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Showing 25–36 of 1505 results
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Meditations At Midnight
$9.99Add to cartDive into the profound and poetic world of humanity’s paradoxical beauty and absurdity with Meditations at Midnight by Gary Jansen–a literary feast that ignites your love for books and leaves you pondering life’s mysteries.
There are few books that can bring you face to face with your own humanity with all its tragic loveliness and at the same time lift you so high above it that you are able to dispassionately examine mankind’s absurdity and brilliance. Meditations at Midnight, by Gary Jansen, is such a book. Jansen’s stories, verses, and musings are at once familiar, startling, dreamy, funny, and nostalgic. He pays homage to his own favorite writers from Jack Kerouac to Stephen King to Ernest Hemingway to Emily Dickinson to Paulo Coelho and more. This is a book you can devour in one sitting or flip open and just nibble on a thought or a theme that suits your mood. Meditations at Midnight will awaken your love of literature–or inspire
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From Union Square To Rome
$22.00Add to cartPreface by Robert Ellsberg
With a New Foreword by
Pope Francis
“‘Praise God’ is the title of this letter. For when human beings claim to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies.”
In Laudato Si’, his historic encyclical of 2015,Pope Francis firmly established ecological concerns as central to the agenda of Catholic Social Teaching. Along with a spiritual framework on care for creation, he outlined such issues as climate change, biodiversity, and the peril facing our oceans, and offered a comprehensive guide to integral ecology.
Now, comes a shorter but even more urgent call: Laudate Deum, which focuses specifically on the climate crisis. As Erin Lothes Biviano writes in her introduction, Pope Francis here writes as a prophet, priest, poet, and most of all “a pastor, deeply concerned for people throughout the world, and above all for the poor.” Disappointed that not enough has been done in the intervening years, Francis addresses the irreversible effects of increasing global temperatures, the decrease in ice sheets, and other signs of the times. He critiques the “technocratic paradigm,” the ongoing addiction to a fossil-fuel economy, and the “weaknesses of international politics,” while leveling particular criticism at those who sow resistance and confusion.
With selections in this edition from Laudato Si’ that focus on pastoral, theological, and spiritual themes, Laudate Deum is a call to face the preeminent crisis of our times and to draw on all our spiritual wisdom, scientific knowledge, and political will to meet the challenge.
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Guidance In Spiritual Direction
$19.95Add to cartSpiritual direction is a vital aspect of the priestly ministry. It launches souls on the road to Heaven and keeps them oriented as the pathway becomes narrow and steep. Everyone – from the pope to the most innocent of children – needs spiritual direction.
In these rich pages, Msgr. Charles Hugo Doyle shares wisdom and practical advice on the process that holds rewards not only for priests but for lay faithful as well.
As Fr. Edward J. Hogan of St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore observed when the book was first published in 1958, “There are countless souls ripe for sanctity, full of generosity and desire, and needing only the expert advice of a divinely ordained doctor of souls to advance toward sainthood. Yet how often they remain unattended!”
Fr. Hogan observed that some Catholic priests hesitate to engage in spiritual direction and to reap the harvest of saints it can produce because they suffer from “a feeling of inadequacy and of lack of the requisite knowledge for so sensitive an undertaking.”
This is why the famed Msgr. Doyle wrote this book. He guided a generation of priests in the time-tested methods of spiritual direction and even today serves as a guide for lay Catholics who want to progress in holiness but have yet to find a spiritual director of their own.
In one timeless volume, Msgr. Doyle lays out the classic principles of Catholic spirituality and distills advice from saints who were commonly regarded as the greatest spiritual directors of their time. You will discover:
*The art of maintaining a devotional spirit all day long
*How to advance through the “spiritual stages”
*The stumbling blocks to genuine meditation
*Seven brief prayers that can increase your devotion at Mass
*Eight indicators that you are growing in holiness
*Ten proven methods to advance in virtueYou will also find ways the devil tries to disrupt you on the path to holiness and how to effectively battle the seven deadly sins. Additionally, you will learn about the danger of scruples, how to overcome them, and how to replace fear with a childlike trust and confidence in God.
St. Vincent Ferrer, the great Dominican saint, said about spiritual direction, “A person who has a director by whom he allows himself to be guided . . . will more easily and quickly arrive at perfection than he ever could by himself.”
This book is a must for every serious Christian’s spiritual library.
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Our Ladys Prophecies
$17.95Add to cartWhen Servant of God Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres received her famous apparitions – the Quito apparitions – from Our Lady, she was so appalled that she died. A doctor confirmed her shocking death. But thankfully, when her sisters prayed, she was raised to life again.
Here James Valois masterfully recounts the stunning prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success of the Purification, which, though they occurred four hundred years ago in the capital city of Ecuador, concern the current crisis in the Church and the world. Approved by Bishop Salvador Ribera Avalos in 1611 and by every bishop in Ecuador since that time, these apparitions are for our era.
The relevance of many of these prophecies to today’s events, spoken, as they were, about what would begin in the twentieth century and spill over into the twenty-first, is remarkable. Their gripping messages foretell the radical changes in customs and the disturbing state of our modern world that we are facing.
Our Blessed Mother’s enlightening words to Mother Mariana de Jesus – a humble nun renowned for her holiness – bear similarities to the prophecies of Our Lady of Fatima. Although some of the portents are alarming, the promises of hope shine through the darkness of our current crisis.
Our Lady’s revelatory words pierce to the heart of our present state of affairs: the attacks on the Church from without and within, targeting the sacraments, the priesthood, and the family. You will be enthralled by:
*A heart-pounding apparition of Our Lady and the Infant Jesus, amid a storm at sea
*The reasons why three swords of punishment would be unleashed in the twentieth century
*Five mysterious meanings of “the apparition of the extinguishing of the sanctuary lamp”
*Revelations of God the Father’s love and encouragement for His children
*The “ineffable joy” of the Blessed Mother’s care and intercession
*Details of the Great Crisis and profanations foretold – some fulfilled and others yet to occurAt such a dark hour, it may appear that all is lost and Christian civilization has ended forever – but this is not the case. Mother Mariana de Jesus offered her life as a victim soul; the miracles and mystical graces won through her heroic life, and the spiritual phenomena she experienced, continue to result in marvelous transformations of holiness today. Above all, Mother Mary’s messages are a call for conversion and renewal and for defenders of the Faith to arise in the face of cultural opposition, join
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Catholicism Everywhere : From Hail Mary Passes To Cappaccinos – How Catholi
$19.95Add to cartFrom sports to weather forecasting to wedding customs to military service, Catholicism Everywhere connects your work, your play, and your daily habits with the vibrant heritage, culture, and prayers of the Catholic Faith.
Many faithful Catholics greet God and give Him thanks and praise when they arise in the morning and retire at night. How they stay connected with Him and the Faith throughout the day, however, varies widely. Many forget that He is right there to call upon whenever the need or impulse arises. Others see Him all around, in the flowers of the field, the birds of the air, the smile of a child. Uniquely, Catholicism Everywhere treats the reader to the many expressions of God in the hobbies, foods, structures, and inventions developed by the Catholic Church and her members.
Enjoy a cup of coffee and thank Pope Clement VIII for his refusal to ban coffee and his edict proclaiming it to be an acceptable drink for Christians. Turn on the radio and recall that Fr. Jozef Murgas patented a form of wireless telegraphy, made the first wireless voice transmission, and gave away his secrets to allow for the development of radio. Send an e-mail and shop online with a nod to Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who became one of the first two students to earn a doctorate in computer science, helping pave the way for personal computing.
In these crisp, compelling passages, you will also learn about:
*The saint whose research led to the discovery of insulin
*The priest who posited the big bang theory
*The thrilling significance of the St. Michael’s Jump
*The origin of the Hail Mary pass
*The saint who used beer to help save lives
*The actor whose promise in prayer led to the building of a famous children’s hospital
*The film Pope Paul VI said would bring more people to Christ than anything beforeThese and other remarkable stories show how the Catholic Church and her members have borne tremendous fruit, in faith, to serve their fellow man. This book features chapters on pets, gardening, health care, cuisine, travel, entertainment, science, and more, including the Catholic founding of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Mayo Clinic, the Blue Army, the Knights of Columbus, and the Legion of Mary.
From sports to weather forecasting to wedding customs to military service, Catholicism Everywhere connects your work, your play, and your daily habits with the vibrant heritage, culture, and prayers of t
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Saint Pauls Nephew To The Rescue
$17.95Add to cartSaint Paul is imprisoned, and angry men are plotting to kill him. Saint Paul’s nephew overhears their evil plan, and even though he’s small and afraid, he knows he needs to do something to stop them.
In this exciting, illustrated story, based on true events from Saint Paul’s life as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, children will learn about heroism in the face of danger and what it means to be a Christian witness. St. Paul’s Nephew to the Rescue will captivate the imagination of young readers and inspire them to live courageous lives, doing all things through Christ who strengthens us.
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Jesus Make Me Fully Alive
$17.95Add to cartNo matter what stage of the game you’re in, today’s schedules are b-u-s-y. Classes or work, coffee meetups, pickup pickleball games, time with family-you name it. The calendar tends to keep the social commitments and professional pressures high.
In somewhat quieter moments of adulting, you may be combing apps for common ground, seeking community, and somehow still feeling as though you’re just going through the motions.
Associate chaplain of the St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Fr. Tim Anastos says that when we take our prayer life seriously, approaching God with confidence and making a regular Holy Hour, Jesus begins to replace anxiety, insecurity, and doubt with love, freedom, and eternity.
“Living in this world can easily drain us of life and joy, making us half alive, like zombies,” Anastos writes. “Jesus, Make Me Fully Alive can help recharge our relationship with Christ. Holy Hours are not just meant for the pope or the saints or ‘holy people.’ They are meant for you.”
Beginning where you are (a few minutes for intentional prayer or an entire hour spent in Adoration), Anastos’s thirty Holy Hour exercises will help you easily engage with Jesus in prayer, building your personal relationship with God. You’ll also encounter:
*personal examples of how Adoration made a difference in Fr. Anastos’s own prayer life, *suggestions about how to incorporate lectio divina in your prayer, and
*imaginative prayer and spiritual journaling you can tap into before the Blessed Sacrament. -
Reaching For Heaven
$16.95Add to cartAs you grow older, you’ll find that life takes on a new rhythm, one where you can shed the responsibilities that once consumed your days. The hours at work and the bustling activities of parenthood or other vocations have now transformed into something different-a fresh chapter of life, filled with new opportunities for reflection and growth. It’s your time to pivot and focus on how God will judge your life and how to make a final push for getting to heaven.
Through personal stories, humor, and practical advice, Michael Amodei-a lifelong Catholic with a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary and the University of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish-shares fourteen practices to help enrich your spirituality as you strive for heaven.
In Reaching for Heaven, seasoned book editor Michael Amodei shares what older Catholics need to hear to make the most of their time. “This book is a kind of wake-up call,” he writes, “a chance to become a better Catholic so that when we face that one-on-one with Jesus, we don’t have to fear what is coming.”
He contends that even a small investment in time and energy thinking about your golden years can have a rich payoff as you remember the past, act in the present, and plan for the future. He builds on his own spiritually rich memories-including his view from the fifty-yard line at Notre Dame Stadium-to show how you can invent your own life plan by selecting from spiritual habits and practices that have formed and strengthened Catholics for centuries. By creating both short- and long-term goals, you can:
*cultivate a deeper prayer life by praying the Liturgy of the Hours;
*get more out of scripture by taking a class or participating in a group Bible study;
*make a pilgrimage to a holy site or shrine (Amodei recommends the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto either in France or at the University of Notre Dame);
*correct past wrongs and heal past injuries not only by apologizing to someone you’ve hurt but also by making amends;
*strengthen family bonds by writing notes to tell family members what you appreciate about them; and
*draw closer to Mary by consecrating yourself to her.
He guides you to use the power of memory to shape your understanding of who God is and who you truly are by putting what you learn into practice incrementally over time to achieve the optimal plan for meeting Jesus face to face. This plan can lead you towards Judgment Day with confidence, knowing that you’ve lived a life dedic
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Redeeming Power : Exercising The Gift As God Intended – 12 Lessons For Cath
$17.95Add to cartCatholic theologian Ann M. Garrido-author of the bestselling and award-winning book Redeeming Administration-continues her work on Christian leadership by examining power not as a manipulative force in short supply but as Jesus understood it: an abundant good meant to be shared and put to use for the sake of harmony and holiness.
In Redeeming Power, Garrido helps you develop a spirituality of power by considering the skills and personal qualities that will enable a healthy and holy use of power in your role as one who leads. Garrido explores key passages from the creation stories of Genesis where we find the roots of how Jesus understood power. She shows how God shares divine power with all humans and calls leaders to specific ways of exercising power that will benefit the people and institutions they serve.
Joining these biblical lessons to her personal experience, and with help from nearly forty interviews of leaders in nonprofit organizations, business, and the Church, Garrido offers insight and guidance into many of the challenges contemporary leaders face, including how to:
*set-and adapt as needed-healthy boundaries for yourself and within the institution or community you serve,
*honor confidentiality while seeking to be transparent,
*share power with others,
*use one’s power on behalf of justice,
*stay rooted in the everyday, hands-on work of those you serve, and
*discern why and organize how you spend time and energy in order to bring balance to your life and work.
Garrido provides you with holy companions for your leadership journey, including Maria Montessori, Nicholas Black Elk, Benedict of Nursia, Kaloli Lwanga, Thea Bowman, Hildegard of Bingen, Mark Ji Tianxiang, Margaret of Scotland, and Jean Baptiste de La Salle.
Questions for self-reflection or group study are included at the end of each chapter and a companion discussion guide is available to download for free at avemariapress.com.
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Family That Prays Together Stays Together
$12.95Add to cartThere has been no greater promoter of the family Rosary than Venerable Patrick Peyton. The “Rosary priest” dedicated his life to the Blessed Mother and the devotion most commonly prayed for her intercession.
In The Family that Prays Together Stays Together, you and your loved ones will pray the Rosary along with Peyton, immersing yourselves into the rhythms and themes of this prayer, deepening your relationship with Mary, and intensifying your bond with her Son, Jesus Christ.
“The family that prays together stays together.”
Peyton shared this motto with millions worldwide through radio, television, and his famous Rosary rallies as he spread devotion to pray the Rosary together as a family. This book carries on Peyton’s legacy and will help you and your loved ones work through each of the four sets of mysteries by reciting one decade a day for a month.
Each weekday includes:
*a prompt to start with the Our Father, just as each decade of the Rosary begins;
*a quote from scripture that illuminates the life of Jesus or Mary according to that mystery;
*a brief reflection drawing upon the words and life of Fr. Peyton;
*a prompt to recite the Hail Mary ten times, followed by the Glory Be; and
*a concluding prayer that sends you into the rest of your day with a clear point of focus.
Each week you will encounter a new mystery of the Rosary-Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious. From Monday through Friday, you will pray one decade a day; on Saturday, you will pray the entire Mystery together; and on Sunday, you will record in the book your insights, joys, concerns, or intentions from the week to take to Mass.Whether you are new to the Rosary or have been praying it your whole life, this book will help you approach this ancient prayer with the enthusiasm and love of one of its greatest advocates. With your prayer guided by Peyton, you will discover strength and peace in a renewed connection with God through Mary, our Mother of Grace.
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Why We Think What We Think
$19.95Add to cartWe’re all starting to hear people ask how the world has gotten to be the way it is. Grafted onto the usual complaints about why people are so greedy, self-absorbed, and callous toward one another are new expressions of frustration about even more fundamental concerns. Why can’t we agree on concepts that used to be basic common sense? Why does our very language now seem to be a minefield that only the most wily and tactical (or cynical) among us can navigate?
The only way to understand fully how we have arrived at this state – and what, if anything, we might be able to do about it – is to embark on a journey back in time to see where we went off the rails. With candor and occasional humor, Dan LeRoy tells the sweeping story of Western thought from its beginnings to the present, revealing the souls and idiosyncrasies of its greatest thinkers. Through stirring vignettes, he tells the real story of how our customs and thought patterns developed and then relates it to our current moment of rupture.
In pages that sometimes read like an Indiana Jones adventure, LeRoy explains the detour that philosophy took nearly a thousand years ago that has led Western society to its current, dire situation. With sharp pen and clear eye, he reveals:
*The roots of classical philosophy, including empiricism (Ready to wade into the water?)
*How views on ethics and morality began to take shape even before Christ
*The three ways to attain happiness, according to the Big Three philosophers
*Four splinter groups and how their philosophies impact us today
*The enduring teachings of Sts. Augustine and Aquinas, among many othersYou will find out about amazing discoveries during the early days of rationalism, from mathematical equations to intervals between music notes, and how this universal ratio applied to another scientific revelation. Along the way, you will see the relevance of famous (and infamous) beliefs, including the Realm of Forms, the Four Causes, and Pascal’s Wager as well as dualism, humanism, materialism, and pantheism. Additionally, you will learn about how these ideologies provided the basis for modern-day politics, education, and belief in the transcendent, and the bridge between ancient philosophy and Christianity.
LeRoy unveils the ways in which the beliefs our society has largely abandoned still affect our everyday lives. Knowing why we think what we think is the only way to recover the ideas – many of them Christian in origin – tha
