An Introduction to Prayer offers a collection of rich yet brief reflections on prayer in the Catholic spiritual tradition from acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian Bishop Robert Barron.

Robert Barron is one of the Catholic Church's premier theologians and author of the influential The Priority of Christ. In this volume, Barron sets forth a thoroughgoing vision for an evangelical catholic theology that is steeped in the tradition and engaged with the contemporary world. Striking a balance between academic rigor and accessibility, the book covers issues of perennial interest in the twenty-first-century church: who God is, how to rightly worship him, and how his followers engage contemporary culture.

In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, Robert Cardinal Sarah presents a bold book about the strength of silence. The modern world generates so much noise, he says, that seeking moments of silence has become both harder and more necessary than ever before. Silence is the indispensable doorway to the divine, explains the cardinal in this profound conversation with Nicolas Diat, and he seeks to restore to silence its place of honor and importance.

In With God in Russia, Ciszek reflects on his daily life as a prisoner, the labor he endured while working in the mines and on construction gangs, his unwavering faith in God, and his firm devotion to his vows and vocation. Enduring brutal conditions, Ciszek risked his life to offer spiritual guidance to fellow prisoners who could easily have exposed him for their own gains.

Weidenkopf collects over 50 of the most common and dangerous lies about Catholic history and, drawing on his experience as a historian and apologist, shows how to answer them simply and powerfully. Whether it’s claims about Catholicism’s supposedly pagan origins, old myths about Galileo or the Inquisition that never seem to go away, or more modern misconceptions that anti-Catholics cynically exploit, The Real Story provides the desperately needed corrective.

Developing the virtue of humility and faithfully endeavoring to practice it is necessary for our salvation. Many times in Sacred Scripture, Our Lord admonishes the proud, elevates the humble, and reminds us that we must become like children to enter into the kingdom of God. Pope Leo XIII, the oldest reigning pope, composed the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel and wrote many encyclicals on the Church’s social teaching and the Rosary.

A true treasure of spiritual insights, this little book contains the remarkable meditations on The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane by St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, the stigmatist priest.

Through a study of the Church Fathers, Father David Meconi, SJ explores the early stages of the Catholic Church. Uncover the theology which lead to the doctrinal development of the Theotokos, the Incarnation, and the Trinity. Discover the wisdom and influence of saints Cyril, Pope Leo, and Augustine. Embrace the rich heritage of the Catholic Faith.

The Bible plays a vital role in the life of the Catholic Church. In fact, we are called to immerse ourselves daily in the Scriptures. But many of us get lost when we actually dive into the Bible, and our time spent can be more frustrating than fruitful. We are listening to a collection of writings drafted by an ancient people, in an ancient culture. But Scripture is nothing less than the Living Word of God, and it is meant just as much for us as for those who lived thousands of years ago.

Long before the New Testament was a document, it was a sacrament. Jesus called the Eucharist by the name Christians subsequently gave to the latter books of the Holy Bible. It was the "New Covenant," the "New Testament," in his blood. Christians later extended the phrase to cover the books produced by the apostles and their companions; but they did so because these were the books that could be read at Mass.

Pope Benedict XVI's second encyclical, Saved in Hope, ("Spe Salvi" in Latin) takes its title from St. Paul, who wrote, "In hope we have been saved." In this audiobook, the Holy Father continues a line of thought he began with his first encyclical, God Is Love. Love and Hope are closely related in the spiritual life. Love of God involves hope or trust in God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man."

Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle is one of the most celebrated books ever written by a mystic on abiding in union with Christ. Writing in obedience to the requests of two of her superiors, the humble 16th century Spanish sister protests "...for the love of God, let me get on with my spinning and go to choir...like the other sisters...I am not meant for writing; I have neither the health nor the wits for it."

In Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, Dr. Pitre takes listeners step-by-step from the Garden of Eden to the Book of Revelation to reveal how deeply biblical Catholic beliefs about Mary really are. Dr. Pitre uses the Old Testament and ancient Judaism to unlock how the Bible itself teaches that Mary is in fact the new Eve, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and the new Ark of the Covenant.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus”. Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary.

The book of Revelation states that Satan has declared war on “those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus” (12:17). For those who love our Lord Jesus Christ and strive to follow Him, we must contend with a powerful enemy who is out to destroy us and everyone we love. Are you prepared for this battle? This breakthrough spiritual guide will not only give you the “What” of spiritual warfare, but, more importantly, the “How.”

In With God in Russia, Ciszek reflects on his daily life as a prisoner, the labor he endured while working in the mines and on construction gangs, his unwavering faith in God, and his firm devotion to his vows and vocation. Enduring brutal conditions, Ciszek risked his life to offer spiritual guidance to fellow prisoners who could easily have exposed him for their own gains.

In 1963, following twenty-three years of hard labor and abuse in Russian prison camps, Walter J. Ciszek, S.J., finally returned to America. Had he come back a bitter man, or a man of diminished faith, it would have been hard to fault him. But he didn’t. For the remainder of his years, until his death in 1984, Fr. Ciszek’s grace, faith, and wisdom touched—often in profound and lasting ways—everyone who came into contact with him.

The essentials of the Catholic Faith — clearly, comprehensively, and beautifully explained by one of the Church’s greatest thinkers! Although St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the Church’s most intellectually powerful theologians, few know that he also wrote a great deal that’s well within the reach of ordinary believers. In fact, as you’ll find in these pages, St. Thomas had a remarkable ability to communicate the Faith — including both its most complex and its simplest elements — in plain language.

An Introduction to Prayer offers a collection of rich yet brief reflections on prayer in the Catholic spiritual tradition from acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian Bishop Robert Barron.

The author of this book was the favorite writer of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Vincent de Paul, etc. St. Teresa of Avila credited this book with having converted over a million people in her time. This is the most persuasive book we know to encourage people to abandon sin and embrace repentance and virtue. The logic is relentless and effective.

Elizabeth was not off to a good start in life, unwanted even before she was born. Fortunately, the tiny baby was placed in the loving care of her paternal grandparents, where she lived for the first three years of her life. Then, her abusive father arbitrarily decided that she belonged with her parents and unceremoniously ripped her from the only safe, secure home she had ever known. In spite of her turbulent childhood and teen years, Elizabeth managed to go to college and become a physical therapist.

Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, a woman clad in black emerged from the shadows and strode across the crowded deck. Reaching under her veil, she drew a small pistol and aimed it directly at a well-dressed man sitting quietly with his wife and children. The woman fired a single bullet into his chest. “I did it and I don’t deny it,” she said when arrested shortly thereafter. “He ruined me and my daughter.”

Historian Kevin Schmiesing takes you to more than two-dozen sites and events that symbolize and embody America's rich and sometimes tumultuous Catholic past, including the Santa Fe Trail, Gettysburg, and the Bourbon Trail. You'll also meet both famous and infamous Catholics—including Augustus Tolton, Dr. Samuel Mudd, and Frances Cabrini—who impacted our nation's history.

Advice and encouragement for lay Catholics pursuing a personal relationship with God from a Doctor of the Church. The first book of the Catholic Classics series, Introduction to the Devout Life is an updated translation of St. Francis de Sales’ original text that makes this key work of Catholic Tradition approachable to modern readers. Written as a letter to St. Francis’ lay cousin, this classic yet relevant text features advice on the questions that members of the Catholic laity often ask themselves, such as:

Jesuit priest John Gerard hid from English authorities for eight years before his eventual capture and torture in the Tower of London. Risking everything to preserve Catholicism in Tudor England, Gerard moved from house to house, converting many people and evading capture by mere seconds. Following a hair's-breadth escape from the Tower to the continent, he survived to tell his tale and pass on his experience to future missionaries and martyrs in The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest, a fascinating tale of espionage, disguise, priest hunters, and brilliantly designed hideouts.

Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book I, written by Diane Allen and published by Padre Pio Press, features 55 chapters and is a glimpse into the life and spirituality of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who has often been called "the greatest mystic of the 20th Century."

Northern Ireland, 1975. Violence has erupted on the streets of Belfast. After years as a guerilla army, the IRA is clashing with Loyalist gangs and heavily armed British soldiers. But the Troubles have spilled beyond the island: An ocean away, in the heart of Philadelphia’s Irish enclave, a teenage girl finds a letter in her mailbox. Inside is a bullet, and the message is clear: The next one is for you or your family. As reporter Ali Watkins reveals, the conflict in Northern Ireland might have gone very differently had it not been for a small ragtag band of gunrunners in the United States.

The Wayfinder tells the story of the life of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding President of the United Arab Emirates, and explores the key relationships, challenges and events that shaped his outlook on the world.

Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples—his Apostles and their associates—and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives.

The Story of a Soul conveys St. Therese of Lisieux's "Little Way" of spiritual childhood - her "elevator" to Heaven, as she called it. This method was approved by Pope Pius XI as a way for all to grow in holiness through unfailing confidence and childlike delight in God's merciful love. Again and again in this audiobook, St. Therese shows us how her "Little Way" of love and trust comes straight from Sacred Scripture.