Spiritual Life
by Fr Denis Fahey, C.S.Sp
Mental prayer is, in a certain sense, the most important exercise of the spiritual life. Fidelity to it (saints tell us) will ensure salvation; its complete abandonment may lead to perdition; progress therein means a corresponding progress in the interior life of union with God. Hence, the special value of books which treat of mental prayer. The excellence of the present work lies in the source from which it is drawn. St. Thomas Aquinas holds a unique place among the Doctors of the Church. He has become the official theologian of Christ s Mystical Spouse, her Universal Doctor. She has canonized his teaching, making it her own in all its essential elements.
This is the first of Fr. Fahey's books to be published, and it remains one of his most important for it presents the foundation of his spiritual life of prayer that was so fruitful.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 58 pages
by Rev. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Catholic doctrine on the interior life of Christ as it relates to our own interior life. The profound explanation meaning of Our Lord's words and actions in a manner understandable by all, yet to a depth few doctors of theology would even guess was there! Each chapter is virtually a glorious essay that can stand alone.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 398 pages, Impr.
by Msgr Robert Hugh Benson
Paperback, size 9.5" x 7.5", 100 pages
Victory Over Vice
by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton Sheen claims that since all seven deadly sins led Christ's enemies to nail Him to the Cross, we can find in the example of His suffering and death sure means to overcome each of those sins, plus the key to understanding — and to nurturing in our own soul — each corresponding virtue.
So, for example, in these pages filled with wisdom and hope, Blessed Sheen teaches us not only how to conquer our gluttony; he shows us how to satisfy our spiritual hunger. We learn not merely how to overcome pride; we discover what we must do to grow humble. From Christ's holy response to each of the seven deadly sins that led to His Crucifixion, Blessed Sheen draws a lesson in how you and I must deal with those same sins, whether we meet them in others or in ourselves.
Day after day, Christians struggle to do good, to avoid evil, and to take up with patience and love the crosses that threaten to crush them. For those of us who still know more of sin than sanctity, Fulton Sheen's revelation of the light that vice sheds on virtue affords a way to understand even better, and a means to attain it. If you abide by the holy counsel of these pages, enduring virtue will soon be yours: you will have achieved your own long-sought-after victory over vice.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 128 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
Crown of the Virgin
An Ancient Meditation on Mary's Beauty, Virtue and Sanctity
by St Ildephonsus of Toledo
In this book, St. Ildephonsus of Toledo provides a powerful, imaginative and lyrical set of meditations on the Immaculate Mother of God, reflecting on her splendour, beauty and sanctity.
This publication is the first translation into English of a Latin work, entitled Libellus de Corona Virginis, or “The Little Book on the Crown of the Virgin.” Traditionally, it has been ascribed to St. Ildephonsus of Toledo, a great monk, abbot and bishop of the 7th century. St. Ildephonsus contributed powerfully to the dissemination of the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Our Lady in Western Europe, and to the popularization of fervent Marian devotion in Spain. In this beautiful, moving and ornate literary portrait, the author imaginatively and lyrically fashions a magnificent crown for the Blessed Virgin Mary, decorated with twelve radiant jewels, six brilliant stars and six fragrant flower blossoms. Each of these is interpreted as representing a particular aspect of the beauty, beneficence, virtue or sanctity of the Blessed Virgin.
A perfect companion for guiding daily devotion to the Mother of Mercy and the Queen of Heaven, each chapter reveals a new and scintillating glimpse into the glories of Mary, sure to inspire the heart of the reader with ever more ardent devotion to the Mother of God, the vessel of all graces and the paradigm and perfection of every virtue. As a guide to meditation and a catalyst for prayer, the Crown of the Virgin is an illuminating mirror of the beauty and splendour of the one who is herself the refulgent and immaculate image of her Divine Son.
Hardcover, size 7.25" x 5.25", 144 pages
by unknown
The Thoughts of the Cure D'Ars is the most beautiful, simple, and inspiring statement of practical Catholic wisdom that most of us will likely ever read. Consisting of short, profound sayings, almost comparable to the proverbs in the Bible, this little book reflects perfectly its simple but holy author, St. John Vianney.
Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney (1786-1859) was popularly known as the Cure of Ars, or the parish priest of Ars, which is a small farmer's village north of Lyons, France. Though of poor education, the Cure of Ars was very intelligent and well versed in the Faith. He rose to great sanctity, converted thousands of souls to Christ, became famous throughout the Catholic world, and in 1929 Pope Pius XI proclaimed him "Patron Saint of Parish Priests" worldwide! This little book is a sample of his sanctity and wisdom.
Booklet, size 6" x 3.75", 80 pages
We are all so apt to idealise the Saints whom we love to study and honour, and strive to imitate, that we are in danger of forgetting that they possessed a human nature like our own, subject to many trials, weaknesses and frailties. They had to struggle as we have to struggle. In the case of some of the Saints we are able to come nearer to the reality by reading the letters which have been preserved, in which in their own handwriting they have set down, without thought of those who in later days might read their words, the details of their daily life and struggle. Thus in the few selected Letters of the holy foundress of the Visitation which are now being published in an English translation we get glimpses of her real character and spiritual growth which may be more helpful to us than many pages of formal biography.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 255 pages, Impr 1917.
Revelations of St. Bridget
on the Life and Passion of Our Lord and the Life of His Blessed Mother
by St. Bridget of Sweden
Saint Bridget of Sweden was one of the most privileged mystics in the history of the Church. Born to a wealthy family, she was given in marriage to a pious and good-hearted nobleman, with whom she raised eight children, including the future Saint Catherine of Sweden. When her husband died, Bridget founded an order of nuns, the Order of the Most Holy Savior, more commonly called the Bridgettines. She laboured until her death to spread her order and boost morality and devotion in the decadent 14th century Church. She also labored to bring the papacy back to Rome from Avignon. In all her efforts, she was wise, charitable, and outstanding in sanctity.
Devout from a young age, Saint Bridget also received numerous visions of Our Lord and Our Lady, including intimate details of Our Lady's early life, the Holy Family in Nazareth, and the Passion, first recorded in 1492. Revelations of St. Bridget provides excerpts from these eye-opening visions, which bring into focus many unknown facets of the hidden life of Our Lord and His Mother. These visions have been approved as orthodox and worthy of pious belief by the Holy See. The insights received by Saint Bridget are matched by very few other mystics', showing her privileges before the Throne of God. This volume also includes the famous 15 Prayers attributed to her, popular devotions in the late Middle Ages and our own era.
Do not miss these stirring and vivid accounts from one of the greatest foundresses of the Church's history. Imbued throughout her visions is the undeniable spirit of piety, devotion, and saintliness that characterized St. Bridget's earthly life—and by which she merited to become privy to such sublime mysteries.
Paperback, size 6" x 4", 96 pages
by the Very Rev. Dean A.A. Longs.
Originally published by Benziger Bros. in 1899.
41 short, enjoyable chapters covering the life of the Divine Child starting with "Necessity of a Divine Redeemer", to "The Birth of the Blessed Virgin", and continuing with "The Nativity of Our Lord, etc.
This book teaches many examples to be applied in life for the younger generation. Example: chapters on humility, obedience, mortification, charity and "Jesus the model of Industry."
Paperback, size 6" x 5", 256 pages, Impr.
by Fr. Raoul Plus, S.J.
Simplicity: the sure path to God!
The saints assure us that simplicity is the virtue most likely to draw us closer to God and make us more like Him.
No wonder Jesus praised the little children and the pure of heart! In them, He recognized the goodness that arises from an untroubled simplicity of life, a simplicity which in the saints is completely focused on its true center, God.
That's easy to know, simple to say, but hard to achieve.
For our lives are complicated and our personalities too. (We even make our prayers and devotions more complicated than they need be!)
In these pages, Fr. Raoul Plus provides a remedy for the even the most tangled lives.
Relying on the words of Jesus and the lives of the saints, Fr. Plus maps out a sure path to the simplicity which Jesus praised, a simplicity that bestows on all of us who seek it happiness, courage, and inner peace, no matter how complicated our circumstances may be or how crowded our days.
Holy simplicity.
With the wise help of Fr. Plus, you will soon savor the strength that simplicity brings . . . and the abiding joy. With his help, you can attain it.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 96 pages
How the journey of self-denial leads to perfect union with God.
by St John of the Cross
In Dark Night of the Soul, Saint John of the Cross presents for us a portrait painted from his own experience of one who advances successfully through the struggles of the spiritual life. The dark night that St John describes is not abandonment by God but special consideration from Him for those who desire to purify and perfect their souls.
With a soul purified from earthly attachments, we can advance through the much quoted but oft misunderstood dark night of the soul into unity with God. By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens herself 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.
Also available in Hardcover.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 218 pages
by The Benedictine Convent of Clyde
Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a powerful little booklet filled with many of the treasures to be found in the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Besides containing an explanation of the symbolism found within the Image of the Sacred Heart, it also includes explanations of the 9 First Fridays devotion, known as the Great Promise, and the miraculous cure of St. Gemma Galgani, as well as many profound exhortations to offer reparation to the Sacred Heart.
Our Lord instituted this authoritative and moving devotion Himself, saying, "I set neither limit nor measure to My gifts of grace for those who seek them in My heart."
In our age of religious indifference, when fervor and charity have grown cold, Jesus exhibits to the world His Sacred Heart as the symbol of God's infinite love showing His Divine Heart as a furnace whose burning rays of love are able to reanimate faith and rekindle love in hearts grown cold and ungrateful.
Booklet, size 6" x 3.75", 70 pages
by St John Vianney
Composed when he was a young priest, The Sermons of the Cure of Ars constitutes one of the most powerful Saints' writings in the literature of the Church. Covering a wide range of vital moral and doctrinal issues for the average layman, St. John Vianney addresses the duties of parents, of the mother, of the pregnant woman, Annual Confessions, How death will reveal thieves, It is necessary to be converted, You no longer control them (your children), The sewer of Hell, Bad company, etc., etc. No one will read this book without realizing that his own moral subterfuges have been laid bare and that he needs to address the camouflaged sins and weaknesses lying buried in his inmost heart. Impr.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 195 pages
The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride
by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
In his masterful 12th-century work, The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride, St. Bernard of Clairvaux--the "Doctor Mellifluus" or "Honey-Sweet Doctor"-- eloquently crafts a soul's guide to spiritual ascent and descent. With his deep understanding of human nature and his own monastic experience, St. Bernard outlines a path that leads away from the self-deception of pride towards the liberating embrace of humility.
St. Bernard illustrates humility as the foundation of a life anchored in truth, where self-knowledge and the recognition of God's greatness kindle the desire for inner transformation. In contrast, pride is depicted as a deceptive force, leading one away from God and into the isolation of self-importance. The saint's discerning eye lays bare the subtle gradations between these two extremes, offering a ladder of spiritual progression for the earnest seeker.
For nearly a millennium, the "honey-sweet" words of the Doctor Mellifluus have resonated with those yearning for a deeper relationship with the divine. This book is not merely a historical artifact; it is a living text that speaks directly to the heart, offering wisdom that transcends the centuries. For anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of spiritual growth, The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride offers a compass that points unerringly to the transformative power of humility in a life consecrated to God.
Paperback, size 7" x 5", 144 pages
With the Church, Volume 1
Advent to the Ascension
by Mother Mary Loyola
Now for the first time in nearly a century, this classic set of meditations on the Liturgical Year are back in print! Written while Mother Loyola was bedridden with a hip fracture, these devotions bring us the urgency of living our life With the Church, for we "know not the day nor the hour."
The Irish Monthly back in 1924 had this to say about With the Church: “Father Thurston tells us that forty years ago Mother Loyola, when bringing out anonymously her first book on Holy Communion, and being anxious to get ecclesiastical recommendation for it, asked him to write a short preface. The favourable reception accorded by the Catholic public to the numerous books which she has brought out since that time has amply justified Fr. Thurston’s judgment in recommending the authoress’s work. This latest book of hers consists of a series of reflections on the feasts of the year from Advent to the Ascension. Her thoughts are always well-grounded and ingenious, and their expression is clear and graceful, with a strong personal charm. They are musings jotted down just as they occur to her devotional spirit and not simply as dictated by a resolution to follow a certain line.”
Paperback, size 5.5" x 8.5", 380 pages
Courage To Be Afraid
by Fr. Marie-Dominique Molinié, O.P.
“Fr. Molinié brings us back to the essentials of the Gospel: the simplicity of following Christ and the grandeur of God’s plan for us. Every Catholic will find in this book clarity, rejuvenation, and wisdom.” —Fr. Alexander Wiseman, SSPX
The Courage to Be Afraid is remarkably different from other spiritual books. It is a tour de force that examines many aspects of the Christian life, yet always returning to a simple, powerful theme: we have to let God act. Fr. Molinié addresses himself to us, children of the modern world, in order to recall us forcefully to what never changes, no matter the state of things: the divine life is in us, and will transform us if we surrender to it. “God’s love is a consuming fire...”
Some of the themes in the book include:
• Nature and grace
• Combat between pride and humility
• Development and stages of the spiritual life
• Suffering and the Mystery of God
“If, in the face of this world whose values are crumbling, you look feverishly and anxiously for what must be done, you have not understood that God wants to be the only One who saves us: His glory is at stake. When we rely on action or on natural qualities, we attack the glory of God....This secret is the Trinitarian life, and to enter into it, we must live a life where we lose our footing... this is the whole savor of the mystical life.”
—Fr. Marie-Dominique Molinié, O.P.
Available for the first time English.
Paperback, size 9" x 5.8", 226 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
God's Loving Care for Men and the Need for Confidence in Almighty God
by Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Gives both the deep theological background (Thomistic) and its practical ramifications. Demonstrates an entire way of life based on the firm rock of confidence in God's Providence for us.
Shows how we can have the confidence and joy of the Saints amid the trials of this life. Fr Garrigou-Lagrange shows how non-Catholics often err by presumption by despair.
Paperback, size 8.25" x 5.5", 389 pages