The Tears of Christ

“Jesus wept, not merely from the deep thoughts of his understanding but from spontaneous tenderness, from the goodness and mercy, the encompassing loving-kindness and exuberant affection of the Son of God for his own work, the race of man.”

This precious insight takes us to the heart of the interior life of St. John Henry Newman (1801–1890), from the treasures of which these meditations are offered as a devotional aid for the season of Lent. Drawn chiefly from his sermons and gently modernized, these meditations offer a share in the fruit of his contemplation, that we might the better enjoy with him the “one thing which is all in all to us,” which is “to live in Christ’s presence, to hear his voice, to see his countenance.”

Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer - Book

Father Thomas Dubay is one of the most popular and respected retreat masters and spiritual directors in North America. He is the author of the best-selling book on prayer and contemplation Fire Within. In this new book, he responds to the call by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to help believers and all those interested in spirituality develop a deeper prayer life and union with God.

As in his other popular writings, Dubay's style is profound and meditative yet clear and readable. He gives an overview of the spiritual life for anyone seeking to grow in the love of God and neighbor. An expert on the teachings and writings of the two great mystical doctors of prayer and the spiritual life, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, Dubay gives solid practical advice for a deepening moral and spiritual conversion, and for a radical growth in holiness.

About the Author

Father Thomas Dubay, S.M., is a retreat master and spiritual director for religious communities around the country, as well as a highly regarded speaker at conferences and retreats for lay people. He has hosted five different 13-part television series on the topics of spirituality and prayer, and is the best-selling author of such acclaimed spiritual works as Fire Within, Prayer Primer, and Happy Are You Poor.

Product Details

– 122 Pages
– 5.25" x 8"

God: What Every Catholic Should Know - Paperback

If we want to love God and make him the center of our lives, we would do well to settle this question at least in some small way. This book serves as a starting point for understanding what Christians mean when they say “God,” and to whom they are referring when they use this name. Part of the What Every Catholic Should Know series, God: What Every Catholic Should Know is born out of the recognition that God is central to the Faith, but we encounter misconceptions about God all the time. In an effort to clear up these misconceptions, this book addresses three major concepts—the nature of God, the Trinity, and the Incarnation—so that we may strengthen our faith and our ability to communicate it to other people.

Some of us might protest that we are not smart enough to do theology and that less is more when it comes to contemplating the divine. But if God is perfect, wonderful, all goodness, love itself—as the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8—it would be strange indeed if we did not want to give our whole selves to God, including our minds. After all, the Lord himself tells us: “you shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Series Summary

The new What Every Catholic Should Know series is intended for the average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture. The authors in this series take a panoramic approach to the topic of each book aimed at a non-specialist but enthusiastic readership.

About the Author

Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. She received her doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in 2016 and is also the author of Augustine’s Theology of Angels (Cambridge University Press, 2018). She is originally from Ontario, Canada, and now lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

God: What Every Catholic Should Know - Hardcover

If we want to love God and make him the center of our lives, we would do well to settle this question at least in some small way. This book serves as a starting point for understanding what Christians mean when they say “God,” and to whom they are referring when they use this name. Part of the What Every Catholic Should Know series, God: What Every Catholic Should Know is born out of the recognition that God is central to the Faith, but we encounter misconceptions about God all the time. In an effort to clear up these misconceptions, this book addresses three major concepts—the nature of God, the Trinity, and the Incarnation—so that we may strengthen our faith and our ability to communicate it to other people.

Some of us might protest that we are not smart enough to do theology and that less is more when it comes to contemplating the divine. But if God is perfect, wonderful, all goodness, love itself—as the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8—it would be strange indeed if we did not want to give our whole selves to God, including our minds. After all, the Lord himself tells us: “you shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Series Summary

The new What Every Catholic Should Know series is intended for the average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture. The authors in this series take a panoramic approach to the topic of each book aimed at a non-specialist but enthusiastic readership.

About the Author

Elizabeth Klein is an Assistant Professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. She received her doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in 2016 and is also the author of Augustine’s Theology of Angels (Cambridge University Press, 2018). She is originally from Ontario, Canada, and now lives in Denver with her husband and two sons.

By an Unexpected Way - Book

Do committed Christians need to withdraw from society? This is the question that many people are asking. No one can predict how the future will look, but one thing is clear. We don’t need countercultural gestures, so much as the grace of Christ.

By an Unexpected Way explores true stories of modern men and women living and sharing their faith against remarkable odds. Through the grace of Christ, they have embraced the tasks of evangelization where they are, with the tools they have. An ultimate illustration of the “show, don’t tell” mantra, By an Unexpected Way is a manual for evangelization brought to life.

From the founders of adventure camps, festivals, and coffeehouses, to the architects of Catholic mental health networks, parish renewal, and transformed neighborhoods, learn how to sustain your faith and renew your community. With replicable ideas, further reading, and concrete resources, By an Unexpected Way not only inspires, but offers the concrete guidance you need to build Christian culture in your own circumstances.

About the Author

Gwen Adams, PhD

Gwen Adams, PhD, is a writer, speaker, visiting professor of Theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado, and the founder of Bardstreet, offering youth theater camps, seminars, and other ventures. Learn more at Bardstreet.com.

Product Details

– 248 Pages
– 5.25" x 8"

Based on interviews with:

–Mary Pat Donoghue, executive director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education for the USCCB

–Janet E. Smith, professor and author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later

–Edward Sri, professor, author, and vice president of formation for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)

–Michael Hanby, author and professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

–Psychologist Kathryn Benes

–The rock band Scythian

–And many more...

Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know - Hardcover

At every Sunday Mass, Catholics confess that Jesus came down from heaven “for us men and for our salvation.” But what does “salvation” mean? In this robust and accessible book, Scripture scholar and theologian Michael Patrick Barber provides a thorough, deeply Catholic, and deeply biblical, answer. He deftly tackles this complex topic, unpacking what the New Testament teaches about salvation in Christ, detailing what exactly salvation is, and what it is not. In easy and readable prose, he explains what the Cross, the Church, and the Trinity have to do with salvation. While intellectually stimulating, Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know is deeply spiritual, and at its core is the salvific message that God is love, and his love is one of transformation and redemption.

The “What Every Catholic Should Know” series is intended for the average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture. The authors in this series take a panoramic approach to the topic of each book aimed at a non-specialist but enthusiastic readership. Forthcoming topics planned for this series include: literature, mercy, history, art, music, and philosophy.

About the Author

Michael Patrick Barber is Associate Professor of Theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. In addition to teaching, academic research, and publishing, he also gives popular presentations at Catholic conferences and parish events around the United States.

Product Details

208 pages
5.25" x 8"
Published year: 2019
Hardcover

Praise for Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know

“What does it mean to be ‘saved’? I have often been asked this question. Michael Barber gives the much needed and impressively thorough answer. It fills a acuna in Catholic literature! It is well grounded in scholarship but written in a manner that is accessible to every baptized Christian.”

–Nina Sophie Heereman,
Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture,
St. Patrick’s Seminary and University

“Dr. Barber has given us all a very precious gift: a book that shows both what Jesus Christ came into this world to save us from and, equally important, what he came to save us for.”

–Dr. Brant Pitre,
Distinguished Research Professor of Sacred Scripture,
Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology

“Dr. Michael Barber is an outstanding scripture scholar and theologian! This book proves it.  Want a deeper understanding of the purpose and mission of Jesus? Look no further. Want to know what redemption and salvation are all about? This incredible book has the answers you’ve been looking for!”

–Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC,
Author of 10 Wonders of the Rosary

Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know - Paperback

At every Sunday Mass, Catholics confess that Jesus came down from heaven “for us men and for our salvation.” But what does “salvation” mean? In this robust and accessible book, Scripture scholar and theologian Michael Patrick Barber provides a thorough, deeply Catholic, and deeply biblical, answer. He deftly tackles this complex topic, unpacking what the New Testament teaches about salvation in Christ, detailing what exactly salvation is, and what it is not. In easy and readable prose, he explains what the Cross, the Church, and the Trinity have to do with salvation. While intellectually stimulating, Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know is deeply spiritual, and at its core is the salvific message that God is love, and his love is one of transformation and redemption.

The “What Every Catholic Should Know” series is intended for the average faithful Catholic who wants to know more about Catholic faith and culture. The authors in this series take a panoramic approach to the topic of each book aimed at a non-specialist but enthusiastic readership. Forthcoming topics planned for this series include: literature, mercy, history, art, music, and philosophy.

About the Author

Michael Patrick Barber is Associate Professor of Theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver, CO. In addition to teaching, academic research, and publishing, he also gives popular presentations at Catholic conferences and parish events around the United States.

Product Details

208 pages
5.25" x 8"
Published year: 2019
Paperback

Praise for Salvation: What Every Catholic Should Know

“What does it mean to be ‘saved’? I have often been asked this question. Michael Barber gives the much needed and impressively thorough answer. It fills a lacuna in Catholic literature! It is well grounded in scholarship but written in a manner that is accessible to every baptized Christian.”

–Nina Sophie Heereman,
Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture,
St. Patrick’s Seminary and University

“Dr. Barber has given us all a very precious gift: a book that shows both what Jesus Christ came into this world to save us from and, equally important, what he came to save us for.”

–Dr. Brant Pitre,
Distinguished Research Professor of Sacred Scripture,
Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology

“Dr. Michael Barber is an outstanding scripture scholar and theologian! This book proves it.  Want a deeper understanding of the purpose and mission of Jesus? Look no further. Want to know what redemption and salvation are all about? This incredible book has the answers you’ve been looking for!”

–Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC,
Author of 10 Wonders of the Rosary

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope's international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series details the stories of Jesus' infancy and boyhood, and how they are relevant today in the modern world.

As the Pope wrote in volume two of this series, he attempts to "develop a way of observing and listening to the Jesus of the Gospels that can indeed lead to the personal encounter and that, through collective listening with Jesus' disciples across the ages, can indeed attain sure knowledge of the real historical figure of Jesus."

Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. Ultimately, Jesus' life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

"I can at last consign to the reader the long promised little book on the narratives of Jesus' childhood . . . Here I have sought to interpret, in dialogue with exegetes of the past and of the present, what Matthew and Luke recount at the beginning of their Gospels about the infancy of Jesus."
- Pope Benedict XVI

About the Author

Pope Benedict XVI is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant theologians and spiritual leaders of our age. As Pope he authored the best-selling Jesus of Nazareth; prior to his pontificate, he wrote many influential books that continue to remain important for the contemporary Church, such as Introduction to Christianity and The Spirit of the Liturgy.

Product Details

– 128 Pages
– Released 2018
– Hardcover

Jesus of Nazareth Part 1 : From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration

In this bold, momentous work, Joseph Ratzinger—in his first book written after he became Pope—seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels.

Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and invites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.


From Jesus of Nazareth:
“The great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! He has brought the God who formerly unveiled his countenance gradually first to Abraham, then to Moses and the Prophets, and then in the Wisdom Literature—the God who revealed his face only in Israel, even though he was also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is this God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought to the peoples of the earth.”

The Study Guide is also available!

Praise for Jesus of Nazareth

“Joseph Ratzinger was a world-class theologian long before he became the Roman Curia’s official defender of Catholic doctrine, and then the pope. In Jesus of Nazareth, Ratzinger reveals the core of his personality as he invites his readers into the classroom of a master teacher-one who has absorbed the best that modern biblical scholarship has to offer and has yet emerged from that encounter with his faith intact and enriched.”
– George Weigel, Author, Witness to Hope

Book Details

– Published 2008
– Paperback
– 415 pages

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection

For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. For non-Christians, he is almost anything else--a myth, a political revolutionary, a prophet whose teaching was misunderstood or distorted by his followers.

Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship, while it can't "prove" Jesus is the Son of God, certainly doesn't disprove it. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus--a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception.

Benedict XVI presents this challenge in this book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.

Why was Jesus rejected by the religious leaders of his day? Who was responsible for his death? Did he establish a Church to carry on his work? How did Jesus view his suffering and death? How should we? And, most importantly, did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean? The story of Jesus raises many crucial questions.

Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar, the passionate searching of a great mind, and the deep compassion of a pastor's heart. In the end, he dares readers to grapple with the meaning of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection.

The Study Guide is also available!

"Only in this second volume do we encounter the decisive sayings and events of Jesus' life . . . I hope that I have been granted an insight into the figure of Our Lord that can be helpful to all readers who seek to encounter Jesus and to believe in Him."
–Pope Benedict XVI

Praise for Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week

"Working from Scripture, the Church Fathers and contemporary scholarship, Benedict XVI deftly brings together the historical and theological dimensions of the gospel portraits of Jesus. This is a splendid, penetrating study of the central figure of Christian faith; a learned and spiritual illumination not only of who Jesus was, but who he is for us today."
– +Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Denver

"What better guide could you find than Benedict XVI to lead you on the bracing adventure of exploring the historical Jesus and discovering, under the tutelage of this most sage successor to Peter, the inner meaning of Jesus‘ death and resurrection. Faith and reasonare the two wings Benedict XVI takes up to lead us to astonishingly fresh spiritual perspectives and dizzying heights. This book often takes ones breath away, while infusing in the reader the God-breathed Word, which is the Gospel."
– Tim Gray, Ph.D., President , Augustine Institute

"As is his first volume of Jesus of Nazareth, so, once again, in his second volume Pope Benedict XVI has authored a marvelous book, this time on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. What makes this study so attractive is the depth of its biblical insight, its attention to historical issues, its keen theological acumen, and its lucid and precise expression. Moreover, as with the first volume, it is written in a serene and prayerful manner - a serenity and a prayerfulness that is conveyed to the heart and mind of the reader. This book fulfills Pope Benedict's ardent desire - that it would "be helpful to all readers who seek to encounter Jesus and to believe in him."
– Thomas G. Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap., Executive Director for the Secretariat for Doctrine, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Book Details

– 384 Pages
– Hardcover
– Published 2011

Spanish - ¿Resucitó Jesús Realmente de Entre Los Muertos? - Book

Películas como Risen y libros como Killing Jesus de Bill O’Reilly, plantean preguntas sobre lo que realmente le sucedió al Cuerpo crucificado de Jesús de Nazaret. Carl Olson, haciendo uso del formato popular de preguntas y respuestas, examina la evidencia histórica con respecto al destino controversial de Jesús.

Seas creyente, escéptico o un poco de ambos, prepárate a enfrentar un reto a través de argumentos lógicos en este libro instigador y perspicaz.

Muestra del libro.

English Translation:
Movies such as Risen and books such as Bill O’Reilly’s Killing Jesus raise questions about what really happened to the crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth. Using a popular question-and-answer format, Carl Olson examines the historical evidence concerning Jesus’s controversial fate.

Whether you are a believer, a skeptic, or something in between, prepare to be challenged by the logical arguments in this provocative and insightful book.

Read a sample.

The Case for Jesus - Book

For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine.

In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including:

  • Were the four Gospels really anonymous?
  • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies?
  • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas?
  • Did Jesus claim to be God?
  • Why was Jesus crucified?
  • What is the evidence for the Resurrection?

As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

Read a sample.

The Imitation of Christ

View book sample

The spiritual classic The Imitation of Christ, the second most widely-read spiritual book after the Bible, has had an astonishing impact on the spiritual lives of countless saints, peasants, and popes for centuries. Even today, the soul-searching words of the fifteenth-century cleric Thomas à Kempis continue to resonate, unbounded by time or geography. Drawing on the Bible, the Fathers of the early Church, and medieval mysticism, his four-part treatise shrugs off the allure of the material world, blending beauty and bluntness in a supremely spiritual call-to-arms.

This beautiful translation by Ronald Knox and Michael Oakley is considered by many teachers, writers, and readers to be the best English translation ever, and one that greatly enhances the life-changing insights of Thomas à Kempis.

About the Author

Thomas à Kempis (1379–1471) was born in the diocese of Cologne and educated by the Order of Brothers and Sisters of the Common Life at Deventer, in the Netherlands. He lived for seventy years among the Canons Regular of Windesheim at Mount St. Agnes, a monastery near Zwolle, where he was twice elected superior and once made procurator. He spent his life reading, writing, and copying manuscripts.

About the Translator

Ronald Knox, a convert from Anglicanism and a well-known Catholic priest and author in England from 1920 to 1960, was educated at Eton and Oxford. He translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English and wrote numerous spiritual books including The Hidden Stream, The Belief of Catholics, Captive Flames, and Pastoral and Occasional Sermons.

Product Details

224 Pages
Book size: 5.25" x 8"
Paperback
Published year: 2017

Praise for The Imitation of Christ

“The Imitation has come to be seen as the major work of the devotio moderna, which was characterized by psychological insight and an orderly study of the path to contemplation and the love of God. If we could construct a composite picture of all great Christians—Catholic or non-Catholic—of the last five hundred years who found The Imitation substantially beneficial, enlightening, and inspiring, we would need no further proof that familiarity with this great classic is an integral part of a mature spiritual life and even a path to holiness.”

–Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R., Author of Arise from Darkness

Joy to the World - Book

Read a sample.

In Joy to the World, Dr. Scott Hahn brings the first Noel to new light through his thought-provoking combination of exciting story-telling and penetrating biblical insight. Christmas, as it appears in the New Testament, is the story of a father, a mother, and a child, their relationships, their interactions, their principles, their individual lives, and their life in common. To see the lives of this “earthly trinity” is to catch a first glimpse of heaven. Dr. Hahn shows Christmas to be the story of a family.

Get your copy of Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and still does) today!

Peter: Keys to Following Jesus

Renowned scholar Dr. Tim Gray masterfully guides you through the tumultuous and inspiring life of Peter—from his call to discipleship to his eventual martyrdom in Rome. Using Sacred Scripture and tradition, Dr. Gray highlights these important lessons from Peter’s life, including:

• How to become a trusting disciple and “cast into the deep”
• The pitfalls of living discipleship at a distance and the eventual denial that will come
• How to recover from sin and accept God’s mercy
• How to become a bold witness to others of the love of Jesus

Come to better know, love, and follow Jesus through the Rock on whom he built his Church.

Cover: Paperback
Pages: 203
Dimensions: 8 x 5.5

“Tim Gray strolls through Scripture, walking alongside Peter, a great Apostle and model disciple. As you read, you will be caught up in the drama and glean insights and instruction for your daily life.”
– Steve Ray, Author of Upon this Rock: Peter and the Primacy of Rome in Scripture and the Early Church

“Dr. Gray weaves together the scriptural, traditional, and archaeological evidence of the life of Peter—giving us a deep personal insight into the head Apostle—as if we are really there.”
– Fr. Robert Spitzer, Author of 5 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality and Finding True Happiness

Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?

Click here to read book sample.

Movies such as Risen and books such as Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus raise questions about what really happened to the crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth. Using a popular question-and-answer format, Carl Olson examines the historical evidence concerning Jesus's controversial fate.

• Did Jesus really die on the Cross? If so, what became of his body? Was it stolen? Misplaced?

• Is the Resurrection a cleverly devised plot to found a new religion? Or a myth? Or a mass hallucination?


Whether you are a believer, a skeptic, or something in between, prepare to be challenged by the logical arguments in this provocative and insightful book.

The Diary of St. Faustina

This is the bestselling complete diary of St. Maria Faustina. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, a simple, uneducated, young Polish nun receives a special call. Jesus tells her, "I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My merciful Heart." These words of Jesus are found in the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, which chronicles Sr. Faustina's great experience of Divine Mercy in her soul and her mission to share that mercy with the world.