What a fascinating subject: The Natural Law!  It’s made utterly exciting when talking with Prof. J. Budziszewski.  He is such a great thinker, and, what’s even better, he helps us to become better thinkers as well.  In “What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide“, Prof. Budziszewski makes the argument for the existence of absolute values of right and wrong  and that are embedded in the conscience of every human being.  And he uses the Ten Commandments as a spring board for various aspects of the discussion.  His book is highly readable and just as HIGHLY recommended!  I can’t wait for his next book.

 

Find out more here

“Our One Great Act of Fidelity:  Waiting for Christ in the Eucharist” is a wonderful reflection on the many aspects the Eucharist touches our hearts and our lives.  I have read Fr. Ronald Rolheiser for many years in our local diocesans newspaper…what a delight to finally have the opportunity to speak to him, especially about this deeply personal book which  is not only offers theological insights, but is a also spiritual and a personal statement of how Fr. Rolheiser understands the Eucharist and why he celebrates it every day.

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You can find Fr. Rolheiser’s book here

[powerpress]Msgr. John Esseff is one of the most extraordinary men I have ever spoken with. He is the author of “Building A Kingdom of Love: Your Role in the Triumph of the Sacred Heart”.  Msgr. Esseff is widely known as a spiritual master who works with the Institute for Priestly Formation. Ordained a priest in 1953  for the Diocese of Scranton, PA, Msgr. Esseff served in parishes and as an exorcist for the diocese.  Serving the poor in areas around the world, he would become a confessor and retreat director for Blessed Mother Teresa, and continues that role today for the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity.  He would encounter St. Padre Pio and would be considered one of the St Pio’s spiritual children.

Msgr. John Esseff is on a mission from God. He is one of the founders of the Sacred Heart Apostolate.  He hopes to have the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned as King of the entire world, family by family, church by church, dioceses by diocese…country by country.

Everyone can participate and support this mission. For information about enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home, go to www.sacredheartapostolate.com. Then, you can keep Msgr. Esseff and his mission in your prayers. For more insights and information about Msgr. Esseff, his website is:http://home.catholicweb.com/msgrjohnesseff/index.cfm.

The revised and updated version of what I think is a classic work, “Solzhentisyn: A Soul in Exile”, is a tremendous gift to us all.   With all of the impressive clarity and tender insight you have come to expect from Joseph Pearce, this biography of the great Russian writer covers the lifespan of this incredible figure of the 20th century.    Joseph goes to the “heart” of the man, his Christian faith. With that illumination, he sheds a whole new understanding of his contribution to literary thought, Catholic Social Doctrine, and the value and dignity of each human person.  He allows Alexander Solzhenitsyn to speak for himself, and what he has to say is so important it shouldn’t be missed.

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You can find the book here

In “Parenting Your Adult Child”, Susan Vogt has offers solid advice and counsel on how to address the challenges of spiritually parenting our adult children.: how to respect and nurture the faith that lies deep within each young adult, no matter what it looks like on the surface.  Susan draws form the virtues to help along the sometimes bumpy path. The virtues she identifies are not the only ones that can help parents deepen their own spirituality, but they are especially relevant to forming new relationships with those you love.

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You can find more about Susan’s book here.

Part 2…It just gets better when discussing our Holy Father’s teachings with Mark Brumley! It’s hard to find an equal to our Holy Father when you combine his gifts and talents as a theologian and biblical scholar! As  a profound teacher and spiritual leader,  Pope Benedict XVI, through his Wednesday audience catechesis,  brings us the life and  legacy of St. Paul.  Mark Brumley joins us once again to discuss the richness of this work and offers us insights on this extraordinary saint.  Warning: Mark will inspire you to race out and pick up a copy (you’ll be so glad you did).

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Check out more on the book here

Part 1…It’s hard to find an equal to our Holy Father when you combine his gifts and talents as a theologian and biblical scholar! As  a profound teacher and spiritual leader,  Pope Benedict XVI, through his Wednesday audience catechesis,  brings us the life and  legacy of St. Paul.  Mark Brumley joins us once again to discuss the richness of this work and offers us insights on this extraordinary saint.  Warning: Mark will inspire you to race out and pick up a copy (you’ll be so glad you did).

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Check out more on the book here

What a joy to talk with Julie Davis, not just “a” happy Catholic, but “the” Happy Catholic! Julie is the creator of one of the most interesting sites in the blogosphere.  Her insights, musings and all around thought-filled ponderings on everything from Alice Cooper to St. John Vianney make her must reading for anyone living in today’s culture…pop or otherwise.  Julie has taken some of the best from her blog, along with a little more, and complied it in “Happy Catholic: Glimpses of God in Everyday Life”.

 

Check out Julie’s book here

Be sure to visit Julie’s blog  “Happy Catholic”

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While in Rome, I had the opportunity to speak with a very busy, but extraordinarily gracious,  Mons. Paul Tighe who serves as the Secretary for The Pontifical Council for Social Communication. The Council was hosting a gathering of bloggers from around the world in order to begin a dialogue concerning the varied aspects of the new media, and in particular the role of the blogger in the new evangelization.  This meeting was held on May 2 in Rome, the day after the beatification of Blessed John Paul II, the herald of this “New Evangelization”.  What will this “New Evagnelization” look like  in the light of technological advancements?  How will the various forms of “traditional” media converge to effectively communicate the message?  Who is the “Catholic blogger” and what is the hoped for behavior of the new evanglizer?  How can those seeking find Truth on the internet?  What (or better yet Who) is Truth?  These questions and so many more are discussed with Mons Tighe in this special edition of “Inside the Pages”.

 

Learn more about the work of the Ponitfical Council for Social Communication at www.pccs.va

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Gregory Erlandson, president and publisher of the Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, joins us once again to discuss the tremendous work of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict and his reflections and teachings on “The Great Teachers”. Greg offers fantastic insight on the teachings of Pope Benedict  and the need we have for it in the Church today.

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“To renew the Church in every age, God raises up saints, who themselves have been renewed by God and are in constant contact with God.” Pope Benedict XVI

Discover the greatest teachers of the Faith as Pope Benedict XVI highlights their essential role during a time of scandal and strife in the Church.

Find the book here

Great Teachers include:

–Hugh and Richard of Saint-Victor
–William of Saint-Thierry
–Rupert of Dutz
–John of Salisbury
–Peter Lombard
–St. Francis of Assisi
–St. Dominic Guzman
–St. Anthony of Padua
–St. Bonaventure
–St. Albert the Great
–St. Thomas Aquinas
–John Duns Scotus

“Burst – A Story of God’s Grace When Life Falls Apart” by Kevin Wells is truly inspirational.  Sharing the traumatic, as well as the heroic moments of life, Kevin Wells helps us to see the grace of God and it’s power to transform our lives.  Draw close to God and He’ll draw close to you!  Well written, this is a beautiful memoir by a rock solid Catholic man.  This is one of those books that just compells you to keep reading.  Fantastic!

 

Check out Kevin’s book here

“The Fulfillment of All Desire:  A Guidebook for the Journey to God based on the Wisdom of the Saints” is one of my all time favorite books…period!  What Ralph Martin accomplishes is extraordinary. He synthesizes the teachings of the great mystical doctors of the Church (St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, with Blessed John Paul II as an “instructor”) and leads on the path towards heaven.  And the great thing is that it begins today, now…holiness is a universal calling for all of us.  If there was one book I would recommend to have, besides the Bible of course, it is this one first and foremost!  Be sure to visit the Renewal Ministries website.

 

Check out the book here

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“God Wants You Happy – from self-help to God’s help” by Fr. Jonathan Morris challenges the wisdom espoused by New Age self-help experts with the time-tested counsel found in the Bible. Readers who may have sought solace in popular self-help books like Eckart Tolle’s A New Earth, Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, or Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success will be enthralled by Morris’s moving argument about the enduring spiritual succor awaiting in Scripture. There’s no “secret” here, the Good News proclaims itself loud and clear…check it out!

 

 

Check out Fr. Morris’ book here

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I can’t get enough from Pope Benedict XVI, especially when he shares with all of us his innermost thoughts and insights! “Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times” by Peter Seewald had such a fascinating conversation with our Holy Father that it seems to be the gift that just keeps giving. Mark Brumley took time out of his busy day as president of Ignatius Press to shed more “light” on this incredible book and the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

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Check out more on the book here

“Introduction to Christianity” by Cardinal Joseph Ratizinger (Pope Benedict XVI) is a modern day classic! Fr. Joseph Fessio S.J., founder of Ignatius Press and student of Pope Benedict, joins us to break open the gift of insight and wisdom contained in this inspirational work of our Holy Father.  As the Pope Benedict states in the preface in the 2nd edition of the book, that approach, taken in the book, puts the question of God and the question about Christ in the very center, which leads to a “narrative Christology” and demonstrates that the place for faith is in the Church.  It is an excellent edition to all Christian libraries and a must for anyone seeking a richer appreciation of the teachings of faith.  Pope Benedict uses the Old and New Testament, the teachings of the Fathers of the Church and generations of Saints, as well as the beauty of the Church’s Tradition to ponder the reality of Christ.  It’s beautiful!

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For more information on this work as well as all the books by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), go to  www.ignatius.com