Religious Books

B & W photographs throughout

An Introduction to Prayer offers a collection of rich yet brief reflections on prayer in the Catholic spiritual tradition from acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian Bishop Robert Barron. This book explores the answers to questions like:

His cause for canonization is progressing, and his videos and books are widely viewed and in persistent demand. But of all his writings, Archbishop Fulton Sheen's most influential and practical guides, by far, were These Are the Sacraments and Three to Get Married.

These two books are once again available in this rich single volume, along with comprehensive commentaries by the late, revered Father John Hardon--themselves a powerful tutorial in how to read the great archbishop. "We cannot begin to guard our faith unless we understand what we believe," notes Fr. Hardon.

Controversy was brewing and confusion sewn among Catholics by the time Sheen wrote these classics. He shies away from nothing, even while teaching traditional doctrine in appealing and unique prose. With Bishop Sheen and Father Hardon as your guides, you'll learn:

One hundred briefly-framed themes from both psychology and spirituality are provided so that persons, with even the busiest of schedules at work and home, can avail themselves of the approach of this book which is designed to increase self-awareness and self-care in these challenging times. To make the most of the entries, a clear way of reflecting on the points being made and stories shared is provided. An emphasis on combining clarity and kindness in seeking to understanding and applying the topics is offered as well.

Endorsements

"Robert Wicks has a unique, gifted spiritual vocabulary. Very few writers have his ability to weave together the special and the common, the academic and the street, the reverent and the humorous, and depth of spiritual insight with robust common sense. You won't be disappointed."
--Ronald Rolheiser, author, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality

"The Art of Kindness is like a set of prayer beads, each story an invitation to pause and be with the joys and sorrows of life in ways that call forth strength and possibility--an ideal resource for daily prayer and reflection."
--Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, author, A Midwinter God: Encountering the Divine in Seasons of Darkness

"These short reflections give readers a glimpse into the life and work of Robert Wicks and serve as a springboard for deeper meditation on life lessons and spiritual growth. The Art of Kindness takes us to different parts of the world, introduces us to a broad range of people, and shares with us wisdom and insight at the intersection of psychology and spirituality. There is something here for everyone."
--Daniel P. Horan, professor of philosophy, religious studies, and theology at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and author of Fear and Faith: Hope and Wholeness in a Fractured World

"The Art of Kindness is an act of kindness in itself. Again, like the author's other works have shown, this wonderful book offers readers practical guides to greater wellness and wholeness that can benefit everyone. I highly recommend it."
--Edward Sellner, author, Celtic Saints and Their Animal Friends

Dr. Robert J. Wicks is professor emeritus, Loyola University Maryland. He has lectured on resilience, self-care, maintaining a healthy perspective and the prevention of secondary stress, in the United States and internationally. His latest books include Quiet Dangers: Navigating the Psychological Challenges of Spiritual Intimacy, Do You Have a Moment? , and his bestselling, Riding the Dragon
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She teaches how to deal with thousands of thoughts that people think every day and how to focus the mind the way God thinks. And she shares the trials, tragedies, and ultimate victories from her own marriage, family, and ministry that led her to wondrous, life-transforming truth--and reveals her thoughts and feelings every step of the way.

This special updated edition includes an additional introduction and updated content throughout the book.

For more than 250 years, Abandonment to Divine Providence by Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade has offered inspiration and spiritual balm for those plagued with doubt, anxiety, and fear. Motivated by his own life-changing encounter with this spiritual classic and the popular resurgence in practicing Christian mindfulness, bestselling author and retreat leader Rev. Jeffrey Kirby serves up six meditations, rooted in Caussade's work, for today's reader and presents them as a personal retreat. Perfect for anyone looking to renew their trust in God and live freely in the present moment, Be Not Troubled invites you to let go of what you can't control and discover a place of deep serenity in God.

How does the contemporary person who is constantly forced to multitask, is fragmented and torn in different directions, and feels more connection through technology than through face-to-face interaction come to know and experience God's presence?

In Be Not Troubled, Kirby draws on his decades of experience as a popular retreat leader and speaker to offer you the wisdom of Caussade distilled into a six-day personal retreat that equips you to embrace the present moment and shake fear from your mind--all by recognizing the power of God.

This process begins with time-tested tools drawn from the renowned spiritual classic Abandonment to Divine Providence, which presents a series of influential spiritual reflections from Caussade, a beloved eighteenth-century French Jesuit.

In popularizing this classic for today's readers, Be Not Troubled

Practical steps, invitations to practice presence, and reflective prayers guide you through these spiritual habits, which are broken out into six days of brief, accessible meditations that can be completed in the midst of your daily life.

Rather than the future or the past, and rather than in cyberspace or somewhere else, God is found in this moment and in this place. The present moment can be lived and cherished as a sacrament, a visible sign of invisible graces. And it's in this sacrament that we can most know ourselves and encounter the living God.

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (third place, scripture-popular studies).

The women God called to bring his chosen people into the world were ordinary women who struggled with emptiness, oppression, infertility, and loss--yet who found strength and hope in God. In her first book, Sarah Christmyer--codeveloper of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study program--pairs the stories of key Old Testament women with stories of women she has known to show us how we can hear God, say yes to his call, and share him with the world just as they did.

Breaking open the scriptures to reveal the historical, cultural, and biblical context in which Old Testament women lived, Sarah Christmyer breathes new life into their stories and makes their lives surprisingly relatable. In the process, she shares stories from her own faith journey and the lives of family and friends to show how the same principles that turned ordinary women into heroines of the faith are true for our lives today.

Each chapter of Becoming Women of the Word highlights the spiritual legacy of one or more women in the Old Testament. Their world was vastly different from ours, yet they faced the same questions we do: when we can't feel God's presence, where do we find help? When our world is collapsing, where is God? Why should we trust him? How can we trust him? Christmyer simply and clearly draws from the lives of these women important principles that help us to trust--even as we struggle with doubt. For example:

These unforgettable portraits create a colorful mosaic of faith, encouraging us to mine God's Word for spiritual treasure and to pass on the gift.

In Benedict Backwards, Terrence Kardong builds the case that the Rule of Benedict is best read "backwards," that is, with emphasis on the last chapters, not the first ones. Benedict starts out dependent on the Rule of the Master, but he ends on a much more self-assured note, revealing more about his own thoughts on matters of monastic life. Kardong shows the final chapters of the Rule are primarily about community, and they provide insight into Benedict's vision for his monks.

Benedictine Daily Prayer provides an everyday edition of the Divine Office for people who desire to pray with the church in a simple manner. Based on fifteen hundred years of liturgical prayer within the Benedictine monastic tradition, Benedictine Daily Prayer offers a rich diet of classic office hymnody, psalmody, and Scripture.
This fully revised edition includes: