Books

Saint Paul was perhaps the most important evangelizer in the early Church, baptizing scores into a burgeoning Christianity. An Apostle and a martyr, he is most often remembered as a firebrand, but his letters were deeply and profoundly spiritual.

In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized the great 20th century visionary of Divine Mercy, Sister Faustina Kowalska, and proclaimed the Sunday after Easter to be celebrated annually as Divine Mercy Sunday. In 2006, Pope Benedict stressed that Divine Mercy is not a secondary devotion, but an integral dimension of Christian faith and prayer. Now Pope Francis has proclaimed an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which will begin on December 8, 2015. These three Popes have made it very clear that Divine Mercy is a major part of the Christian faith, and now this powerful new book reveals why.

Best-selling author Vinny Flynn continues his popular 7 Secrets series with a book that brings him back to his roots. Vinny was one of the original editors of the official English edition of the actual Diary of St. Faustina, and he has written and edited a vast number of the Divine Mercy materials that are used today.

Through his secrets of Divine Mercy, Vinny shows how Divine Mercy is not just another worthy private devotion; it is the key devotion, the umbrella devotion over everything else. Every other devotion in the Church, every ritual, every activity, every teaching is under that umbrella of Divine Mercy. It's all there to help us understand and enter into Divine Mercy. He shows us how everything in our lives can become more meaningful, more powerful, more life-changing once we really embrace the gift of Divine Mercy -- the overflow of love from the Holy Trinity.

In this compelling and timely book, Flynn draws from Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and the Diary of St. Faustina to not only reveal the heart of Divine Mercy, but to offer you an invitation and a road map so that this mercy can transform your life.

If you're not yet convinced of the impact Divine Mercy can have on your life, if you've never heard of this message and devotion, or if you're curious to learn more about it, this book is perfect for you. It shows us all how to respond to the call of Pope Francis to live lives shaped by mercy, and benefit greatly from the Year of Mercy.

Throughout the journey of life, we all have moments of feeling lost. Experiences where we feel tested. It's at these times we need a signpost to point the way through the darkness and confusion to a clearer and better path. A PILGRIM'S JOURNEY is composed of 20 signposts, excerpts from the full-length work by Kampmann entitled SIGNPOSTS: A DEVOTIONAL, which shares the insights and wisdom he discovered as he journeyed through the pages of the New and Old Testaments. Designed as a daily devotional, it is built page by page on the assumption that the meaning and purpose of our lives is available to be discovered if only we take the time and trouble to look. Prepare yourself for the journey and keep your eyes open to the signposts along the way. You too will discover that God is always near and available for those who seek him.

On June 27, 2009, I joined the 15+ million Americans who were unemployed or underemployed. . . I was left with my family, my faith, a bunch of degrees, and a lot of experience. . . Without my VP title, staff, and expense account--who was I? And where was God calling me on my journey of faith? I was about to find out."
--Timothy Mullner

Are you unemployed? Underemployed? Join Timothy Mullner on his sometimes-rocky journey of renewed faith after unexpectedly losing his job. In seeking to make sense of his experience while he was out of work, Mullner wrote prayers that helped form the foundation of this book. A Spiritual Guide for the Unemployed also offers meditations and questions for you to consider as you seek God anew in your search for new work.

A foreword written by Ronald Rohlheiser, OMI, eloquently introduces the work.

...As I read Timothy Mullner's A Spiritual Guide for the Unemployed, two phrases kept coming to mind: A symptom suffers most when it doesn't know its identity. And: Not everything can be fixed or cured, but it should be named properly. Using a mixture of poetry and prose, Timothy Mullner names well what happens to us when we find ourselves unemployed. As a physician of the soul, he skillfully connects our symptoms to their real root. Beyond that, he offers valuable prescriptions to help turn the pain of humiliation into renewed personal depth and peace of soul. A Spiritual Guide for the Unemployed is a valuable and much-needed book.
Ronald Rolheiser, OMI

Paperback

Nationally recognized grief educator Harold Ivan Smith brings over twenty-five years of professional experience in grief recovery to ABCs of Healthy Grieving. Seventy-two brief suggestions for healthy grieving, each two-pages in length and titled starting with a letter of the alphabet followed by an "I Can" statement, encourage those suffering the loss of a loved one to grow through grief spiritually and emotionally. One particular aspect of living with grief day-to-day is introduced with relevant quotes and short excerpts. Readers can read ABCs of Healthy Grieving cover to cover, or choose a single topic to help them through their day.

What makes Pope Francis tick? And why does it matter? As the first Jesuit pope in history, Francis has brought a radical shift in focus that stems directly from a long line of Jesuits dating back to St. Ignatius of Loyola. In All the Pope's Saints, you'll get to know many Jesuit saintsboth famous and notwho are the Holy Father's heroes and role models.

Answering Islam evaluates the claims of orthodox Islam from a Christian point of view, appealing especially to the Qur'an and the Bible. The authors, a Christian apologist and a former Muslim, provide apologetic answers to prepare Christians for ministry in the Islamic context. This second edition contains two new appendices, a new preface written in light of September 11, 2001, and updated information throughout.
"This book is a theological masterpiece, the most lucid and comprehensive theological analysis and critique of Islam from a Christian perspective I have ever seen. It is invaluable as a tool for understanding the most serious religious challenge to Christianity in the modern world." R. C. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries

"It is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it…. We know that with Jesus life becomes richer."-Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel

In her first book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, cofounder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, captured the attention of Catholics across the globe as she uncovered the life-changing power that accompanies the conscious decision to follow Jesus as his disciple.

Now, in the groundbreaking Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, she has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose exceptional field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical.

The authors consider:

• The role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation
• How "fireside chats" can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission
• The co-responsibility of lay people and pastors in the work of making disciples
• The revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry
• How one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more

As Sherry asks in her own chapter, "Are we willing to answer the call and pay the price necessary to become a new generation of saints through which God can do extraordinary things in our time?"