Bøger udgivet af SOPHIA INST PR

The Nazi hellhole Dachau concentration camp held the largest number of Catholic priests -- more than 2,400 -- in the Nazi camp system. They came from two dozen countries, from every background -- parish priests and prelates, monks and friars, teachers and missionaries. More than one-third were killed.

We are living in an era whose atmosphere is saturated with the flames of hatred. It is an age of violence whose tempo of disruption is so rapidly escalating that there is scarcely a city anywhere in the world where humans can be assured of normal, physical security. Nietzsche is the prophet who foresaw and foretold the coming of the beast of violence. Indeed, he proclaimed its greatest commandment whose faithful practice would create a society of savages. "The time has come," he wrote, "to oppose morality with immorality, to call what priests call good, evil and what they call evil, good. The time has come for the transvaluation of all values."3 In these pages, Fr. Vincent Miceli unveils the philosophical roots of violence from a Christian perspective. What is the taproot, which is causing such growth in the delirium for violence, which is rampant today? It is the attack against God. It is hatred of the truth. Fr. Miceli explains that behind the metaphysic of murder lies the metaphysic of hatred of the created order. Refusal to serve God was the cry under which Satan brought violence and rebellion among the angels as they stood trial in the vestibule of heaven. Miceli explains that Christ himself testified that this "father of lies was a murderer from the beginning," thus making the connection between hatred of the truth and the lust for violence. He warned the Pharisees that men who reject God's plan for their salvation will imitate Satan's deeds.

"Mull provides the blueprint that tradition-minded Americans are looking for to regain their peace of mind, health, and happiness and to reorient our country toward the bright future we envisioned.

Dying without Fear, Catholic theologian Paul Chaloux's follow-up to Why All People Suffer, focuses on the natural and spiritual concerns encountered in dying and death. Theologically rich yet easy to read, the book is emotionally charged as the author uses his own experiences in dealing with Parkinson's Disease as well as the dying and death experiences of his family members going back four generations to help answer the natural and theological questions most people have concerning death and dying. There are three sections in this book. The first section is a review of the theology of suffering and death. Dr. Chaloux explains how both suffering and death are critical to Providence, God's great plan for the universe and why everyone must suffer and die and how even the most horrific deaths can be used by God to bring about salvation for themselves and others. The second section explores death and dying from the perspective of the dying, giving helpful advice on what to do with your remaining time and energy to maximize building love, the only currency that transcends heaven and earth. The third section focuses on dying and death from the perspective of a surviving relative. It explains typical causes of death, the needs of the dying, and the roll of the caregiver. Dying without Fear will change your perspective about both suffering and death, as well as the relationship between God and Man to the point that you will truly be able to approach death without fear. The author has also placed study questions and a very detailed set of indices in the appendix to help readers find what they are looking for and to enhance the reading experience.

No Christian writer, perhaps no writer at all, has ever been as eloquent as Saint Augustine. Few have been as philosophically and theologically profound, or as passionately in love with God. No passages in Augustine's writings are more eloquent than his prayers, or more profound than his prayers, or more saintly, than his prayers for prayer is the very life blood of sanctity. What better way could we have to know the heart of a man like St. Augustine than to listen to him pray? By reading his vast writings, we discover something of the saint's enormous genius and theological insight. However, through his prayers we experience his relationship to God. And yet, few collections of his prayers have ever existed - a problem solved in these pages by Sara McLaughlin, who carefully culled through his writings to find some of the most potent prayers ever composed. This book is powerful. Anyone who prays these prayers from the heart will be changed from the heart.

In this book, Deacon Matthew Newsome brings the timeless wisdom of St. Francis de Sales into the context of the modern world and the modern Church.

Each time we check our news feeds or turn on the TV, it seems the world is getting wackier. Right is wrong, wrong is right, up is down, and the only thing that's unacceptable is refusing to accept that anything and everything under the sun is . . . acceptable.

Next to the period of Our Lord's earthly life, the apostolic age that followed was the richest and most revealing for Christians. It was then that the blueprint for living the Gospels was drawn. Abbé Fouard gives us a brilliant factual account of these early years of Christianity. Peter and the other Apostles seem to stand before us as living men. With Abbé Fouard we follow them as they descend the Mount of Olives to re-enter the Supper-Room, where with Mary they persevered in prayer until the Holy Spirit came. Afterwards we see how he to whom Jesus had said, 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, ' took the position of leader, the Holy Ghost first speaking by his mouth. We wish that more Church historians knew how to bring out our religion as a living thing....Conviction is being overthrown to give place to doubt, and the remedy is knowledge of religion as God gave it to man through the channels which He appointed for its extension. Abbé Fouard's book will help to make the truth known.

If you're hoping to get to Heaven, you'll need a plan to reach your goal. This handy manual not only presents all the elements of a life well lived; it also helps you incorporate those elements into everyday practice.

Here's the one motivational book that provides you with a comprehensive approach to true healing -- not cheap gimmicks masquerading as inner peace.

Published one day after his death on June 2, 1991, Fr. Vincent Miceli's spiritual masterpiece shows you how to grow closer to our Lord and improve your prayer life. Trained in the old Jesuit tradition, Fr. Miceli leads you through a structured series of Ignatian meditations, explores key aspects of the Faith, and narrates events from the life of Christ with a realism that will inspire you to imitate Him better. This uplifting eight-day retreat will help you rest in the love of the Holy Trinity and delight in Their indwelling presence. Ideal for reading at home or away, Rendezvous with God is a prized resource in your quest for genuine spiritual progress. You will appreciate as never before how you were created by God out of His goodness and how much you are cherished by the Lord. Fr. Miceli draws heavily from Scripture, the writings of the great saints and Doctors of the Church, and his own experience. Each chapter includes helpful "points for self-consideration" and suggested readings from the spiritual classics (some of them long neglected). You will be enriched by incisive meditations on the wonder of your creation, the effects of sin, the terrible reality of Hell, the profound gifts of the Incarnation and the Paschal mystery, and the immeasurable depths of God's mercy. Fr. Miceli guides you in ordering your life to attain Heaven, showing you: How to develop a desire to love God above all Ways you can shun sin and conquer temptation and disorderly attachments The four methods to make your mental prayer fruitful The key to making Confession a life-changing experience full of sanctifying grace How to live the three modes of humility Proven remedies against faults and failures Moreover, Father relates the importance of mental prayer to remaining faithful to Christ, explaining how to place yourself in Gospel scenes so that you can "speak to Christ with joy, with ease, with naturalness, the way the apostles did as they walked with Him, fished with Him in the Sea of Galilee, or picnicked with Him in the desert."

To the initial astonishment of Catholic moral theologians a century ago, purging psychology of its amoral and antireligious errors was found to actually confirm age-old Catholic teaching about the nature of man while providing invaluable guidance on the development of personality. In this trail-blazing book, first published in 1958, Fr. G. Emmett Carter has assembled the wisest Christian thought showing how psychology can aid the Christian in achieving maturity, overcoming character defects, and conquering emotional disorders. Fr. Carter -- founding director of Montreal's St. Joseph Teachers College -- begins with a layman's survey of modern psychology, revealing the "biases" during the age of Freud that caused him and many others to hold erroneous positions on the nature of man, religion, and God. He then shows how sound psychology draws all its strength from Christianity. Psychology, he writes, explains why we are anxious and afraid; Christianity provides the remedy. Fr. Carter goes on to reveal: How self-analysis is beneficial in leading to wisdom, peace, and lasting security Where the Bible itself provides us with "a blueprint for the study of man's psychic forces" The main findings -- and chief errors -- of contemporary psychology How connecting religion and psychology leads to maturity, which is "the meeting place of the true man and the true Christian" The centrality of the doctrine of Original Sin to understanding the psychological makeup of the individual Guidelines for parents and educators for bringing young people to maturity Why suicide always represents a fundamental error of thought How your unconscious mind operates Most notably, you will learn to maintain consistent motivation to attain Christian perfection. You will also learn how to overcome antisocial behavior and how to foster a healthy ego.

Here is the one book you need to grasp the illimitable joys of Heaven - and to discover how to get there.

"Hold on to your horses and get ready for the ride of your life! World Champion surfer Bear Woznick connects us to that deep call in every man's heart to live the heroic way and champion a cause greater than himself. Bear reveals ways to become an everyday hero, someone who goes beyond the ordinary in the little and big moments of life, who rides high in the saddle, rides for the brand, come hell or high water, and pursues God's call in his life. Cowboys and manliness fit together like a well-worn leather glove. Cowboys live by a personal creed, and they know how to take a stand. They have a clear understanding of what needs to be done, and they commit to it. In so doing, they inspire others to do the same. In these gritty pages, Bear cuts through the fog of 'woke false righteousness' with the clarity of the snap of the whip that a cowboy wields when protecting the herd from wolves. Now more than ever, your family, your church, and the world need you to mount up and ride the proving trail where you will discover your own grit and determination -- your manliness -- and not apologize for it. Bear invites you on the most radical quest of all: pursuing God's will in power and humility. You're needed now. Are you ready to man up and ride?"--

There's a multitude of Lenten meditation books but only one that's packed with the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas. Journey through Lent with the Church's greatest philosopher-theologian. This unrivaled spiritual master will guide you in encountering Our Lord and experiencing the type of fruitful Lent that he often experienced. You will relish this magnificent treasury of sixty-three of Aquinas's Scripture-based sermons specially selected for the holy season. From Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, you'll learn how to deepen your prayer life, conquer temptation, resist the evils incurred by sin, and equip yourself for spiritual battle. In the straightforward, logical language for which he is famous, Aquinas shows you how to detach yourself from the things of this world and refocus on the things above, reflecting on Our Lord and Our Lady as models. You will learn the importance of fasting to the preservation of chastity and how to perform acts that will increase your humility and purity. As you contemplate the example of Our Lord on the Cross, Aquinas will help you weed out vices and cultivate virtues to prepare for the joys of Heaven. Let the Angelic Doctor assist you in overcoming idleness and fostering a deeper devotion with stirring reflections on: Ways in which the Blood of Jesus is precious and salvific The confidence we should place in Our Divine Friend, even in sickness, suffering, and pain How Our Lady suffered and how she personifies charity, patience, humility, obedience, and detachment Why the pain suffered by Our Lord was the greatest pain possible in this life Jesus' fourfold humiliation on the Cross -- and the fourfold exaltation it merited Him How Christ manifested all virtues on the Cross, the "pulpit from which He taught all mankind" Also included are forgotten or little-known traditional feast days, such as the feast of the Holy Lance and the Nails of Our Lord and the feast of the Holy Winding Sheet. You will find rich meditations on Christ's Passion and reflections for each day of Holy Week. Best of all, you will discover the greatest love story of all time: the Father who offered His only Son, and the Son who underwent every suffering and sacrificed His life for our redemption.