What a delight to talk with Tom Peterson!  With a joyful enthusiasm fueled by his rich prayer life, Tom has become a compelling leader in the New Evangelization, especially in the United States.  With his book ,”Catholics Come Home: God’s Extraordinary Plan for Your Life” , he expands his list of significant contributions to that effort  which have encouraged countless souls to embrace the gift of the Catholic faith.  Not only does he share his own powerful witness, but he offers practical catechesis to foster on-going conversion in the heart of the seeking soul and encouragement to all to share the Good News.  Excellent!

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You can find the book here

Also check out Tom’s work at virtuemedia.org and CatholicComeHome.org

“We are in the midst of a New Evangelization; and I believe this book is a signal moment in its success. It is also a sign that will lead many folks back home to the family of God, which is Catholic Church.”
—Dr. Scott W. Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and Signs of Life
 
“Catholics Come Home is a powerful sacramental, a means of grace. It is a willing, waiting taxi to take us home, to our home away from Home, the Catholic Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.”
—Dr. Peter Kreeft, author of Handbook of Christian Apologetics

“Eucharistic Adoration: Holy Hour Meditations on the Seven Last Words of Christ” is a marvelous book for enhancing your experience of one of the Church’s richest devotions.  Msgr. Charles Murphy pours into this work over 50 years of priestly life and pastoral experience in spreading the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  He ties together reflections on the seven last words of Jesus with the profiles of seven modern Christians known for their devotion to the Eucharist, including Simone Weil, Edith Stein, Dorothy Day, Blessed John XXIII, Blessed John Paul II, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.  In this conversation, we also discuss his book “The Spirituality of Fasting”

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You can find the book here

Monsignor Charles M. Murphy is currently the director of the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Portland, Maine. He is the author of a number of scholarly articles and several books, including The Spirituality of Fasting, At Home on the Earth, Wallace Stevens: A Spiritual Poet in a Secular Age, and Belonging to God. Murphy is the former academic dean and rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome and served as part of the editorial group working in Italy under Cardinal Ratzinger on the third draft of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which became the fourth and final version.

Murphy currently serves as consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops committee on catechetics, reviewing materials for conformity with the Catechism. He served as chair of the editorial committee that produced the pastoral letter on environmental issues by the Bishops of the Boston Province and he served as a consultant to the USCCB for their statement on global warming. He has been the pastor of four parishes in Maine and has served his diocese in ecumenical and educational capacities. Murphy holds a doctorate in sacred theology from the Gregorian University, a master’s degree in education from Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree in classics from the College of the Holy Cross.

 

It’s all about conversion…continually turning towards the Lord and allowing Him to heal us.  Deliverance ministry really acknowledges the power of Jesus Christ to make all things new and to heal the damage done to us by sin and those spirits which get into our brokeness and wounds to drive us away from God.  Neil Lozano has done extraordinary work with the “Unbound Ministries” ; it truly allow us to let the Father “deliver us from evil”. This is one of the best books I have ever read on the subject.  Absolutely a must for everyone on the spiritual journey!!! “Be not afraid”, and really “all you need is love”.

find Neil’s work at www.heartofthefather.com

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From the book description:

Do you feel chained to a particular sin pattern that you cannot break?

Do you still feel guilty, ashamed, and doomed to repeat a besetting sin even after receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation?

Then you may find a way to spiritual freedom through deliverance prayer.
In Resisting the Devil, author Neal Lozano shows that sometimes evil spirits tell us lies that lock us into sins and personal problems. He explains the practice of deliverance, a way of dealing with such demonic influences that is supported by the teaching and traditionof the Catholic Church.
–Learn how to recognize the activity of evil spirits
–See how deliverance from spiritual bondage can be gentle, safe, and effective –Understand how deliverance differs from exorcism and how deliverance and Reconciliation can work together–Read the testimonies of women and men who have been freed through deliverance ministry.

I’ve had the blessing of reading many wonderful books, but this one in particular, has become a fast favorite!  Dr. Taylor Marshall has penned one of those works that you want to take the time to completely absorb, but also want to read quickly because it such a great story.  What a joy.  Filled with unexpected connections, rich in fascinating  details, and abundant with “I-knew-that-but-I-didn’t-know-I-knew-that” moments, Dr. Marshall’s gifted teaching and storytelling engages the mind and the heart of his reader.  He pours fuel on the fire of our ongoing conversion. This is a great gift to give to yourself and to someone you know who desires a fuller appreciation of our Roman Catholic faith. A must have for your Catholic library. (P.S. Scripture devotees and Patristic fans are going to LOVE this book)

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You can find the book here

Also check out Dr. Marshall’s “Canterbury Tales” website

From the book description:

Read this book if you have ever wondered why the Catholic Church specifically claims to be Roman? It would seem that the Church of Jesus Christ would be centered in Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, since Christ died and rose again in Jerusalem. Catholic theologian Taylor Marshall, Ph.D. provides a layman’s account of how Christ chose the Rome as an instrument of redemption for the nations. Beginning with the Old Testament prophets, Dr. Marshall explains how the Messiah would come and assume reign over the nations through the Roman Empire. This book provides an exciting and popular account establishing Rome as ‘the Eternal City’ of Christ the King.

At stunning moment in the recent history of the Catholic Church, the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church effective February 28, we had the opportunity to George Weigel before his departure for Rome to be, once again, a witness to history.  In “Evangelical Catholicism:  Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church” he writes of this particular moment in the life of the Catholic Church.  Our conversation centers on the Papacy and its future.  I cannot encourage listeners more highly to pick up a copy of this book; it is extraordinarily compelling and filled with hopeful certainty concerning the future course of this great “barque of Peter”.  Don’t miss!!!

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You can find the book here

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York
“This sparkling read puts all the old Church-labels—liberal vs. conservative, progressive vs. traditionalist, pre- vs. post-Vatican II—in the shredder. Now there is only one valid adjective for all of us: evangelical! Simply put, this means we take our baptismal promises with the utmost seriousness. Like the Samaritan woman, we’ve met a man—Jesus—who has changed our lives.”

Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia
“George Weigel has been the leading diarist of authentic Catholic renewal—its progress, detours, personalities, and hopes—for 30 years. In Evangelical Catholicism he turns his extraordinary skills to the needs of the Church in the coming decades, calling us back to the missionary vocation we received at baptism and offering us a road map to faithful, vigorous Church reform. Rich in its vision, engaging in style, on target in its counsel and invaluable for anyone trying to understand the Church and her challenges in the 21st Century, this book should not be missed.”

Mary Ann Glendon, author of The Forum and the Tower: How Scholars and Politicians have Imagined the World, from Plato to Eleanor Roosevelt
“This remarkable book offers nothing less than a map and compass for men and women determined to take up the challenge of living the Catholic faith in its fullness under 21st-century conditions. With its bold call for ‘deep reform’ in every single corner of the Church, Evangelical Catholicism is sure to provoke lively discussion. The book’s proposals for true renewal are presented with the clarity and verve that have made George Weigel a peerless advocate of the courage to be Catholic.”

It’s great to be joined once again by Mark Brumley, this time to discuss  “Knowing God: God and the Human Condition” (previously titled God and the Human Mind) authored by the great Catholic writer, teacher, and publisher Frank Sheed.   Written in 1966 during the time of the Second Vatican Council, Sheed  addresses the most challenging questions the human mind can pose about God, without presenting answers in dry academic way.  Instead, because of his gifted writing style, he engages the reader with a desire to discover “mystery” in all its forms.

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You can find the book here

“This book is vintage Sheed: clear, commonsensical, and convincing. This is the Sheed of the two masterpieces of apologetics Theology and Sanity and Society and Sanity. But this is also a new Sheed: older and wiser, more practical and human–the post-Vatican II Sheed. I mean this in all the good senses, the John Paul II senses: he is sensitive to the dangers of “the good old days”: verbalism, “dead orthodoxy,” rationalism, deism, what Sheed calls “theometry” instead of theology: an abstract, formal theological geometry that only wants to define terms and win debating points. Instead, this book is a kind of theological midrash, a deepening, a spelunking in the caves of the deepest mysteries with the clear light of honest words–honest with heart as well as head. It unites dogmatic theology with lived religion. It is precisely the breath of fresh air that Pope John XXIII opened the windows for, and in terms the layman can clearly grasp. —– Peter Kreeft, Author, Because God is Real

Here it is…a marvelous Lenten devotional by Fr. R. Scott Hurd, entitled “The Living Gospel: Daily Devotions for Lent 2013“.   In this handy booklet, published by Ave Maria Press, he offers day-to-day pastoral care to nurture each day of our Lenten journey.  Fr. Hurd is a wonderful storyteller, as well as, a insightful leader of prayerful reflection.  An excellent resource no matter the time it is.

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Fr. Hurd is also the author one of my favorite books, “Forgiveness:  A Catholic Approach“. Check out our Inside the Pages discussion on that work as well.

You can find the book here

Paula Huston is one of the finest spiritual writers alive today.  Her books speak to the human heart in such a beautiful, gentle way.  She  inspires us to climb higher the spiritual mountain, even when the times are treacherous and rocky.  In  “A Season of Mystery: 10 Spiritual Practices for Embracing a Happier Second Half of Life”, she encourages us to slow down, in order to nurture the relationship God is offering us today.  For many of us, it may involve a paradigm shift, but one that is well worth the effort if we choose to enter into it.  Paula breaks open each practice found in her book with moments from her own experience. She then gives us practical helps which can transform our everyday lives.  Those practices include listening, delighting, lightening, settling, confronting, accepting, appreciating, befriending, generating, blessing.  Filled with questions and reflections, this book is perfect for either individual or group study.

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Your can find the book here

From the book description:

We live in a culture that tells us there are few things worse than aging, that we should avoid aging at all costs, and that we must shun death. And yet, no matter how much money we spend on health supplements, no matter how many gurus we consult, the fact remains unchanged: We will grow old.

A Season of Mystery is not intended to be a selection of self-improvement secrets; the goal of Huston’s work is to encourage people in the second half of life to become “ordinary mystics” who are no longer bound by the world’s false ideas on aging but instead be freed by God’s grace to embrace the riches that come only with growing older.

 

Check out  more from Paula - IP#139 Paula Huston – Simplifying Your Soul on Inside the Pages

He just gets better and better.  Of course, I’m talking about Mike Aquilina and his joy and enthusiasm for the Catholic Church abounds in “Yours is the Church:  How Catholicism Shapes Our World“.  Mike is so good at getting to the nuggets contained in history and reminding us all of the significant contributions made by the Church which have changed our world for the better.  Whether it is the moral leadership it has offered which has been the rudder steadying our course, or the beauty of the arts which fashion it’s sails, the barque of the Church sails the seas of time on a course to the New Jerusalem.  Putting it all into a wonderful historic perspective, Mike Aquilina offers us a “must have” book that should be in every Catholic home and given to anyone joining this beautiful Church of ours.  Thanks Mike!

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Your can find the book here

“Christianity has radically changed the world for the better.  In a book that’s both thoughtful and entertaining .  Mike Aquilina shows how the Gospel really has been the good news in the most practical ways possible.  Even the atheist ought  to thank…whoever he thanks….for the rise of Christianity.” — David Mills, executive editor of First Things

Mary DeTurris Poust has once again brought us a spiritual work that speaks to us in the ordinary things of life.  In “Cravings:  A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God” she takes on the monumental struggle most of us have with self-image and diet.  With humor and very practical suggestions, she helps us to see the blessings found in turning everything over to God and allowing Him to transform our love-hate relationship with food and the mirror.  By doing so, we can deepen our relationship with God and see the gifts He has for us everyday.  We also then can experience the greatest gift of all, His deep and abiding love for each of us as His beloved child.   Before you start your next diet, or if you “wrestle” with your body image, this is the book for you!  You won’t be disappointed.

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You can find the book here

“Whether you’re tired of being obsessed with your weight, are hungry for inner peace even more than you’re hungry for food, or are desiring the freedom that comes with self-acceptance,Cravings will leave you satisfied.”–Kate Wicker, Author of Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body

“Another excellent tool in Mother Church’s hand to help feed God’s children with what they crave most: truth, the food of saints!” —Rev. Leo Patalinghug, Author of Grace Before Meals

“The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case against Scientism” is fascinating.  I love discussing anything surrounding the thought of C. S. Lewis, and this particular conversation with John West,  brought great insight on Lewis’ thought about the dangers of “scientism”.   This extensive book offers warnings by the beloved writer concerning the influence of unleashed science and its various fields and it’s potentially troubling effect on mankind.  A wonderfully engaging read…don’t miss.

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You can find the book here

Here is the link to the site that is dedicated to the book:  C.S. Lewis Web

From the book description:

Beloved for his Narnian tales and books of Christian apologetics, bestselling British writer C. S. Lewis also was a perceptive critic of the growing power of scientism, the misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds. In this wide-ranging book of essays, contemporary writers probe Lewis’s prophetic warnings about the dehumanizing impact of scientism on ethics, politics, faith, reason, and science itself. Issues explored include Lewis’s views on bioethics, eugenics, evolution, intelligent design, and what he called “scientocracy.” Contributors include Michael Aeschliman, Victor Reppert, Jay Richards, and C. John Collins.

 

“America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists” is outstanding; it’s the book most anti-religion pundits don’t want you to read.

Once again, it was a delight to speak with Dr. Rodney Stark about this subject.  He is one of the leading authorities on the sociology of religion.  The Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences and co-director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, Dr. Stark has broken open for us a wealth of studies, polls, and data that indicate the tremendous benefits organized religion has had on the United States of America.  He also presents, in his uniquely authentic style,  the dangers of taking this blessing for granted.

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You can find the book here

From the description:

Starting with a historical overview, Stark traces America’s religious roots from the founding of the country up through the present day, showing that religiosity in America has never been consistent, static, or monolithic. Interestingly, he finds that religious practice is now more prevalent than ever in America, despite any claims to the contrary. From here, Stark devotes whole chapters to unpacking the latest research on how religion affects different facets of modern American life, including crime, family life, sexuality, mental and physical health, sophistication, charity, and overall prosperity. The cumulative effect is that when translated into comparisons with western European nations, the United States comes out on top again and again. Thanks in no small part to America’s rich religious culture, the nation has far lower crime rates, much higher levels of charitable giving, better health, stronger marriages, and less suicide, to note only a few of the benefits.
In the final chapter, Stark assesses the financial impact of these religious realities. It turns out that belief benefits the American economy—and all 300 million citizens, believer and nonbeliever alike—by a conservative estimate of $2.6 trillion a year. Despite the atheist outcry against religion, the remarkable conclusion is clear: all Americans, from the most religious among us to our secular neighbors, really ought to count our blessings.

Dr. Robert George, Princeton professor of Philosophy, discusses why we must first answer the question of what marriage really is before we can begin to defend the institution of marriage.  He, and his co-authors, contend that marriage is a comprehensive union of mind and body, a conjugal union, ordered to family life, which unites a man and a woman as husband and wife.  They document the social value of applying this principle in law.

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You can find the book here

From the book description:

What Is Marriage? decisively answers common objections: that the historic view is rooted in bigotry, like laws forbidding interracial marriage; that it is callous to people’s needs; that it can’t show the harm of recognizing same-sex couplings, or the point of recognizing infertile ones; and that it treats a mere “social construct” as if it were natural, or an unreasoned religious view as if it were rational.

“With many countries on the verge of redefining a basic social institution, What Is Marriage? issues an urgent call for full deliberation of what is at stake. The authors make a compelling secular case for marriage as a partnership between a man and a woman, whose special status is based on society’s interest in the nurture and education of children.”
– Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University

I could have listened to Dr. James Hitchcock all day, he is absolutely fascinating.  But the next best thing is to read his tremendous work, “The History of the Catholic Church:  From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium”.  The content is the best, the layout makes it so very accessible, and the storytelling is engaging…a must have and a perfect gift for family and friends!  In our discussion, we discuss the influence of the papacy, Constantine, the 13th and 15th century, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, and so much more.  Not enough time, but so much fun.  Don’t miss!  One of my favorites of 2012!

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You can find the book here

“For years, James Hitchcock has been our premier historian – a dissident from conventional wisdom, well-armed and solid. Here he pioneers a new method for presenting a long sweep of history: an orderly and altogether fascinating series of vignettes – of arguments, movements, distinctive persons, and concrete events. There is just enough narrative in these sequences to carry the reader along, but without involving her in excessive interpretation. This book provides both a great resource for easy reference, and a stimulating definition of a Christian humanism that holds in tension the transcendent and the down to earth, the holy and the sinful. This is a tension which Hitchcock maintains throughout.”
– Michael Novak

“Be Saints!  An invitation from Pope Benedict XVI”, edited by Amy Welborn and illustrated by Ann Engelhart is simply wonderful, a must for every family library.  Marvelous for children and adults alike, this compilation is taken from the talks given by Pope Benedict to children during his 2010 visit to England.  In this conversation with Ann Engelhart, we discuss this work.  We  also discuss the nature of art and beauty, in particular for children, and it’s ability to evangelize.

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You can find the book here

From the description:

In this very colorful book by acclaimed artist Ann Englehart, the Pope’s words come to life as he interacts with the children, showing all children how only God can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts.

Interspersed are prayers and quotes from various saints including Saint Francis, Saint Ignatius, Mother Teresa, St. Paul, St. Peter and more. They all emphasize that the most important thing we can become in this life is a Saint, a true friend of Jesus.