Saints at Heart presents an engaging picture of the spiritual life as shown in the experience and writings of the saints. The title announces the book’s double theme: the lives of holy men and women who have consecrated their lives to God, and to the possibility of our following them and also dedicating our hearts to God. Readers will discover in this book well-told and appealing stories of women and men, ordinary human beings like themselves, who knew God and whose lives as a consequence radiated light, love, and joy. Each story presents the core message of a saint’s life and highlights an important spiritual path that readers will be encouraged to follow.

From inside the Vatican, the book that became a modern classic on sainthood in the Catholic Church. Working from church documents, Kenneth Woodward shows how saint-makers decide who is worthy of the church's highest honor. He describes the investigations into lives of candidates, explains how claims for miracles are approved or rejected, and reveals the role politics -- papal and secular -- plays in the ultimate decision. From his examination of such controversial candidates as Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador and Edith Stein, a Jewish philosopher who became a nun and was gassed at Auschwitz, to his insights into the changes Pope John Paul II has instituted, Woodward opens the door on a 2,000-year-old tradition.

With warmth, understanding, and pastoral skill, Fr. Timothy Gallagher provides here a hopeful invitation to all who struggle to overcome the greatest obstacle of all in the spiritual life — discouragement. Our enemy actively exploits our vulnerabilities, shrewdly leading us time and again into an overwhelming sense of disturbance. But Fr. Gallagher pulls the curtain back on the wiles of the devil, offering gentle reflections that are remarkably effective in lightening the burdens of your day-to-day spiritual life. You'll learn practical ways to find peace amid your spiritual struggles, and patience in the face of even the most intense trials. Best of all, you'll learn how to profit spiritually from the afflictions that beset you. Each reflection in these pages begins with a quotation by Venerable Bruno Lanteri, the holy founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, whose wisdom has guided the uncommonly insightful spirituality of Fr. Gallagher. In these pages, you will learn: What to do when you have reached the point of despair How to evade sadness, melancholy, and temptation Ways you can be joyful even when you do not feel mirth How to leave the sins, weaknesses, and failures of your past to God's mercy How to recognize the enemy, even when he presents himself under the appearance of good What is holy presumption, why you want it, and how to get it The five benefits you'll derive from regular Confession How each part of the Mass corresponds to an affection of the heart Proven techniques for waging warfare against negative moods There is no shame in spiritual desolation. Fr. Gallagher reminds us that the greatest of saints suffered from this affliction. The key is to learn how to draw closer to God in life's darkest moments. Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement is a call to hope . . . a call to solace in time of suffering . . . and a call to stand tall in times of affliction. Read this book, and you'll learn how to enter into the sublime peace and joy that our Lord promises.

Now an ebook! With over 200,000 books in print, 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC is now available as an ebook through Marian Press. Embark on an extraordinary journey to Marian consecration on your e-reader. From Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of the popular book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," comes an extraordinary 33-day journey to Marian consecration with four giants of Marian spirituality: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Father Michael masterfully summarizes their teaching, making it easy to grasp, and simple enough to put into practice. More specifically, he weaves their thought into a user-friendly, do-it-yourself retreat that will bless even the busiest of people. So, if you've been thinking about entrusting yourself to Mary for the first time or if you're simply looking to deepen and renew your devotion to her, "33 Days to Morning Glory" is the right book to read and the perfect retreat to make.

What it means to be a man or a woman is questioned today like never before. While traditional gender roles have been eroding for decades, now the very categories of male and female are being discarded with reckless abandon. How does one act like a gentleman in such confusing times? The Catholic Gentleman is a solid and practical guide to virtuous manhood. It turns to the timeless wisdom of the Catholic Church to answer the important questions men are currently asking. In short, easy- to-read chapters, the author offers pithy insights on a variety of topics, including • How to know you are an authentic man • Why our bodies matter • The value of tradition • The purpose of courtesy • What real holiness is and how to achieve it • How to deal with failure in the spiritual life

Acclaimed biographer Donald Spoto strips away the legends from the life of Francis of Assisi to reveal the true story of a man who has too often been obscured by pious iconography. Drawing on unprecedented access to unexplored archives, plus Francis's own letters, Spoto places Francis within the context of the multifaceted ecclesiastical, political, and social forces of medieval Italy, casting new light on Francis and showing how his emphasis on charity as the heart of the Gospel's message helped him pioneer a new social movement. This nuanced portrait reveals the multifaceted character of a man who can genuinely be said to have changed the course of history.

In the wake of the French Revolution and other upheavals, Don Bosco (1815–1888) and other nineteenth-century founders and spiritual leaders contributed to the development of spiritual practices and perspectives on the Christian life that have been described as the “Salesian Pentecost.” Here are translations of and commentaries on the little-known spiritual writings of Don Bosco, his collaborators, and his contemporaries involved in the Salesian Pentecost. These diverse persons, fully engaged in apostolic ministry or occupied with the demands of ordinary life as lay women and men, were at the same time engaged in conscious spiritual practices that sought the interior exchange of the heart of Jesus for the human heart.