduce the Rosary to a relative or friend, then this book is the book for you.
You'll also learn:
- How to take your daily concerns with you to the Rosary—and leave them there.
- Who should—and shouldn't—pray the Rosary
- What makes up the Rosary? The beads? The thoughts behind them? Or must there be something deeper?
- The paradox of the Rosary: Why is the Rosary both easy and difficult?
- How much of the Rosary should you be praying?
- How to pray the Rosary . . . even in times of exhaustion and stress.
- The one petition you must make if you're going to pray the Rosary well.
- The "paramount truth" that is the key to linking the words of your prayers to the mystery you're contemplating.
- Three practical hints for those who have difficulty with the Rosary.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 160 pages
The Divine Surprises and Chastisements that Shaped the Church and Changed the World
by Diane Moczar
Here are the saints and sinners, popes and kings that God used to shape his Church and change the world. You'll meet Clovis and Charlemagne, Luther and Pope Leo, Suleiman and St. Francis, the Arians, the Franks, the Huguenots, and others whose sins or sacrifices altered the course of history.
Here, too, are the wars and plagues, the ideas and institutions -- and, yes, the miracles that gave birth to our Christian civilization and often threatened to doom it. Experience the battles of Tours and Lepanto, the Crusades, the Russian Revolution, and Fatima, the miracle that foretold (and offered a way to prevent) the conflicts that killed millions in the twentieth century.
Wars and terrorism have rendered the first years of our new century no less bloody. Has God now abandoned us?
Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know finds the answer in history: from the first days of the Christian era, at key moments when civilization hung in the balance, God has intervened sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically but ever and always he has come forward himself or given strength to those who were faithful to him.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 177 pages
Avoiding Bitterness In Suffering
by Dr Ronda Chervin
When Ronda Chervin’s son, Charles, ended his own life, he did so believing that it is pointless to endure inevitable suffering. In the wake of Charles’s death, Dr. Chervin set out to discover some of the most basic — but all too often misunderstood — answers to why God allows us to suffer, and how we can bear it with perseverance and hope.
She shares her discoveries in these pages, helping you understand that while there is no escape from pain, pain itself is the road into the heart of Christ where peace can be found.
You’ll be given encouragement and practical advice as you explore afflictions such as failure, fear, frustration, loneliness, loss, marital problems, physical pain, fatigue, and temptation.
Dr. Chervin explains each affliction in detail and offers reflections on the lives of saints who suffered from the very same cross. Throughout each chapter you’re given practical suggestions on how you can meet Christ in your particular pain.
You’ll draw wisdom from the lives and writings of saints who were addicted, depressed, exhausted, raped, and unhappily married. And among these saints, you’ll discover within their responses a pattern that you can ponder and imitate.
Avoiding Bitterness in Suffering will bring courage and hope that in Christ and in communion with his saints, you can — and will — triumph over every kind of adversity. You’ll also learn:
- How you can overcome the pain associated with loneliness and isolation.
- Five ways to overcome doubts about the Faith.
- Four steps to liberation from the suffering of indecision.
- Five ways to meet Christ in the suffering of exploitation.
- What St. Benedict teaches us about failure – and how it changed the world.
- How to cope with failure and poverty.
- Five ways you can transform fear into trust in Christ.
- How you can turn frustrations and anger into a Christian spirit.
- How you can respond in a holy way to marital discord, demanding spouses, physical abuse, psychological abuse, abandonment, and rage.
- Four ways you can turn to Christ in times of temptation.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 243 pages
The Sign of the Cross
The Fifteen Most Powerful Words in the English Language
by St. Francis de Sales
From the young St. Francis de Sales’s heroic efforts to bring Calvinists back to the Faith comes this succinct, eloquent defense of the age-old Catholic practice of making the Sign of the Cross, which sixteenth-century Calvinists denounced as a Popish invention and many Protestants scorn even today.
Embodying the zeal of youth and the wisdom of age, this gentle jewel of Catholic apologetics traces the origins of the Sign of the Cross back to the Fathers of the Church, to the Apostles before them, and finally to our Lord Himself.
Along with St. Francis’s other lucid explanations of our Catholic Faith and his undaunted love even for those who hated him, this modest book helped restore to their native Catholic faith tens of thousands of heretics who not long before were intent on killing him.
As they did for the Calvinists in St. Francis’s day, so in our day these pages will bring you a better understanding and a renewed love for the Sign of the Cross, that brief and lively exterior prayer by which, from time immemorial, God has been invoked by serious Christians before all of their endeavors.
Among the other things you’ll learn here:
- Why now is always the right time to make the Sign of the Cross
- Why God chooses to attach power to the Sign of the Cross
- Why it is made on the forehead
- How to convince skeptics to value and pray with it
- Two uses of the Sign of the Cross: do you know both of them?
- How the Sign of the Cross is the antidote to the Mark of the Devil
- Errors in the claims of those who oppose this practice
- The theological significance of the motions, vertical and horizontal
- Two reasons it has particular power against the Enemy
- Why you should make the Sign of the Cross publicly and often
Outside the Creed itself, there are few topics to which the Fathers testify as universally and unanimously as the pious practice of making, frequently and well, the Sign of the Cross. With the help of these holy pages, the saints’ love for it will enkindle yours. Soon you’ll be saying with St. Jerome, “With every work, with all of my comings and goings, may my hand make the Sign of the Cross!”
Paperback, size 7" x 5.1", 128 pages
by Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet
Spiritual meditation is the surest way to grow in holiness, and Our Lady is truly an example of perfection. This combination makes Meditations on Mary a spiritual powerhouse that will lift your soul to God and help you along the path to heaven.
Meditations on Mary features twenty-four of the most powerful and moving meditations written by 17th Century Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet —considered to be one of the best homilists in the history of the Church. Author of Meditations for Lent and Meditations for Advent, Bishop Bossuet has been admired for his piety and eloquence for over three hundred years. Now his meditations on Our Lady are available to you in English — for the very first time!
Although we know Our Lady serves as a perfect example of how a Christian should live and bear witness to Our Lord, Scripture contains only a few glimpses of her life, leaving our knowledge limited and our imagination wanting.
In these pages, Bishop Bossuet takes you on a stunning pilgrimage through the principal mysteries of Our Lady's life. He masterfully blends what he's learned from Sacred Scripture with the spiritual traditions rooted in the heart of the Church, and illuminates it with his own theological reflections.
He'll bring you to a deeper understanding of Our Lady's compassion, her suffering during Christ's Passion, and the loneliness she felt after his Ascension to heaven. Bishop Bossuet will show you how Jesus brings honor to himself by honoring his mother, and how Our Lady is extraordinary solely because of her alliance with Jesus.
Mary teaches us how to let God direct our steps, how to remain humble in commanding and obeying, and how to seek holiness through our daily work. She shows us how to pray with humility and perseverance, to advance in perfection, and, by doing all these things, to conform ourselves to the holy will of God. Each short meditation is worthy of your contemplation, because each contains a lesson directly from the Blessed Mother to sinners like you and me.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 145 pages
The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur
The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband From Atheist to Priest
by Elisabeth Leseur
This inspiring book gives you a splendid example of how to live as a Christian in a secular environment that can be indifferent or hostile to your Faith. For Elisabeth Leseur had two great loves: God, and her husband Felix. Felix loved Elisabeth as well; yet to their mutual sorrow, he couldn’t share the life of the Spirit that Elisabeth cherished.
Occasionally the happiness of their life together in upper-class Parisian society was shattered by Felix’s frustration and impatience. How could such an intelligent woman waste her time, as he saw it, with ignorant superstitions? Sometimes he and his friends would even ridicule and mock her faith.
But Elisabeth loved Felix too much to allow their home to degenerate into an emotional war zone. She realized that confrontations and arguments were useless; she chose instead to keep quiet and pray for Felix. In her secret diary, she recorded how she used his efforts to destroy her faith as means to grow in love for him and for God.
Throughout their life together, it grieved Elisabeth to think that Felix might be separated from her for all eternity because of his rejection of God. For her, life in Heaven wouldn’t be happy without him. Yet when she died prematurely, Felix was still an unbeliever.
The story doesn’t end there. When Felix found this diary, he discovered how Elisabeth’s whole life bore witness to the truth of the God she loved.
In time, Felix was transformed by the diary and his memories of Elisabeth. He became a Christian and, later, a priest. Now she may even be declared a saint. Elisabeth’s diary and spiritual writings (all included in this one volume) map out for you a path to marital harmony and greater love for God — especially if you love someone who stands outside the Faith. Let Elisabeth’s two great loves, and her faith and perseverance, inspire you now.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 290 pages
Wellspring of Virtue
by Dietrich von Hildebrand
Of all sins, pride is the most dangerous . . . and the most sorrowful: it cuts the Christian off from God, estranges him from others, and leaves him lost and unhappy.
This book shows readers how to drive pride from the soul and discover the incredible strength and joys of humility today.
You ll also discover the incredible strength of humility, the only virtue that has the power to expel every vestige of pride from your soul. These pages will help you to begin experiencing the joys of humility today.
You'll learn:
- How humility breaks the back of every form of pride
- Why it is impossible to grow spiritually without humility
- Why humility is a form of strength not weakness (as many falsely believe)
- How humility enables you to acknowledge even your gravest sins without despairing
- How humility helps you to see the world clearly, and to love all things in it with greater intensity
- How humility allows you to experience the consolation of God's loving embrace
- Why only humility ensures true freedom
- How humility enables you to see God not as a vague presence, but as a Person who knows and loves you
- How humility helps you to see the dignity of every person (even the dignity of those you are tempted to scorn)
- How humility lets you hear God calling you personally to life with Him Why you best imitate Christ, Mary, and the saints by striving for humility
- And much more!
Paperback, size 6" x 4.5", 114 pages
by Cardinal Jean Danielou
The truth about angels — according to the Fathers of the Church
From St. Augustine to John Henry Newman, the greatest among the saints and men of God have lived on familiar terms with the angels; and the Church has always accorded them a very large place in her theology.
Recent theologians have dwelt on dry questions about the nature of the angels, but the early Fathers of the Church, with the memory of Jesus fresh in their minds (and of the angels of whom He spoke often) were fascinated with the energetic action of the angels among men and the ways in which the angels have carried out that mission from the instant of Creation through the time of Jesus; and how they will continue their work even unto the end of time.
From the works of these early Fathers of the Church, the late French Cardinal Jean Daniélou has drawn forth threads of knowledge and wisdom which he has here woven into a lucid and bright tapestry that shows us who the ministering angels really are, and how—in every instant and in every way—they are working for your salvation and mine.
Here you'll find no sentimental cherubs: the Fathers knew that majesty and power cloak actual angels, which is why God gave them the formidable tasks of shepherding not only souls, but entire nations, and the motions of the entire material universe itself.
Open these pages to meet the glorious angels as they were known by the Church's greatest saints and theologians: Origen and Eusebius, and Sts. Basil, Ambrose, Methodius, Gregory of Nyssa, Clement of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom (among others).
Soon you, too, will find yourself on familiar terms with the angels, and they'll begin to play in your life the larger role that God intends them to play.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 144 pages