"Boyett's witty, weird, and sometimes even wise Pocket Guides are proof that the best things do come in small packages." DANIEL RADOSH, AUTHOR, RAPTURE READY! We name our cities, hospitals, and churches after them. We flock to shrines bearing their remains. We ask for their help when we lose our keys. Who are these saints, what made them so holy, and what in the world are those birds doing on St. Francis's shoulder? Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to Sainthood takes an intriguing and unflinching look at the fascinating and fascinatingly weird lives of the saints. Whether you are a Catholic desperately needing a patron, or a Protestant trying to identify your cabbie's bobblehead, this may be as close as you ever come to true holiness. Make the most of it by learning How St. Denis delivered his best sermon while holding his own decapitated head Why both hair shirts and nakedness are mainstays of saintly fashion Which saints are the patrons of bowel disorders, serial killers, and other useful categories What is involved in the canonization process, should you get so lucky...or martyred With Pocket Guide to Sainthood, virtue just got a whole lot more entertaining. THE POCKET GUIDE SERIES explains complex religious subjects with a lethal dose of educational hilarity, guided by the author's insatiable curiosity, humor, and gentle irreverence. The Pocket Guide series includes Pocket Guide to the Bible, Pocket Guide to the Afterlife, and this book. Discover more at www.pocketguidesite.com.

Guide to the life and travels of the Apostle Paul from both theological and numismatic perspectives. Traces his various missionary tours and the coins he would have encountered on his travels. Includes colour and black-and-white photos, maps, bibliography and index. Authors are numismatists specialising in coins relating to the early history of Christianity. Lewis has an honours degree in Divinity from the University of London and is a medical practitioner on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Bolden's expertise is in the area of coin restoration and identification. Both are members of the Australian Numismatic Society.

The lives of the Saints are one of the most powerful ways God draws people to himself, showing us the love and the joy we can find in him. But so often, these Saints seem distant—impossibly holy or dull or unlike us in race and age and state in life. In Saints Around the World, you’ll meet over one-hundred Saints from more than sixty countries, including Saints with different disabilities, strengths, and struggles. The beautiful illustrations and captivating storytelling will introduce you and your children to new heavenly friends while also helping you fall more in love with Jesus. Each story in this book is written not only to capture the imagination but also to speak about God’s tremendous love and our call to be saints. There are stories in Saints Around the World for when you feel like life isn’t fair, when people are being unkind to you, when you’ve made a terrible mistake, when you’re struggling at school, when prayer is hard. And there are stories of shouting down Nazis, of fleeing a murderous villain, of making scientific discoveries, of smoking a cigar while enemy soldiers amputate your leg. There are scared Saints, brilliant Saints, weak Saints, adventurous Saints, abused Saints, overjoyed Saints, disabled Saints—and the point of every one of them is the love of God. Whether you’re checking the map to find Saints who look like you or perusing the extensive indices to find Saints with your skills or struggles, you’ll find countless stories in this book that remind you how very possible holiness is.

An in-depth resource that separates fact from myth about the lives of saints Saints For Dummies offers information on famous saints (both men and women) from the Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic traditions. With a historical biography on each saint including information on what they are known for, what they did in life to achieve sainthood, and how readers can pray to them in time of need. This easy-to-understand guide reveals that most saints were very common, ordinary, and imperfect human beings with faults and foibles who overcame their shortcomings to become figures of great spiritual and historical significance. You get a unique glimpse into the lives and the character traits of these righteous men and women, as well as future pending saints. Explains which saints are invoked for specific situations Rev. John Trigilio and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti are the coauthors of Catholicism For Dummies, Women in the Bible For Dummies and John Paul II For Dummies Whether you're a scholar or just curious about the topic, Saints For Dummies will have you intrigued and informed from the first page.

Catholic lore, American tales, and Sicilian superstition blend in this “clever, funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming” novel (Publishers Weekly). Born with unruly red hair, a sharp tongue, and wine-colored marks all over her body—marks that oddly mimick a map of the world and make her subject to endless ridicule—Garnet Ferrari would hardly consider herself blessed. So when an emissary from the Vatican shows up at her door, convinced that her seeming ability to cure the skin ailments of others qualifies her for sainthood, she’s not quite convinced—or pleased. Garnet sets off on a quest to better understand who she is and where she and her unusual gifts came from. Tracing a twisted path that leads from Sicily to West Virginia, poverty to riches, romance to loss, reality to mythology, Garnet uncovers a truth far more powerful than any dermatological miracle: that the things of which we are most ashamed often become our greatest strengths. “A cleareyed, touching fable of a girl learning the hard truths about herself and others.” —Kirkus Reviews

This companion book to "Lives of the Saints" includes short biographies of other Saints not included in the official post-Vatican II liturgical calendar for the Universal Church.

Antonia Lucia Labella has two secrets: at fifteen, she's still waiting for her first kiss, and she wants to be a saint. An official one. Seem strange? Well, to Antonia, saints are royalty, and she wants her chance at being a princess. All her life she's kept company with these kings and queens of small favors, knowing exactly whom to pray to on every occasion. Unfortunately, the two events Antonia's prayed for seem equally unlikely to happen. It's not for lack of trying. For how long has she been hoping to gain the attention of the love of her life – the tall, dark, and so good-looking Andy Rotellini? Too long to mention. And every month for the last eight years, Antonia has sent a petition to the Vatican proposing a new patron saint and bravely offering herself for the post. So what if she's not dead? But as Antonia learns, in matters of the heart and sainthood, things are about as straightforward as wound-up linguini, and sometimes you need to recognize the signs.

Learn about the lives and works of over eighty saints in this collection, featuring ninety-two colorfully illustrated holy cards. How does Saint Christopher keep us safe when we travel? Why is Saint Patrick always depicted with a nest of snakes? How did Cecilia come to be the patron saint of music? These wonders and more are explained in this treasure of a book. The perfect book for the devout or any religious occasion, this captivating collection recounts the extra-ordinary legends, heartrending stories, joys, and sorrows of the most beloved saints, from the famous to the mysteriously obscure. Beautifully illustrated with historical pictures from prayer books and missals, this elegant keepsake is a joy to have.

Using the same humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries, speaker Jon Acuff brings his insightful take on Christianity to the book world with this new edition of Stuff Christians Like. Do you constantly find yourself towing the fine line between praying before certain types of meals and not others? This book is for you. Have you fallen in love on a mission trip, just to break up when you get home? This book is for you. Are you a unicorn of purity who ranks honeymoon sex slightly higher than the second coming of Christ? Guess what – this book is for you, too. It’s time to shake off Somber Christian Syndrome and embrace the quirks of being a member of God’s kingdom. This book will teach you how to: Break up with your small group Subtly find out if your new Christian friends drink beer too Recognize the shame grenade that is a Jesus Juke Avoid a prayer handholding faux pas Say something Christian-y without looking like a snake handler From prayer shot blocks to metro worship leaders, no stone is left unturned in this hilarious look at faith. “I never knew how much I needed Jesus until I found out I was judging people who use the table of contents in their Bible. This book saved me from looking like a bad Christian.” – Sister Mary Francis, Rhode Island. “It’s such a time saver to know that my Chick-fil-a from the drive-thru comes pre-blessed. I always knew I was making the right choice by choosing the Lord’s chicken.” – Dave L., South Carolina.

In May 1962, as the struggle for civil rights heated up in the United States and leaders of the Catholic Church prepared to meet for Vatican Council II, Pope John XXIII named the first black saint of the Americas, the Peruvian Martín de Porres (1579–1639), and designated him the patron of racial justice. The son of a Spanish father and a former slavewoman from Panamá, Martín served a lifetime as the barber and nurse at the great Dominican monastery in Lima. This book draws on visual representations of Martín and the testimony of his contemporaries to produce the first biography of this pious and industrious black man from the cosmopolitan capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The book vividly chronicles the evolving interpretations of his legend and his miracles, and traces the centuries-long campaign to formally proclaim Martín de Porres a hero of universal Catholicism.