Religious Books

Christmas is the season most difficult to grasp and understand in all its spiritual richness. The sentimentality and commercialism that dominate the season tend to obscure the profound mystery at its heart: the Incarnation. God with Us provides the perfect way to slow down and reconnect with the liturgical and sacramental traditions that illuminate the meaning of Christmas and the Incarnation. In daily meditations for the complete seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, the contributors offer a tapestry of reflection, Scripture, prayer, and history. God with Us--which has sold more than 25,000 copies in its original, illustrated, $30 edition--will make anyone's journey to the stable in Bethlehem and the child in the manger unforgettable. This new "Reader's Edition" is designed to make the book more affordable, able to reach an even wider cross-section of readers.

Fr. Austin Fleming is a pastor from Concord, Massachusetts, who decided eight years ago to start writing a blog featuring short daily prayers. From those beginnings, A Concord Pastor Comments has inspired hundreds of thousands of visitors across the country and the world. The appeal of his prayers lies in their simplicity and honesty. They easily find a home in every heart as they echo our own desires and longings. Here in one volume is a collection of prayers from the Concord Pastor that can be used to begin each morning. Whatever your state of mind and heart as you come to morning prayer, these prayers can jumpstart your own prayer to God.

Both a practical guide and an educational tool to help grandparents reclaim their regenerative role as nurturer, family historian, mentor, sage, and model of aging.

This handy volume will help readers select a Bible, develop a reading plan, practice "Lectio Devina" and begin to interpret the Bible clearly and with confidence.

Discover a beautiful, personal way to engage with Scripture through The Catholic Journaling Bible. The first of its kind for Catholic women, this journaling bible is the perfect companion as you dive deeper into the Word of God. Including the full text of the New American Bible, Revised Edition, this single-column bible offers wide margins that are perfect for:

Note-taking

Journaling

Recording prayers

Doodling

Drawing

Creative Expression

The elegant design includes hand-lettered quotes and space for personal reflection. Ideal for gift-giving, this beautifully bound bible invites Catholic women to immerse themselves in God's Word like never before.

This is what happens when a writer, preacher, and lover of words encounters some of creation's wisest theologians...horses.

First, she argues with them. They are, after all, horses. What could they possibly know about life and God that theologians haven't already written? But slowly she engages their language and listens to their holy wisdom, attending to how they express their being, their actions, and their relationships. She allows horses to draw her out of the faith of intellect and into a deeper faith of emotion, body, and soul.

With edgy honesty and humor, Brock invites all who have longed for a deeper spiritual encounter with God to join her in the saddle (and occasionally on the ground) to discover how horses speak of God and how their ways of knowing help us to discover ways of God speaking to us.

In his first appearance as newly elected pope, mindful of the challenging tasks ahead of him, Pope Francis humbly asked the crowds who came to rejoice at his election to pray for him. From this request I ask you to pray for me comes the title of this inspirational little book, a collection of homilies, addresses, and audiences given by Pope Francis in the days following his election on March 13 up until Easter Monday, April 1, 2013.

"And now I would like to give the blessing, but first first I ask a favor of you: before the bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me: the prayer of the people asking the blessing for their bishop. Let us make, in silence, this prayer: your prayer over me."

The selections range from the first greeting of the Holy Father to addresses to the College of Cardinals, representatives of the communications media, representatives of the churches and ecclesial communities and of the different religions, to the diplomatic corps. And homilies include those given on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and of course Easter Sunday. Following these selections is a brief but informative biography of Pope Francis.

One comes away from reading these entries with a feeling of being privy to many moving and enduring moments that will forever define Pope Francis papacy. Here is a book that offers a first glimpse into the mind and heart of our new pope, in his own words. It will find a wide readership among committed Catholics, those who may be thinking about a return to the church, and anyone interested in the future direction of the church.

The only Catholic Study Bible based on the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament brings together all of the books of the New Testament and the penetrating study tools developed by renowned Bible teachers Dr. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch.This volume presents the written Word of God in a highly readable, accurate translation, excellent for personal and group study. Extensive study notes, topical essays and word studies provide fresh and faithful insights informed by time-tested, authentically Catholic interpretations from the Fathers of the Church and other scholars. Commentaries include the best insights of ancient, medieval and modern scholarship, and follow the Church's guidelines for biblical interpretation. Plus, each New Testament book is outlined and introduced with an essay covering questions of authorship, date of composition, intended audience and general themes. The Ignatius Study Bible also includes handy reference materials such as a doctrinal index, a concise concordance, a helpful cross-reference system, and various maps and charts.

This is a retelling of popular stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible by Rev. Jude Winkler, presented in language understandable to children and beautifully illustrated to add meaning to the text.

Available for the first time in English, the private reflections of the modern pope recently elevated to sainthood--deeply personal writings that reveal a spiritual leader who agonized over his service to God, continually questioning whether he was doing enough.

As the head of the Roman Catholic Church for twenty-five years, from the final decades of the twentieth century to the first years of the new millennium, Pope John Paul II significantly impacted our world. As famous as a rock star, this powerful leader who conferred with numerous heads of state was the ultimate model of wisdom and religious commitment for numerous Catholics around the globe.

Throughout much of his adult life, from 1962 until two years before his death in 2003, John Paul II kept a series of private diaries in which he disclosed his innermost thoughts, impressions, and concerns. Written in his native Polish and never before available in English until now, these journals provide intimate and deeply moving insight into a man, a priest, and a saint's spirituality and a life devoted completely to God.

In God's Hands lays bare the soul of this powerful, influential statesman, revealing a devout man untouched by his celebrity status; a selfless servant of God who spent decades questioning whether he was worthy of the role he was called to carry out. Over forty years, from his bishopric in Krakow to his election to the papacy to his final years, one question guided him: "Am I serving God?"

Entrusted to his personal secretary--who defied John Paul II's instructions to burn them after his death--these notebooks provide us with a privileged glimpse into the life of a humble man who never took for granted his mission or his exalted role in the church and in the world.

Sit at the feet of Pope Francis as he preaches to you! This collection includes highlights of the Holy Fathers homilies and addresses on Gospels texts, beginning with the birth of Jesus and ending with the resurrection appearances. Short, digestible reflections provide plenty of food for thought and prayer. As always, the popes words will both challenge and comfort you as you seek to live out your faith in concrete ways.