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This, truly, is a bedside book of saints, crafted like an old-fashioned quilt a colorful thing of threads and patches meant to brighten the bedroom and lift the spirits of souls wearied by the day. Like the patchwork quilts made by your grandmother, these tales have been sewn together without great study and with very little plan: variety and charm are often the very thing needed to cheer a downcast soul and bring consolation and hope to the Christian who takes up a book just before falling asleep. In these pages, Fr. Aloysius Roche shows you the saints not so much from a new angle as from a less familiar one, a comfortable angle that makes for a certain coziness. Without diluting the intensity and holiness of the saints, he tries to bring them near, to bring them home, to bring them to your very bedside. So he lets the saints themselves do most of the talking. "I am like a parrot who has learned to speak," wrote St. Teresa. Exactly! In writing this book, Fr. Roche seeks to be a parrot like St. Teresa, not reporting his own thoughts but giving you the words of the saints themselves. But whoever's doing the talking, it won't be loud. It would never do to send you off to bed with a book about the saints that keeps you awake all night. Some nights, however, even after reading a few of these pages, sleep may evade you. At those times, read a few more. (You're likely to come across that holy friend of those with sleep-related woes: St. Vitus, whose symbol is a rooster: he helps sleepyheads who find it hard to wake up in the morning!) Whatever you do, don't read this book all in one sitting. Take just a few pages a night no more. The charming, often humorous stories of these eminently human saints will ease your soul and help bring you good dreams. In the morning, you'll rise from your bed with fresh hope, and carry with you into your day greater confidence in God and his saints.

irst published fifty years ago, How to Raise Good Catholic Children is a rare treat for today's parents: a wise and readable book on child care that derives its wisdom from the Catholic home rather than from psychologists. Author Mary Reed Newland here draws on her own experiences as the mother of seven to show how the classic Christian principles of sanctity can be translated into terms easily applied to children even to the very young. Because it's rooted in experience, not in theory, nothing that Mrs. Newland suggests is impossible or extraordinary. In fact, as you reflect on your experiences with your own children, you'll quickly agree that hers is an excellent commonsense approach to raising good Catholic children. Let Mrs. Newland show you how to introduce even your littlest ones to God and develop in your growing children virtues.

French priests enter a war zone where captured Westerners are paraded before their captors, tortured, and then beheaded. Their desecrated bodies get dumped by the roadside. Iraq in 2007? The Gaza Strip? Western Afghanistan? No. A place more dangerous: Canada in the 1600s. On rivers and in forests, Iroquois slaughter Huron and Europeans kill for land and power. It's a landscape of blood and horror whose viciousness eclipses the terrorism that shocks us today. Into this iniquitous land go dozens of stouthearted Jesuits, the purest examples of Roman Catholic virtue our Western continent has ever seen. Their purpose? To baptize souls and preach the gospel to savages whose degraded, vicious lives cry out for the light of Christ. Many of these Jesuits were murdered, and today eight of them are saints. Six were priests: Isaac Jogues, Jean de Br beuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Antoine Daniel, Charles Garnier, and No l Chabanel; two were lay assistants: Ren Goupil and Jean Lalande. They are the Jesuit Martyrs of North America, and this is their story. From letters these brave men wrote to their superiors by the light of Indian campfires or while skimming lovely waters in swift canoes, John A. O'Brien has crafted the terrifying, inspiring, and true tale of the dangerous struggle they engaged in for enormous stakes: the salvation of countless souls mired in darkness. Patient, charitable, and heedless of their own lives, these eight Jesuits spoke constantly of Jesus, baptized thousands, and even in the shadow of death brought them the consoling graces of the Sacraments. Between times they cared for souls dying of smallpox, cleaned festering wounds, and day in and day out returned love for hatred, blessings for curses, and prayers for abuse. This book tells of these good men who sought nothing less than the conversion of a continent. Their zeal won for them the imperishable crown of martyrdom and sanctified with their holy blood the soil of North America.

"If heaven's a banquet, will I have to do dishes?" That's all Catholic mom Susie Lloyd wants to know. Marriage and motherhood have taught her the rest, including the things that are most important in life: "Metaphysical realities like the existence of God can get along without my help. Cleaning the bathroom can't." Homeschooling her kids has left Susie wise beyond her years: she's learned why pi is square instead of round, and searched out the best places to buy a cow's eyeball for the science fair. "In fact," she says, "Socrates had it easy. His students never interrupted him to go to the bathroom or ask when lunch was." Susie's husband is always there to support her: "Greg tells me education would have no purpose if kids didn't start out ignorant. He seems to think that will keep me from strangling them." Yet she's always patient, even when strangers gawk at her and her five daughters and ask: "Are they all yours?," "Are you done yet?," "Don't you have a TV?" Susie tells them that raising five girls isn't really so hard (at least not until they're teenagers). After all, "Daughters don't have the same needs as sons. They can live for days on hors d'oeuvres." So come along for a ride in Susie's full-size van as she faces the trials of Family Rosary and tangles with snide education experts, gruff confessors, and relatives who tell her it's time to wake up and join the "real world." But Susie's already in the Real World: a happy Catholic family on its way to heaven!

Why breastfeeding is good for you and good for your baby now and forever! God has a plan for you and your baby, and it starts with breastfeeding. He wants you to use the gifts He gave you physical and spiritual to help your baby thrive and mold you into a loving Catholic mother. That's why the Church has long promoted breastfeeding. Today, many mothers know that the medical evidence in favor of breastfeeding is overwhelming: your milk nourishes your baby and boosts his immunity; your warm, reassuring maternal embrace fosters his early mental and emotional development. But the spiritual reasons for breastfeeding are just as strong. Citing priests and popes, author Sheila Kippley here shows that nursing is not only the best way to ensure your baby's health and proper psychological development; it's an integral part of your vocation as a Catholic mother. Nursing your baby is an act of Christian charity. Indeed, Pope John Paul II says that nursing mothers are "truly heroic." Their selflessness is a boon to the family, the Church, and society. Breastfeeding creates the intimate bonds of love and trust on which all Christian communion is based. It awakens tenderness in you and a sense of wonder at creation, especially at the marvel you cradle in your arms, your tiny baby. These pages show that breastfeeding is the best care you can give your baby, and it's also good for you as a Catholic woman. Nursing will deepen your love and develop in you habits of meditation and prayer. Let Sheila Kippley help you take the next step toward breastfeeding. Soon, as you gaze on the baby nursing in your arms, you'll find praise of God welling up in your soul, and thanksgiving for His wonderful works and for the marvelous gifts He has given you.

Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation by tacking ninety-five anti-Catholic theses to a church door in Germany. Now Dave Armstrong counters with ninety-five pro-Catholic passages from an authority far greater than Luther: the Bible itself. Protestants (and even many Catholics) will be surprised to see Catholicism so strongly supported by these Catholic verses. Not Armstrong! As a Bible-believing Protestant, he studied Scripture intently. There he encountered countless Catholic verses that convinced him that the Bible is a Catholic book. It was written by Catholics, preserved by Catholics for more than 1,400 years before Luther was born, and even today confirms the claims of the Catholic Church. "That's why," says Armstrong, "early Protestant opinion was virtually identical to today's Catholic beliefs." With humility and care, Armstrong here explains ninety-five key Bible passages that confound all who would use Scripture to criticize the Church and Her doctrines. These are the verses that have drawn so many serious believers including Armstrong out of their Protestant congregations and into the Catholic Church. Armstrong shows that a fair-minded reading of each of these passages (and of the whole Bible) supports the Catholic position on the key issues that divide Protestants from Catholics. Here is Biblical evidence that Catholicism is right about the nature of baptism, the communion of saints, the Eucharist, and the Church; the authority of the Pope, the Bible, and tradition; the salvific role of faith, good works, relics, purgatory, and Mary; the immorality of divorce and contraception; and much more. The Catholic Verses is essential reading for all persons seeking to understand God's word in the Bible and to discover the Church that continues to preach His word faithfully today.

Whatever you're struggling with, you're not alone: there's a saint who is not only praying for you before the throne of God, but who went through the same thing you're going through. In Saintly Solutions, Fr. Joseph Esper introduces you to over 350 saints who suffered in ways that you and I suffer every day, and who will bring you, too, to peace! Fr. Esper considers over forty of life's common problems, showing how saints overcame these challenges and difficulties, and even grew holier as they did so. Better yet, he explains how you can, too. In each chapter, Fr. Esper includes thought-provoking quotes from saints for further reflection, a practical section entitled Something you might try, and solid recommendations for further reading. That makes Saintly Solutions immensely valuable for everyone who struggles with life's common problems and wants to face them with the unquenchable joy of the saints!

f you already say the Rosary, this book will help you pray it with greater devotion. If you don't say the Rosary, you'll discover why you should-and how to begin. Unlike most Rosary books, The Rosary of Our Lady doesn't assume you already have a special love for Mary. Rather, it shows why such love is appropriate to all Christians who yearn to grow closer to Christ. In these pages, you'll learn how to pray the Rosary as it was meant to be prayed and to identify-and overcome-the bad habits that too easily develop in those of us who pray the Rosary often. Whether you've already spent many hours praying the Rosary or only want a simple, clear, and holy book to introduce the Rosary to a relative or friend, then this book is the book for you. You'll also learn: -How to take your daily concerns with you to the Rosary-and leave them there. -Who should-and shouldn't-pray the Rosary -What makes up the Rosary? The beads? The thoughts behind them? Or must there be something deeper? -The paradox of the Rosary: Why is the Rosary both easy and difficult? -How much of the Rosary should you be praying? -How to pray the Rosary . . . even in times of exhaustion and stress. -The one petition you must make if you're going to pray the Rosary well. -The "paramount truth" that is the key to linking the words of your prayers to the mystery you're contemplating. -Three practical hints for those who have difficulty with the Rosary.

Rich with doctrinal exactitude and a moving beauty of expression, the prayers and hymns of St. Thomas Aquinas have long been considered to be among the Church's greatest treasures. Now you can bring these treasures into your own prayer life with The Aquinas Prayer Book the first complete English language collection of these stirring prayers. This handy and beautiful leatherette volume brings you all of St. Thomas's known prayers and hymns in their Latin originals, along with new English translations. These translations render the originals with superb precision and a soul-fortifying eloquence that rivals St. Thomas's own masterly use of Latin. A number of these prayers have never before been translated into English. Prayer and praise . . . for all times and occasions These works are not meant just to be read, but to be prayed. After all, these are the prayers that St. Thomas himself used to bring radiant order to his own spiritual life upon rising, before setting to work, during periods of meditation, before Confession and Holy Communion, and even as he received the Last Rites. Their subjects are as varied as your own daily spiritual needs. Each one will deepen your faith, enlighten your understanding, and lift your heart to God. Two respected Catholic men of letters collaborated to make this unique collection possible: Robert Anderson, an Aquinas expert and professor of philosophy, and Catholic poet Johann Moser, whose own poems have been acclaimed by Russell Kirk, Thomas Howard, Fr. George Rutler, and others. Together, these men have produced a work remarkable for its accuracy, its beauty, and, above all, for its profound spirituality. Now you, too, can pray those prayers that helped make St. Thomas Aquinas one of the Church's most renowned and revered saints. Among the prayers: -Before Study -Adoro Te Devote, Latens Deitas -To Acquire the Virtues -For Ordering a Life Wisely -For the Attainment of Heaven -Before and After Communion

Yes, Francis wore sandals and preached to the birds, but these pages take you beyond the nature-lover of popular myth to the real St. Francis of Assisi, model of holiness and Christian courage. Here author Michael de la Bedoyere makes Francis and his times live again as he relates with heart-stopping intensity the adventures of this man who, precisely because of his great love for God, strove mightily to overcome his sinful nature. You'll learn the full story behind the famous incidents in Francis's life including his hugging the leper and his sermon to the birds. You'll hear of Francis's perilous journey into the heart of Islam, where Catholics were killed merely for professing Christ and where Francis actually offered to be set on fire to establish the truth of the Catholic Faith! Here, then, is the complete story of the man who cheerfully gave himself to God, without paying the least attention to the cares of this world . . . and did it with constant good humor and unflagging trust in God. St. Francis of Assisi is a superb model for each of us today: an ordinary man who by God's grace was able to do extraordinary things.

If your life seems to make no sense, or if you don't know which path to take, St. Francis de Sales will console and inform you. In this warm little book, he explains to you what God's will is and how He reveals it yes, even to you, and even in the seemingly random events of your life. No matter what you're going through now (or may have gone through), you'll see why you should love and trust in God's will and long for its fulfillment. Best of all, you'll learn a sure method for discovering God's will in any situation today! As you begin to discern God's loving hand even in seemingly chaotic events, St. Francis de Sales will lead your mind and your heart to the still waters of God's gentle consolation. From St. Francis de Sales you'll learn: Four signs that your heart conforms to God's will does yours How to accept God's will even when it seems terrifying and painful Sacred inspirations: not just for the prophets. The many ways God may be knocking on your door -- now! Changing your life's direction: how to spot and avoid all-too-common dangers The simple rule of charity: how it can help you make vital decisions Are you as mature in the virtues as God wills you to be? How to distinguish zeal for God's will from selfish arrogance Three ways you can recognize a thought or sentiment that comes from God The key ingredient that makes all your actions pleasing to God: can you name it? Making decisions: practical advice to help you distinguish between times when you should move slowly and carefully, and when you should act quickly, without undue time for deliberation

Three centuries ago, people flocked to St. Francis de Sales, seeking his help for their problems. St. Francis spent hours ministering to them face-to-face and wrote over 20,000 letters. From these letters to persons in all walks of life, we've selected the ones that will be most helpful to you today. Each hand-written response to someone like you seeking help for an actual problem. You'll be consoled by warmth, the wisdom, and the holy sympathy you'll find in these pages, as the love of this great saint reaches out to us across the centuries. Whatever you circumstances may be, there's wisdom here to make your life holier... and happier.