“Mercy in the City:  How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job” is an outstanding book! Kerry Weber has crafted a work that is an engaging page turner that is a  joy to read.  She shares her story of trying to “perform” all the Christian acts of mercy during Lent one year.  What she encounters is the living Christ in each of her experiences.  Kerry  is a wonderful story-teller. After reading “Mercy in the City”,   I dare you not to be inspired to take on the challenge to “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord”.

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“Kerry Weber is one of the liveliest, brightest, most provocative and most articulate voices on the Catholic scene today.  With stories that are both profound and lighthearted (and often at the same time) her marvelous new book will help you locate mercy in your daily life.  This is that rare book that will indeed make you laugh and cry, but also pray and serve.  Highly recommended.”
– James Martin, SJ author of My Life with the Saints and Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“This engaging book will take you to the heart of what it means to try to practice mercy in a cruel world. It helps us to remember that so much of what we take for granted — food, water to drink, clothing, and shelter — are a luxury to many, even in a land of plenty. From a soup line and homeless shelter to death row on San Quentin, the author makes us see the humanity of those we’d prefer to ignore. And if you’re looking for a book that cites both Basil the Great and ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan,’ this is for you!”
– Kathleen Norris, author of The Cloister Walk and Acedia and Me

In “The Protestant’s Dilemma: How the Reformation’s Shocking Consequences Point to the Truth of Catholicism”, author/apologist Devin Rose carefully reflects on various Protestant claims and carries them to their logical conclusion.  By incorporating, at times, his own intellectual journey from Protestantism to Catholicism, he simply presents a strong case for the authority of Catholic Church teaching.  The format of the book is excellent for apologetic study. Addressing the basics of the faith, as well as the particulars of Catholic Social Teaching, he gently, but meticulously offers a sound manual of instruction that should be in the library of every one of us called to the “New Evangelization”.

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From the book description:

What if Protestantism were true? What if the Reformers really were heroes, the Bible the sole rule of faith, and Christ s Church just an invisible collection of loosely united believers? As an Evangelical, Devin Rose used to believe all of it. Then one day the nagging questions began. He noticed things about Protestant belief and practice that didn t add up. He began following the logic of Protestant claims to places he never expected it to go -leading to conclusions no Christians would ever admit to holding. In The Protestant s Dilemma, Rose examines over thirty of those conclusions, showing with solid evidence, compelling reason, and gentle humor how the major tenets of Protestantism – if honestly pursued to their furthest extent – wind up in dead ends. The only escape? Catholic truth. Rose patiently unpacks each instance, and shows how Catholicism solves the Protestant s dilemma through the witness of Scripture, Christian history, and the authority with which Christ himself undeniably vested his Church. The Protestant s Dilemma is the perfect book for non-Catholics trying to work through their own nagging doubts, or for Catholics looking for a fresh way to deepen their understanding of the Faith

Devin Schadt  offers  a tremendous work proclaiming St. Joseph as a model for the authentic expression of manhood and fatherhood.  In “ Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness: Part I: Prayer of Faith”, he shares his compelling personal witness to the great saint’s role in his life.  He also uses  Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and many other outstanding resources, to fashion a study that helps to deepen the faith of those who walk with good St. Joseph through the perils men, as well as their families, face in our world today.

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From the book description:

Among the most serious crises facing our nation and the world is the crisis of fatherhood. Indeed, if the world is to be converted, the Church must be renewed. If the macro-Church is to be renewed, the micro church of the family must be restored. And if the family is to be restored and re-vitalized, the man who is both husband and father must become who God has created him to be – a father on earth like the Father in heaven. Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness, Part I: Prayer of Faith is the first in a four book series that comprises an in-depth vision of the human father as seen through the lens of St. Joseph and the patriarchs. By comparing Abraham the ‘Father in Faith’, with St. Joseph the just father who lived by faith fathers will discover the power of their vocation and their essential role in rebuilding society. Joseph’s Way: The Call to Fatherly Greatness, Part I: Prayer of Faith helps men become great fathers by re-discovering the hidden greatness of fatherhood.

 

With Fr. Gary Caster, we discuss  “Joseph – The Man Who Raised Jesus”.  Thanks to his mother’s encouragement, Fr. Gary received a rich devotion to the “silent” man who witnessed to the faith in an extraordinary way.     He shares personal stories, passages from Scripture and teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to demonstrate what a  model of virtue and  a protector of the Church and family, St. Joseph is in our lives today.  Another wonderful work by Fr. Gary Caster.  Good St. Joseph, pray for us!

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From the book description:

Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father s place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart.

Caster s book will provide a unique, in-depth presentation of Joseph from the perspective of the evangelical counsels and the theological and cardinal virtues. Each section will begin with an explanation of what each counsel or virtue means and then show how Joseph models it for us.

The descriptions of St. Joseph s life and character found in this book, while rooted in the Scripture passages that mention him, are chiefly inspired by Jesus, who spent the majority of his life at home with Joseph and Mary. For years, the three of them lived, prayed, celebrated, studied, and shared, all the while uniting their lives more intimately with God s own. Those years in Nazareth were a real preparation for the foundation upon which Jesus would build his saving ministry. And as much as Joseph and Mary offered Jesus, he offered them an ever-expanding awareness of the God that had changed both their lives. The reciprocity of love that perfectly defines the home in Nazareth is the very pattern for all family life—and therefore of the Church itself.

Fr. Maciej Zieba, OP offers tremendous insight and a wonderful resource in understanding the heart of Catholic Social Teaching in regards to democratic capitalism.  In Papal Economics: The Catholic Church on Democratic Capitalism, from Rerum Novarum to Caritas in Veritate, he gives an overview the key social encyclicals   from Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum (1891), through John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus a century later, and finally to Benedict XVI’s Caritas in Veritate (2009). While demonstrating the continuity among the popes,  this work also reveals that the Church’s teaching has evolved in certain key respects—particularly in its judgment on socialism.  Fr. Zieba, a close associate of Pope John Paul II.  He was a key player in the Polish Solidarity movement and is the director of the European Solidarity Center and the founder of the Tertio Millennio Institute in Poland.

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“For a long time to come, this book may well be the definitive work on the economic teaching of the modern popes.” —Michael Novak

“Powerful . . . Should move the Catholic discussion of twenty-first-century economics beyond the familiar refrains” —George Weigel

Terry Barber is a pioneer in the New Evangelization.  He is the founder of Saint Joseph Communications, Inc., Lighthouse Catholic Media and is a co-host for Reasons for Faith Live with Jesse Romero on EWTN Radio Network. His book, “How to Share Your Faith with Anyone: A Practical Manual of Catholic Evangelization”, is an ideal resource for anyone who desires to share the Good News and become an effective evangelist for Christ.  Immensely practical, Terry’s work is an important addition to the apologetic lexicon.  Our conversation was a joy for me to be a part of.  It’s easy to see why Terry Barber is so great at what he does; his joy, found in his faith, is infectious and grace-filled.

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“Before it was fashionable to talk about the New Evangelization, Terry Barber was already doing it. His book is a practical manual written from decades in the trenches. After laying the foundation for what evangelism is and why Catholics need to evangelize, the veteran evangelist gives practical training and application to the troops. Soldiers of Christ, grab this book, arise and share your faith!” —Steve Ray. Host, The Footprints of God film series

“Terry Barber has long been one of the Church’s finest evangelists. His excellent book shows us how the new evangelization requires new apologetics – a new way to explain why the Church’s teachings are true and why Jesus is the answer to the deep desires of the human heart.” —Most Reverend Jose Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles

This is the best biography I have read in years!  What a glorious testament to the fruitfulness of the Benedictine rule and how it transforms lives.  Mother Dolores Hart brings to us a generous sharing of her life experience and the joy found in the peace and stability in the living with her monastic community.  How could a woman walk away from “having it all”?  Mother Dolores discovered the “pearl of great price”, and she found it by listening to the “ear of the heart”.  An absolutely fantastic read and spiritually fulfilling work.  A must read!!!!  This conversation will go down as one of my favorites of all time!!!  Thank you God!!!

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“What a joy to be in the company of Mother Dolores Hart. She is a compassionate narrator, from her childhood days, darkened by parental alcoholism, to her Hollywood career and her calling as a Catholic nun. Mother Dolores talks candidly about the difficulty of becoming a cloistered, Benedictine nun. The struggle with years of discipline and the rigorous farm work at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. We learn there was something in her deepest heart she sought.” — —-Pia Lindstrom, television journalist, daughter of Ingrid Bergman

“Listen and attend with the ear of your heart.”
Saint Benedict

“Mother Dolores Hart is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story-one of love, devotion and faith.”
—Maria Shriver, bestselling author of Just Who Will You Be?

It was wonderful to talk with Deacon Keating about his book “Spousal Prayer:  A Way to Marital Happiness”.  Filled with practical suggestions, it never “dumbs” the importance of the message by presenting to us yet another “self-help” book, but rather it elevates our understanding and experience of true martial intimacy.  A small book, filled with tremendous potential for couples in any stage of their relationship, if they are willing to enter into the union Christ has waiting for them. Don’t miss this gem.

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You can find the book here

From the description:

Deacon James Keating’s newest book, Spousal Prayer: A Way to Marital Happiness affirms that the sharing of hearts is a necessary commitment in both marriage and prayer. If we can learn what the key elements to sharing the heart are and equally what the key elements to receiving the heart of another are, then we will know the greatest of intimacy in both prayer and marriage. The mingling of the love of spouse with and in the love of God is and has always been the foundation for a life of peace, creativity, and vibrancy, not to mention sanctity. In fact, we cannot even understand what marriage is unless we look at how Christ loved His Bride, the Church, till the end (Jn 13:1). For the baptized, Christ has joined His love for the Church to the Sacrament of Marriage and Marriage, to His love for the Church. Each couple is called to allow Jesus to bring them into this great love of His. The couple is not supposed to do all the work of love; they are called to let Jesus gift them with His own spousal love. In other words, couples should let Jesus live His spousal love for the Church over again in their own love for one another. They do this by simply asking Him in prayer to do so and by sharing their needs and desires with Him. Marriage is not a self-help relationship; it is a deep partnership with Christ.

With a pastor’s heart and eagle-eye accuracy,  the gifted Al Kresta addresses “Dangers to the Faith: Recognizing Catholicism’s 21st Century Opponents” in his newest book published by Our Sunday Visitor.     The secular world has presented many twisted versions of the “Truth” over the years: from New Age thought to Isalm,  Scientism to Consumerism, Oprah and Shirley to Bart Erhman and Carl Sagan.  Al Kresta challenges the “opponents” of faith with Christ-like love and wisdom.  In the process, he teaches us all how to evangelize as a true disciple of Christ.  A must have work for all those who may have a seeking heart and a desire to grow in their faith and to share it with family, friends and all they may encounter. One of the best books offered in this Year of Faith….a modern classic that should be in every Catholic home!

Here is part 1 of our discussion.

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Be sure to listen to “Kresta in the Afternoon” on the Ave Maria Radio Network

From the description:

Dangers to the Faith: Recognizing Catholicism’s 21st Century Opponents is the perfect springboard for discussing the new world in which the Catholic Church exists today. Learn how to better carry out the missionary mandate of the Church. The question isn’t whether you will be a witness to Christ, but whether you will be a faithful witness.

What a joy to talk about the saints with Paul Thigpen. and discuss this INCREDIBLE book!  Not just an ascetically gorgeous work, worthy of the mystery it contains, but “A Year With the Saints: Daily Meditations with the Holy Ones of God”  is filled with guided meditations, teachings, and prayers with the “Great Cloud of Witnesses”.  Dr. Thigpen, who earned his PhD in Church History, also guides through a wonderful catechesis of the faith through these “love letters” from history.   The perfect gift…period.

In this conversation, we discuss many topics, including:

Why the saints?  Do we need them?  How can they help us grow in faith?

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You can find the book here

“Those who follow the saints”, said Pope Clement I, “will themselves become saints”. Their words and deeds provide a treasury of time-tested wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration for the pursuit of holiness.

Best-selling Catholic author Paul Thigpen opens up that treasury in A Year With the Saints: Daily Meditations With the Holy Ones of God. These 365 reflections draw from the writings and lives of holy men and women across two thousand years. Their spiritual and practical insights for Christian living are as fresh and relevant today as they were when they were first written.

 

“These Beautiful Bones:  An Everyday Theology of the Body” is the book I’ve been waiting for, thank you Emily Stimpson!  A book about the Theology of the Body, the great teachings from Bl. Pope John Paul II, that isn’t all about SEX!  What Emily has done is truly remarkable….she has presented to us just how practical this  great teaching is and how it can be applied to the varied aspects of our everyday lives.  Emily has an engaging writing style which is filled with humor and insight.  A wonderful work and a must have for the Catholic library.

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“As a writer, Emily Stimpson always brings to her readers a unique combination of deep wisdom, practical insight and personal experience. In These Beautiful Bones, she uses the sacramental lens of the liturgy to explore a wide range of activities in daily life. Whether it’s your eating habits or clothing styles, the dignity of hard work or the pitfalls of pop culture, you will find in this book lots of graceful guidance in living out the physical side of being spiritual. ” — Dr. Scott Hahn, Internationally renowned author and biblical theologian

 

“The Urgency of the New Evangelization:  Answering the Call” is the latest from Dr. Ralph Martin STD which encourages us to share the Good News with both non-believers and those who are no longer practicing their faith.  Compelling and informative, this is an important work that aids all those who desire to the serve the Lord through the New Evangelization.

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In The Urgency of the New Evangelization: Answering the Call, Ralph Martin explains:

• It’s not just a churchy buzzword
• It’s not just for priests and missionaries to carry out
• YOU and every individual Catholic play a role
• It is literally a matter of life or death for everyone in your life
• And… it’s not as hard as you think

“Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches” is a stunning work.  A must have for those who love beauty, the heritage of the Catholic faith, and the celebration and depth of the Church’s liturgy.  The lives of the saints and martyrs come alive in this work which features the spiritual reflections of theologian George Weigel, the exquisite  artistic insights of art historian Elizabeth Lev, and the beautiful photography of Stephen Weigel.  George opens with the history of the practice of visiting the tombs of Christian martyrs  which began in the 4th century.   No one tells a story quite like he does. The pilgrimage would eventually evolve into a journey to churches, basilicas, and cathedrals throughout the city of the Saints.  Through this work, in a very real way,  the gift of Rome comes to meet in your home.  The spiritual contemplations are not only ideal for Lenten devotion, but are excellent for any time of the year.  A gift to give to yourself and to anyone you may care about who is traveling the pilgrimage of faith.

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Fr. Robert Barron, Rector-President, Mundelein Seminary
“An astonishingly good book. George Weigel’s meditations on the liturgical texts of Lent and Easter are intellectually rich, spiritually alert, and rendered in beautifully crafted prose; Elizabeth Lev’s examinations of the station churches themselves are always informative, insightful, and witty. Equally impressive are Stephen Weigel’s artfully composed photographs. Roman Pilgrimage will delight your eye and feed your soul.”

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York
“On cold, damp, late-winter early mornings, hundreds of priests, seminarians, sisters, and devoted lay people walk the Roman cobblestones to one of the Eternal City’s forty most venerable sites, the station church of that Lenten day. It’s a microcosm of the pilgrim Church and of life’s journey, and Easter is never brighter than after faithfully completing this sixteen-century-old pilgrimage tradition.”

What a delight to speak once again to Fr. Joseph Fessio, this time about “The Transforming Power of Faith” by Pope Benedict XVI.  Ignatius Press has once again brought to us a wonderful compilation of the final sixteen talks given at his weekly audience from October 2012 to the end of his papacy in February 2013.  These talks explore how and why faith is relevant in the contemporary world.

In this discussion, Fr. Fessio offers his insights on the pontificate of Pope Francis, a brother in the Jesuit order.  He also addresses an issue concerning the work of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar as found in his book “Dare We Hope That All May Be Saved”, which has, in some cases recently, been mistakenly understood and represented to others.  He breaks open a bit Fr. von Balthasar’s teachings on hell, the mercy of God, and the proper understanding of “hope”.  Another engaging conversation with the ever fascinating Fr. Fessio.

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You can find the book here

From the book description:

“What’s a Person to Do? Everyday Decisions That Matter” is an important work for those who seek to navigate through life’s daily choices.  Dr. Mark Latkovic, who is a professor of moral and systematic theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, does a fantastic job bringing forward basic principles that should be a part of our discernment process in making decisions.- especially when there is no definitive Catholic teaching on a subject.  Applying those principles, he then takes a look at 40 different questions and answers.  Whether it’s areas of Facebook and Internet interaction, purchasing lottery tickets or giving to particular “charities”, or how we deal with decisions for children and for elderly parents, Dr. Latkovic challenges us to ask  important questions and  respond to issues with moral virtue.  With an engaging and accessible writing style, Dr. Latkovic provides an important resource for us all.

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This wonderful little book is a bracing wake-up call to those of us who often overlook the moral dimensions of the decisions we make in everyday life. Mark Latkovic not only wakes us up, but gently guides us through the ethical minefield of contemporary society. —Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

This little gem of a book is not only a reliable guide to resolving some of the ethical questions we face in our everyday lives, it is a guidebook to thinking well about decisions that shape our characters. It provides answers to specific ethical problems, but that is only part of the story. What Professor Latkovic is doing is teaching us by example how to think deeply and well about the moral dimensions of our lives. —Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University