Religious Books

Winner of a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (second place, ministry); 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, family life).

Do you struggle to know when or if it's appropriate to step in to help a teen who seems stressed, anxious, or depressed? Do you know the signs to look for to determine whether a teen is in distress?

In Helping Teens with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, Roy Petitfils--a Catholic author, speaker, and psychotherapist--offers his personal experience, advice, and faith to give parents, pastors, and youth leaders the knowledge, courage, and tools they need to step in, make a difference, and be the presence of Christ for teens in crisis.

Roy Petitfils knows what it's like to be an addicted, depressed teenager, filled with self-loathing and desperate for help. He describes himself at high school graduation as by far the largest person in his hometown and yet feeling as though he were "stuck in Harry Potter's invisibility cloak." Weighing more than 500 pounds, he was addicted to food and hated himself.

Now a leading Catholic voice in youth advocacy and creator of the popular podcast Today's Teenager, Petitfils entered adulthood a very different person than he is today. His life was radically changed by a handful of people in college who reached out in friendship and helped him set a new course.

Using personal life lessons and expertise gleaned from more than twenty-five years in youth ministry and private practice as a licensed counselor, Petitfils teaches parents, pastors, and youth leaders what they need to know about mental health issues among America's youth. Whether teens need help coping with healthy levels of stress or face persistent, more serious problems with anxiety and depression, Petitfils will help the adults in their lives get comfortable with stepping in.

Petitfils offers information and advice on:

He explores the support and comfort available through the sacraments, Catholic devotions, different forms of prayer, and reading the Bible. Ultimately, Petitfils identifies how to gently, yet persuasively guide hurting young people to deeper trust in the tender mercies of God.

In this game-changing book, Fr. Boniface Hicks, O.S.B., reveals how you can actively listen and open yourself to receive God's personal love for you in the Mass, where our Lord waits to quench your deepest longing and heal your wounds. Drawing from the wisdom of the saints, modern-day spiritual giants, and his own penetrating reflections, you will learn how to quiet your mind, stretch your heart, and become childlike in the sense of experiencing the sacred mysteries with wonder and awe.

The Mass, as most Catholics are aware, consists of words and gestures through which the Church worships the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. But as far fewer Catholics know, the periods of silence are more than pauses or empty spaces, as Fr. Hicks explains. They are beautifully textured with prescribed prayers spoken quietly by the priest, meaningful images such as incense and chalice veils, and expectant faith ready to surrender or receive from God in particular ways. Learning how to attune our hearts to these silences can greatly increase the fruitfulness of our reception of grace at Mass.

In these soul-enriching pages, you will explore the various textures of silence in general, the ways in which silence affects your interior life, and how silence can draw you into more intimate prayer. You will also find:

Fr. Hicks further guides you through each of the nine silent (secreto) prayers of the priest, the silent gestures in the Mass, such as the use of incense and the unveiling of the chalice, and the intentional periods of silence, including during the Liturgy of the Word and after receiving Holy Communion.

You will discover the pattern through which divine life came to earth and how the fire of Christ's merciful love comes to the soul. Moreover, you will come to understand how your physical silence at Mass fosters your spiritual silence and becomes an "act of love" through self-offering, adoration, communion, and resting in the inexpressible mystery.

Each chapter includes reflection questions designed to foster group discussions so parish members can reflect on and grow together in the way they pray during Mass.

Through such intimate encounter, you will learn to enjoy praying at Mass with your whole heart, mind, and soul and will arrive at a more conscious, active, and fruitful participation in the sacred liturgy.

Fr. Nortz masterfully builds upon the classic reflections of Sr. Marie-Aimée de Jésus, a nineteenth-century spiritual mystic and Carmelite nun, on the twelve degrees of silence. By cultivating these types of silence, you will find out how you can -- even amid your busy days filled with chatter, commotion, and noise -- listen to the voice of God.
In these profound pages you will find ways to overcome your fear of silence and discover:

You will learn the one sinful attitude that cuts us off from the merciful forgiveness of God and will acquire ways to stop passing judgment against others. Additionally, you will learn the most important attitude that disposes us to God's plans and allows us to enter into His love and converse with Him affectionately throughout the day. Moreover, you will find practical techniques for overcoming distractions in prayer and advice from the saints on methods of meditation to develop silence of the spirit.

Above all, you will glean how to maintain peace of soul and live free from anxiety and despair, regardless of temptations or life's battles. By relying totally on God, you will fearlessly rise after falls and begin again. You will begin to see the loving hand of God in all things, contemplate the light of His presence, and "be still" in the silence of His love.

"Holy silence is what helps the soul acquire the strength necessary to bear the presence of the all-pure God, who is ipsum esse subsistens (subsistent being itself)," explains Fr. Nortz. "The intensity of that fullness, far from inspiring languid inaction, produces a vibrant joyfulness that St. John expresses in the book of Revelation in terms of the saints singing with full voice."

Being a grandparent is one of life's greatest gifts. From loving your grandchildren to sharing your faith with them, you play a crucial role in their lives. But when difficulties or disappointments-whether big or small-arise in your family, you may struggle to know how to help your grandchildren.

Whatever storm you or your grandchildren are facing, you will receive the wisdom and strength you need. These pages are filled with faith, stories from people who have faced similar trials, and practical suggestions on how to begin to heal and move forward.

How Grandparents Can Help When Bad Things Happen includes prayers to lift your faith, questions for reflection and discussion, and practical ways to support and encourage your grandchildren. You will be wrapped in God's love and peace as you face challenging times together.

The whole of Scripture, Old Testament and New, is being published in a single volume, featuring the beautiful Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation along with introductions, outlines, and explanatory notes for each biblical book, extensive cross references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and an array of visual and educational aids to bring the message of Scripture into clear focus for Catholic readers.

More than any other study edition of the Bible on the market, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is "like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" (Mt 13:52). It draws insights from the best of modern scholarship as well as the best of the Catholic tradition of interpretation through the ages.

It explains the historical, cultural, literary, and archaeological background of Scripture, while at the same time looking to the Fathers, Doctors, and Councils of the Church for insight into its theological and spiritual teachings. The result is a veritable library of Bible study resources, all under one cover, designed to help readers understand the written Word of God and apply its lessons to their lives today. It is simply the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in our generation.

Key Features:

The Ignatius Press Study Bible has been developed by leading Scripture scholars:

Scott Hahn, Ph.D., General Editor, St. Paul Center
Curtis J. Mitch, M.A., Co-Editor

Contributing Authors:
Kelly Anderson, S.S.L., Ph.D., Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
Michael Barber, Ph.D., Augustine Institute
John Bergsma, Ph.D, Franciscan University and St. Paul Center
Mark Giszczak, S.S.L., Ph.D., Augustine Institute
John A. Kincaid, Ph.D., University of Mary
Jeffrey L. Morrow, Ph.D., St. Paul Center
James B. Prothro, Ph.D., Augustine Institute
Andrew Swafford, S.T.D., Benedictine College
Leeanne Thomas, M.A.
Matthew J. Thomas, D.Phil., Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology
David Twellman, Ph.D., Sacred Heart Major Seminary
André Villeneuve, Ph.D., Sacred Heart Major Seminary & Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies

In 2003 Trisha Day spent three months living inside the enclosure of Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, a community of twenty Cistercian nuns. Although she had long been monastic associate, she was startled by the unexpected challenges and insights that emerged as the weeks went by, and began a process of profound reflection on her experience. Now, drawing on her journals and reflections, and on her own experience as a professional woman, wife, daughter, and mother, she delves into the questions of how the centuries-old wisdom of monastic life can challenge, inspire, and guide those living outside the monastery.

Organized around topics such as prayer, community, and the vows, each of Day's reflections begins with memories of her monastic experience, and then presents a perceptive and often humorous critique of the contrasting values of our present culture. For each topic she chronicles with honesty and humility her subsequent struggles to apply back home the alternative approaches learned from the sisters she lived with, and offers a wealth of practical suggestions. Filled with stories from her own life and fascinating details of daily life in the monastery, her book is sure to strike a spark with all those seeking to live in a fully human and Christ-centered way.