The Dark Passages of Scripture

Has Scripture ever made you uncomfortable? Do you have questions or doubts about events in the Bible that seem difficult to explain? In this important talk, author and Augustine Institute professor Dr. Mark Giszczak illuminates "the dark passages of Scripture"— those biblical events of violence and suffering that may not seem compatible with a loving and merciful God. Dr. Giszczak explains how God's justice, mercy, and love are all wholly compatible in Scripture, and asserts the importance of reading these passages with faith, intelligence, and within the teaching of the Church.

Transgenderism: A Surgeon's Perspective

Patrick W. Lappert, M.D., a deacon and plastic surgeon, brilliantly and compassionately enters the important and challenging conversation about transgenderism and persons who identify as transgender. Speaking from the perspectives of biology, medicine, psychology, theology, and more, Dr. Lappert teaches how questions of human identity, sexuality, woundedness, and the desire for happiness must all be addressed and answered by the truth of what it means to be a human person, made in the image and likeness of God. 

Eucharistic Vision: A Challenge of Faith

In a recent Pew survey, two-thirds of Catholics reported that they did not know or believe in the Church's teaching on the Eucharist. Diving into the writings of early doctors and fathers of the Church, and drawing upon his own experience as a scholar of history, practicing Catholic, and former Protestant, Dr. John Sehorn addresses the “mind-boggling” and difficult truth of Jesus' presence in the Blessed Sacrament. It is a truth that confronts us, challenges us, and is one of the greatest gifts that we will ever receive.

A New Heart: My Story of Abortion, Addiction, & Conversion

Depression and guilt. Sadness and anger. Drug and alcohol abuse. Feeling unforgivable. As Shawna Arnold explains, these symptoms of post-abortion trauma can be overwhelming—but they cannot withstand the love and mercy of God, who makes all things new. In this moving talk, Shawna describes her life experiences, and how she found her way back to the Church and the loving embrace of the Father.

Hope After Suicide

Death by suicide is sadly at pandemic proportions, killing more people every year than war and homicide combined. While many people know that the Church condemns suicide as a grave sin, few people know that the Church does not teach that a person who commits suicide is automatically condemned to hell. As Fr. Chris Alar, MIC shares in this insightful talk (based upon his book, After Suicide, given an imprimatur), while suicide remains grave and tragic, we must never despair of God's mercy, and we must know that our prayers can powerfully help those who have taken their own lives, and those who have been left behind. 

True Femininity: Getting to Know Mary

Femininity today can be confusing. What is it? What is it not? Are the stereotypes true? With humor, personal stories, and profound insights from the life of Mary and the writings of St. John Paul II, speaker Noelle Garcia shares how by growing in relationship with Mary, we can heal our understanding and relationships as women—daughters, mothers, friends, and wives—and discover the beauty, joy, and gift of true, God-given femininity.

Advent: Rethinking the Season

Advent is an odd season. Unlike most other seasons, it’s a season that isn’t about itself, but is instead about preparing for Christmas. But that reality often gets lost in the shuffle and stress of trying to find all the right gifts, decorations, and dinner ingredients. In this talk, Dr. Tim Gray uses storytelling and the readings of the Old Testament to explain that we need to live the ‘pre-season’ of Advent well, so we can be prepared to welcome and receive the greatest gift God the Father wants to give us at Christmas: His Son, Jesus.

Miracles - Booklet

What are miracles, and why does God work them?

How can I believe in miracles if I have never experienced one?

Aren’t miracles just something pre-scientific people made up to explain what they couldn’t understand?

How can we discern whether a phenomenon is truly a miracle and not a hallucination, a hoax, or the work of a demon?

In this booklet you’ll find smart, solid answers to these questions and many more. The rare and wonderful supernatural events we call miracles are a gift from God, testifying to a skeptical world of his existence and his power. 20 Answers: Miracles unpacks the nature of miracles, their appearances in Scripture and history, how the Church evaluates them, and ways to answer doubters who say they’re mere superstition. Most of all, it shows that miracles are never an end in themselves, but instead are meant to lead us to greater faith in, and gratitude for, God’s providence.

About the 20 Answers Series

The 20 Answers series from Catholic Answers offers hard facts, compelling arguments, and clear explanations of the most important topics facing the Church and the world—all in a compact, easy-to-read package.

Booklet Details

Published year: 2015
Booklet size: 4.25" x 7"
68 pages