Virtues

The 12 virtues we must all acquire to be happy in this world and to save our souls. Many of our readers rate this the most beautiful and inspiring book they have ever read. For absolutely all! One of TAN's top 5 best-selling books. Impr. 210 pgs, PB

We have reduced all virtues to one: being nice. And, we measure Jesus by our standard instead of measuring our standard by Him. For the Christian, explains author Peter Kreeft, being virtuous is not a means to the end of pleasure, comfort and happiness. Virtue, he reminds us, is a word that means manly strength. But how do we know when we are being meek--or just cowardly? When is our anger righteous--and when is it a sin? What is the difference between being virtuous--and merely ethical? Back to Virtue clears up these and countless other questions that beset Christians today. Kreeft not only summarizes scriptural and theological wisdom on leading a holy life, he contrasts Christian virtue with other ethical systems. He applies traditional moral theology to present-day dilemmas such as abortion and nuclear armament. Kreeft restores to us what was once common knowledge: the Seven Deadly Sins have an antidote in the Beatitudes. By setting up a close contrast between the two sets of behaviors, Kreeft offers proven guidance in the often bewildering process of discerning right from wrong as we move into the questionable mores of the twenty-first century. He provides a road map of virtue, a map for our earthly pilgrimage synthesized from the accumulated wisdom of centuries of Christians, from Paul and the early Church Fathers through C.S. Lewis.

Need a spiritual workout? Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue, by Tim Gray and Curtis Martin, is a Bible study designed specifically for men who want to build their spiritual strength. Each challenging lesson combines rich Scriptural teaching with centuries of Christian wisdom to train today's men for the virtuous life. With thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, this book is ideal for individual or group study. This Bible study is intended for the growing number of men who are taking seriously their call to Christian discipleship. Steve Wood, founder of St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers, a leading Catholic men's apostolate, says that "every father needs a few essential books in his father's 'tool box.' Boys to Men is one of them."

Provides a detailed examination and encouraging explanation of faith, hope, humility, love and chastity, human formation, patience, penance, joy, and obedience.

How to Master 12 Essential Virtues in 12 Months

On every page Cultivating Virtue imparts the true spirit of the Catholic Faith. This book takes 12 Christian virtues--one for each month, with a reading for each day of the year--and shows you how to master each one. Featuring episodes and sayings from the lives of the Saints, it covers Perfection, Humility, Mortification, Patience, Meekness, Confidence, Charity, among others.

Master the virtues and set out on your road to becoming a saint by learning directly from the great saints, such as St. Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Vincent de Paul, St. John of the Cross, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. John Chrysostom, and many others.

Cultivating Virtue possesses the unique quality of touching the soul with just a few paragraphs and putting a person in tune with God's view of our affairs. The reader can pick it up for a few moments and gain incomparable inspiration. For this is one of the most moving and powerful Catholic books ever written and one that will enflame the reader with the love of God and desire for true Christian perfection.

Cultivating Virtue was formerly published by TAN Books as A Year with the Saints: A Virtue for Every Month of the Year.

The original text has been re-typeset as an attractive daily meditation. The new trim size is 5"x7". It is bound in a Premium UltraSoft cover, with a ribbon marker and gold edges. Personalization is available.

This classic work from Thomas à Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ, is now available in English for the first time.

It is a simple truth that, without the virtue of humility, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It simply cannot be done. Just as pride is the root and source of all sin, so is humility the foundational virtue in which all other virtues must be grounded if they are to bear fruit.

Humility is the heartbeat of the saints. It is the virtue that conforms us most closely to Christ. In this short but deeply rich book, the great spiritual master, Thomas à Kempis, will teach you the necessity of humility and how to cultivate it, how to identify the manifestations of pride, how to elevate your mind to God, and how to pray with humility and reverence.

This timeless work also includes some of the most beautiful prayers ever written to God, the Blessed Mother, and the saints that will help you advance in virtue and pray with fervor.

Saint Benedict's fifth-century guide to humility offers the antidote to the epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the language of The Rule by Saint Benedict is medieval, and its most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people?

With candor, humor, and a unique approach to classical art, Father Augustine, a high school teacher and coach, breaks down Saint Benedict's method into twelve pithy steps for finding inner peace in a way that can be applied to anyone's life.

Drawing upon his own life experiences, both before and after becoming a Benedictine monk, the author explains every step, illustrating each chapter with color reproductions of monastic art that he has embellished with comic flourishes. The winsome combination is sure to keep readers from taking themselves too seriously--which is already a first step on the path to humility.

Humility is the key to all the virtues. It's the necessary foundation for growth in all the others. If we do not know ourselves--if we cannot see our flaws and strengths (but especially our flaws)--clearly, how can we grow in virtue? How can we begin to make ourselves less and God more?

Indeed, in our age of social media where it's a constant race to appear the best, to put up a front, to show others a false image (and to show ourselves a false image) cultivating humility is perhaps more important now than ever.

Know Thyself then is an invaluable resource for a prideful age. Adapted from Rev. Fr. Cajetan da Bergamo's classic Humility of Heart and supplemented with writings from the saints and powerful scripture passages, Know Thyself will reinvigorate you each day in the struggle to be like Christ, to be "meek and humble of heart."

This beautiful hardcover book--with updated language for the contemporary reader and reorganized with a logical progression--is perfect for everyday use. New features that help you put your reading into spiritual action include:

Saints quote for every day followed by a short meditation on humility.

With Prayers for Humility and Scripture Verses on Humility

Guided meditations that will bring about a deeper self-knowledge

Are you having problems in a family relationship? Struggling to find fulfillment in your work? Do you find it difficult to have regular, deep prayer? Whatever your struggle, growing in true humility will help solve it.

Spend the next 100 days with this book--spend the next 100 days contemplating, meditating upon, and growing in humility--and your problems, your struggles will improve. That's the power of humility and that's the power of Know Thyself.

Personal stories and actionable advice for the spiritually committed, all rooted in a decades of research.

Even in a country as religious as the U.S., many people feel disengaged from their faith communities. More than half report that they really don't get the opportunity in their congregation to do what they do best. People just feel disconnected.

Maybe it's because those faith communities make unwitting missteps: Pastors ask shy people to be Greeters, or recruit innately disorganized people to coordinate church events.

The problem is simply this: Too many people's talents are going unappreciated. But it doesn't have to be this way. Living Your Strengths shows readers how to use their innate gifts to enrich their faith communities. The book --- written by onetime pastors Albert Winseman and Curt Liesveld, and Donald O. Clifton, co-author of the national bestseller Now, Discover Your Strengths --- shows people how to identify and affirm their talents, and how to use them for growth and service. Most importantly, Living Your Strengths helps people discover their true calling.

The book includes an ID code that gives readers access to StrengthsFinder.com, a personality assessment that reveals user's top 5 talent themes. Spiritual enrichment begins with turning talents into strengths. Living Your Strengths is an indispensable guide to help readers to just that.

Lasting happiness through patience & humility. Learn how to develop these virtues without which heroism, self-denial, and martyrdom are worthless. Learn why Jesus said that to save your life, you must lose it, and see how happiness can be found in self-surrender.

If you want to make progress in the spiritual life, you must know your enemy. Best-selling author Kevin Vost shines a light on the seven deadly sins, showing how they take root in our souls and keep us from being raised to heaven.

In these pages, Dr. Vost unpacks the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas history's greatest theologian in an engaging and accessible way. He unveils the hidden connections between common sins and shows how each gives birth to daughters other thoughts and deeds that help it reach its sinful goals.

We all struggle with the seven deadly sins to varying degrees. Read this book, and you'll walk away armed with an arsenal of practical weapons to combat these sins and to clear the path for greater virtue, deeper happiness, and more profound union with God.