Inspiration

Good luck getting through an entire day without experiencing the impact of Catholicism. Woken up by an alarm or checked the time? The mechanical clock was invented in the tenth century by a monk who became pope. A bowl of cereal for breakfast? Your milk is safe thanks to Louis Pasteur, a devout Catholic whose research was driven by a love of God and humanity. Knock on wood? It's actually an ancient Catholic practice invoking the power of the Cross when facing trouble or danger.

Each entry in 150 People, Places, and Things You Never Knew Were Catholic is rich with detail and nuance. Here are Catholic stories full of drama, decisions, and inspiration.

The fruits of our Catholic Faith are all around us, and the ways in which the Church has shaped history and the secular world can be found in science, art, pop culture, sports, and more. Our most enduring (and endearing) customs, pastimes, practices, and institutions often can be traced back to an inventive, resourceful Catholic. You'll discover things you never knew -- and come away with inspiration for how you, too, can impact the world.

Our outward behavior is only a reflection of our inner thoughts. Broken relationships, harmful habits, and low self-worth do not align with the life God wants for you. Instead, the Enemy has been strategically telling you lies that are meant to leave you hopeless and stuck. This way of thinking did not happen overnight, but instead through years of wrong--and often unaware--patterns of toxic thoughts.

Begin renewing your mind with bestselling author and Bible teach Joyce Meyer. She will equip you with practical examples and life-changing truths that will help you recognize damaging thoughts and stop them from influencing you. Whether you struggle with worry or defeat, you can find freedom to start living victoriously today. When you know what God says about you, you can have confidence in Him and the incredible life He wants you to lead.

No matter what stage of life you're in, now is the time to take control of your mind. Stop making plans for second-best and start living the life God intends for you.

Through the years and the struggles, when life seemed more about hurt and loss than hope and mercy, God was positioning the Smiths for something extraordinary-the death and resurrection of their son.

When Joyce Smith's fourteen-year-old son John fell through an icy Missouri lake one winter morning, she and her family had seemingly lost everything. At the hospital, John lay lifeless for more than sixty minutes. But Joyce was not ready to give up on her son. She mustered all her faith and strength into one force and cried out to God in a loud voice to save him.

Miraculously, her son's heart immediately started beating again.

In the coming days, John would defy every expert, every case history, and every scientific prediction. Sixteen days after falling through the ice and being clinically dead for an hour, he walked out of the hospital under his own power, completely healed.

The Impossible is about a profound truth: prayer really does work. God uses it to remind us that He is always with us, and when we combine it with unshakable faith, nothing is impossible.

Countless Christians -- including scores of saints -- have suffered profound, pervasive sorrow that modern psychiatrists call "depression." Then, as now, great faith and even fervent spiritual practices have generally failed to ease this wearying desolation of soul.

In these pages, Catholic psychiatrist Aaron Kheriaty reviews the effective ways that have recently been devised to deal with this grave and sometimes deadly affliction -- ways that are not only consistent with the teachings of the Church, but even rooted in many of those teachings.

Extensive clinical experience treating patients with depression has shown Dr. Kheriaty that the confessional can't cure neuroses, nor can the couch forgive sin. Healing comes only when we integrate the legitimate discoveries of modern psychology and pharmacology with spiritual direction and the Sacraments, giving particular attention to the wisdom of the Church Fathers and the saints.

Here, with the expert help of Dr. Kheriaty,

Making good decisions are among the most difficult challenges in life. In Discernment: The Art of Choosing Well, readers will find a comprehensive guide to making choices, either individually or in groups. It is based on the time-tested spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the sixteenth-century founder of the Jesuits who developed a systemic way of considering and making choices.

The author, a renowned teacher of Ignatian spirituality, leads readers on a journey of self-reflection, focusing on the process of discernment rather than on the particular problem at hand.

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Shannon K. Evans spent a good portion of her life denying that she was weak. Like many Christians, she was concerned with living a moral life, sticking to religious absolutes, holding leadership positions, and working on service projects. And then the truth of her inner brokenness smacked her in the face, first through her work as a missionary, and afterward through motherhood.

Embracing Weakness: The Unlikely Secret to Changing the World is a story of vulnerability, of how one woman learned that before she could respond to the weakness of others she must first accept her own weakness as a gift, revealed in the Incarnation and Passion of Christ.

Ever notice that common sense isn't so common anymore? Each time we check our news feeds or turn on the TV, it seems the world is getting wackier. Right is wrong, wrong is right, up is down, and the only thing that's unacceptable is refusing to accept that anything and everything under the sun is . . . acceptable.

We desperately need a return to basic common sense, and Rosie Posie, a "street-smart theologian" from Jersey City, is just the person we need to help restore it. In this wise and heartwarming book, Rosie's daughter, syndicated talk-show host Teresa Tomeo, shares her top-ten list of unforgettable "Rosieisms" to help you and your loved ones live a sensible, well-grounded, godly life. As Tomeo notes, these real-life stories are simple, direct, and yes, sometimes very funny, but oh-so applicable to everyday life.

Refreshingly, Rosie speaks her mind and has precious little "tolerance." You will find that her practical advice will help you cultivate virtue in your life. You will learn to "nevva [never] get too big for those britches" and to "awfa [offer] it up" and put things "at the foot of the Crawse [Cross]." You'll come to see how your sacrifices help others in ways you may not have considered. And through Rosie's life and example, you'll come to appreciate the value of your sufferings, big or small, and how they benefit you and your loved ones. You will also learn:

Tomeo's memories provide rollicking humor and Catholic wisdom from the quintessential Italian mother. She also provides spiritual resources for self-reflection from the Catechism, Scripture, and the saints to help you grow in grace-filled living. Best of all, you will see the miracles of God's love in Tomeo's family and the maternal intercession of Our Lady in their lives. In the words of Rosie, "Rememba, the Blessed Mutha is watching you!"

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, gender issues-inclusion in the Church).

Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: "I'm a feminist for the same reason I'm bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things."

In Girl, Arise!, Swinarski reconciles the two identities by demonstrating the strength and abilities women have to share with the Body of Christ, the importance of women throughout the history of the faith, and how the love you experience through Christ and the Church can change you and the world around you.

In Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World Swinarski points out that while both "feminism" and "Catholicism" can mean different things to different people, both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. And she shows that by treating women with dignity equal to that of men--by calling them his friends and teaching them--Jesus acted as a feminist as well.

With humor and sass, Swinarski addresses her frustration with the traditional concerns churches ascribe to women, as shown by the many talks directed at women focused on marriage and modesty rather than social justice. But she pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.

Swinarski also tells the stories of holy women--including Vashti in the book of Esther, Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary--to show how their faith influenced their actions, even when those actions went against traditional norms and roles of women.

You will be empowered to embrace your God-given abilities as you follow the women who have gone before you in faith who--by announcing Christ to his disciples, believing in God's promises, and being faithful in hardship--changed the world.

First published fifty years ago, How to Raise Good Catholic Children is a rare treat for today's parents: a wise and readable book on child care that derives its wisdom from the Catholic home rather than from psychologists.

Author Mary Reed Newland here draws on her own experiences as the mother of seven to show how the classic Christian principles of sanctity can be translated into terms easily applied to children - even to the very young.

Because it's rooted in experience, not in theory, nothing that Mrs. Newland suggests is impossible or extraordinary. In fact, as you reflect on your experiences with your own children, you'll quickly agree that hers is an excellent commonsense approach to raising good Catholic children.

Let Mrs. Newland show you how to introduce even your littlest ones to God and develop in your growing children virtues such as: