You’re almost certainly not as kind as you ought to be—and your relationships with God and those you love may be suffering as a result. Probably you just can’t find the time—and can’t ever seem to develop the patience—that you need in order to be consistently kind amidst the irritations that afflict you daily. That’s why The Hidden Power of Kindness is such a godsend.
There’s nothing complicated or magical about learning to be kinder; it just takes greater attention to the things that you do and how you do them. These pages show you how to become ore aware of even your most offhand daily actions. You’ll find simple, step-by-step, and spiritually crucial directions for who to overcome the habitual unkindnesses that creep—undetected—into the behavior of even the most careful souls.
If you want to make progress in the spiritual life, you can’t afford to miss the bracing insights in this handbook for souls who yearn to be kinder. They’ll give you years of solid help in overcoming sin so that, finally, you’ll live more fully with others and more fruitfully in God’s love.
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.
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.
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.
224 Pages
Book size: 5.25" x 8"
Paperback
Published year: 2017
“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
Peter Kreeft provides a look at the nature of Heaven that offers all readers a refreshingly clear, theologically sound, and always fascinating glimpse of that "undiscovered country." Kreeft's engaging and informative account thoughtfully answers such intriguing questions as:
- How can we know what Heaven is like?
- Will we all be equal in Heaven?
- What will we do in Heaven?
- Will we know everything in Heaven?
- Can we know the joy of Heaven now?
Kreeft combines solid scholarship with a lively ability to communicate his findings. He speaks to the heart and mind, blending contemporary thinking and classical views to give us an unexcelled look at one of the most popular, yet least understood, subjects in religion.
Softcover
Abridged edition
Pages: 198
Book Dimensions: 5.25" x 8"
This handy pocket-sized booklet is filled from cover to cover with beautiful prayers from every corner of Catholic tradition. A perennial best-selling booklet at parishes across the nation, this little treasure is perfect for Catholics of all ages!
These prayers and meditations offer couples a ready, thorough and reliable support to the daily challenges and joys of married life. Drawing on Scripture, Catholic teaching and spirituality and the Marriage Rite itself, this prayer book encourages the loving and spiritual dimension essential to the life of Christian spouses.
Click here to read a sample.
God is to be found in the simplest of our daily activities and especially through total surrender to whatever is his will for each of us. That is the message of this 18th-century inspirational classic by Jean-Pierre de Caussade. Its encouragement to “live in the present moment,” accepting everyday obstacles with faith, humility, and love, has guided generations of believers to holiness and spiritual peace.
De Caussade shows that this practice of self-abandonment to God’s will is the key to attaining true peace and virtue, and that it is readily available to all people—from beginners to those well advanced in the spiritual life. He also shows how to determine what God’s will is for us. He reveals that it is not extraordinary feats that God expects for our growth in holiness, but rather heroic attention to every detail in our lives and humble acceptance of our daily lot in life as coming from his hand.
The rich spiritual lessons in this book have stood the test of time, offering real and practical assistance to all people because its message is simple and clear, one that the reader will find to be a rare treasure of inspiration and direction to be referred to again and again.
Fr. Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J. (1675–1751) was a French Jesuit priest and author, most well-known for this famous treatise, Abandonment to Divine Providence, and also his letters to the Visitation nuns, where he served as confessor and spiritual director. He also served as the rector of two colleges, and as spiritual director for a Jesuit house. He was deeply influenced by the writings of both Saint Francis de Sales and Saint John of the Cross.
Cover: Paperback
Dimensions: 5.25 x 8
176 pages
Abridged Edition
“In his famous classic, Father de Caussade makes one point, and he illustrates it in many different ways. That point is: do the will of God to the best of your ability and you will attain peace of soul here and life everlasting hereafter.”
– Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., Author, Inside the Bible
“Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s Abandonment to Divine Providence illuminates the great truth that sanctity is accessible to anyone who seeks concord between his own will and God’s. By following this spiritual way, one learns that the Providence of God need not be experienced as a threat to human nourishing, but rather as a lure by which we are drawn into deeper communion with the Divine Life.”
– Bishop Robert Barron, S.T.D., Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, Founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
In this informative presentation, Dr. Tim Gray, Augustine Institute President, shares how Lectio Prayer enables you to enter into a dialogue with God. This prayerful reading of Sacred Scripture is a proven means to encounter God in daily life and will benefit those new to prayer and the more experienced alike.
"The most excellent explanation of lectio divina that I have ever heard. Do you want to really connect with God? Then listen to this talk!" Julie – Bluffton, SC