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<DIV>Bartolom&eacute; de las Casas is the most polemical figure in the great event that was the discovery and conquest of America. To some, because of his devotion to the defense of the rights of the natives, he is the apostle of the Indians; to others, because of his passionate denunciation of the excesses of the conquest, he is responsible for the black legend that Spain has had to bear for four centuries.In this novel, Jos&eacute; Luis Olaizola brings to light some of the key aspects of this singular figure, including the least known period of his life. His youth, as a prospector for gold in Hispaniola, his life as a rich landowner in Cuba, the owner of many Indian slaves, his love affairs with Indian women, his&#160;ordination as a cleric in order to get ahead in life, until his conversion and profession as a Dominican friar and staunch defender of the dignity and equality of all men, including the Indians, are told in this epic work.All the colorful characteristics of the sixteenth century vividly unfold in this book, which is narrated in the form of an autobiography, including the tropical beauty of the islands--Santo Domingo, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica--in which, according to de las Casas, the Earthly Paradise was located. The greed and lechery of the Spanish conquistadors and bureaucrats who held the Indians in bondage are mixed with the courage and nobility of those who risk their lives to bring the message of God&rsquo;s love to those lands.Courtiers, functionaries, adventurers, kings, and friars make a striking mosaic within the rigorous frame of history which we are accustomed to be given by Jos&eacute; Luis Olaizola.</DIV>

Bartolomé de las Casas: Chronicle of a Dream

How does a city boy who only lived to the age of fifteen &quot;go viral&quot; more than a decade after he died? Discover the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church. Born in 1991, the same year as the launch of the World Wide Web, Carlo has been hailed by the pope as an example of love and holiness in our complex digital age. This tech-savvy Italian teen has shown the world that computer coding and video games are no obstacle to sainthood. From a young age, Carlo&#39;s enthusiasm for Jesus was contagious. His witness brought his own family back to faith and even helped convert his Hindu au pair to Catholicism. Carlo called the Eucharist &quot;my highway to heaven&quot; and was eager to tell everyone about the incredible reality of Christ&#39;s true presence in the world. To this end, he used his computer to help design an exhibition dedicated to eucharistic miracles that has traversed the globe. Vatican journalist Courtney Mares has traveled in the footsteps of Acutis across Italy to tell his story in depth, interviewing many whose lives he helped transform. This book paints a portrait of him as seen through the eyes of his friends, family, teachers, priests, doctors, classmates, and followers. Features an eight-page color photo insert and an account of the miracles attributed to Acutis&#39; intercession, including one certified by the Vatican. Carlo sought no attention for himself while alive, yet in the years after his death, he has become a global &quot;influencer for God&quot;.

Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers

Opening Credits

Prologue

1. The End of His Life

2.  Back to Normal

3. Do You Really See Us

4. Citizen of the Month

5. A Really Boring Guy

6. A Voice in the Night

7. The Safety of the Cage

8. A Triad of Sages

9. Ganymede and the Eagle

10. Neuron Paths in the World-Brain

11. The Winter World

12. The Hollow Men

13. Cabins and Palaces

14. Surely We Have Met Before

15. Around the Great Wheel

16. In the Underground

17. The Vault of Degradation

18. Millenium Angel

19. Scenes of Historical Importance

20. On the Little-Little Ob

21. Petropavlovskaya Poustyn

22. The Well in the Desert

23. Clerks and Ballerinas

24. A Bad Day at Listvyanks

25. The Clinic at Ozero Baikal

26. A Voice from the Past

27. I Give You Everything

28. The Enchantress

29. Snake and Crocodile

30. The Snowhouse

31. The Icon in the Fire

32. The War of the Winter-Born

33. A Cadre of One

34. Strength and Weakness

35. The Bell Tower

36. A Message in the Ark

37. To Another Country

38. We Know Everything

39. The Realm of the Dispossessed

40. The Silence

41. Upstairs and Downstairs

42. Integrated into a Mission

43. Does Simply No One Believe Me?

44. One May Circle the World

45. Will He Want Me?

46. Kingfishers Catch Fire

Acknowledgements

Author's Note

Closing Credits

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"A modern retelling of the parables The Good Shepherd and The Prodigal Son." - Michael O'Brien Canadian bookseller Alex Graham is a middle-age widower whose quiet life is turned upside down when his college-age son disappears without any explanation or trace of where he has gone. With minimal resources, the father begins a long journey that takes him for the first time away from his safe and orderly world. As he stumbles across the merest thread of a trail, he follows it in blind desperation, and is led step by step on an odyssey that takes him to fascinating places and sometimes to frightening people and perils. Through the uncertainty and the anguish, the loss and the longing, Graham is pulled into conflicts between nations, as well as the eternal conflict between good and evil. Stretched nearly to the breaking point by the inexplicable suffering he witnesses and experiences, he discovers unexpected sources of strength as he presses onward in the hope of recovering his son--and himself.
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The Father's Tale: A Novel (Audiobook)

Few fictional characters have proved as popular as Sherlock Holmes. By retelling Arthur Conan Doyle&#39;s beloved stories in film adaptations, each generation re-creates Baker Street&#39;s most famous detective in its own image. To date, Holmes has been played on screen by Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey, Jr., and many others. This book contains the twelve stories identified by Conan Doyle himself as being the quintessential Holmes adventures.

The Best of Sherlock Holmes

<DIV>"Francis, rebuild my Church!" That is how St. Francis of Assisi heard the call of Christ. It is also how Jorge Mario Bergoglio, at the age of 76, and a Jesuit, seems to have accepted his election to the papacy with the choice of a name that no other pope has ever chosen.Who is Pope Francis, elected in one of the shortest conclaves in history? Who is the man chosen to be the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope?How does he see the world and his ministry? How does he understand his call to serve Christ, his Church, and the world? In short, what is the mind and heart of this new pope of a new world--of the Americas and the rest of the world of the 21st Century?In the words, the ideas, and the personal recollections of Pope Francis--including material up to the final hours before his election--the most highly regarded Vatican observer on the international scene reveals the personality of this man of God, gentle and humble. The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, he made radically following Christ and the way of non-violence the pillars of his pastoral ministry in a country, continually tormented by social and economic inequities. This complete biography offers the keys to understanding the man who was a surprise choice, even a kind of revolutionary choice, for pope. It is the story of the humble pastor of one of the world's largest archdioceses; a cardinal who takes the bus, talks with common folk, and lives simply. It is the story of why the cardinal electors of the Catholic Church set aside political and diplomatic calculations to elect a pope to lead the renewal and purification of the worldwide Church of our time.</DIV>

Francis: Pope of a New World

<DIV>G. K. Chesterton was one of the most well-known and beloved writers of his time. Yet he has been strangely neglected today. This book is the perfect introduction to Chesterton. Ahlquist is an able guide who takes the reader through twelve of Chesterton?s most important books as well as the famous Father Brown stories. One of the problems with approaching Chesterton is that he was so prolific that the reader is simply overwhelmed. But Ahlquist makes the literary giant accessible, highlighting Chesterton?s amazing reach, keen insight, and marvelous wit. Each chapter is liberally spiced with Chesterton?s striking quotations. There is something special that runs throughout Chesterton?s books that sets him apart from the confusing philosophies of the modern world. That common thread in Chesterton?s writings is common sense. It is instantly recognizable and utterly refreshing. </DIV>

The Apostle of Common Sense

<DIV>The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom is a Catholic library in miniature, a one-volume microcosm of what the Church's great minds have thought and said since the apostolic age. Indeed, in The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom, noted theologian Fr. John A. Hardon has compiled the works of thirty-three of the greatest Catholic thinkers and writers, representing every period of the Church's passage through time, from the beginnings of Christianity to the present day. Here are men and women, bishops and priests, religious and the laity "whose native talents were elevated by the supernatural light that God reserves for those who are most submissive to His will." Included in this extraordinary and fascinating anthology are the works of the early saints, such as Gregory, Basil, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Patrick, Bernard Francis, and Thomas Aquinas. Here, too, are the writings of the great reformers Ignatius, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila; the mystic John of the Cross; the practical wisdom of Francis de Sales, Louis de Montfort, and Peter Julian Eymard; and the modern-day reflections of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Francis Thompson, Therese of Lisieux, G.K. Chesterton, and Fulton J. Sheen. The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom is a comprehensive anthology of the outstanding Catholic literature from the first century to modern times. Mystics and martyrs, philosophers and theologians, poets and prose writers are quoted at length and in depth. They are truly representative of the spirit and substance of Catholicism in its paradox of phenomenal stability and versatility over the centuries. Fr. Hardon has selected those writings which are representative of the thought and philosophy of each contributor, and has carefully chosen excerpts which are not always the most familiar. Thus, his volume provides not only a fresh collection of the best of Catholic wisdom, but also a uniquely comprehensive work which offers enlightenment and faith for generations of readers. John A. Hardon, S.J., holds a master's degree in philosophy from Loyola University and a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He is the author of The Catholic Catechism and many other books. Fr. Hardon is also a founder of the Catholic Home Study Institute, a correspondence school which operates under pontifical approval. </DIV>

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom

<DIV>Contemporary mystic, physician, wife, cofounder of a secular institute, Adrienne von Speyr also provided us with a series of extraordinary Scripture commentaries. Here she brings her fresh, prayerful insights to bear upon immensely important themes of the Letter to the Colossians: the primacy of Christ in the cosmos as well as his centrality and abiding presence in the Church and in the life of each individual Christian; the meaning of reconciliation; the service of the apostle and his relationship to the community of believers; genuine and false knowledge; love as the binding force of social ethics and Christian morality-themes that only continue to increase in relevance in today's Church and world. With a sure touch and a distinctively feminine sensitivity, von Speyr explores, examines, and reflects-and in the process leaves us with food for thought and prayer, guidelines for discernment and action, and encouragement for our daily lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.</DIV>

The Letter to the Colossians

<DIV>Richard Dawkins, biologist and best-selling author, claims that belief in God is a "delusion" and that "religion" harms society. Dawkins contends that he has reason and evidence on his side, and he dismisses faith as unfounded, even irrational. Dominican Thomas Crean tackles Dawkins' claims head-on. He presents straightforward arguments for God's existence, and he uses reason and evidence to defend such things as miracles and the authority of the Bible. He also shows how God is important for a coherent understanding of morality, and why Dawkins' approach winds up reducing morality to the individual's subjective likes and dislikes. By demonstrating how Dawkins' criticisms rest on misunderstandings, superficial readings, poor argumentation, a lack of historical awareness, and not a little prejudice, Crean reveals Dawkins to be out of his philosophical and theological depth, and his case against God to be fundamentally flawed. </DIV>

God Is No Delusion: A Refutation of Richard Dawkins

<DIV>Von Speyr addresses the perennial and ultimate human question--the question of death. This book is not only a synthesis of the Christian view of death. It is also an antidote to the insipid sociological sentimentalism of so many books written about death and dying today. Death is not just the last stage of growth or something we must cope with or accept, nor something we must help people do without any fear or feeling of guilt. None of the merely human answers can satisfy because death is a mystery that only God and his Revelation can begin to explain. "If God had not instituted death, man could have imagined that, each time he offended God, he could subsequently make it good, supply what he had failed to do, obliterate his turning away from God by turning toward Him. He would have felt that guilt and atonement were within his own power, that he could choose a punishment, a penance that would reconcile him with God if he persisted in it long enough. In other words he would have imagined that he was basically able to redeem himself. But by death and the finite time which leads up to it, God has shown man that his turning-away is far more serious than he thought, so grave that of himself he cannot make it good." - Adrienne von Speyr </DIV>

The Mystery of Death

<DIV>In this introduction to the life and thought of Dorothy Day, one of the most important lay Catholics of the twentieth century, Terrence Wright presents her radical response to God's mercy. After a period of darkness and sin, which included an abortion and a suicide attempt, Day had a profound awakening to God's unlimited love and mercy through the birth of her daughter.After her conversion, Day answered the calling to bring God's mercy to others. With Peter Maurin, she founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933. Dedicated to both the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy, they established Houses of Hospitality, Catholic Worker Farms, and the Catholic Worker newspaper.Drawing heavily from Day's own writings, this book reveals her love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the magisterial teaching of the Church. The author explores her philosophy and spirituality, including her devotion to Saints Francis, Benedict, and Th&eacute;r&egrave;se. He also shows how her understanding of the Mystical Body of Christ led to some of her more controversial positions such as pacifism.Since her death in 1980, Day continues to serve as a model of Christian love and commitment. She recognized Christ in the less fortunate and understood that to be a servant of these least among us is to be a servant of God.</DIV>

Dorothy Day: An Introduction to Her Life and Thought

By the Rivers of Babylon presents the early life of the prophet Ezekiel, from his childhood to his service in the Temple to the Babylonian Captivity, where he was enslaved among the exiles along the River Chebar.Ezekiel, a bricklayer, is simple and timid. He is not yet a priest, and his visions have not yet begun. He stands in the midst of the Jewish exiles as they struggle to build a town of their own, to remain faithful to God&#39;s covenant without the Temple, and to discern the various forces that threaten to divide them and erode their faith. All of these experiences flow like streams into Ezekiel&#39;s later mission to rally his people from inner destruction.What makes a prophet? Why was this man chosen? Michael O&#39;Brien offers an intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of a visionary.

By the Rivers of Babylon: A Novel

Theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) was one of the most important Catholic voices of the twentieth century. In his view, a priest is called to imitate the Eucharistic Christ, who gives himself with abandon for the life of the world. He should aspire to be as common and as humble as bread, available to be blessed, broken, and distributed. Through his availability, God Himself becomes present to the world and the world becomes present to God.This concise book presents Balthasar’s theology of discernment and vocation in a way that responds to current questions regarding the viability of the priestly and religious vocations today. Balthasar offers indispensable resources for understanding the relationship between personal freedom and vocation, showing how one becomes a person precisely through the reception of a definitive mission, a mission that makes a person truly ecclesial and thus open to both God and to others.While the book is particularly focused on the priesthood, it will be of interest to priests, religious, and all those discerning God’s call. A short epilogue looks at Balthasar as a model for the theological vocation.

Distributed Like Bread: Hans Urs von Balthasar on Discernment, Vocation, and the Priesthood

This unparalleled, scholarly introduction to St. John Henry Newman—mind, heart, soul, and personality—brings the great cardinal to life before our eyes, and with him the charged air of nineteenth-century England. Drawing from his letters, writings, and journal entries with precision and poetic flair, the book is one of Ida Friederike Görres' masterworks.While famous for his brilliance, Cardinal Newman did not hide in an ivory tower. His life was one of risk, sacrifice, and immense charity. His sharp turn to Catholicism rocked the University of Oxford, costing him his friendships, his livelihood, and his identity. Through failures and disappointments, over and over again, Newman let himself be recreated by God.This work, in Görres' words, is a portrait of "the boy, puzzled, who was startled and overwhelmed by God; the active, creative young prophet of his church in crisis; the hermit, who he was and wanted to be all his life; and the fighter, who he was with and against his will: the saint of the Church and the saint of humility, the one perfected in sacrifice".With an in-depth introduction by Ratzinger Prize winner Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, an extensive commentary by translator Jennifer S. Bryson, and a detailed index, the book introduces readers not only to St. John Henry Newman, but to Görres, one of the greatest hagiographers of the twentieth century, whose spiritual writings have only recently been discovered by the English-speaking world.

John Henry Newman: A Life Sacrificed

Opening credits

Introductory Message

Part I꞉ Chapter I꞉ How the Great Wind Came to Beacon House

Part I꞉ Chapter II꞉ The Luggage of an Optimist

Part I꞉ Chapter III꞉ The Banner of Beacon

Part I꞉ Chapter IV꞉ The Garden of God

Part I꞉ Chapter V꞉ The Allegorical Practical Joker

Part II꞉ Chapter I꞉ The Eye of Death; or, The Murder Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter II꞉ The Two Curates; or, The Burglary Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter III꞉ The Round Road; or, The Desertion Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter IV꞉ The Wild Weddings; or, The Polygamy Charge

Part II꞉ Chapter V꞉ How the Great Wind Went from Beacon House

Closing credits

<div>
This classic novel by Chesterton tells the rollicking tale of Innocent Smith, a man who may be crazy&mdash;or he may be the most sane man of all. Arriving at a London boarding house accompanied by a windstorm, Innocent is soon accused of attempted murder, burglary, polygamy, and desertion of his wife. As the residents of Beacon House try to piece together what this madman is up to, a detective is called upon to unravel the accusations against Smith. Actor Kevin O&rsquo;Brien of the Theater of the Word gives a dramatic reading of the text.
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Manalive: A Novel by G.K. Chesterton (Audiobook)

<DIV>Shaw, widely known Catholic writer, speaker and former communications director for the U S Bishops, discusses the abuse of secrecy in the Church, the scandals it has caused and the serious problem of mistrust that exists in the credibility of the Church. Not concerned with the legitimate secrecy that is necessary to protect confidentiality and people's reputations, Shaw is rather concerned here with the stifling, deadening misuse of secrecy that has done immense harm to communion and community in the Church in America. Shaw shows the secrecy issue is a theological as well as practical problem that raises such questions as: What kind of Church do we want our Church to be, open or closed? What kind of Church should it be? And how much secrecy is compatible with having such a Church? As Pope Benedict XVI has stated, "The consequence is clear: we cannot communicate with the Lord if we do not communicate with one another." The Church is a communion, not a political democracy, and thus openness and accountability are even more crucial for the life of the Church than they are in a democracy. In a talk he gave many years before he became the current Pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had this to say about the reality of ecclesial communion: "Fellowship in the Body of Christ and receiving the Body of Christ means fellowship with one another. This of its very nature includes mutual acceptance, giving and receiving on both sides, and readiness to share one's goods. In this sense, the social question is given quite a central place in the theological heart of the concept of communion." This is a beautiful vision of the Church. Shaw's aim in his book is to make a contribution to realizing this vision in the concrete circumstances of the present day, by helping to end the culture of secrecy, especially within American Catholicism, and replacing the destructive culture with an open, accountable community of faith. </DIV>

Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication and Communion in the Catholic Church

<DIV>How do we make sense of life? How should we treat others? How should we reasonably be expected to be treated by others? When human life is at stake, are there reasonable principles we can rely on to guide our actions? How should our laws be framed to protect human life? What kind of society should be built? Many people rely on their religious beliefs to answer these questions. But not everyone accepts the same religious premises or recognizes the same spiritual authorities. Are there "public arguments"-reasons that can be given that do not presuppose agreement on religious grounds or common religious commitments-that can guide our thoughts and actions, as well as our laws and public policies? In Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues, Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer sets out, in a brief, yet highly-readable and lucid style, ten basic principles that must govern the reasonable person's thinking and acting about life issues. A highly-regarded philosopher, Father Spitzer provides an intelligent outline for thinking and talking about human life. This book is a powerful tool for persuasively articulating and effectively inculturating a prolife philosophy. </DIV>

Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues

<DIV>This comprehensive and illustrated volume is both a rich history of the Catholic Church in Alaska, and the autobiography of Fr. Louis Renner, S.J., who was a dedicated missionary in Alaska for 40 years. He tells here a compelling story of a full and fascinating life in service of the people and the Church of Alaska amid the incredible natural beauties, challenging elements and vast regions of the Great Land. Beautifully interweaving the history of the people and Church in Alaska, Fr. Renner tells his story of a dedicated missionary priest who loved the people he served. A scholar, a teacher, and always a Jesuit priest, he taught German and Latin at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, edited the Catholic newsletter The Alaskan Shepherd, and ran missions at two different Indian villages on the Yukon River. This pastoral priest became a friend to people in all sectors of Alaskan society. Tony Knows, the governor of Alaska, even presented him with the "Governor's Award for Friend of the Humanities". The outline of Fr. Renner's life is fleshed-out richly in A Kindly Providence. One reviewer writes that "all is there, a clear picture of his life. Renner is a very good writer- technically competent and very interesting. He kept this reader's interest throughout the 500-plus page book. I really wanted to see how it ended." Another writes: "Once I started to read it, I couldn't put it down. I had to finish it." Rich in detail, this book is a wonderful testimony to a model life of a happy priest in the twentieth century. The book is based, not only on Fr. Renner's remarkable memory, but also on his personal diaries and correspondence, on official documents, and on accounts written by him of his unusual adventures during over forty years in Alaska. Substantial quotes from diaries, letters, and official documents give readers a feeling of being actually present at those events in far-off places. The many photographs illustrating the narrative lend an air of immediacy and give us a vicarious experience of the author's personal life. </DIV>

A Kindly Providence: An Alaskan Missionary's Story

<DIV>A Drama of Reform is the story of the new order founded by Fr. Benedict Groeschel and seven other Capuchin friars, and of the first two decades of a reform in religious life begun in 1987. United in the desire to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ and following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, they want to encourage the army of Christians of all denominations who are discouraged by the erosion of Gospel values in our culture. This inspirational volume combines more than 100 dramatic photos from the interesting and varied aspects of their daily lives. Along with the wonderful photos, members of the two independent communities of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal provide short essays on their life, which will enable others to experience the earnestness and enthusiasm of this young and fervent group. More than one hundred sisters and friars from a dozen countries have come together with the common desire to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ after the example of Saint Francis and the tradition of the Capuchin reform. Well-known for their work with the poor and homeless in the South Bronx and other deprived areas, these Franciscans communicate a deep sense of the joy and love of those trying to be totally committed to living the Gospel in an increasingly de-Christianized world. </DIV>

The Drama of the Reform

<DIV>The Death of a Pope is a powerful new novel by the acclaimed British writer Piers Paul Read. Juan Uriarte, a handsome and outspoken Spanish ex-priest, seems to be the model of nonviolence and compassion for the poor and downtrodden. So why is he on trial, accused of terrorist activities? His worldwide Catholic charitable outreach program is suspected of being a front for radicals. The trial is covered by Kate Ramsay, a young British reporter, who sets out to undercover the truth about Uriarte and his work. She travels with him to Africa to see his work first hand but soon finds herself attracted to him. Meanwhile an international conspiracy is growing, one that reaches into the Vatican itself. When the death of Pope John Paul II brings the conclave that will elect Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, a terrorist plot involving blackmail, subterfuge, and mass murder begins to fall into place... a plot that could spell disaster for the Catholic Church and the world. Piers Paul Read's powerful tale combines vivid characters, high drama, love, betrayal, faith, and redemption in a story of intrigue, of church espionage, and an attempt to destroy the longest continuous government in the world - the Papacy. The Death of a Pope races toward an unexpected and unforgettable conclusion. </DIV>

The Death of a Pope: A Novel