Showing results for "Growth" in Catholicism

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.

First published in 1986, Open Mind, Open Heart remains one of the best introductions to contemplative prayer. Father Thomas Keating discusses the history of contemplative prayer in the Christian tradition, and introduces the listener to the practice of centering prayer as a spiritual discipline.

Available as an audiobook for the first time ever, Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life invites you to adopt Nouwen as your personal spiritual guide. Each session was carefully prepared by Dr. Michael Christensen, an award-winning professor of Christian ministry and practice, and Dr. Rebecca Laird, who was Nouwen’s student at Yale Divinity School. Like other volumes in The Nouwen Trilogy, this audiobook collects Nouwen’s unpublished homilies, interviews, classes, and speeches, as well as excerpts from his published writings.

In this classic devotional book, St. Francis de Sales shows the average believer how to become closer to God. St. Francis avoids the extremes that might lead to imbalance; his purpose is to arouse in the listener a complete love of, and trust in God. This life of devotion is open to everyone. The book is easy to understand, explaining in simple terms how to expand one’s spiritual life, with examples from scripture and from a variety of other sources. It covers topics such as creation, cleansing the soul, confession, sin, death, judgment and paradise.

The Mystic Heart chronicled Brother Wayne Teasdale's journey into a multifaceted spirituality blending his traditional Catholic training and the Eastern way of sannyasa (Indian monkhood). A Monk in the World tells what the journey has meant for him - living as a monk outside the monastery, integrating teachings from the world's religions with his own Catholic training, combining his vigorous spiritual practice with the necessities of making a living, and pursuing a course of social justice in a major American city.

In a series of reflections on every part of the Mass, author Tim O'Malley challenges us to turn the idea of boredom on its head, calling boredom the good boredom that opens us to the quiet interior space where we can encounter God. It is there that full participation in the Mass becomes possible the potential to be transfixed by a ritual, to contemplate the readings, and to savor the Eucharist. Become a Bored Again Catholic and rediscover the power of the Mass to change your life and the entire world.

First published anonymously in 1418, Thomas à Kempis's The Imitation of Christ is a classic Christian devotional work that has been read through the ages by such notable figures as Sir Thomas More, John Wesley, and Pope John Paul I. A meditation on spiritual life, it offers instructions for renouncing worldly vanity and discovering eternal truths with the goal of living out the teachings of Jesus by taking inspiration from his life.

Filled with reflections and brief imaginative sequences, Come to Mary's House invites you to imagine you are with the Blessed Virgin-visiting in her living room, working in her garden, or catching up over coffee. The goal is to encourage your encounter with Mary as a friend, sister, and mother-in a comfortable, gentle way. By developing a personal relationship with her, you'll let her lead you closer to Jesus.

These days, everyone is looking for peace. But too often we look in all the wrong places. In Finding Peace Here and Now, award-winning Catholic author Eric A. Clayton shows listeners that we should be looking inside ourselves. He reveals that peace starts within by discovering and embracing who we are meant to be in God.

Offering almost 100 new selections on a variety of themes such as the feasts and seasons of the liturgical year, compassion, ministry, difficult times, and important events for personal or group prayer, Prayer Seeds is a collection of never-before-published prayers written since the publication of her first collection. The prayers are organized thematically. Rupp's warmth and closeness to God along with her sensitivity to the joy and sadness of life make her an ideal prayer companion. Her prayers are like seed planted in your soul.

For centuries, Franciscan spirituality has brought Christians a fresh perspective on Christ with its simple and heartfelt approach. Now you can follow the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi in this special retreat experience with gifted Franciscan Br. Bill Short, O.F.M., as your guide. In this series of 12 retreat sessions, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your own spiritual journey with insights from the writings of Francis and Clare of Assisi.

All of us encounter valleys on our journey with the Lord—those periods of spiritual desolation that are a painful yet unavoidable feature of our prayer life. Spiritual desolation is as complex as we are, so understanding what is happening and responding to it properly are critical to reaching the heights of holiness. With warmth and understanding, Fr. Gallagher carefully identifies in this book the various forms of spiritual and nonspiritual desolation and supplies the remedy for each.

This inspiring book gives you a splendid example of how to live as a Christian in a secular environment that can be indifferent or hostile to your faith. For Elisabeth Leseur had two great loves: God, and her husband Felix. Felix loved Elisabeth as well; yet to their mutual sorrow, he couldn’t share the life of the spirit that Elisabeth cherished.

Written early in this century by Rev. A. G. Sertillanges, a priest who lived in Jerusalem, this acclaimed devotional classic gives you vivid and dramatic details not included in the Gospel: With Jesus, you'll be jostled by crowds as you enter Jerusalem, choke on the dust of the narrow streets, experience the exotic oriental smells of the city at festival time, share the Last Supper with the disciples, stare into the face of Jesus' accusers, and be there as he dies on the Cross.

As faith-filled Catholics, we are called to go out and spread the good news of the Gospel, build up the Church, and fuel its mission. We are supernaturally empowered by God to do this through the charisms we receive at baptism. Learn about each charism, what they are, and how discipleship unleashes these powerful gifts to produce fruit that lasts.

In A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, Jim Manney introduces Christians to a 500-year-old form of prayer that dramatically altered his perception of prayer and the way he prayed. The prayer is The Examen, which St. Ignatius Loyola developed for the purpose of nurturing a reflective habit of mind that is constantly attuned to God’s presence.

In 1994, the world looked on in disbelief and horror as Rwanda erupted in violent bloodshed. Now, on the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a powerful testimony emerges of the power of God to bring peace and reconciliation into hearts full of fear and hate. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, Father Ubald shares his own dramatic story of how he survived the genocide and its traumatic aftermath. He testifies about how God spared his life so that he might help others with deep physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds to experience peace and healing.

"Living compassionately is rarely convenient and often downright challenging", writes Joyce Rupp, best-selling and award-winning author and retreat leader. The definitive Christian guide to compassion, Boundless Compassion is the culmination of Rupp's research and work as codirector of the Servite Center of Compassionate Presence. Through this six-week personal transformation process for developing and deepening compassion, Rupp nudges, encourages, and inspires you to grow in the kind of love that motivated Jesus' life and mission for his disciples.

Christine Valters Paintner, best-selling Catholic author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, uses reflections, stories, guided activities, prayer experiences, and a variety of creative arts to help you patiently and attentively listen to God's invitation. Everyone wants to understand God's will for their lives. Christine Valters Paintner shares one of the most ancient paths to understanding from her study of monasticism and immersion into Celtic spirituality while living in Ireland.

Writer, speaker, and blogger Elizabeth Scalia takes a look at 13 little sins that, if left unexamined and unconfessed, can have a serious impact on our spiritual lives and relationship with Christ. Through her honest (and sometimes funny) examination of these same sins in her own life as well as Church teaching on each one, she helps us ask ourselves the tough questions and gives us the tools to kick these bad habits before they kick us.