Inspiration
Amazing Grace For Fathers: 75 Stories of Faith, Hope, Inspiration, and Humor
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12 Virtues of a Good Teacher
Here is the book you need to discover and develop the twelve virtues that St. John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719) -- patron of teachers, education reformer, and founder of the congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools -- determined were most important for teachers.
Br. Luke Grande, F.S.C., fleshes out the essence of each virtue as it relates to teaching and how educators can cooperate with God's grace to actualize the potentialities of students in their charge.
In page after page, you will be inspired by practical advice and reflections, including:
- Four prudent ways of establishing a well-run class -- and dramatically reducing disciplinary problems
- Six "fallouts" of impatience in the classroom -- and the best way to guard against it
- Techniques for establishing consistency, discretion, and "fair play" among students
- How to overcome pride, make God the center of your classroom, and accept guidance
- Two surefire ways to enkindle a love of learning within students and appreciation for small gains
- The pursuit of wisdom -- knowing when to act and how to await God's help with trust
You will also learn how to provide an example by how you pray and how you do "ordinary things greatly," and how "playing the part" and reflecting the poise of a mature teacher will earn you the respect of your students.
Moreover, you will see how to be a real, practical example of piety, understanding and respect for your duties toward God without scrupulosity or sentimentality. Best of all, you will learn to teach with genuine compassion and a magnanimous spirit toward every student and to cultivate within them a zeal for learning.
St. Jean Baptist de La Salle encouraged his teachers to have "the firmness of a father and the gentleness of a mother," treating each student with the dignity of a child of God. This classic, desperately needed in this time of educational decline, will help you to see the extent to which you influence students as a teacher and your sacred duty to imitate Christ the Teacher.
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150 People, Places, and Things You Never Knew Were Catholic
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.
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Amazing Grace For Families
The word family brings to mind thoughts of joy, sacrifice, affection, hardship, and humor. Yet it is love that defines what it means to be a family, and it is this same love that gives a family their purpose. In bearing witness to the mystery of the love of Christ, the family becomes the domestic sanctuary of the Church. Amazing Grace for Families contains 101 stories of faith, hope, and inspiration. Some are sorrowful, others are humorous, but all will inspire you and your family to grow in love for each other as you fulfill your roles in the domestic church.
In Amazing Grace for Families, you will meet:
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Amazing Grace for Married Couples
Every marriage hits rough spots. The question is, how will you face those challenges? Amazing Grace for Married Couples features stories of couples who faced what seemed like insurmountable challenges, but through the grace of God found the strength and love to become closer than ever before.
In these pages, you will meet:
● A husband and wife whose mutual infidelities threatened to tear their marriage apart.
● A materialistic couple whose professional success could not fill the emptiness of their hearts.
● A marriage that began lovingly but nearly ended in divorce as a result of a gambling addiction.
● A husband whose addiction to pornography devastated his wife and family.
These powerful stories of redemption truly celebrate marriage as a covenant of God’s love. They will fill your heart with hope and give you the faith to persevere in times of difficulty. Experience the amazing renewal God can work in the lives of ordinary couples.
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Amazing Grace for Mothers: 101 Stories of Faith
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Art of Being a Good Friend
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At Home in This Life: Finding Peace at the Crossroads of Unraveled Dreams and Beautiful Surprises
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Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind
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Be Brave in the Scared: How I Learned to Trust God During the Most Difficult Days of My Life
Winner of a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers (third place, spirituality).
As a parent, do you struggle with trusting God's will for your life and for those you love? Are you tired and afraid?
In Be Brave in the Scared, Catholic writer Mary Lenaburg shares how the overwhelming demands of caring for her severely disabled daughter ultimately taught her--and can teach you--that trusting in God and accepting his will can lead to profound joy, no matter what challenges you face.
Be Brave in the Scared is an uplifting account of human frailty (and stubbornness) surrendered to faith. Lenaburg tells the heart-rending story of how caring for her severely disabled daughter affected her self-image, marriage, family life, and faith.
Although she initially struggled to accept God's will and her own limitations, Lenaburg ultimately learned how to trust God. She found in that trust inexplicable joy, even during the most difficult days of her life. She writes boldly and authentically about challenges we all encounter, such as trials with control, blame, exhaustion, fear, and acceptance.
Each chapter concludes with an invitation to write and a place for readers to express their thoughts and feelings. Lenaburg's extraordinary story affirms that God's redeeming love never fails and that he is there to help us through all of the challenges we encounter.
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Be Healed: A Guide to Encountering the Powerful Love of Jesus in Your Life
“Somewhere deep inside each one of us is a burning desire to finally become the person God created us to be.”
Do you suffer from spiritual or emotional wounds that are keeping you from reaching that goal? The bestselling book Be Healed is based on retired Catholic therapist Bob Schuchts’s popular program for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. Incorporating elements of charismatic spirituality and steeped in scripture and the wisdom of the Church, this book offers hope in the healing power of God through the Holy Spirit and the sacraments.
Schuchts, founder of the John Paul II Healing Center, sensitively shares his own journey of healing after enduring a series of betrayals in high school—his father’s infidelity, his parents’ divorce, his older brother’s drug addiction—and his subsequent periods of struggle with God and faith.
Be Healed includes helpful tools such as charts, tables, lists, reflection questions, and personal challenges to guide you on your journey of healing. Schuchts’s trusted process for finding inner peace and healing is boldly Christ-centered, maintaining focus on the person of Jesus as “the life-giving and ever-present physician of our souls.” Schuchts will help you recognize your brokenness and find your hope and healing in the risen Christ.
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Be Transformed: The Healing Power of the Sacraments
Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: Sacraments. (First Place).
How can Christians grow spiritually in the midst of our sinfulness? How can we transform our lives in a way that allows us to share in the resurrection of Jesus?
God has already given us the perfect solution--the sacraments.
Whether it is the wound of past hurts, the strain in our relationships, or the stress of daily life, we all need to be comforted and made whole by Christ. In this follow-up to his bestselling Be Healed, Bob Schuchts explains how the sacraments can fuel your emotional and spiritual healing and bring you closer to God.
Based on more than thirty-five years of experience as a therapist and decades spent in parish ministry, Schuchts demonstrates how each of the seven sacraments can be a life-changing encounter with Christ, communicated through the power of the Holy Spirit. He pairs each healing sacrament with one of the seven deadly wounds that emanated from original sin in the Garden of Eden. We perpetuate and deepen those wounds each time we sin, but the sacraments are God's remedy for sin. They give us a way to restore us to wholeness in Christ.
In Be Transformed, You'll discover how each sacrament can help you heal from wounds that can impede your relationships and sense of self-worth. With Schuchts's help, you'll learn how:
Be Transformed offers all of the tools you need for a fresh understanding of the sacraments, including reflection questions, scripture meditations, prayers, and inspiring stories. You'll come away hungry for the sacraments in a way you never knew possible.
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Be Who You Are
As St. Catherine of Siena so aptly stated, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire!" Despite our fallen natures, we have the ability, through the solid Christian understanding of the human person—body and soul—how we can rise above it all. The authors of this Christian personality book guide us towards spiritual maturity, by teaching us how to improve one's personality, self-esteem, and virtue, without imitating models that distract us from our own identity. We learn how to live a happier and more coherent life, and how to acquire greater empathy with others—especially with our own family members and those in our immediate environment.
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Beyond Betrayal: Overcome Past Hurts and Begin to Trust Again
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Breakthrough: The Miraculous True Story of a Mother's Faith and Her Child's Resurrection
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Calm in Chaos: Catholic Wisdom for Anxious Times
In these brilliant essays the renowned writer and churchman Fr. George Rutler addresses our current causes of anxiety and our never-changing, ever-new reasons for hope. His writings on the issues of our day are neither pessimistic nor optimistic, because they are infused with the confidence that God grants us his peace and no earthly circumstance can take it away.
With insight and wit, with breadth and depth, Fr. Rutler comments on the confusion in the Church and the chaos in Western societies, which are not without precedent but are on a uniquely global scale. An underlying theme is his dismay at the lack of historical perspective. He says that the gremlin that haunts our times is ignorance and a failure to recall and to understand the trials of the past.
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Catholic Guide to Depression: How the Saints, the Sacraments, and Psychiatry Can Help You Break Its Grip and Find Happiness Again
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,
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Discernment of Spirits
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Discernment: The Art of Choosing Well
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.
Paperback
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Doubleday Code: Baseball and the Mysteries of Catholicism
For fans of the sport, professional baseball is like a religious experience because it offers mystery — the visible with the invisible. Blazing speeds, graceful fielding, and blistering hitting occur amidst ever-changing strategies, signs, substitutions, and situations. One pitch builds on another, one out on another, one inning on another, and one game on another.
Watching players perform with wit, skill, and courage at the highest level satisfies the yearning of our hearts and minds to witness nobility in action. That’s why we can “religiously” follow the sport. It speaks to our soul.
In The Doubleday Code, author Jim Pieczynski draws parallels between the sport we love — baseball — and the faith we embrace — Catholicism. Each chapter also provides prompts for prayer and personal reflection and can be used as a study guide for retreats.
Fans who appreciate baseball are students of the game. They understand the deeper mysteries and are rewarded immensely. So, too, are committed Catholics who understand the teachings of the Faith and seek not an earthly Hall of Fame, but a heavenly one.
About the Author
Jim Pieczynski is a Catholic speaker who offers presentations on the Eucharist, Mary, and the Catholic mysteries hidden in Major League Baseball. Jim and his wife, Mary, live in Fairhope, Alabama. They have five children and eleven grandchildren.
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Embracing Weakness: The Unlikely Secret to Changing the World
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.
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Everbloom: Stories of Deeply Rooted and Transformed Lives
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Everything's Coming Up Rosie: 10 Things My Feisty Italian-American Mom Taught Me about Living a Godly Life
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!"
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Finding God's Will for You
If your life seems to make no sense, or if you don't know which path to take, St. Francis de Sales will console and inform you. In this warm little book, he explains to you what God's will is and how He reveals it -- yes, even to you, and even in the seemingly random events of your life.
No matter what you're going through now (or may have gone through), you'll see why you should love and trust in God's will -- and long for its fulfillment. Best of all, you'll learn a sure method for discovering God's will in any situation -- today!
As you begin to discern God's loving hand even in seemingly chaotic events, St. Francis de Sales will lead your mind and your heart to the still waters of God's gentle consolation.
From St. Francis de Sales you'll learn:
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Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World
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.
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Good Enough Is Good Enough: Confessions of an Imperfect Catholic Mom
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Healing Stories of Jesus: Signs of the New Creation
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Hidden Power of Kindness: A Practical Handbook for Souls Who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time
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Hope Always: Our Anchor in Life's Storms: Our Anchor in Life's Storms
Of the three cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and charity, hope may be the hardest to define. A deceptively simple virtue, people often reduce hope to a mere optimism about the future, or they may see it as synonymous with trust in God. In Hope Always, Kris Frank, a popular Catholic speaker and youth minister, offers his down-to-earth and personal reflections on hope and how this crucial but often-misunderstood virtue can change our perspective on life’s difficulties.
Sharing stories from his own experience, along with Scripture passages and theological commentary solidly grounded in Church teaching, Frank teaches by example, demonstrating how the practice of hope can help any person, in any state of life, and in any situation. Each chapter tackles a different tough topic and shows how hope can transform a difficult situation. Whether someone is anxious, grieving, discouraged, or troubled in any way, hope in God reveals that there is a path forward, however challenging it might be.
Frank tells us “hope is neither nebulous nor ethereal. Hope has a name. Hope has a face.” By placing our trust in the person of Jesus, we can learn to anchor our lives in something, or Someone, greater than mere human confidence.
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How to Be Happy How to Be Holy
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How To Raise Good Catholic Children
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:
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How to Read Your Way to Heaven: A Spiritual Reading Program for the Worst of Sinners, the Greatest of Saints, and Everyone in Between
Many of us commit to some form of spiritual reading, but we find that our book choices are sporadic and often based on a whim rather than following a purposeful plan. Designed for individual or group settings, How to Read Your Way to Heaven will guide your quest to delve deeper into a relationship with Christ by meditating on the written word while organizing your reading around the four pillars of the Catholic Faith the Creed, the sacraments, morality, and prayer.
How to Read Your Way to Heaven is not merely another book to read. It is designed to be an invaluable tool for guiding and organizing your reading to help you on your journey to become a saint. And best of all, this fully integrated do-it-yourself spiritual reading program that can be easily followed by the busiest of Catholics with the tightest of schedules.
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