Translated by Helen Waddell PB- 312 Pages
For several hundred years, in the youth of the Church, countless men, and a few women, fled the world and flocked to the deserted places of this earth wishing to found (and to find) their lives in God alone. Their experiences transformed not only their own lives, but also in many ways, the world they left behind. The beauty and timelessness of their stories has captured the imagination of men throughout the ages that have followed. To live in search only of God and the eternal verities is a theme that men never weary contemplating and often imitate. The original of these translations is the Latin of the Vitae Patrum, a vast collection of the lives and sayings of the Desert Fathers, edited by the learned Rosweyde, and printed at the Plantin press in Antwerp in 1615. The original ran to 1600 pages. These extracts assembled by Helen Waddell are among the best.
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF ALL THE SERMONS FOR MARY’S FEASTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
By Bishop Jaques Benigne Bossuet
PB 164 pages
Translated by F. M. Capes
With an Introduction by Rev. William T. Gordon - Priest of the London Oratory
The great and learned Jacques Benigne Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux in France, was the author of many works, most prominent among them the Continuity of Religion, a compact history of the world from a Catholic perspective. This book is a translation of his sermons given on all of the principal feasts of Our Lady throughout the year. His profound knowledge of the scriptures and his excellent theological training combined with a deep love for the Mother of God was productive of these powerful insights and thoughts about the Theotokos. From Bossuet’s teaching we learn that, to quote Cardinal Manning’s words, “the titles of honor given to Mary are not metaphors but truths—they express, not poetical or rhetorical ideas, but true and living relations between her and her Divine Son and between her and ourselves.”
Father Charles Arminjon - PB 336 pages - 5.5"x 8.5"
Mystery book on ‘End Times’ reappears
"Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life!"
In it, Fr. Arminjon gets right to the point: “The end of the world, Christ says, will come when the human race, sunk in the depths of indifference, is far from thinking about punishment and justice. It will be as in the days of Noah, when men lived without a care, built luxurious homes, and mocked Noah as he built his ark.”
“Civilization will be at its zenith, markets overflowing with money, and stocks will never have been higher. Mankind, wallowing in unprecedented material prosperity, will have ceased to hope for heaven. Crudely attached to pleasures, man will say ‘My soul, you have goods to last for many years. Eat, drink and be merry.’ ”
Doesn’t that sound eerily like America just a year or so ago?
Fr. Arminjon insists that we “steer clear of every perilous opinion and make no assertion that is not justified by Tradition and the doctrine of the Fathers.” Yet it’s precisely his sober reliance on Scripture and Tradition that makes this book so convincing . . . and so chilling!
But Fr. Arminjon doesn’t merely sketch the darkness ahead; he also shows how Jesus will fill that darkness with light; and he details the rich bounty Christ has in store for all who stay faithful.
Fr. F. J. Remler, CM - PB 180 pages - 5" x 7"
Learn how to resist temptation now — before it’s too late!
You’ve no doubt taken steps to ensure your safety — and your family’s — from various kinds of worldly calamities. But if you haven’t made sure you’re properly on guard against temptations, you’re setting yourself up for a spiritual disaster of immense proportions. No matter how devoted to Christ you are, temptations are going to come to you. That’s why How to Resist Temptation is essential reading for every serious Catholic.
The author, Fr. Francis J. Remler, C.M., helps you prepare yourself so that, when temptations begin to assail your soul, you’ll be ready. Learn from Father’s experience Fr. Remler gives you the benefit of his expertise as a confessor and shepherd of souls, as he shows you how to identify and guard against common misunderstandings of what temptation really is and what it is not — misunderstandings that can paralyze your spiritual growth. He details ways you can recognize the elements of temptation — and be on guard against often-unrecognized causes of individual temptations. He reveals how you can keep the memories of your past sins from troubling and tempting you now, and clarifies why God allows temptation to exist in the first place. He even explores the role of the demonic in day-to-day temptations — with firm faith in God’s power.
A marvelously encouraging and optimistic book, How to Resist Temptation even contains useful directions on how you can — believe it or not — actually benefit from temptation, and how you can learn from others’ examples as you fight against temptation. So the next time the siren song of temptation starts to sound in your ears, don’t try to tough out the struggle alone — call on God’s ever-plentiful grace, and go to battle against sin armed with the wisdom of How to Resist Temptation!
This small book, which had been out of print for 70 years, is filled with many unusual and traditional prayers and devotions including the Precious Blood Novena and Chaplet plus many other novenas. Also includes the Stations of the Cross, Prayers for holy Mass, many litanies and other special prayers. A real gem!. 208 pages, size: 3" x 4-3/4" PB.
John Haffert - 265 pages - 5" x 8"- PB
Originally printed in 1940. Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat. From the Preface by Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen: "Mr. Haffert has in a masterly way laid bare the solid foundations upon which this [Brown Scapular] devotion reposes. His case is so strikingly presented that to challenge this devotion is to challenge to some extent, the tradition and authority of the Church." The Scapular Promise of Our Lady is: "Whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire." Pope Pius IX said, "this extraordinary gift of the Scapular brings its great usefulness not only to the Carmelite Family of Mary but also to all the rest of the faithful who wish, affiliated to that Family, to follow Mary with a very special devotion." The book contains 15 chapters, including, The Origin of the Promise, Meaning of the Promise, Historicity of the Promise, How the Promise is Kept, Scapular Prayer and Communication of Benefits, and much more. This is the most complete book on the subject we have seen. It gives many examples of the powerful protection one gets from the Scapular and that protection is in great need today.
Marie Thérese Peterson - 166 Pages Paperback
Is the Holy Eucharist REALLY the Body and Blood of Christ, as the Church has taught for 2,000 years, or do we receive only a symbolic reminder of Jesus at the Last Supper? Statisticians claim that a high percentage of Catholics in our time have lost the true meaning of Holy Communion and demonstrate their unbelief by neglecting to genuflect in the presence of Christ, or by talking in Church as if it were a social hall. Our author has gone to the heart of the matter and has shown conclusively that this is the GREAT sacrament that nourishes every life that was recreated in the sacrament of baptism - making the recipient true blood brothers and sisters of Christ by sharing intimately in His very Divine nature.. Color photos show Padre Pio in ecstasy as he celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Beautifully written and thoroughly convincing. A great gift item for those who may be weak in faith or poorly instructed.
By Trent Beattie Paperback - 168 pages
Also Available as Ebook Are you deeply concerned about religion, not simply as a devout soul, but to the point of being frantic? Are little, inconsequential things the occasion of losing your peace of mind? Do you feel as though you need to repeat what has already been sufficiently done, such as a confession? If so, you’re likely suffering from scrupulosity.
What is scrupulosity? In psychological terminology, it is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (O.C.D.) directed toward religious matters. To use religious terminology, it can be defined as an uneasy and persistent concern that things might be sinful when in fact they are not.
This book is meant to help scrupulous souls better understand and effectively battle their spiritual difficulties by uniting themselves with Our Lord, through the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church. This is done by presenting the clear and simple teachings of the Church on matters relevant to the scrupulous, with emphasis on the writings of great saints. No obstacle is too difficult to overcome for one who prayerfully trusts in God, and this includes the problem of scrupulosity
The Glorious Mysteries. This is the third volume in this much acclaimed pictorial series on the Mysteries of the Rosary. Traces the Glorious Mysteries from the Resurrection of Christ to the Coronation of His Blessed Mother in 94 outstanding reproductions of sacred art together with the Scriptural texts which inspired them. As in the presentations in the first two volumes, the prophecies of the Old Testament are matched to their fulfillment in the New Testament. These are the mysteries that inspire the virtue of hope in the personal resurrection of each individual soul and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Much needed meditations for our times. Published with Bishop's approbation. 104 pp. PB
Please see our paperback edition here.
This fifteen volume set has full-color dust jackets, ribbon place markers, over 7,000+ pages total in 15 volumes
This monumental liturgical work, comprising fifteen volumes, was the life-long labor of Benedictine Abbot Dom Guéranger. Written with the heart of a seraphic contemplative, the holy abbot takes the reader on a daily spiritual pilgrimage through the liturgies of both the East and the West as he immerses the soul into the very life of the ecclesia orans et adorans (the church praying and adoring). The author achieves this by providing daily entries corresponding to the yearly cycle of the Church’s worship in both her divine seasonal feasts and those of her saints. Each day begins with a rich and provocative meditation on the mystery of faith to be celebrated together with the ecclesial history of the same; this is followed by excerpts from the Roman Missal’s Mass of the day (complete with Propers, i.e., Introits, Collects, Offertory prayers, etc ) as well a host of exquisite hymns from the divine office which are coupled with varied and sundry sequences garnered from other ancient Catholic rites.
The temporal and geographical universality of the Church is thusly honored; and the oneness of faith amply manifested in light of the axiomatic criterion: Lex orandi est lex credendi (the law of praying is the law of believing). If the essence of the Holy Mass is God, the Incarnate Victim, offering Himself to God, then the liturgy of the Mass is man, in union with Jesus Christ (per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso), offering God to God. Truly, here is a priceless treasure awaiting your holy exploitation. Such was the strategy employed by the father of Saint Therese of Lisieux who made it a daily routine in the Martin home to read to his five daughters from these very volumes.
This Loreto edition is the only complete edition available, with all of the deleted material that is missing from other American editions restored by Loreto.
Saint Benedict, father of western monasticism, is rather more known for his life and Rule than for a medal cast in his honor. The history of the image and the exorcism engraved on the medal, as well as the power of that Cross which the holy patriarch bears in his right hand, can be traced back to the eleventh century. Before he became Pope Saint Leo IX, one Bruno of Toul was cured of a mortal sickness after Saint Benedict appeared to him in the very guise we see depicted today on this sacramental. The Sisters of Charity under Saint Vincent de Paul also wore the blessed medal on their rosary. Abbot Gueranger, spiritual son of Saint Benedict, wrote this book to promote this very powerful devotion.
Br. Francis Maluf, M.I.C.M..
This is a book of seventy-two concise meditations each on a different subject. Whether it is an event, as the Day; or a virtue, as Gratitude; or a ravaging infidelity, as Islam; or a person, as Our Lady; our author zeroes in on the topic and, with an amazing depth of understanding, simplifies it in relation to time and eternity. The salient theme throughout Brother Maluf’s daily reflections is that every challenge one experiences in this wayfaring state has the capacity to elevate our human frailty to supernatural heights if we engage it with the magnanimous attitude of confident sons of God.
Also Available as Ebook
The principal author of this book, Father Aladel, was a member of the Congregation of the Mission founded by Saint Vincent de Paul. More importantly, he was the spiritual director and confessor of Saint Catherine Laboure. The Miraculous Medal was designed by the Mother of God and communicated by her to Sister Catherine with the instruction that this devotion be spread throughout the Church. The inscription: O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee, anticipated the definition of the Immaculate Conception by nearly a quarter of a century. This book relates not only the heavenly visitations given to this humble saint, as well as her adventures and crosses endured for Our Lady’s cause, but also it gives the ensuing history of the medal itself with many accounts of miracles which accompanied its pious reception.
Monseigneur Landriot, Archbishop of Rheims, (Formerly Bishop of La Rochelle) Translated from the French by Helena Lyons
Long out of print, this rare jewel is destined to become the favored spiritual guide for Catholic wives and mothers. Msgr. Landriot gave these conferences over 100 years ago, but they are as relevant to us today as the Gospels. This book is a guide for women who want to achieve sanctity in the home. Reading this book is the best thing you could do for your husband and children, as well as for yourself. This book was published to help women to raise and keep their families Catholic.
In this age of charismatic emotionalism and aberrant neo-Montanistic Pentecostalism, a definitive and scripturally based book on true devotion to the Holy Spirit is as welcome as it is provident. This production is actually a slightly abridged version of Archbishop Luis Martinez’ original work, El Espiritu Santo, which in English translation was re-titled, The Sanctifier. Written over a half-century ago, the Mexican prelate no doubt anticipated the danger that a Church, founded upon the Trinitarian revelation of Jesus Christ, would face if she neglected to adequately educate her members as to the sanctifying role of the Third Divine Person in the economy of salvation. Such motivating and informative chapters as "Your soul’s delightful Guest," "The Holy Spirit forms Jesus within you," "Let the Holy Spirit possess you," and "Possess the Holy Spirit" are so essential to a divine and Catholic Faith that our faith in the mystery of the Incarnation itself is incomplete without this perfecting grace and illumination. Moreover, the seven gifts of the Paraclete, perfecting our conformation in Christ, are not arbitrary — Martinez stresses — they are necessary for salvation. So, too, are the twelve fruits of the Holy Ghost necessary, which the author expounds upon in the final chapters. Consolator Optime, O very best Consoler, may this inspired treatise of your admirable Archbishop reach many thousands of thirsty souls!
A Book of Light and Consolation - Father Remler
Whether it be due to our own over-indulgences in abusing the varied and sundry goods of this earth, our own seemingly countless transgressions against God’s commandments, or the providentially paternal designs of our Creator and first Benefactor, we will have our lot of suffering in this life. There is no escaping that. The question is how to benefit from it individually unto our everlasting glory and happiness in heaven. Suffering and death are part of our debt due to original sin. Therefore, they are necessary for our good. We must suffer and, in the end, die. But, why such a debt as this? How can its acceptance be for our good? Father Remler provides fifteen reasons why we ought to embrace our trials and tribulations, be they physical or spiritual, for the priceless opportunity that every pain provides us in our vocation to be made conformable to our Savior and King, Jesus Christ. It would be hard to find a book like Father Remler’s that so wonderfully explains the value of penance in the light of the patient and enduring acceptance of the cross. Outside of grace, the author writes, our sins cast no shadow. They are committed in the darkness in which we chose to wallow, a darkness that will drag us into the pit of hell. Stepping out of that darkness, into the light of grace, we can come back to God Who is drawing us to Him through a sincere confession. Once the guilt of our sins has been remitted, however, their effects remain.
Saint Robert Bellarmine
BACK IN PRINT !
Available in Paperback
After being called to the Cardinalate by Pope Clement VIII, Robert Bellarmine, one of only two Jesuit Doctors of the Church, found need for a reprieve from what were often tiresome temporal duties. Therefore, to exhaust his intellectual and devotional energies in writing, he prepared for posterity his very own commentary on each of the Psalms. Most of the Psalms of David, he said, read like a compendium of the whole of the Old Testament, a summation in poetic capsule. Others (Ps. 2, 21, 44 & 60) speak so clearly of Christ that they seem rather to belong to the Gospels. Yet, it is not the royal prophet, rather, it is the Holy Ghost, the true Author, Who desires to pluck this ten-stringed instrument of beauty called the Psaltery and bring our hearts to tears or jubilation as we sing praise to the Most High. This is a huge book of nearly four hundred pages, a spiritual goldmine.
Composed by an Archbishop, this praiseworthy tribute to our Saviors holy Mother was actually written the very same year that Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of Our Ladys Immaculate Conception. Beginning where all great works on Our Lady should, with her exalted office and dignity, the author educates the reader that he or she might see the congruity, even the necessity, of Marys divine prerogative in the eternal plan of redemption, and also see the Immaculata as the fulfillment of the highest possible degree of excellence God could establish in a creature, perfecting through her the crowning glory in the gradation of all being outside of God. Archbishop Ullathorne is not original, but masterful, in his explanation of Marys royal relationship with the angels as well as men, for she it was who gave the Incarnate God the flesh and blood by means of which all the elect achieved their salvation. A true gift of charity for a Protestant friend in search of truth!
Written by A Passionist - PB - 400 Pages
Contemplating the Holy Face on the shroud of Turin, one sees a deep wound on the forehead of our Savior where one of the many thorns of His cruel crown punctured that very spot above His eyes where His members in the Church are marked who enter rightly into the penitential season of Lent. From the many figures of that spiny diadem in the Old Testament to the reality of the instrument of torture beaten into the head of the Son of God amidst insults and spittle, this terrible book, unforgettable in its endearing pathos, will surely help us to understand something of the true ugliness of sin and the awesome price the Just One had to pay in conquering it.
Saint John Eudes - PB - 290 pages
Never, in the history of the Church, had any tribute to Our Lady's childhood been composed which so marvelously applies so many texts of holy scripture with sound Catholic doctrine and the wisdom of her confessors until Saint John Eudes composed this book. Where do we begin if we are ever to become like the little children God wishes us to emulate? Why not begin by contemplating the immaculate life of the precious and most humble maiden of Nazareth.
Saint John Eudes wrote these profoundly affective pages not only for the educators of young Christian women in his own time but for all time. What better example for the education of Catholic maidens than the most admirable early life of Mary, the “glory of Israel,” as she advanced in wisdom and grace in the days of her preparation for her divine maternity. Father Eudes wishes the faithful to behold the “New Eve,” conceived of such holy parents, Joachim and Anne, and reflect upon her perfect charity, her manifold virtues and her uninterrupted contemplation from the moment of her Immaculate Conception to her consuming “fiat,” which truly compelled, in a most wonderful way, the Son of God to come and “rest within her tabernacle.” This study of the holy childhood of the Mother of God is exactly what the title says. To be sure, other works, based upon private revelation, treat of the Blessed Virgin’s early years, but there is no book that specifically treats of the holiness itself of the wondrous child, accumulating its mass of material from the inspired revelation of the sacred scriptures, the liturgical use of the same (as applied by the Church to Our Lady’s feastdays) and the common testimony of the our Catholic fathers and doctors. Saint John Eudes was born at Ri, a country parish near Caen, Normandy, in 1601. Endowed with extraordinary talents and filled with burning zeal for the salvation of souls, he devoted 50 years of life, until his death in 1680, to the preaching of missions and to the organization of ecclesiastical seminaries. He founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, generally known as the Eudist Fathers, for missionary and seminary work; the Order of Our Lady of Charity with its two observances of the Refuge and the of the Good Shepherd; the Society of the Most Admirable Heart for lay persons aspiring to perfection in the world; and lastly, Confraternities of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary for the propagation among the faithful of the devotion, of which he was the first apostle. He wrote the first Mass and Office for the special feast in honor of the Sacred Heart and of the Holy Heart of Mary, which he established thirty years before the revelations of Saint Margaret Mary.
Saint John EudesOne of the most prolific ascetical writers of the seventeenth century, Saint John Eudes was an inexhaustible reservoir of holy wisdom and devotional fervor. Loreto Publications considers it a foremost priority to help make the spiritual doctrine of this great apostle of devotion to the Sacred and Admirable Hearts of Jesus and Mary more widely known. Perhaps no book of his better exemplifies that profoundly incarnational doctrine than The Admirable Heart of Mary. Eudes reveals to his disciples this most pure and maternal of all hearts both in its corporal and spiritual pulsations, while demonstrating with a dozen unforgettable natural and scriptural analogies, how this human heart was so inexhaustibly divinized by the one Divine Heart of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Admirable Heart of Mary was given to us from the Cross by Jesus Christ. Truly this heart was the first-fruit of His Passion, given to all of Marys children, that it might be honored, cherished, invoked and, ultimately, with that of her Son, reproduced in them. This is the essence of the spirituality of Saint John Eudes.
It was only eight years after our Sorrowful Mother appeared to the shepherd children in the south of France, that Bishop Ullathorne took up his pen to defend the authenticity of the visitation. With Rome's permission, the author writes as a contemporary chronicler of the events, conducting interviews with the seers and with ecclesiastics who were involved.
PB - 236 pages
The Redemptorist Father Michael Müller had a secret weapon which won him more converts than did his indefatigable preaching and writing: the holy rosary. This book was written as a thank you to the Mother of God for graces received. Not only does Father Müller explain what the rosary is, but what the rosary should be. After reading this devoted author, we assure you, you will never again say the rosary mechanically, or wear the scapular apathetically.The Holy Rosary is a gift from the Blessed Virgin Mary, as are her powerful scapulars. This is the theme Father Michael Müller stresses throughout these two hundred and seventy-five pages of grateful acclamation to a devotion upon which the salvation of great multitudes of sinners rests. The heartfelt recitation of the Rosary and meditation on the mysteries thereof is the best “thank you” we can give to Mary for her unfathomable mercies. The scholarly author expounds upon every aspect of this devotion now over eight hundred years old. He relates it wonderfully to the New Testament as well as to the Old. Every single page of this pious work is replete with holy quotations or exciting analogies, inspiring anecdotes or miracles. And, too, there are enough actual accounts of graces spurned, or false, even superstitious devotion, to make us fearful. This is a book that the faithful will love so much that they will feel compelled to share their gift with wayward friends and relatives.
Reminiscences of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity A Carmelite Nun of Dijon 1901-1906
Elizabeth was given the name of the Holy Trinity for her consecrated life in the Carmel of Dijon. In here writings, hovere, she referred to herself as "the Praise of Glory" (Ephesians 1:12) on account of her special gift of penetrating the sublime truths in the epistles of St. Paul. So abundantly fruitful was the life of God in here that she seemed to reflect in here every act the eternal processions of His Truth and Love. Saint Elizabeth has been called "another Thérèse".
Written by Rev. Charles B. Garside, M.A. Preface by Rev. Edward F. Garesché, S.J.
Garnering his material from the last two of the four Books of Kings, Father Charles Garside, M.A., paints a portrait of a thundering visionary, who lights up the Old Testament perhaps more brilliantly than any other Biblical figure. A man of prayer and solitude, celibate and chaste, he moved courageously with every heavenly summons, never failing, never daunted. So much a contemplative and a teacher of eternal truth that, even though his inital mark on history falls in the Old Dispensation, he is nevertheless justly claimed as "the founder" of the Carmelite order. Taken by God, who came to seize him in a whirlwind, he was assumed into the heavens by way of a fiery chariot, and placed in the Garden of Eden from whence he shall come in the last days to do battle with the Antichrist.
In the late fifteenth century, Satan reigned in all his unmitigated cruelty in the very heart of what was to be the Americas. Only thirty some years later, the Queen of Heaven crushed his head, taking away his bloody government, and establishing in perpetuity the merciful reign of her very maternal and Immaculate Heart. Garnering his information from the best authentic sources, contemporary as well as modern, Warren H. Carroll weaves his tapestry of the true birth of Mexico in dramatic style.
Father Karl Stehlin, F. S. S. P. X.
Father Stehlin quotes extensively from Saint John Eudes, Cornelius a'Lapidé, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and Lucia of Fatima. This treatise is one of the most succinct and clear explanations of the complete economy of salvation ever penned. The full role of the Immaculata is explored and refined, and its relevance to the world in our time is detailed in an easy to read and understand format. This is militant Catholic theology made simple for this Marian age.
FIFTY MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION
by Archbishop Alban Goodier, S.J.
Archbishop Goodier published these 50 Meditations in 1925. In his authors preface he wrote These notes were written a long time ago in Lent, 1909. At the time a certain religious, now dead, used often to speak with me about prayer, and about the labor she had experienced in prayer. I used to notice how easily she would fly along a line of contemplation if the tiniest suggestion were made to her, and several times I ventured to make such suggestions in the shape of points for meditation. The points here collected were written for this purpose. They were written for two only; but others who have seen them have found them useful and have asked that they may be printed. If they are a help to any in prayer, I can only be grateful to our Lord.
The publishers at Loreto hope that the modern reader will find in this little volume as much useful material for initiating meditation as did the original readers.
ISBN 1-930278-81-0
Fr. Nicholas Gihr - Small Book - 72 Pages
It is a common and well grounded lament that in teaching the Word of God that the doctrine concerning the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity is to a large extent sadly neglected. Other spiritual writers are of the same opinion. These considerations justify every effort to further the devotion to the Holy Spirit among the clergy and the laity by a thoroughgoing explanation of the exceedingly meritorious Pentecost Sequence.
St. Francis de Sales carried a copy of this in his pocket for 18 years! Its wisdom formed his soul, it inspired him to a life of the deepest devotion, and ultimately it helped him become one of the Church's greatest saints and doctor's! It's no longer fashionable to speak of the Christian life as a "battle", but there's actually no better way to describe the tug-of-war for your soul that's raging right now between the forces of light and darkness. Here, Dom Lorenzo Scupoli helps you take your proper part in this spiritual battle so that you can win, decisively, the war for your soul. This book has been loved by saints and sinners alike ever since it was written four hundred years ago. Why? Because it offers sensible advice to help you overcome spiritual obstacles and achieve spiritual perfection! Dom Lorenzo Scupoli was a disciple of St. Andrew Avellino, the great preacher and spiritual director. His classic Spiritual Combat was first published in Venice in 1589.
Father John Nicholas Grou, S.J. - Small Book 56 pages
Translated by the Benedictines of Teignmouth
This timely monograph, composed by Jesuit Father Nicholas Grou, contains precious gems of holy wisdom. They are the fruit of a pastor of souls well acquainted with the latter-day stratagems of an experienced adversary determined to get the focus of persecuted and battle-weary Catholics off the straight and narrow course leading to personal sanctity.
The Gift of Self to God, which is the heart of the composition, is an extremely provoking and healing meditation dealing with the necessity and salutary advantage of giving our all to God. It is a perfect compliment to the spirit of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary.
Not as well known as he should be, the work of this great doctor of the interior life is reprinted here, together with two of his other essays, all of which confirm the virtue of filial trust in God.
She has inspired the greatest artists, poets and composers for two-thousand years. Armies have fought under her banner, while entire cities and nations have placed themselves under her patronage and protection. Every day, she is called upon by countless men, women and children to help them in their necessities: "Hail Mary, Full of Grace." She is the Mother of Jesus Christ . . . The Mother of God.
Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is, perhaps, the most instantly recognizable manifestation of the Roman Catholic Faith. Those outside the Church are hard-pressed to explain it, and they too often view Marian devotion as either a "distraction" from the adoration due to Jesus Christ, or as something "acceptable," but only to a severely limited extent. In reality, the Church's Marian heritage is an integral part of the ancient Faith, and there can be no proper understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, without a proper appreciation of, and respect for, the Catholic Church's Marian teachings.
Msgr. Gaumé
The holy Sign of the Cross is the most important prayer and symbol of our Christian faith. It is at once the image of Christ's passion, the sign of the redemption of all mankind, the awesome testament of the destruction of the power of the devil and of his kingdom on earth. The resurrection is the promise and seal and guarantee of eternal life which consummated the work of the Cross.
Christians rejoice and the demons tremble to see the Sign of the Cross emblazoned everywhere as proof of Christ's victory over the world. Christ said "all power is given to me in heaven and on earth" and the Cross is the seat of that power. There is no place on earth where a person who makes the Sign of the Cross is not immediately recognized as a Catholic, and there is no miracle that has not been worked under this sign. It is the "nuclear bomb" of prayers and with it the faithful can clear away all enemies and temptations with the simplest of wordless gestures. Msgr. Gaumé has compiled a magnificent collection of history and commentary from the saints and fathers and doctors, as well as his own meditations and exhortations regarding this most powerful prayer. All Catholics should avail themselves of this information and make it fruitful in their own lives.
