Religious Books

"Each year I read more books than I can possibly review -- here are 5 of the finest and most memorable of that bunch. They are worth your money, your time, and your attention.
A book of poems that fictionalizes the life of Trappist monk Charles de Foucauld. Beautiful verse, full of pieces like "The Pangs of Wanting: " "I deliver my body to the church, / though I cannot imagine what penance might relieve / these pangs of wanting." Later: "I take first communion...My tongue licks up the bread: a whisper / of paper on my teeth...His torn body in my stomach, / his blood in my spit, I almost vomit; I almost sing." More collections about God like this one would be very welcomed."--Nick Ripatrazone, The Millions

Born in 1858 to a family of French aristocrats, Charles was torn between his ambition to do great things and his desire for the hidden life, between public service and private prayer. Charles of the Desert uses elements of fiction and poetry to follow him to Morocco, Syria, Israel, and Algeria, as he becomes a cavalry officer, explorer, geographer, pilgrim, Trappist monk, priest, abolitionist, translator, folklorist, hermit, fort-builder, and martyr. Throughout these travels and transformations, Charles searched for a vocation that would reflect his convictions and his experience of God. In his last fifteen years, he settled in a remote part of the Sahara, and focused on self-denial, contemplation, and charity. He claimed the nomadic Tuareg as his brothers, the desert as his earthly home.

The pope proposes that youth engage the joy of a living God, the richness of their Catholic faith, and the strength of living in Christian community. He illuminates the Scriptures to give youth tangible hope and draw them more fully into the Church. And in a time of new technology and transformative social changes, the pope challenges youth to take the grounded path of generous sacrifice and faithful companionship with peers, family, neighbors, and elders.

Pope Francis knows committed and bold youth and young adults can change our world! He listened to youthful voices from all over the world during the synod on young people.

In this provocative essay on that least understood virtue, compassion, the authors challenge themselves and us with these questions: Where do we place compassion in our lives? Is it enough to live a life in which we hurt one another as little as possible? Is our guiding ideal a life of maximum pleasure and minimum pain? Compassion answers no.

After years of study and discussion among themselves, with other religious, and with men and women at the very center of national politics, the authors look at compassion with a vigorous new perspective. They place compassion at the heart of a Christian life in a world governed far too long by principles of power and destructive control. Compassion, no longer merely an eraser of human mistakes, is a force of prayer and action -- the expression of God's love for us and our love for God and one another.

Compassion is a book that says no to a compassion of guilt and failure and yes to a compassionate love that pervades our spirit and moves us to action. Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison have written a moving document on what it means to be a Christian in a difficult time.

The first autobiography ever written, and one of the most profound testaments of faith, ever.

"This book is the masterpiece from which all other Christian memoirs flow. Augustine's astonishing story remains as fresh as it did when he wrote it in the late fourth century. The Confessions still speaks with a clear, vivid and altogether distinctive voice to believers and seekers searching for the One who will give rest to their restless hearts." --James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints

For in Christianity's 2,000-year history, cruel persecutions and sudden, uncontrollable plagues like COVID-19 have time and again struck mankind, challenging Christians to rise up spiritually against evils that cannot immediately be conquered materially.

Now our turn has come . . . along with the help we need to succeed. Here celebrated Catholic author and media host Teresa Tomeo has drawn forth from Scripture, the lives of the saints, and contemporary sources a healing balm for souls ‚"‚€‚" believers and unbelievers alike ‚"‚€‚" who have been shaken by the frightening evils thrust upon us by this coronavirus.

Add this small book to the mix of tablets and smartphones that are daily accessories in every teen\'s life. The author, a father of 4 and a veteran high school teacher, talks the talk that will get their day off the fast track and onto the right track. In a matter of minutes they will read Scripture, a brief reflection, and a prayer that relates to their lives--friends, family, bullying, church, life choices. There is no proselytizing in these pages, no accusations or condemnations--only the repeated and clear message that Jesus loves them and wants to help them. This book comes with a lifetime guarantee: if they read it, He will come. Confirmation, Graduation, Birthday, any day--hands down, Daily Companion for Young Catholics is the right fit.