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. 

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. 

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.

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.

The Best Advent Ever: The Adventures of Nick & Sam

More than Candles and Calendars?

The Perry family's first Advent in Hope Springs is a mix of drama and comedy as Sam competes with her best friend to be in the Christmas pageant, Nick hopes to play an angel that actually flies, the search for a Christmas tree leads to danger, and family traditions take on a whole new meaning of joy.

It's a time of fun, learning, and wonder that might become the Perry family's best Advent ever.

About the Series

Nicolas (Nick) and Samantha (Sam) Perry are twins in the Perry family. They moved with their parents, their brother Andrew, and their sister Lizzy, to Hope Springs in the summer. Hope Springs is a fictional town in the mountains of Colorado, the setting of the Hope Springs series. Hope Springs is a multi-faceted series of stories that explores living the Catholic faith in the modern world. This series presents the adventures of the twins, their family, their friends, and the people they encounter at school, church, and in town. This series presents Catholic culture easily and normally, and provides opportunities for readers to think about the consequences of words and actions. Centered around the Perry family, Hope Springs was introduced as short stories in the Signs Of Grace catechetical workbooks and now includes novels for First Readers (ages 7+) under the banner The Adventures Of Nick & Sam. The world of Hope Springs also appears in the grown-up novel Blue Christmas. The likeable and engaging characters reflect the sensibilities and struggles of being Catholic in the quirky small town of Hope Springs, playing out their faith at the St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church and School, with their neighborhood friends and adversaries, and in the many adventures that makes the teachings of the Church come alive. This series is written similarly to the Adventures in Odyssey series and the Magic Tree House Series, and is recommended for readers ages seven and up, but can also be read by parents to younger children.

About the Author

Paul McCusker is an American writer most widely known for Adventures in Odyssey, but he has worked on many other types of writing projects: novels, plays, musicals, radio dramas, and movie scripts. Paul now writes for the Augustine Institute Radio Theatre productions and the Publishing Department. He is a convert to Catholicism, and lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife and children.

Product Details

– 221 Pages
– Released 2018
– Paperback