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Leticia Ochoa Adams met Jesus in a dive bar when she was eighteen years old.She didn't actually meet Jesus, but it was there where she first witnessed holiness in action. The bar's regulars taught her about the importance of community, being honest about who she is, not giving up on people, and how to laugh--even when awful things happen.In Our Lady of Hot Messes, Ochoa Adams tells the ongoing story of her redemption. At times funny and heartbreaking, but always gritty and unflinchingly honest, her story shows that no matter what you're dealing with, God wants you to trust in his love.The Tejana daughter of a single mother--a cycle she would repeat in her own life--Ochoa Adams was sexually abused as a child. She married after a two-week courtship and, eight years later, divorced her husband who struggled with drug addiction. In between she suffered a late-term miscarriage and had three more children back-to-back.She always thought a dream life meant having a big house, kids, lots of money, and new cars. Since she hadn't yet cracked the code for the American dream, "I turned to the person that every American woman turns to when looking for a way to make a better life for herself: Oprah."Watching the daytime talk show queen helped Ochoa Adams put a name to what happened to her as a child. But she was still searching for something more. Ochoa Adams was baptized Catholic but attended a small-town Baptist church growing up. When she reverted to Catholicism at age thirty-three in order to marry her second husband, Ochoa Adams was convinced that Catholics had all of the answers to life's toughest questions. But she quickly learned that becoming Catholic didn't mean she could just erase her bad choices and difficult past. And just when she thought she was getting her life together, her son, Anthony, died by suicide.God, therapy, and caring priests helped her face her pain and heal her brokenness. She wants you to see yourself in her mistakes, learn from them, and realize along with her that even when we've put our trust in God--even if it's begrudgingly--we still have to do the tough work to become the person God wants us to be."I still make mistakes," she says, "but I'm trying not to live as a hot mess even when things around me are messy."

"In this book, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki lays out a plan for both new and experienced runners to enjoy the physical, mental, and surprising spiritual fruits of being a runner"--

If the goal of catechesis is to cultivate an encounter with Christ, why do religious educators spend so much time focused almost exclusively on ideas and not experiences? The reason is that many have never been shown a method that inspires the heart while also instructing the mind. Jared Dees, creator of the popular website The Religion Teacher, shows how applying the steps of lectio divina to teaching can reorient religious education toward encountering the person of Christ rather than merely sharing information about him.In Christ in the Classroom, Catholic author and speaker Jared Dees applies the five steps of lectio divina--reading/learning, meditation, prayer, contemplation, and action--to the ministry of catechesis. He offers teachers and catechists a practical framework for preparing lessons that broaden the focus of teaching from mostly intellectual learning to also encountering Christ in prayer, reflection, and action. Using this method, students and catechists come to know intimately the person of Christ at the same time that they are learning the tenets and traditions of the Church.Dees shares stories of success and failure from his own teaching experience and he offers dozens of field-tested strategies, tactics, and teaching methods to effectively integrate the steps of lectio divina into the classroom or other catechetical setting.Outfitted with these tools, both experienced and new religious educators will feel confident in their ability to teach effectively and lead their students to a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

Revised and updated in collaboration with longtime RCIA leaders, this edition has been refreshed with two new chapters, with language and style more in line with the "Catechism of the Catholic Church," and with updated cultural and historical references. The text provides a solid, clear presentation of the Catholic faith for adults at any stage in their faith journey.

"Gary Zimak reveals how cooperating with the Holy Spirit to cultivate seeds of virtue can bring victory over sinful habits-and result in a life of faith, joy, and personal holiness"--

"We Are Beloved offers you a personal, thirty-day retreat based on the prophetic words of Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, a renowned Black Catholic evangelizer, teacher, writer, and singer. Requiring only a few minutes each day, We Are Beloved allows you to reflect deeply on your fundamental need for belonging, the healing community offered by the Church, and the challenge to welcome all people in the Body of Christ.We Are Beloved offers selections from four decades of Bowman's writings, reflections, presentations, and interviews. Bowman has gained attention in the last several years: her cause for canonization was endorsed in 2018 and the 2020 national reckoning with racism highlighted her as one of the prophetic voices in the Church that have been marginalized.When she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in 1952, Bowman was the first Black sister in the community. Throughout her ministry, she highlighted the need to make Black Americans feel more welcome in Catholic Church. In her powerful testimonies that included gospel singing, preaching, and storytelling, she honored the richness of diverse communities and encouraged people of all races to find joy in unity.We Are Beloved offers thirty days of brief morning meditations, mantras for use throughout the day, and night prayers to focus your thoughts at the day's end. This simple book is the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in Bowman's vibrant vision of joy in unity. Reflecting perceptively on the dignity of all people, Bowman also encourages you to root out sources of division in your life and calls you to continual conversion.Each book in the Great Spiritual Teacher series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers"--

"Based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola."

It's not uncommon for someone who doesn't understand the Catholic faith to question believers on hot-button topics such as contraception and Church scandals. Are you confident in your responses or do you try to avoid the conversation because you don't know if you'll get it right?In What to Say and How to Say It, Volume 3, Brandon Vogt--bestselling and award-winning author and senior publishing director of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries--tackles these critical issues, as well as salvation, the Bible, miracles, the Mass, and end-of-life concerns, to give you the tools you need to be clear and convincing as you share your convictions with those around you.Each chapter offers an overview of the topic and a straightforward explanation of what the Church teaches. Then you'll learn about the most common contemporary arguments against the Church's teachings followed by step-by-step instructions for responding intelligently and confidently. Vogt also shares interviews with experts on each topic, including Christopher West, Mike Aquilina, Stephanie Gray Connors, and Karlo Broussard.

"In this book, the author recounts her experience bringing her profoundly disabled son to Lourdes, where she and her family found community and healing"--

The popular Exploring the Religions of Our World textbook has supported introductory high school courses on world religions for more than twenty years. The revised and updated version includes a number of new student-friendly features such as infographics, section assessments, photo and image features, updated chapter reviews, and projects geared toward various learning styles.A new appendix offers background on major American Indigenous religions, atheists, agnostics, and the rising class of "nones" in the United States. You will continue to find information on Christian denominations with origins in the US as well.The updated Exploring the Religions of Our World maintains its easy-to-follow format of five sections per chapter--history, scriptures, sacred times, sacred places, and comparison with Catholicism. Additionally, the sequence begins with chapters on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--the religious traditions students are most familiar with--and also includes chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese religions, and Japanese religions explained through the lens of their own beliefs and traditions.

In Abide in the Heart of Christ, Rev. Joe Laramie, S.J., offers accessible wisdom from the foundations of Jesuit spirituality--St. Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises--in a ten-day personal retreat that will help you encounter Christ, grow your relationship with him, and shape your heart.Laramie is your guide through this accessible retreat into the heart of Jesus. Based on a structure and approach he developed as a retreat leader at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis, Laramie introduces you to classic themes of the Christian life, including sin, forgiveness, and creation.This book also helps you learn how to use key scripture passages to reflect on your own experiences. Each reflection includes teachings from the Spiritual Exercises and offers examples from Laramie's own life. Reflection questions and activities guide you in further contemplation to help you see what's in your heart, encounter Christ in your daily life, and live more fully in his love each day.

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, gender issues-inclusion in the Church). Is it possible to be both a Catholic and a feminist? Claire Swinarski, writer and creator of The Catholic Feminist podcast, believes it is: "I'm a feminist for the same reason I'm bold and honest and sometimes ragey: because Jesus was all of those things."In Girl, Arise!, Swinarski reconciles the two identities by demonstrating the strength and abilities women have to share with the Body of Christ, the importance of women throughout the history of the faith, and how the love you experience through Christ and the Church can change you and the world around you.In Girl, Arise!: A Catholic Feminist's Invitation to Live Boldly, Love Your Faith, and Change the World Swinarski points out that while both "feminism" and "Catholicism" can mean different things to different people, both feminists and Catholics desire to make the world a better, fairer place. And she shows that by treating women with dignity equal to that of men--by calling them his friends and teaching them--Jesus acted as a feminist as well.With humor and sass, Swinarski addresses her frustration with the traditional concerns churches ascribe to women, as shown by the many talks directed at women focused on marriage and modesty rather than social justice. But she pinpoints the areas where modern feminism goes too far, arguing against abortion and exploring what it means to serve others rather than focus on our own needs first.Swinarski also tells the stories of holy women--including Vashti in the book of Esther, Sts. Thérèse of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and the Blessed Virgin Mary--to show how their faith influenced their actions, even when those actions went against traditional norms and roles of women.You will be empowered to embrace your God-given abilities as you follow the women who have gone before you in faith who--by announcing Christ to his disciples, believing in God's promises, and being faithful in hardship--changed the world.

"'Jesus, where are you?' I prayed every night as I wept . . . I felt I had failed as a priest, for I had preached love and the people made genocide. . . .Then I heard God speak to me. Jesus wanted me to use these experiences to evangelize later. It was then that I knew my life would be spared. God would make a way."During the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga tells the dramatic story of how he survived while losing more than eighty of his family members and 45,000 of his parishioners in the killings. In the aftermath, Fr. Ubald experienced a renewed sense of purpose as a minister of reconciliation and a healing evangelist in his homeland and around the world. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, he offers five spiritual principles that can help those traumatized by the past to experience healing and peace in Christ.In 1994 the world looked on in disbelief and horror as Rwanda erupted in violent bloodshed. All across the landlocked African country, militant Hutus rose up to exterminate the Tutsi population, including women and young children. One hundred days later, a million bodies littered fields, streets, and even churches. Now, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a powerful testimony emerges of the power of God to bring peace and reconciliation into hearts full of fear and hate.In Forgiveness Makes You Free, Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga shares his own dramatic story of how he survived the genocide and its traumatic aftermath. He testifies about how God spared his life so that he might help others with deep physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds to experience peace and healing. In retelling the story of how he forgave the man who killed his family and cared for the man's children while he was in prison, Fr. Ubald demonstrates how showing mercy can facilitate true forgiveness even in the most painful circumstances of our lives.Throughout the book, Fr. Ubald teaches about five spiritual keys that draw us to Christ, the only source of lasting peace: be thankful and have faithchoose to forgivedenounce evildecide to live for Jesusclaim the blessingEach chapter combines Fr. Ubald's story with reflection questions that guide readers along their own path of healing: from fear to faith, from shame to freedom, from isolation to reconciliation, from resentment to mercy, and from conflict to peace.The final chapter offers a guided meditation to help those who need to experience the power of God to release those held in bondage by fear and hate and to find the secret of peace. An appendix contains information about "The Mushaka Reconciliation Project," a catechetical tool that has been used successfully by parishes in Rwanda, and could easily be adapted by parishes in the United States, to mediate reconciliation between individuals and groups who have become estranged by violence, trauma, and ethnic or cultural divisions.

"In this book, Collins draws on the ancient wisdom of St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises to offer five practical tools for developing the habit of daily discernment so as to experience the interior peace God offers"--

"In this book, Casey Cole writes about the necessity of the Beatitudes for Christian life. He uses simple reflections from his own life to invite the reader to meditate on the Beatitudes along with him"--

"What if the Church radically shifted the focus of her mission to making disciples one person at a time? Everett Fritz outlines a framework for one-to-one outreach that helps us develop as mentors in faith, furthering the Kingdom of God as Jesus commanded when he told us to go and make disciples. When we learn how to focus on a ministry of one, we will multiply our efforts to create a movement that meets the spiritual needs of many.Whether you're someone who's actively involved in professional or volunteer ministry or an everyday Catholic who wants share your faith, One Disciple at a Time reveals how you can live out your calling to spread the Gospel by focusing on forming disciples one at a time.Drawing on insights gleaned from his personal spiritual journey and work in Catholic parish ministry, Fritz-founder and executive director of Andrew Ministries-shares practical steps for transforming our approach to living our faith and sharing it with others. In this book, you will learn:There is great power in a personal invitation because it becomes the seed to develop a relationship.If you want to make a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, you have to be committed to accompany them throughout their lifetime.Lessons from Jesus's relationship with Simon Peter can transform the way we mentor in faith.Taking someone from disciple to sainthood requires assisting that person with the crosses that they bear, as well as witnessing to the reality of the cross in your own life.Formation needs to include identifying the person's God-given gifts and working with them to use those gifts to build up the Church"

"Drawing from Jesus's conversation with the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, Rachel Balducci shares through testimony and Scriptural meditations how the deep unrest she felt in her life launched her on a journey to discover that true joy is found in Jesus"--

Drawn from de Sales's immensely popular writings, this prayer resource for individuals or groups emboldens Catholics to encounter God and pray in their own unique way. A written invitation to a spiritual journey with a kind and gentle mystic, it is part of the popular and beautifully redesigned spirituality series, 30 Days with a Great Spiritual Teacher. (Catholic)

Drawn from the heart of Teresa of Avila's timeless classic The Way of Perfection, her most personal and accessible book, this masterful primer on prayer provides contemporary Christians with a simple guide on how to pray. Teresa of Avila's down-to-earth suggestions offer today's Christians--whether novices or veterans--sensible insight on the practice of prayer and meditation. An introductory section contains Teresa's teaching on the practice of vocal and mental prayer, followed by sixteen succinct chapters imparting Teresa's instructions on how to pray. Readable, personal, and practical, Teresa's commentary on the Lord's Prayer is a wonderful way to discover the passion and the wisdom of this beloved woman mystic.

Full-color fold-outs of four superb Russian icons combine with reflections to offer worshippers a unique way to pray with sacred images as much as with words--and hopefully see something of the beauty of God.