faithAlivebooks

The Catholic Way to Pray: An Essential Guide for Adults

Title: The Catholic Way to Pray: An Essential Guide for Adults

Publisher: Twenty-Third Publications

"Like all good Jews, the apostles prayed the daily Jewish prayers in their synagogues and in the Temple in Jerusalem. But after meeting Jesus, they were drawn to deepen their prayer. Here was a holy man who enjoyed intimate union with God and who even spent whole nights in prayer. No wonder the apostles begged, "Lord, teach us to pray." Now in your own journey you are trying to move more deeply in "Catholic" ways to pray. Here you will find ALL the information and inspiration you need to jumpstart your prayer life as a Catholic. Highly recommended for all Catholic adults, including catechists, parish ministers, and RCIA teams, especially catechumens and candidates. Also a great gift book for any adult Catholic"

Amazon

Why Stay Catholic? by Michael Leach

Title: Why Stay Catholic? Unexpected Answers to a Life-Changing Question by Michael Leach

Publisher: Loyola Press

The uplifting book Why Stay Catholic? by Michael Leach is an uplifting book about what's right in the Catholic Church today, and why tomorrow offers such hope and promise.

Scandals in the Catholic Church won't go away. The uninspiring sermons keep coming, and lay people who don't feel fulfilled find themselves asking Catholic questions, and looking for Catholic answers. This leads them to the greater question, Why Stay Catholic?

In Why Stay Catholic?, national best-selling author Michael Leach offers surprising, inspiring, and timely answers to this life-changing Catholic question. Leach joyfully offers readers plenty of reasons to celebrate being Catholic, reasons to celebrate the Catholic faith here and now, and reasons to believe that the Catholic Church can and will change.

This book is not theology lite, it is spirituality with spine. It is about the beauty at the heart of Catholicism. While many authors wax nostalgic about the way things used to be in the Church, Why Stay Catholic signs with one unique voice, backed up by a chorus of original voices of all ages and from all times.

Why Stay Catholic? answers the question Why Be Catholic? and is about the things that last because they are spiritual. As such, the book is really an invitation to "taste and see how good the Lord is." Cradle Catholics, recovering Catholics, ex-Catholics, and even non-Catholics will love this healing antidote to a faltering faith and a wounded Church.

Amazon

Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 cents at a Time

Title: Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25 cents at a time by Jane Knuth

Publisher: Loyola Press

Jane Knuth's middle-class, suburban, church-going background had not prepared her well to serve as a volunteer at an inner-city thrift store. Reluctantly, she decided to give it a try.

Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane's unexpected, soul-stirring experiences at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Rather than viewing society's poor as problems to be solved, Jane begins to see them, one at a time, in a completely different light-as saints who can lead us straight to the heart of Christ.

Jane's transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of the book: When we serve the poor, they end up giving us much more than we could ever give them. Each chapter introduces readers to new "saints," as Jane thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her frequent encounters with the poorest people were really opportunities to meet Jesus-25c at a time.

Amazon

Monastery of the Heart by Joan Chittister

 

Every age has answered the questions and challenges of spiritual living in its own particular ways through its languages, arts, and lifestyles, giving seekers various concepts for guidance. In this original manifesto, bestselling author Joan Chittister delivers a roadmap based on the ancient Rule of Benedict that stands as a practical model upon which to build a satisfying life, despite the seemingly limitless (and at times meaningless) supply of options in the modern world. By giving spiritual seekers—individuals, couples, families, and small groups—a new opportunity to live a better life from the very center of their world without ever having to withdraw from it, Chittister’s new approach redefines Benedictine living for modern day seekers while remaining firmly rooted in its monastic values. (From the Publisher)

Richard Rohr, author of The Naked Now, says that in The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to a Meaningful Life (BlueBridge, 224 pages), “Joan Chittister has emerged as a wisdom figure for our time. Here she takes her wise monastic tradition and takes it on the road for all to love.”

According to the publisher, “The Monastery of the Heart is Joan Chittister’s powerful spiritual guide for all of us who are seeking a more purposeful life today, in a time of social upheavals and global transformations. It is written for seekers of any faith or none—individuals, couples, families, and small groups who are looking for true meaning while facing seemingly countless options, both spiritual and secular, and are feeling overwhelmed by choices. It builds on the ancient Rule of Benedict to show us new ways of meaningful living in the very center of our own world—without ever withdrawing from it. The Monastery of the Heart is anchored in the Rule, rooted in its values, but attempts to redefine it for seekers today. Fresh in its form and focus, it invites us to become within ourselves monastics of the heart.”

Note: Monasteries of the Heart is a movement of seekers interested in becoming part of a community of seekers, either online or with others of their own choosing, who form to support one another in shaping their spiritual lives around Benedictine values and priorities. For more information about the book, the movement, videos, and eCourses, visit www.monasteriesoftheheart.org

Amazon

BlueBridge Publishing