Bøger udgivet af Franciscan Media

When you hit rock bottom, it isn't rainbows and butterflies that you need--it's the words to express your deepest emotions without being judged for them. In this spiritual memoir, author Maureen O'Brien finds her words in the psalms. As a cancer survivor and heartbroken divorcee, O'Brien made a seemingly simple commitment to praying one psalm a day, no matter how uninspired she felt. And as she returned to the ancient poems day after day, she discovered something surprising: while the psalms did give her comfort, solace, and hope, they also gave her permission to rage, cry, and grieve. And what she found was that her most honest emotions pulled her nearer to God, not further away. This, O'Brien writes, is the gift of the psalms. At once relatable and inspiring, What Was Lost stands like a lighthouse on a stormy night, offering the reader a clear path to be led home.

From a pilgrimage through the streets of Assisi to contemplative walks on the beaches near his home, Bruce Epperly has pondered the questions of privilege, prayer, and social justice while walking with the teachings of Francis of Assisi.

"In an age of body workouts and exercise regimens, training the soul for peace may be one of the most important routines we take up on a committed basis. For there can be no peace in the world unless there is peace in the heart."--Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, Josephine Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology, Villanova UniversityAfter reading Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis, you'll know why pontiffs, presidents, politicians, paralegals, plumbers, and proofreaders keep turning to the Peace Prayer. This simple prayer can train the soul and keep you in shape until you cross the finish line into eternal life. Think of this book as your workout manual that offers encouragement to condition all the muscles of the virtues to help you stay spiritually fit: faith, hope, love, forgiveness, joy, consolation, understanding, and selflessness."The Peace Prayer gets you in the zone where God's grace shapes and stretches your soul, transforming you into a saint who shimmers and shines."--from the introduction

"My way is one that is full of confidence and love." --St. Thérèse of Lisieux Through her autobiography and an extensive collection of letters, St. Thérèse helped people understand nothing was too little to give Jesus, and nothing done out of love for him was insignificant. Perhaps this is why so many lives still resonate with hers. It is easy to feel insignificant and unimportant. Yet, the clear and compelling language of her story and her letters remains the perfect antidote to such feelings. Fr. Gary Caster writes, "While the language she uses might be new to you, the insights she offers are as eternal as the God who loves us and longs for each of us to be united with him, in the Son, through the Holy Spirit, for all eternity." These inspiring words from her writings have been selected and arranged according to important themes of the spiritual life: confidence, holiness, humility, abandonment, obedience, the love of God, mercy, charity, and suffering. Her devotion to Jesus, Mary, and the Eucharist shine through all of her writings.

Advent is a fresh start, a welcome into the silence and the mystery of whatever is waiting to be born or reborn in our lives. At the very time when we are most immersed in activity--shopping, parties, baking and cleaning in preparation for the noise and merriment of Christmas--Advent is an invitation to slow down, to come away to the quiet. It's a reminder that the promise of Christ is "already but not yet." We are called to prepare a place for Jesus in our hearts and our lives, just as the people of the Hebrew Scriptures longed for the Messiah, and as Mary and Joseph prepared for the birth of their first child. Life as we know it is going to change if we live Advent well. In Simple Gifts, author Diane Houdek offers a series of daily Advent meditations that are very different from the commodified, candy-filled calendars we find in stores. This one calls us to rest, to step back, to learn to appreciate the small events and simple gifts that flow through our days. These reflections remind us of the life-changing truths that lie deep within our own hearts. Gathering wisdom from Scripture, from saints and spiritual writers, and from the author's own deceptively profound insights about everyday life, Simple Giftsis a way to seek a sense of peace and wholeness in our hearts and in our daily lives. It's an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and the God who loved us enough to become one of us and share our journey. If we do that even in small ways this year, we will have an immeasurable gift to share with our loved ones--and possibly even with our world.

Dr. Ray Guarendi believes that parenting is too important to be taken seriously--and that goes double for grandparenting. As a father of ten, clinical psychologist, radio host and author of many books about marriage and parenting, Dr. Ray has spent his career helping to strengthen families through a combination of Catholic theology, common-sense insights and wry humor. Now, having become a new grandpa himself, Dr. Ray is turning his attention to the joyful, rejuvenating and sometimes complicated subject of grandparenting. In Being a Grandparent: Just Like Being a Parent...Only Different, he answers real questions from grands. Some wonder how being a grandparent will differ from being a parent, and want to mature into it with as few wrinkles as possible. Some are a daily presence in their grandchildren's lives, perhaps even sharing a home with them and wanting their interactions to be as smooth as possible. Others live many miles away and fear yielding to the temptation of bribery to endear their distant grandbabies to them. Some are baffled as to why their own children are raising the grandkids so unlike they were raised--in practice, discipline or morals. Others see their grandchildren as difficult to be around, and ask what, if anything, they can do about it. Whether you're a "Grandma," a "Poppy," an "Opa" or a "Nana," Dr. Ray can help you navigate this second go-round with children in a way that mirrors God's own unconditional love for us. You'll learn to balance the expertise you've banked during decades as a parent with the emotional dynamics of this new stage of life. And best of all, you'll get a little extra insight into savoring the true, unabashed joy of grandparenthood. Being a Grandparent makes a great gift for new grandparents and seasoned matriarchs and patriarchs alike. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Forgiving Mother offers you practical guidance and spiritual wisdom to begin your journey to wholeness of spirit. Highly recommended! -- Lisa M. Hendey, author, The Grace of Yes Marge Steinhage Fenelon knows the pain, fear, hopelessness, insecurity, resentment and anger of being raised by a troubled mother. She also knows the way out: Mary. In Forgiving Mother, Fenelon deftly explores the ways the Blessed Virgin can provide comfort and healing if you truly desire it. Drawing from personal experience as well as wisdom from Church documents, Scripture, and the saints, Fenelon sketches a path from despair to peace. She offers concrete steps and prayers to help you deal with the painful memories, emotions and fears that are rooted in your past. Part memoir, part spiritual guide, Forgiving Mother is a workbook for healing even the most deeply rooted pain. It also includes a novena, which you can pray alongside each chapter or as a final step in the healing process. You will likely find solace from going through the novena again and again, as you'll find healing is a cyclical process--not a linear one. You are a child of Mary and she loves you tenderly. She really, truly is your mother--given to you by our Lord as he hung dying on the cross. Jesus wants you to accept his mother as your own and to develop a deepening relationship with her so that she can fill the void that the past has left inside of you. And in her kind, motherly way, she will. What's more, she will lead you to her son who, as God, is the ultimate source of all healing and peace. Pray through it, meditate on it, and let Mary's love sink into your heart and soul. Above all, be gentle with yourself. This is your healing process, and no one else's. With the Blessed Mother's help, you can become the whole, healed and truly cherished person you were meant to be. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

"We are walking back to the Garden of Eden together and trying to remember who were when we were Eve." In When We Were Eve, Colleen Mitchell draws on the creation story in Genesis to show women God's gracious plan for their whole being: body and soul in harmony with themselves, others, creation and their Creator. Through her own story and those of other women, she explores the many ways women struggle with their bodies and the way a biblical understanding of what it means to be a woman can bring them peace and joy. "Eve in Eden is woman in her perfection," writes Mitchell. "The last note of the creation song states that the man and his wife were both naked and they were not ashamed.... This is the perfected state of our humanity--vulnerable, open, aware of our bodies and ourselves and understanding of others. Intimately free to be who we are before God." Through the stories of Eve (before and after the Fall), Bathsheba, Hannah, the woman of Proverbs 31, Sarah from the Book of Tobit, the hemorrhaging woman in Mark's Gospel, the synagogue leader's daughter, and the bride from the Song of Songs, she helps readers find new perspectives on what it means to be a woman: young, old, single, married, mothers, nurturers, strong and vulnerable, loving and being loved. Questions for reflection encourage readers to deepen their own awareness and a final section offers prayers for the many seasons and circumstances of a woman's life. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Reading Robert Ellsberg's profiles of holy men and women is like throwing open a window in a stuffy old church and taking in great gulps of fresh air. Henri Nouwen has described his writing as "evocative without being pious." He broadens the traditional vision of sanctity and calls modern readers of all stripes to claim their potential for moral and spiritual growth, courage and action. By choosing relevant models and contemporary heroes, he makes holiness accessible and attractive to ordinary people. These 101 spiritual trailblazers span the centuries from Francis and Clare to Solanus Casey and Mychal Judge, with representatives from every walk of life and corner of the world. Each entry features the essential biographical facts and adds the insight and depth only Ellsberg can provide. The author's sharp eye for signs and stories of holiness in the gritty, messy real world informs his selections, making his work unique. Obscure lay peasants, married activists, and controversial social reformers take pride of place alongside better-known theologians, founders, and canonized saints. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Lent calls us to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Few saints have done this more intentionally than St. Francis of Assisi. He lived the teachings of Jesus, often quite literally, from the time of his conversion until his death. In doing so, he inspired people of his own time as well as millions from his day to our own, to do likewise.By pairing the words and deeds of Francis with the Scripture readings for Lent, Lent With St. Francis: Daily Reflections helps readers reflect on how they, too, can live the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives. It is written in a simple and engaging style that will draw readers in to the life of Francis, as they grow in their faith and spiritual practice through the inspiration of this beloved saint.

The Hope of Lent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis gathers the wisdom of Pope Francis for each day of the Lenten season. Offering inspiring quotes from Pope Francis, insightful commentary, and questions and challenges designed to encourage readers to "bring the Word to life," this book is for anyone looking for ways to make the pope's message--and his commitment to Gospel living--part of their daily life during the transformative season of Lent.

Written to coincide with the September 2016 canonization of Mother Teresa by Pope Francis, this stirring new biography follows St. Teresa's life from Macedonia to the cloister in India to the streets of Calcutta to worldwide fame and the company of the saints. Readers will be inspired by the remarkable trajectory of her life, and the love of God that propelled it. Each chapter focuses on a different period in her one-of-a-kind life and ministry, beginning with her childhood and family life, her postulancy, novitiate, commitment to the Loreto Sisters, and her twenty years (1928-48) with them in India. Then, author Kerry Walters observes the 1946 turning point in Mother Teresa's life: her sense that God was calling her to dedicate herself to serving the poor of India, her leave-taking of the Loreto Sisters, and struggle for ecclesial approval for a new religious order. He also explores her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, relationship with John Paul II, and work in the 1980s and 90s with war victims and AIDS patients. One of the most illuminating facets of this new biography is the posthumous revelation that Mother Teresa endured a 50-year "dark night of the soul," and how she persevered by realizing that it was a grace that allowed her to live Christ's Passion. Underlying all of the events of her life was the driving force behind her spirituality and ministry: her conviction that as miserable as physical hunger, lovelessness and exile are, their spiritual analogs are even worse--and that both the physical and the spiritual need to be addressed for humans to live as God intends. Readers will leave inspired and strengthened in their own spirituality, with the knowledge that even the holiest among us must work to find a path--and that God's love follows us even into the most challenging of circumstances.

Many people feel drawn to what meditation offers (quiet, reflection, stillness, time alone with God), but few have tried it. Some Christians even feel that they shouldn't meditate. In Sensing God, monk, priest, and spiritual teacher Laurence Freeman may just change some minds. And so will the Holy Spirit, Freeman says - if they begin to meditate for a few minutes each day. Is Lent a time for "giving something up" or an occasion for beginning something new? Freeman shows how it can be both. Give up your lifestyle (at least for a season) of being too busy to sit still, and begin to discover what meditation can do in your life. A practical introduction and guide to this ancient Christian practice, Sensing God includes easy-to-follow instructions, guidance and support, as well as 46 enriching daily reflections on the Gospels, highlighting their meaning and continued relevance for living today.

In the newest high-stakes historical thriller from master storyteller Davis Bunn, skepticism vies with faith amid the grit and grandeur of post-World-War-I Europe. It's 1923, and a resilient Paris is starting to recover from the ravages of World War I and the Spanish Flu Epidemic. Enter young Muriel Ross, an amateur American photographer tasked with documenting the antiques that her employer, U.S. Senator Tom Bryan, has traveled to France in order to acquire. Although she's exhilarated to have escaped her parents and the confines of their stifling Virginia home, Muriel has lingering questions about why the senator has chosen her for this grand adventure. Nevertheless, she blossoms in her new surroundings, soaking up Parisian culture and capturing the sights and sounds of Paris on her camera. But events take a dangerous turn when she discovers that the senator is on a mission far more momentous--and potentially deadly--than a mere shopping trip. At the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Senator Bryan asks Muriel to photograph an astonishing artifact: a piece of the True Cross, discovered by Empress Helena--a historical figure familiar to readers of The Pilgrim. When rumors surface that another fragment has been unearthed, Muriel becomes enmeshed in a covert international alliance dedicated to authenticating the fragment--and protecting it from those who will stop at nothing to steal and discredit it. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

"Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel. -From The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order The goal of Franciscans has always been to put the Gospel into action. Whether you are a professed Franciscan of many years or someone just beginning to seek a spiritual understanding of Francis and Clare of Assisi, Live Like Francis will give you the tools you need to live the Gospel--a directive that remains as simple and, at times, confounding, today as it was eight hundred years ago during Francis's life. Through a process of prayer, reflection, study texts, questions and connections to Scripture, you will gain a deeper understanding of the Franciscan way and, through it, the Gospel. Live Like Francis is, first and foremost, a prayer book. No deep understanding of Jesus, Francis and Clare can be reached without God's direction through prayer. Divided into fifty-two sections, this book encourages you to contemplate one aspect of the Franciscan way each week. You are invited to study the text and suggested additional readings; read selections from the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, which you'll find in various chapters; meditate on questions for reflection; and consider the application to daily life. Heartfelt prayers by Patti Normile from the previous edition (entitled To Live as Francis Lived) round out each section and offer a way to integrate the material into your daily prayer life. You can live joyfully and humbly in the secular modern world. Week by week, Live Like Francis will help you answer the Gospel's call to simplicity, peace, gratitude and service, and live a life in balance with all of God's creatures.

If you're looking for a new Lenten experience, here are forty fresh ideas. Some will challenge you to deepen your prayer life; others will open your mind to new ways to serve others. Each of the forty ways includes a reflection to help you understand more about Lent and why it matters. You'll learn how to have a more creative experience of Lent. You'll discover positive, proactive ways to take action instead of the same old routine of giving something up. The result will be spiritual transformation and a closer walk with Christ--not only during Lent but throughout the year. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Perhaps the Christmas story has become almost too familiar. A virgin giving birth. A child laid in a manger. Shepherds greeted by angels. The Christmas story has become so familiar that the profound, even shocking, nature of the incarnation might be overlooked. But what if we had never heard the story before? What if we were hearing it for the first time, like the first-century Jews? These events certainly would not be taken for granted--they would signal something new: the dawning of the long-awaited Messiah. This Advent, put yourself in that ancient Jewish world. Containing an entry for each day of Advent and continuing through the Christmas season, Dr. Ted Sri will help you to discover spiritual treasures in the Gospels and gain a new understanding of the coming of Christ.

Who was St. Joseph? Was he just a passive, incidental figure in the drama of salvation? On the contrary, in every way that Jesus needed a father, St. Joseph was that for him. And how overwhelming it must have been for Joseph to be asked to stand in the Father's place! No man has ever been asked to do so in such an unthinkable way. Every priest, and certainly every man who is a father (biologically or otherwise), should take this to heart. Caster's book provides a unique, in-depth presentation of Joseph from the perspective of the evangelical counsels and the theological and cardinal virtues. Each section begins with an explanation of what each counsel or virtue means and then shows how Joseph models it for us. The descriptions of St. Joseph's life and character found in this book, while rooted in the Scripture passages that mention him, are chiefly inspired by Jesus, who spent the majority of his life at home with Joseph and Mary. For years, the three of them lived, prayed, celebrated, studied, and shared, all the while uniting their lives more intimately with God's own. Those years in Nazareth were a real preparation for the foundation upon which Jesus would build his saving ministry. And as much as Joseph and Mary offered Jesus, he offered them an ever-expanding awareness of the God that had changed both their lives. The reciprocity of love that perfectly defines the home in Nazareth is the very pattern for all family life--and therefore of the Church itself. Let Fr. Gary Caster introduce you to the man who risked everything to care for Mary and her Son, safeguarding them from harm and cherishing them with a pure and true love. Joseph was a flesh-and-blood testimony of what it means to live according to the Father's will with one's mind and heart centered on Christ.

Paula D'Arcy was only 27 when a drunk driver killed her husband and young daughter. But in the midst of crushing despair, she discovered a presence that responded to her fearful cries with great tenderness and wisdom. In this captivating work, D'Arcy recounts the way night slowly became day again--and the perspective shift that allowed her to find meaning in life again. If you've experienced great loss, or if you're feeling lost in the darkness yourself, Stars at Night can offer reassurance that pain does not have the final say.

The Desert Monastics, thousands of monks and nuns who lived in the Egyptian wastelands between the third and fifth centuries, have come to be seen as the Olympians of the spiritual life. Renowned spiritual writer Joan Chittister explores the sayings of the Desert Mothers and Fathers, finding wisdom from that ancient tradition that speaks to your life today. This popular introduction to a powerful source of Christian wisdom can be a companion to your own spiritual journey. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

In his latest historical epic, worldwide bestselling author Davis Bunn takes readers on a journey through an ancient landscape.Travel with Empress Helena from Caesarea to Judea. Abandoned by her husband, in danger because of her faith, but with an implacable will to do what God calls her to, she takes a perilous pilgrimage. This unforgettable story of the discovery of the True Cross will thrill readers with its adventure, and with its vivid portrait of one of Christian history's most important women.

You might well ask why the world needs yet another book on Francis of Assisi--but this isn't just any book. Most books about Francis of Assisi can be called hagiography - stories about the "Poor Man of Assisi" that are meant to capture his spirit and edify us, regardless of the truth of the tale. This book, on the other hand, is a history. Author Tom Speier, OFM, sticks to the facts--the day-to-day historical events in the life of Francis, as best we can know them. Readers might wonder why more colorful details from episodes in Francis' life, such as him "kissing" the leper, are missing from these pages. But just listen to Francis's own powerful words in his Testament: "It seemed very bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body." Why try to embellish the spiritual beauty and power of the event as described in Francis's own words? That's the difference between hagiography and history, and Fr. Speier shows the plain truth about the life of St. Francis is just as captivating as the myth.