Bücher veröffentlicht von Franciscan Media

In this deceptively simple allegorical tale, author and sought-after retreat speaker Paula D'Arcy recounts her own spiritual journey in a way that will echo in your heart long after you finish the book. In the town of Status, across the river from Quo, nothing ever changes. Children are taught to memorize facts, but not to think for themselves. Adults live by the motto, "Work, produce, stay the same." And as long as everyone follows the rules, there is harmony in the two communities. The shops hum and all ceremonies for the worship of God are appropriately formal and well-organized. The past is revered and the future seems to be secure. Then the Stranger comes to town bringing tales of love and of the Great Being, the Stranger captivates the local children with his joy and delight in life. They dance, fly kites, and disrupt the established rhythm. But Status and Quo's town elders disapprove, and soon force the Stranger to move on. And so the townspeople return to their comfortable, predictable lives--all except for Anastasia, a young girl who can't forget the lessons the Stranger taught. When she reaches her seventeenth year, she begins to feel restless and recognizes within herself a deep longing. A tragedy sets the wheels turning for Anastasia's quest to find the Stranger whose words once captured her heart. The Divine Spark is a work of visionary fiction for anyone who has ever felt called to leave a place of comforting familiarity in search of the unknown.

This reissue of Meet Solanus Casey: Miracle Worker and Spiritual Counselor includes a new foreword from Edward Foley, OFM Cap, vice postulator for the cause of Solanus Casey's canonization, as well as details from his beatification in 2017..

A person going through a divorce or having already experienced a divorce has watched life fall apart, has seen dreams end, has known that the future will not be remotely what was imagined. Yet, says Susan Rowland, herself a survivor of divorce after 30 years of marriage, there is hope. God loves us. God's love is not diminished or changed one iota when we get divorced. God is not disappointed in us. God does not think less of us. If we allow it, God will be very close at this difficult and insecure time, guiding us through the rough waters to a peaceful, calm, holy place. Susan Rowland offers hope and practical ideas for living without marital love, taking care of yourself, telling others, crafting a legal settlement, grieving when a marriage is over, learning to live loved, making decisions, forgiving, building a foundation for your future, trusting in love, facing financial realities, finding your balance, learning to fly, and more. The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

With humor and a prayerful spirit, Jeanne Hunt taps into her experience and creativity as mother, grandmother, catechist, artist, and writer to show us in easy and practical ways how to look deeper at these ordinary things surrounding us in order to enter into the sacred way. She encourages parents and grandparents, teachers, and religious educators to use this as a handy resource for celebrating in your home and classroom settings the seasons and special people of the calendar year and the church's liturgical year. She offers hundreds of activities, rituals, and prayers to make living our faith tangible, spiritually enriching--and fun! Activities include a New Year's campout, morning prayer for Christian Unity week, a Lent poor box, an Emmaus walk, a Pentecost meal, an All Saints' festival, a St. John the Baptist Advent wreath--and many more.

Leonard Foley wrote "Believing in Jesus" to help "born Catholics" come to a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices they have held all their lives and to help those who approach the Catholic Church for the first time. He wrote, "I hope this book will help some scared and scarred people and challenge others."

"Ilia Delio's Crucified Love has become a modern classic in the study of Bonaventure's Christology and theology of the Cross." -- Daniel P. Horan, OFM, author, All God's Creatures: A Theology of Creation and The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering In this comprehensive study of St. Bonaventure's theology of Christ crucified, Sr. Ilia Delio explores the breadth and depth of mediaeval philosophy and theology and she does so in a way that makes it relevant to the twenty-first century. "In a fragmented, suffering, and power-dominated world, Bonaventure offers a vision that is not only breathtaking in its comprehensiveness but metaphysically grounded in divine goodness and contingent on personal intimacy and relationship. It is a worldview that is critically needed in our time," writes Delio.

Although this is a small book on the spirituality of a medieval woman from a glorious past, it is also a book about Christian life today. Clare's decisive emphasis on the person of Jesus Christ is an emphasis on the human person as well, what we are and what we are called to be. --From the Introduction Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love explores Clare's deep desire to live the gospel life, more precisely, her desire for all of us to reflect on Christ and his crucifixion in order to see our own strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, our capacity to love. Ilia Delio illustrates how Clare, through her life, her writings, letters, prayer and example, is truly a mystic who helped generations of Catholics clearly see how Christ took on human flesh, not just to suffer and die for us, but to help us all in turn reflect back the face of Christ to the world. Clare was not simply a follower of Francis, she was a formidable, resolute, devout and loving saint whose life centered on this essence of human identity--Christ is in each of us--and who sought to teach us to just be ourselves and to let God dwell within us. In Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love, Ilia Delio shows us just how Clare's simple, but powerful beliefs transformed the way we all think about Christ--even today.

Ask anyone who has been there: Assisi is a special place. The events in the lives of Francis and Clare seem to have charged the very rocks with a power that can still be felt today. Our guide, Father Roch Niemier, is intimately acquainted with the places so close to the saints of Assisi Rocca Maggiore, San Damiano, the Porziuncola, San Rufino, La Verna, Greccio, Maddalena, the Piazza Comune and the streets of Assisi. His exploration of the spirituality of place makes even the armchair pilgrim understand the meaning of these locales, and provides an unforgettable remembrance for those who have made the journey themselves.

Francis and the San Damiano Cross: Meditations on Spiritual Transformation is an invaluable prayer resource that uses the cross of San Damiano-the cross that spoke to Francis of Assisi-as inspiration for personal reflection. Susan Saint Sing, a former resident of Assisi and follower of Francis, takes the reader on a journey to the place where Francis prayed before the San Damiano Cross. Not only does she recall her own personal journey to Assisi, she recounts the spiritual and physical transformation of Francis in his quest to "rebuild" the Church-a quest that began in the small, broken-down church of San Damiano but was the catalyst for a much broader reconstruction.

The Bible Makes Sense is a unique how-to book about the Bible. Brueggemann proposes that Christians should approach the Bible not as a collection of ancient documents, but as our partner in an ongoing dialogue about our life here and now. This book explains how to enter into this dialogue, how to listen, and how to respond. More than simply introducing you to major themes, Brueggemann reveals an engaging biblical understanding of the world that leads to a life of joy, wholeness, and peace. Suggestions for reflection, discussion, and meditation on particular passages provide outlines for group study and for your own prayerful Bible reading.

Enkindled: Holy Spirit, Holy Gifts brings the Spirit, through anecdote and example, into the lives of ordinary people. This treatment of the "neglected middle child" of the Blessed Trinity is for people who reflect while commuting to work, for those who pray while the baby is sleeping, for those who belong to parish discussion groups and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, for those preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and for those who celebrate the divine generosity of the Gift-giving Spirit. Small groups or individuals will find valuable the prayers and reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

"The book should help every thinking Catholic. It would also make a good RCIA resource as well as a blockbuster stimulus for discussions."-Book Nook, Pecos BenedictineThe authors answer the question, "Why Be Catholic?" fairly and squarely, showing a deep appreciation about what is good in Catholicism and a penetrating honesty about the Church's shortcomings. Rohr and Martos also examine what it means to be Catholic in the United States today. Finally, to answer the title question in a more personal way, they present portraits of some outstanding Catholics, especially those we call saints, who have found personal fulfillment by living their faith to the utmost.After reading this book, you will appreciate more fully the unique heritage of the Catholic Church. You will understand how its magnificent tradition enriches the lives of Catholics today and propels the ever-changing Church into the 21st century and third millennium. A popular resource for RCIA, evangelization and religious education.