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A band of fugitive Christians is on the run. Their only escape route takes them to an abandoned Catholic church in the mountains. Winter is coming fast. Provisions are dwindling. And the resistance leader who is supposed to guide them across the border to safety is now missing. Can they get away before government agents close in? The fugitives face hard questions. Ultimately, each must make a choice. And Death wants the last word about all of it. A suspenseful novel of persecution and suffering, Into the Catacombs takes an unflinching look at what it means to live the Christian faith in an adversarial world.

Into the Catacombs

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

This is the first major feature-length drama on the life of St. Anthony of Padua, the beloved miracle worker and one of the most popular saints in Christian history. Made in Italy with top-notch acting talent and superb cinematography, this is an outstanding film on the amazing life of St. Anthony. It presents Anthony as a dynamic and appealing person who sacrificed wealth, popularity, and family for the Kingdom of God. Born into a Portuguese noble family in 1195, Anthony defied his father&rsquo;s wishes that he become a knight and, instead, followed the call of God to become a monk, eventually joining the Franciscans as a follower of St. Francis of Assisi. Anthony became renowned for his powerful preaching and his miracles that won countless souls to Christ. The film follows his travels through Italy, his mission to Morocco, and his meeting with St. Francis. It beautifully portrays the power of his preaching, the holiness of his life, his love for the poor and oppressed, and the wonders of his miracles. Actor Daniele Liotti gives a truly memorable and inspiring performance as St. Anthony.

Saint Anthony: The Miracle Worker of Padua

Renaissance

The university is uniquely Catholic in its origin, and yet currently, higher level education on elite campuses is a “red-hot mess,” according to George Weigel. In this episode, Andrew Petiprin sits down with George Weigel to discuss academia and the intellectual life, not simply as a theoretical enterprise left for those who dwell in an ivory tower, but as driver of culture and social life. They discuss the role of the Church in academia, the scholarly legacy of Pope St. John Paul II, the importance fighting the culture war, and the troubles facing the Western civilization.
These topics are also the focus of Weigel’s most recent book “Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice: Commencement Addresses and University Lectures,” where he tells students that true academic learning is carrying on the great Catholic tradition.
 
Get Your Copy of “Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice”: <a href='https://ignatius.com/pomp-circumstance-and-unsolicited-advice-pcap/?searchid=2246581&amp;search_query=pomp+circumstance'>https://ignatius.com/pomp-circumstance-and-unsolicited-advice-pcap/?searchid=2246581&amp;search_query=pomp+circumstance</a>
 
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George Weigel: The Importance of Being an Intellectual and a Culture Warrior

This book presents brief, inspiring biographies of over 40 Irish men and women whose causes for canonization are in progress, along with others who enjoy a strong reputation for sanctity. Written in response to Pope Benedict XVI&rsquo;s call to the Irish to renew the Church in Ireland by drawing on the legacy of their ancestors, it details the heroic lives of twentieth-century saintly models, as well as a few older ones, to encourage contemporary Catholics to seek holiness. Featuring chapters by various contributors, including the postulators of some of the causes, the book offers moving insights into its subjects and the times and places in which they lived. Some lived and died in Ireland, while some were missionaries in other countries. Some were priests or consecrated religious; others were devout and dedicated laypeople. Some died as martyrs; others were distinguished by lives of humble service. What unites them all is their profound love for Christ and his Church. This is a timely, important work given the decline of Christianity in Western society, and the need for the Church to embrace a process of spiritual renewal and evangelization. While it deals with Irish models, it is a work for the universal Church since the saints have relevance for all of us, regardless of where they are from. Those whose inspiring stories are told include Monsignor Hugh O&rsquo;Flaherty, Fr. Willie Doyle, S.J., Father Edward Flanagan, Frank Duff, Sister Clare Crockett, Venerable Patrick Peyton, Venerable Matt Talbot, Venerable Edel Quinn, Blessed John Sullivan, Blessed Columba Marmion, and many more.

The Rock from Which You Were Hewn: The Lives and Legacy of Holy Irish Men and Women

Spanning nearly 500 miles across the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Trail is an epic, arduous route through some of America&rsquo;s most breathtaking natural grandeur. In the summer of 2022, Fr. John Nepil, priest-theologian and mountaineer, set out to traverse the entire trail as a &ldquo;thru-hike&rdquo; with a trio of companions, accompanied along the way by an eclectic rotating cast of priests and young people. This memoir, which is simultaneously a theological reflection on life, Christianity, and the mountains themselves, is the fruit of that pilgrimage. Drawing on great thinkers of the past century, including Luigi Giussani, Dietrich von Hildebrand, and Hans Urs von Balthasar, Fr. Nepil offers a &ldquo;first ascent&rdquo;: a new route where Catholic theology meets alpine adventure. In his telling, the Catholic worldview offers the fullest spiritual vision of the backcountry, and the backcountry, in turn, reveals itself as a privileged setting for Catholic formation. Seen from the trail, the Catholic faith comes alive as an Incarnational worldview where we rediscover humanity, creation, and God. This is a rich theological guidebook for all Catholic lovers of the great outdoors&mdash;particularly the mountains&mdash;and for all who see and seek God in the stark majesty of the natural world.

To Heights and unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail

In every century of Christianity, lives of serious discipleship have been lived in response to&mdash;not in isolation from&mdash;the state of the Church and the world. The inherent link between history and Catholic spirituality, between holiness and the dark forces at work in a given era, is as real and pertinent today as ever. In this powerful work that may very well prove prophetic, renowned spiritual writer Fr. Donald Haggerty plumbs the depths of this connection, offering a profound reflection on the signs of the times, both inside and outside the Church, and unfolding their implications for believers today. Echoing Ra&iuml;ssa Maritain&rsquo;s remark that &ldquo;Jesus will be in agony till the end of the world,&rdquo; this book posits that the Church may live out, within history, a trial mirroring the Passion of her Lord&mdash;and that union with Jesus&rsquo; suffering must be central in the spiritual lives of her individual members. Against a darkening historical backdrop, the would-be saints of today must be ready to accept and embrace&mdash;in love, through prayer, and for the sake of the Church&mdash;a mysterious replication of Jesus&rsquo; last week in their own lives. With keen spiritual insight and characteristic eloquence, Fr. Haggerty explores what it means to pursue holiness seriously in the 21st century, being sanctified in and through the Church&rsquo;s present&mdash;or perhaps still impending&mdash;&ldquo;hour of testing&rdquo;.

The Hour of Testing: Spiritual Depth and Insight in a Time of Ecclesial Uncertainty

Opening credits

Introductory Message

Introduction

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 1꞉ What Difference Does Heaven Make?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 2꞉ Fourteen Questions about Heaven

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 3꞉ What Will We Do in Heaven?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 4꞉ Is There a Purgatory?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 5꞉ What Is the Communion of Saints?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 6꞉ Will We Have Bodies in Heaven?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 7꞉ What Will Our Bodies Be Like?

I꞉ Heaven and Us - Chapter 8꞉ Is There Sex in Heaven?

II꞉ Heavenly Space and Time - Chapter 9꞉ Where Is Heaven?

II꞉ Heavenly Space and Time - Chapter 10꞉ Is There Time in Heaven?

II꞉ Heavenly Space and Time - Chapter 11꞉ What Is Eternity?

III꞉ Heaven and Earth - Chapter 12꞉ Does Heaven Begin Now?

III꞉ Heaven and Earth - Chapter 13꞉ How Do We Experience Heaven Now?

III꞉ Heaven and Earth - Chapter 14꞉ Can We Know the Joy of Heaven Now?

IV꞉ Heaven and Hell - Chapter 15꞉ Is There Really a Hell?

IV꞉ Heaven and Hell - Chapter 16꞉ Is Hell Fire or Loneliness?

IV꞉ Heaven and Hell - Chapter 17꞉ How Many Roads to Heaven?

Appendix

Closing credits

<DIV>In the style of C. S. Lewis, Kreeft provides an unexcelled look at the nature of Heaven that offers readers a refreshingly clear, theologically sound, and always fascinating glimpse of that &#34;undiscovered country.&#34; Kreeft's engaging and informative account thoughtfully answers intriguing questions about heaven that speaks to the mind and heart. </DIV>

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Heaven: But Never Dreamed of Asking

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

In 1948, Aurora Marin arrived with her family at the convent of the Canossian Sisters of Schio, Italy, where Sister Bakhita had just died. Aurora was hoping to see her before her death. She gathered her children around the picture of Bakhita, telling them of the incredible life of the woman who raised her as her nanny.
Born in a village in Sudan, kidnapped by slavers, often beaten and abused, and later sold to Federico Marin, a Venetian merchant, Bakhita then came to Italy and became the nanny servant of Federico&rsquo;s daughter, Aurora, who had lost her mother at birth. She is treated as an outcast by the peasants and the other servants due to her black skin and African background, but Bakhita is kind and generous to others.
Bakhita gradually comes closer to God with the help of the kind village priest and embraces the Catholic faith. She requests to join the order of Canossian sisters, but Marin doesn&rsquo;t want to give her up as his servant, treating her almost as his property. This led to a moving court case that raised an uproar, impacting Bakhita&rsquo;s freedom and ultimate decision to become a nun. Pope John Paul II declared her a saint in the year 2000. Directed by Giacamo Campiotti (St. Giuseppe Moscati, Doctor Zhivago) and stars Fatou Kine Boye, Stefania Rocca, Fabio Sartor, Ettore Bassi, and Francesco Salvi.
PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: This movie is not rated, but has mature themes and was created with an adult audience in mind. It contains scenes, including violence, indicative of the life and times of the saint portrayed. We would recommend Parental Guidance and that parents preview it before watching with children.

Bakhita: From Slave to Saint - Film

<DIV>On August 9, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, killing tens of thousands of people in the blink of an eye, while fatally injuring and poisoning thousands more. Among the survivors was Takashi Nagai, a pioneer in radiology research and a convert to the Catholic Faith. Living in the rubble of the ruined city and suffering from leukemia caused by over-exposure to radiation, Nagai lived out the remainder of his remarkable life by bringing physical and spiritual healing to his war-weary people. A Song for Nagasaki tells the moving story of this extraordinary man, beginning with his boyhood and the heroic tales and stoic virtues of his family's Shinto religion. It reveals the inspiring story of Nagai's remarkable spiritual journey from Shintoism to atheism to Catholicism. Mixed with interesting details about Japanese history and culture, the biography traces Nagai's spiritual quest as he studied medicine at Nagasaki University, served as a medic with the Japanese army during its occupation of Manchuria, and returned to Nagasaki to dedicate himself to the science of radiology. The historic Catholic district of the city, where Nagai became a Catholic and began a family, was ground zero for the atomic bomb.After the bomb disaster that killed thousands, including Nagai's beloved wife, Nagai, then Dean of Radiology at Nagasaki University, threw himself into service to the countless victims of the bomb explosion, even though it meant deadly exposure to the radiation which eventually would cause his own death. While dying, he also wrote powerful books that became best-sellers in Japan. These included The Bells of Nagasaki, which resonated deeply with the Japanese people in their great suffering as it explores the Christian message of love and forgiveness. Nagai became a highly revered man and is considered a saint by many Japanese people.</DIV>

A Song for Nagasaki: The Story of Takashi Nagai a Scientist, Convert, and Survivor of the Atomic Bomb

<DIV>Italian Carmelite Antonio Maria Sicari''s vibrant biographies of saints&mdash;from Augustine to Catherine of Siena to Faustina Kowalska&mdash;have been read across Europe for decades. In How Saints Die, Sicari turns to the most difficult challenge in the life of a Christian: the hour of death.What he uncovers in this darkest moment, however, is not desolation, but inexplicable joy. "I have recounted the death of many saints," he writes, "but all of them have confirmed for me the truth of this ancient Christian intuition: in the death of a saint, it is death that dies!"With in-depth research and a flair for storytelling, Sicari brings before our eyes the gracious last hours of one hundred men and women&mdash;lovers and martyrs, thinkers and workers, ancients and moderns, old men and teens. Included are Kateri Tekakwitha, Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Teresa, Thomas Aquinas, Josephine Bakhita, J&eacute;r&ocirc;me Lejeune, Clare of Assisi, and many more. In each, a new shade of the divine light shines through.Those seeking insight into the mystery of death and suffering will find in this book not only wisdom, but rich and realistic consolation. Divided into brief, readable chapters organized by theme, the collection offers at every bend another fine-grained snapshot of a Christian fully alive.</DIV>

How Saints Die: 100 Stories of Hope

The Wedding of Magdeburg is no ordinary wedding. Germany, 1630: a world turned upside down by the Reformation. In the Free Imperial City of Magdeburg, one young bride is jilted on the eve of her nuptials, but as she waits for her groom to return, an even darker cloud looms: the Holy Roman Empire stands at the gates, ready to take the Protestant city as its own political &quot;bride&quot;. Will Magdeburg accept the proposal for the sake of peace, or will she rebel&mdash;and risk losing the battle altogether? This masterpiece by Nobel Prize nominee Gertrud von le Fort, elegantly translated by Chase Faucheux, has never before appeared in English. At once love story, political thriller, and historical study of war in the seventeenth century, it follows the Sack of Magdeburg, the tragic battle now considered one of the greatest massacres of the Thirty Years&#39; War. Le Fort, acclaimed author of&#160;TheSong at the Scaffold, takes a magnifying glass to the line that runs through every human heart&mdash;whether Protestant or Catholic, winning or losing, conquered or conquering. How do we find hope in the midst of destruction? How do we find freedom in total surrender? With wisdom, riveting storytelling, and incredible psychological subtlety, The Wedding of Magdeburg tabulates the spiritual cost of war and shows how grace can dramatically imbue even the darkest moments of history.

The Wedding of Magdeburg: A  Novel

Histories of the Catholic Church in the United States abound. Most suffer from an excess of either scholarly detachment or popular triumphalism. American Pilgrimage seeks instead to draw on the best of current scholarship to tell the story of the Church as it understands itself: the Body of Christ, divinely ordained yet marred by sin, charged with the mission of spreading the Gospel and building up the community of the faithful. In scope, American Pilgrimage narrates the story of the Church from the dramatic efforts at evangelization in the colonial period, to the Catholic urban villages of the immigrant Church, to the struggles to reimagine tradition in the late-20th century. In shape, it follows this story through the Augustinian contours of the ongoing struggle between the City of God and the City of Man&mdash;a struggle that takes place between the Church and the world, within the Church itself, and within the soul of every Christian.

American Pilgrimage

It is often said that one can find God in nature, but few have explored the theology behind such a common statement. Join us as Fr. John Nepil talks with Andrew Petiprin about the theological lessons and underpinnings of mountain hiking, which he details in his new book To Heights and Unto Depths. This book and the ensuing conversation artfully weave together theological insights and real-world experience.
 
Fr. Nepil and Andrew examine the spiritual benefits of the outdoors, both the joys of reaching the summit and the lows felt during arduous hours hiking. They also discuss the modern crisis of manhood, the responsibility of leadership, and how the works of theologians such as Von Balthasar, Cardinal Ratzinger, and Luigi Giussani can reveal spiritual wisdom found on the trail. For those who love the outdoors or theology, this episode is a must watch!
 
Get your copy of To Heights and Unto Depths: <a href='https://ignatius.com/to-heights-and-unto-depths-thudp/'>https://ignatius.com/to-heights-and-unto-depths-thudp/</a>
 
SUBSCRIBE to our channel and never miss an episode of the Ignatius Press Podcast.
You can also listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
Follow us on social media:
Twitter/X: <a href='https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress'>https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPress</a>
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Fr. John Nepil: Where Catholic Theology Meets Alpine Adventure

Welcome to the Ignatius Press Podcast! Ignatius Press has been faithfully publishing Catholic books, films, art, and more for over 40 years. With our extensive history, our library contains a wide variety of authors and titles, and we can’t wait to share them with you. On this podcast, we will feature author interviews for those who are interested in deepening their faith and learning more about Jesus Christ, his Church, and the rich Catholic intellectual and artistic tradition. We pray that this podcast will inspire and nourish your faith.

Ignatius Press Podcast

<DIV>Priesthood and crisis are two words that appear to be very closely related. Or so it has seemed for the past thirty years and more. The crisis in the priestly ministry is constantly showing new sides, however-the issue of the priest's own self-understanding, for example, the interplay of the various different vocations within the Church, and the struggle, in the face of a plethora of different offices and ministries, to discern what constitutes the specific priestly dimension and identity.Again and again, in his theological writings, Hans Urs von Balthasar has addressed the fundamental issues of of?ce and ministry, of priesthood and discipleship. He has uncovered the foundations from a biblical and theological historical perspective and has offered answers to the current problems of priestly existence. This book presents the confrontation with relevant trends, and at the same time the opposing current generated by von Balthasar, since he does not follow popular positions but instead gives us the very core of the Gospel and of revelation, like rye bread.In order to illuminate the spirituality and meaning of the life of the priest of today, von Balthasar goes back to the origins, to the apostles, to their calling, and above all to that moment from which their apostolic mission and their entire Christian existence originates, the Paschal mystery of Jesus. On the eve of his death, Jesus establishes the Eucharist and the priesthood; immediately after his Resurrection he bestows on the disciples the power to forgive sins, entrusts his sheep to Peter, and sends them out into the whole world. Thus von Balthasar considers the life and mission of today's priests in continuity not only with the first apostles, but above all, with Jesus himself. The person and mission of Jesus Christ stand at the center of priestly spirituality. Hence all the reaections in this work revolve unswervingly around Jesus Christ and his mission. Jesus is the source and norm of priestly existence. Only when God, made manifest in the figure of the Savior Jesus Christ, is understood as the center from which this priestly existence springs, and only when this enduring center is proclaimed, can the bold presumption of the Lord in entrusting his mission to weak men be understood in confident trust and attract new followers, even in lean times.</DIV>

Priestly Spirituality

<DIV> Theo-Logic is the third and crowning part of the great trilogy of the masterwork of theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, following his first two parts, The Glory of the Lord and Theo-Drama.Theo-Logic is a variation of theology, it being about not so much what man says about God, but what God speaks about Himself. Balthasar does not address the truth about God until he first reflects on the beauty of God (Glory of the Lord). Then he follows with his reflections on the great drama of our salvation and the goodness and mercy of the God who saves us (Theo-Drama). Now, in this work, he is ready to reflect on the truth that God reveals about Himself, which is not something abstract or theoretical, but rather the concrete and mysterious richness of God's being as a personal and loving God. </DIV>

Theo-Logic: Theological Logical Theory

#Metoo. Sexting pressure. The hook-up culture. Teenage depression. How did the culture become so toxic for women? And how did one man foresee this all so clearly 50 years ago? From the producer of the acclaimed documentary, Convinced, this powerful film reveals the devastating effects of the sexual revolution and the counter-cultural movement today that is rising from its ashes.
Some images were used in the creation of this video to reflect the serious nature of the content discussed in the video. Though these images are muted, it is advised that parents preview this content before deciding to view it with a younger audience.

Unprotected: A Pope, the Pill, and the Perils of Sexual Chaos

<DIV>The widely read author and philosopher Peter Kreeft presents a unique book about the important beliefs that Catholics and Protestants share in common. Inspired by Christ's prayer for unity in the Gospel of John and Saint John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint, Kreeft demonstrates that Christian reunification is possible. While he acknowledges that there are still significant differences between Catholics and Protestants, he emphasizes that they agree on the single most important issue: justification.The style of this book is modeled on Pascal, Solomon, and Jesus: short answers and single points to ponder rather than long strings of argument. The writing is direct, simple, and confrontational, but vertically rather than horizontally by ""directing arrows not against each other (Protestant or Catholic) but against our own hearts and minds and wills.""The purpose of this book, writes Kreeft, is to be ""like an Australian sheepdog, herding and hectoring Christ's separated sheep back to His face. For that is the only way they can ever return back to each other.""</DIV>

Catholics and Protestants: What Can We Learn from Each Other?

<DIV>"Don't be so judgmental!""Why are Christians so intolerant?""Why can't we just coexist?"In an age in which preference has replaced morality, many people find it difficult to speak the truth, afraid of the reactions they will receive if they say something is right or wrong. Using engaging stories and personal experience, Edward Sri helps us understand the classical view of morality and equips us to engage relativism, appealing to both the head and the heart. Learn how Catholic morality is all about love, why making a judgment is not judging a person's soul, and why, in the words of Pope Francis, "relativism wounds people." Topics include:&bull; Real Freedom, Real Love&bull; Sharing truth with compassion&bull; Why "I disagree" doesn't mean "I hate you"</DIV>

Who Am I to Judge?: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love

The Catholic Church invented what we know as the &ldquo;university,&rdquo; including the cultural tradition of free and open debate on disputed questions. Catholic colleges and universities thus stand poised to help reform institutions of higher learning at a moment of crisis in academic life throughout the western world.
In his commencement addresses to colleges and universities large and small, George Weigel challenges graduates to understand an academic degree as a summons to become the trustee of a great tradition. In his lectures to university audiences, Weigel addresses a host of issues in the contemporary Church and its interaction with the world with depth and insight.
Written in the vivid, often bracing style characteristic of one of contemporary Catholicism&rsquo;s leading intellectuals, these addresses and lectures exemplify what Pope St. John Paul II called the Catholic &ldquo;diakonia of the truth.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice: Commencement Addresses and University Lectures

<DIV>Three Approaches to Abortion will help you persuade others -including pro-choice Catholics - that abortion is an evil society cannot permit or tolerate. Abortion has been and remains a crucial issue in American politics. Unfortunately, many Americans don't see abortion for the evil it is - the unjust killing of millions of human beings each year. Even many Catholics have been confused by the 'pro-choice' (read: pro-abortion) rhetoric of those who say that they personally accept Catholic teaching about abortion, but they can't impose it on others. You've heard argument after argument about this topic. Maybe you think there is nothing more to say. Well, there is. Three Approaches to Abortion, by popular author Peter Kreeft, cuts through the nonsense of the 'pro-choice' position. He shows in an irrefutable way why abortion is evil and why it's illogical to support abortion rights while claiming to be "personally opposed to abortion." Kreeft's commonsense approach to the issue, his lucid arguments, easy-to-grasp illustrations and examples, and his thoughtful dialogue between a pro-lifer and a 'pro-choicer' make this book an invaluable tool in the pro-life cause. </DIV>

Three Approaches to Abortion: A Thoughtful and Compassionate Guide to Today's Most Controversial Issue

<DIV>One of Adrienne von Speyr's most cherished concerns was to rekindle Christians' desire for contemplation and thus to renew the Church's prayer. Light and Images is one of the most important of her works on the subject. She sets forth the deepest theological foundations of contemplative prayer according to the reciprocal relationship between "light" and "images".Like the simple images that open up infinite depths to the eye of faith, this little book contains an overwhelming wealth of insight into contemplation. One comes away from it with a vastly transformed understanding of the nature of prayer and an appreciation for its irreplaceable role in Christian life. With its disarmingly simple language, Light and Images is immediately accessible; and yet the new perspectives it offers on prayer surprise and challenge at every turn. The book is therefore both an incomparable introduction for those who wish to learn what it means to pray, and excellent spiritual reading for those seeking to draw more deeply from the Church's great treasury of prayer.</DIV>

Light and Images: Elements of Contemplation

<DIV>Foreword by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn Darwin’s theory of evolution remains controversial, even though most scientists, philosophers, and even theologians accept it, in some form, as an explanation for the variety of organisms. The controversy erupts when the theory is used to try to explain everything, including every aspect of human life, and to deny the role of a Creator or a purpose to life. The overreaching of many scientists into matters beyond the self-imposed limits of scientific method is perhaps explained in part by the loss of two important ideas in modern thinking—final causality or purpose, and formal causality. Scientists understandably bracket the idea out of their scientific thinking because they seek explanations on the level of material and efficient causes only. Yet many of them wrongly conclude from their selective study of the world that final and formal causes do not exist at all and that they have no place in the rational study of life. Likewise, many erroneously assume that philosophy cannot draw upon scientific findings, in light of final and formal causality, to better understand the world and man. The great philosopher and historian of philosophy, Étienne Gilson, sets out to show that final causality or purposiveness and formal causality are principles for those who think hard and carefully about the world, including the world of biology. Gilson insists that a completely rational understanding of organisms and biological systems requires the philosophical notion of teleology, the idea that certain kinds of things exist and have ends or purposes the fulfillment of which are linked to their natures—in other words, formal and final causes. His approach relies on philosophical reflection on the facts of science, not upon theology or an appeal to religious authorities such as the Church or the Bible. “The object of the present essay is not to make of final causality a scientific notion, which it is not, but to show that it is a philosophical inevitability and, consequently, a constant of biophilosophy, or philosophy of life. It is not, then, a question of theology. If there is teleology in nature, the theologian has the right to rely on this fact in order to draw from it the consequences which, in his eyes, proceed from it concerning the existence of God. But the existence of teleology in the universe is the object of a properly philosophical reflection, which has no other goal than to confirm or invalidate the reality of it. The present work will be concerned with nothing else: reason interpreting sensible experience—does it or does it not conclude to the existence of teleology in nature?” —Étienne Gilson</DIV>

From Aristotle to Darwin and Back Again: A Journey in Final Causality, Species and Evolution

Celebrated author Mary Eberstadt continues her ground-breaking examination of the legacy of the sexual revolution. The book&#39;s predecessor,&#160;Adam and Eve after the Pill&#160;(2012), dissected the revolution&#39;s microcosmic fallout via its empirical effects on the lives of men, women, and children. This follow-on book investigates the revolution&#39;s macrocosmic transformations in three spheres: society, politics, and Christianity. It also includes an analysis of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.With unflinching logic, Eberstadt summarizes the toll on Western society of today&#39;s fractured homes, feral children, and social isolates. Empathetic yet precise, she connects the dots between shrinking, broken families and rising sexual confusion, seen most recently in transgenderism and related phenomena. The book also traces the dissolution of the home to signature developments in Western politics, especially the increase in acrimony, polarization, street violence, and identity politics. The result is an indictment of the turn taken by much of the world following the post-1960s embrace of contraception and the stigmatization of traditional morality.The book&#39;s section on the revolution&#39;s infiltration of the churches is must-reading for anyone concerned about the fate of Western Christianity. In a moment when millions wonder whether the Catholic Church will retreat from age-old moral teachings,&#160;this book demands to be put at the center of discussion.Adam and Eve after the Pill, Revisited&#160;is both an indispensable blueprint for today&#39;s emerging revisionism, and a manifesto for a more humane order to come.

Adam and Eve after the Pill, Revisited

<DIV>Cardinal Schoenborn, who regularly gathers the people of his diocese in the beautiful medieval cathedral of Vienna, Austria, knows how to communicate the great Christian mysteries in modern ways. He has the gift to integrate contemporary everyday experience with the knowledge passed on from tradition and the great thinkers and theologians of the church.In this volume, focusing on the beauty and power of the Holy Eucharist, the renown Cardinal and prolific author also explores how these rituals often connect to the Jewish roots of the Christian story. Accessible to all those who want to know more about the essential source of Christian spirituality in order to elevate the depth of their experience in it, this work defines the origins of the Eucharist in the Passover celebration and the Last Supper, along with other key elements of the liturgy, including sacrifice, transubstantiation, the transformation of the bread and wine, and the significance of the Eucharist today.A readable, beautifully insightful book for everyone who desires to understand and experience more profoundly the central sacrament of Christian life.</DIV>

The Source of Life: Exploring the Mystery of the Eucharist

<DIV>God created man in his own image, and the profound implications of this assertion are the subject of this book. Drawing on philosophy, theology, science, Scripture and art, Cardinal Schönborn reflects on man as the greatest of God's creatures and on the Christian understanding of his incomparable dignity that flows from this truth. According to the Christian faith, all the works of God converge toward man, and find their goal in him. The world was made for man, and man was made for God. This "anthropocentrism" resounds like good news at a time when many find it hard to believe in God's special and personal providence for man. It is good news, indeed, that man has worth and his life has meaning because God bears an infinite love for him - a love which is the very origin of creation and is the reason for the work of redemption. Among the topics Cardinal Schonborn addresses are: Christ-the Loveliest of Men, The Exaltation of Man, The Basis of Man's Dignity, Faith in Art, God with a Human Face.   "Man is created by God and for God; he has an incomparable dignity because God, in creating him, has for him an infinite love, the very origin of creation and the reason for the work of redemption." - Cardinal Christoph Schonborn</DIV>

Man, The Image of God: The Creation of Man as Good News

<DIV>Why are Americans being forced to consider homosexual acts as morally acceptable? Why has the US Supreme Court discovered a constitutional right to same-sex "marriage", which until a decade ago, was unheard of in the history of Western or any other civilization? Where has the "gay rights" movement come from, and how has it so easily conquered America?The answers are in the dynamics of the rationalization of sexual misbehavior. The power of rationalization—the means by which one mentally transforms wrong into right—drives the gay rights movement, gives it its revolutionary character, and makes its advocates indefatigable. The homosexual cause moved naturally from a plea for tolerance to cultural conquest because the security of its rationalization requires universal acceptance. In other words, we all must say that the bad is good.At stake in the rationalization of homosexual behavior is reality itself, which is why it will have consequences that reach far beyond the issue at hand. Already America's major institutions have been transformed—its courts, its schools, its military, its civic institutions, and even its diplomacy. The further institutionalization of homosexuality will mean the triumph of force over reason, thus undermining the very foundations of the American Republic.</DIV>

Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם! Oh, you don't know Hebrew, you say? Well, it's what Jesus (and Mary) used to pray.

3: Hebrew for Dummies: Introduction

<DIV>A beautiful little book of brief meditations on the love of God by the Swiss spiritual writer, mystic and medical doctor von Speyr. These short "insights" are fruits of Adrienne's contemplative prayer that reflect her constant quest for an ever deeper union with God, a union of divine and human love that is shown in her life by her great compassion for others as seen in her tireless devotion to her many medical patients. She knew that in order to best serve others she must first serve and love God with all her heart, and thus her life and writings reveal the combination of a deep spiritual and practical approach to the meaning of love as seen in these wonderful, uplifting reflections that echo the inmost mystery of Christianity.</DIV>

Lumina and New Lumina

<DIV>"Life, in the end, has only one tragedy: not to have been a saint." – Léon BloyThe ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy; or to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.Kreeft admits that he is only a beginner on the climb to holiness, and it is to novices like him that he has written this engaging and encouraging book. Using the insights and experiences of saints and great spiritual writers throughout history, Kreeft shows what holiness is and how it can be achieved. He especially draws upon the spiritual classic Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. The core of Caussade's timeless gem is that God reveals himself to all of us through the daily events of our lives. The surest way toward spiritual growth, therefore, is by perceiving and accepting the merciful will of God in every situation.Kreeft stresses the simplicity of his approach to holiness, which focuses mainly on the virtue of love. Sanctity is love, he asserts, and only that can give us what we all long for—deep and lasting joy.</DIV>

How to Be Holy: First Steps in Becoming a Saint

<DIV>Jen Nilsson has an MBA, a nice condo, and a fast-track job at a tech start-up in Silicon Valley. If her big product launch goes well next month, she may finally land the marketing director job she's been gunning for.&#160; But then her younger sister, Katie, just out of college and estranged from their newly devout parents, blows through the front door, dumping cardboard boxes and a lifetime of personal drama onto Jen's just-swept floor.&#160;Family is family, and Jen lets her sister, the embodiment of all that annoys her, move in. Maybe she'll turn aimless Katie into a model adult. But when Jen's own well-laid career plans hurtle off the tracks&mdash;a corporate buyout, a layoff, and a disastrous business trip to China&mdash;she turns more and more to Katie for support and begins to reassess the place of family, and love, in her life.If You Can Get It explores the quirks and the humanity of the twenty-first-century business world but finds its heart in the deepening relationship of two sisters as different as Elinor and Marianne of Sense and Sensibility.</DIV>

If You Can Get It

<DIV>Intrigue or inexperience? Did key leaders of the recent Extraordinary Synod of Bishops try to manipulate the outcome to support a change in Catholic practice and perhaps in Catholic teaching on divorce and remarriage and same-sex activity? Did they undermine Pope Francis' vision of an "open" discussion? Critics claim Cardinal Baldissieri, the man Pope Francis trusted to oversee the Synod’s discussion of family issues, along with some of his associates, tried to predetermine the outcome of the Synod’s deliberations and its documents. Supporters say Cardinal Baldissieri was inexperienced at running a synod and any missteps were innocent mistakes. International reporter and analyst Edward Pentin investigates the allegations, accusations, and facts surrounding the controversial meeting of select bishops of the world.</DIV>

The Rigging of a (2014) Vatican Synod?: An Investigation of Alleged Manipulation at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family

Daisy

Billboard Chris

The Transgender Explosion

The Autism Factor

The Cool Factor

"I want people to know I exist"

The Porn Effect

The Trauma Factor

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Cognitive Therapy

"Affirmation" "Care"

Stereotypes

"Conversion" Therapy

The Suicide Threat

The Philosophy of Trans

The Motive for Separation

The Pill

Transhumanism

A War with Reality

"It is a Cult"

The School Problem

The Consequences of Conquering Nature

Redemption

Daisy 2022

Over the past few years, a transgender tsunami has swept the nation, completely overtaking the medical, educational, and counseling industries, and forever altering hundreds of thousands of young girls&rsquo; lives. What is going on? How did it come to this? And who is behind it? Filmmaker and father Don Johnson traveled the country to find out.
Featuring stories and insight from Daisy Strongin, Billboard Chris Elston, Ryan T. Anderson, Abigail Favale, Walt Heyer, Maria Keffler, Erin Brewer, Christopher West, Patrick Lappert, Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, Carl Trueman, Carl Olson, Billy Burleigh, Gary Michuta, Margaret McCarthy, Branda Lebsack, Michael Hanby, and Benjamin Wiker.
DISCLAIMER: This documentary contains graphic content that might not be suitable for some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

Dysconnected: The Real Story Behind the Transgender Explosion

<DIV>"At every stage of my life as a man, a Christian, a monk, an abbot, I have found Saint Peter to be a companion to walk ahead of me... Peter is the Gospel saint who is more 'us' than any other, closer to our own humanity, yet so close to Christ. Peter is the one we can always follow." — Dom Mauro-Giuseppe LeporiSimon Peter, the fisherman who was both attracted to Jesus and repelled by his own weakness, who in faith walked on the water and in fear began to sink; the ardent disciple who promised to die for His Lord and then moments later betrayed Him, who needed to reaffirm his yes to God over and over again, even unto a martyr's death: Is this not a model for many of us who desire to love and trust the Lord completely, yet who struggle daily to pick up our cross and follow Him?Abbot Lepori's meditation on the relationship between our Lord and Saint Peter invites us to consider our own relationship with Christ. As he imaginatively retells the well-known stories from the Gospels, he revivifies them and makes them present to us, deepening our understanding of the calling we have received from Jesus and strengthening our confidence that the Lord will, indeed, bring to completion the work of love He has begun in us. "You are carried into the events narrated here... and you see them with your own eyes and heart, more than if you had been there." —from the Foreword by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice</DIV>

Simon Called Peter: In the Company of a Man in Search of God

<DIV>The generation of Catholics who have come of age since Vatican II is different in many respects from Catholics of their parents' generation. These younger Catholics have grown up in a world - and a Church - which has changed tremendously in a very short period of time. They were raised in a society which encouraged them to question what their parents accepted on faith. They were formed by a system of religious education which was in many ways struggling to keep up with rapid social change. John Paul II is a pope for these times. He recognizes that today's young people have many questions. He sees emerging in them a deep and sincere faith struggling for definition and for support. In response, he has designated a special, bi-annual event - World Youth Day, where he comes to youth to bring the truth and the love of the Roman Catholic Church. In this book, Mary Beth Bonacci joins with John Paul II in bringing young Catholics a clearer understanding of the Church and their role in it. She takes his quotes from the five World Youth Day events and "unpacks" them, explaining the truths of the faith clearly and concisely. This book is perfect for the Catholics of "Generation X" - and for Catholic "youth" of any age who wish to understand and to deepen their faith. "Bonacci conveys the pope's message with excitement and verve. I wish I had this book as a teenager. Mary Beth speaks to teens with a rare openess and understanding." -Karl Keating, Author, Catholicism & Fundamentalism"A long overdue, down to earth but precise presentation of the truths of our Catholic Faith, not only for young people, but even for older folk who may have never been presented with the solid content of the Church's faith." - Rev. Msgr. Michael Wrenn, Author, Catechisms and Controversies</DIV>

We're on a Mission from God: The Generation X Guide to John Paul II and the Real Meaning of Life

<DIV>Revised and Expanded Edition In this new revised edition of his groundbreaking work, Professor J. Budziszewski questions the modern assumption that moral truths are unknowable. With clear and logical arguments he rehabilitates the natural law tradition and restores confidence in a moral code based upon human nature. What We Can't Not Know explains the rational foundation of what we all really know to be right and wrong and shows how that foundation has been kicked out from under western society. Having gone through stages of atheism and nihilism in his own search for truth, Budziszewski understands the philosophical and personal roots of moral relativism. With wisdom born of both experience and rigorous intellectual inquiry, he offers a firm foothold to those who are attempting either to understand or to defend the reasonableness of traditional morality. While natural law bridges the chasms that can be caused by religious and philosophical differences, Budziszewski believes that natural law theory has entered a new phase, in which theology will again have pride of place. While religious belief might appear to hamper the search for common ground, Budziszewski demonstrates that it is not an obstacle, but a pathway to apprehending universal norms of behavior. </DIV>

What We Can't Not Know: A Guide

<DIV> Von Balthasar speaks from the heart in an interview giving his views on some of the most controversial topics of the day: the Jews, the anti-Roman attitude, sexuality, liberation, theology and others. Known for his vast theological works and wide-ranging intellect, von Balthasar continues to show his ability to address critical issues facing today's Church in a clear, concise and readable manner. </DIV>

Test Everything; Hold Fast to What Is Good

For generations, science has ignored the concept of creation because doing otherwise would beg the question... of a Creator. Today, however, we have compelling evidence&mdash;from science itself&mdash;for a beginning and fine-tuning of the universe. The insights are complementary, and that very fact provides evidence of a transcendent, intelligent Creator.&nbsp;Cosmic Origins explores those insights.
Executive producer Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., is a philosopher, educator, author, and former president of Gonzaga University. He is founder and president of the Magis Institute for Faith and Reason, an organization dedicated to public education on the relationship among the disciplines of physics, philosophy, reason, and faith. This fascinating film features Fr. Spitzer and a group of physicists and academic heavyweights exploring modern scientific theories about how the universe came to exist.
Joining Fr. Spitzer are Nobel Laureate Arno Penzias (who discovered the background radiation from the Big Bang), Templeton Prize winners John Polkinghorne (Cambridge) and Michael Heller (Vatican Observatory), Owen Gingerich (Harvard), Lisa Randall (Harvard), Jennifer Wiseman (NASA), and Stephen Barr (University of Delaware), who narrates the film. Throughout the journey, viewers learn that modern scientific paths point toward a very Christian understanding of how we came to be.
Cosmic Origins explains what we know about the beginning and nature of the universe as well as its transcendent implications in clear, easy-to-understand terms. The film weaves together a compelling narrative from academics and credentialed scientists pointing toward a very Christian understanding of how the universe came to exist. Cosmic Origins expertly conveys a vital and important message for everyone: our Christian faith is not disproven by modern science but rather corroborated by it.

Cosmic Origins

<DIV>Don Juan of Austria, one of history's most triumphant and inspiring heroes, is reborn in this opulent novel by Louis de Wohl. Because of the circumstances of his birth, this last son of Emperor Charles the Fifth spent his childhood in a Spanish peasant's hut. Acknowledged by King Philip as his half-brother, the attractive youth quickly became a central figure in a Court where intrigues and romances abounded. Don Juan's intelligence, kindness and devout attachment to the Church enabled him to live unscathed in an environment of luxury, violence and treachery. De Wohl paints in brilliant color the vivid scenes and characters at the Court of King Philip, Juan's campaign against rebel Moriscos in Andalusia, and the amazing climactic victory at Lepanto where he saved the Christian world from Islamic dominance. Here is a novel of high adventure which brings to life the turbulence of the sixteenth century with its conflicts of wickedness and piety, its sins of pride and conquest, its seething heresies and its great faith. </DIV>

The Last Crusader: A Novel about Don Juan of Austria

<DIV> Theo-Logic is the third and crowning part of the great trilogy of the masterwork of theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, following his first two parts, The Glory of the Lord and Theo-Drama. This is the third volume of Theo-Logic.Theo-Logic is a variation of theology, it being about not so much what man says about God, but what God speaks about himself. Balthasar does not address the truth about God until he first reflects on the beauty of God (The Glory of the Lord). Then he follows with his reflections on the great drama of our salvation and the goodness and mercy of the God who saves us (Theo-Drama). Now, in this work, he is ready to reflect on the truth that God reveals about himself, which is not something abstract or theoretical, but rather the concrete and mysterious richness of God's being as a personal and loving God. </DIV>

<DIV>Distractions, fatigue, boredom at Sunday worship-maybe we experience these because we don't fully appreciate what's going on at Mass. Howard's profound and practical look at the liturgy focuses our wandering minds. It reminds us that at Mass the veil separating earth and heaven lifts, so that we stand with angels and saints in the presence of God Most High.</DIV>

If Your Mind Wanders at Mass

<DIV>Unbelievers, doubters and skeptics continue to attack the truths of Christianity. Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is the only book that categorizes and summarizes all the major arguments in support of the main Christian beliefs, including key distinctively Catholic doctrines. Also included is a Protestant-friendly treatment of Catholic-Protestant issues. The Catholic answers to Protestant questions show how Catholicism is the fullness of the Christian faith.An expanded, Catholic edition of the popular book Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is full of the wisdom and wit, clarity and insight of philosophers Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli. This is an informative and valuable guidebook for anyone looking for answers to questions of faith and reason. Whether you are asking the questions yourself or want to respond to others who are, here is the resource you have been waiting for.Topics include:<ul><li>Faith and reason</li><li>The existence of God</li><li>God's nature</li><li>Creation and evolution</li><li>Providence and free will</li><li>Miracles</li><li>Problem of evil</li><li>Bible's historical reliability</li><li>Divinity of Christ</li><li>Christ's resurrection</li><li>Life after death</li><li>Heaven, hell, purgatory</li><li>Salvation</li><li>Christianity and other religions</li><li>Objective truth</li><li>Sacramentalism</li><li>The Eucharist and the Real Presence of Jesus</li><li>Mary's role in the Christian order</li><li>The authority of the Church</li><li>Communion of saints</li><li>Faith and works</li><li>Catholicism as Complete Christianity</li></ul></DIV>

Handbook of Catholic Apologetics: Reasoned Answers to Questions of Faith

<DIV>Fr. Florian Racine offers us a beautiful formation guide on Eucharistic adoration that will help us to practice it in all its depth, and with a missionary perspective.God has made himself particularly close to mankind in Jesus his Son. The redemptive Incarnation of his Son is how God reconciles mankind with himself. The memorial of the Passover of Christ is therefore at the heart of our relationship with God. In the Blessed Sacrament, the resurrected Jesus is really present and acting; he draws all mankind into his filial relationship with the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit.Thus, following the plan of God, Catholics put the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, and take time to adore Jesus in the Holy Sacrament. The adorer wants to abide within the dynamic life of the Eucharist, just as he desires that the Eucharist transform his whole life. Adoration and Eucharistic life transform believers into the image of Christ.The author invites us on an itinerary, a journey of faith, in fifty-two stagesas many as the weeks in a year. He starts by showing how the Word of God is made present in the Eucharist, and then he invites us to mature in faith and to be transformed by a greater communion with Christ.</DIV>

Could You Not Watch with Me One Hour?: How to Cultivate a Deeper Relationship with the Lord through Eucharistic Adoration

Ask any celebrity: Famous people are the saddest on earth. Yet so many of us still long for fame. Here's the only way to get what you're REALLY looking for. (Hint: It isn't surgery.)

12: How to Get Famous (in Heaven)

There is a lot of unreliable information in this day and age. To combat this problem, Father encourages us to form your own NRI (Network of Reliable Information).

86: Creating a Network of Reliable Information

<DIV>"The works of mercy provide us with the opportunity to let every person know he is a child of God and a brother in Christ. From the works of mercy will emerge a community of love and peace centered on Christ." -Fr. Andrew ApostoliAccording to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus will judge us on the basis of whether or not we fed him when he was hungry, gave him drink when he was thirsty, welcomed him when he was a stranger, clothed him when he was naked, and visited him when he was sick or in prison. What we have done for others, he will tell us, we have done for him. The Catholic Church has traditionally called these six acts of kindness-along with a seventh, burying the dead -- the "Corporal Works of Mercy." In this down-to-earth yet inspiring guide, Father Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R., explains the Corporal Works of Mercy and illustrates multiple ways we can do them in our modern everyday life. Father Apostoli also outlines the lesser-known but equally important "Spiritual Works of Mercy": counseling the doubtful, teaching the ignorant, admonishing the sinner, consoling the afflicted, forgiving offenses, bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead. And he offers many creative ways these too can be made part of our lives. As a founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Father Apostoli knows firsthand about the challenges and rewards of caring for those in physical or spiritual need. His order is dedicated to the works of mercy, and Father Apostoli brings to his subject a great wealth of spiritual and practical wisdom gained from personal experience. </DIV>

What to Do When Jesus is Hungry: A Practical Guide to the Works of Mercy

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Want to know more about AI? Then join Fr. Fessio as he begins a series of episodes on artificial intelligence. Today, Father discusses how AI is dependent on a computer.

104: Making Artificial Intelligence Simple

<DIV>Through her EWTN television and radio network that now spans the globe, millions of people look to the beloved Mother Angelica every day for inspiration and help with the problems of day to day life. Before she founded EWTN, Mother Angelica was author of extremely popular spiritual booklets of which there are more than 20 million in print.This wonderful book combines Mother Angelica's timeless wisdom and insights drawn from her deep faith and personal suffering and experiences to offer practical answers to life's dilemmas, large and small. Examples of her topics include: What's the secret to true joy  How to get love by learning how to give love  How to change the channel on needless guilt  How freedom can lead us to Heaven or hell  How to overcome lust  How to forgive those who hurt us  Why am I afraid to die"More and more people have learned-often the hard way-that the promises of this world are empty promises. I don't believe in the promises of this world. I believe in answers. I believe there are answers. That's why I wrote this book. We are called to embrace the answers that even now lie within our grasp." -Mother Angelica</DIV>

Mother Angelica's Answers, Not Promises: Straightforward Solutions to Life's Puzzling Problems

Who wrote the Bible? God? People? The answer is yes. And it's better that way.

51: God Wants Co-writers

<DIV>“Test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from evil.’’ 1 Thessalonians 5:21The renowned Cardinal George Pell, formerly Archbishop of Sydney and recently appointed by Pope Francis as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy at the Vatican, challenges readers with the admonition of Saint Paul to “test everything”. These powerful reflections consider some of the ultimate questions that confront us all: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What is the good we should do and the evil we should avoid?Reaching out to youth, as well as to people of all ages, faiths, and experiences, Cardinal Pell uses an engaging style mixed with a keen Aussie wit. He writes as a seasoned story-teller, an expert historian, an insightful scholar, a patriot par excellence, and an outstanding Churchman.His advice to all is credible, practical, and helpful: Search for genuine love. Do not follow the crowd. Remember to pray. He reminds Christians, “Every lover must be a fighter. . . . We know that evil will triumph if good people do nothing.” To those harboring doubts or tempted to disbelief he brings steadfast encouragement. “The Christian vision does not deceive,” he writes, “if it comes slowly, wait, for it will come without fail.”Among the many interesting topics he discusses are the Trinity, the meaning of suffering, the relationship between faith and science, the role of Christians in public life, and the enduring wisdom of Humanae Vitae.Cardinal Pell’s overall message points us to the Cross of Christ as the unique and final measure of what it means to be human, and thus holy. Cardinal Pell, modern man of faith, vision and action, inspires readers to go deeper and to “test everything”.</DIV>

Test Everything: Hold Fast to What Is Good

<DIV>The ಜNew Atheistsಝ are pulling no punches. If the world of nature needs a designer, they ask, then why wouldn't the designer itself need a designer, too? Or if it can exist without any designer behind it, then why can't we just say the same for the universe and wash our hands of a designer altogether?Interweaving its pursuit of the First Cause with personal stories and humor, this ground-breaking book takes a fresh approach to ultimate questions. While attentive to empirical science, it builds its case not on authoritative pronouncements of experts that readers must take on faith, but instead on a nuanced understanding of universal principles implicit in everyone's experience.Here is essential reading for all people who care about contemplating God, not exclusively as a best-explanation for the findings of science, but also as the surprising-yet-inevitable implication of our commonsense contact with reality. Augros harnesses such intellects as Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas, ushering into the light a wealth of powerful inferences that have hitherto received little or no public exposure. The result is an easygoing yet extraordinary journey, beginning from the world as we all encounter it and ending in the divine mind.</DIV>

Who Designed the Designer?: A Rediscovered Path to God's Existence

<DIV>Popular author and presenter Patrick Madrid draws Life Lessons from the many interesting, funny, instructive, and poignant experiences of his life. With wisdom and good humor, Patrick reflects upon the treasure trove of riches we can all take from our daily lives.Grounded in Scripture and a firm moral foundation, Patrick's Life Lessons shows how the smallest stories that make up your life are clear pointers to the greater story of God's work in your life. The laughter, the tears, and the beauty of life come alive through Patrick's insightful and clear style. These life lessons will inspire you to look anew at your everyday experiences-and see the wonder of God.</DIV>

Life Lessons: Fifty Things I Learned in My First Fifty Years

<DIV>Bishop Schoenborn, editor of the monumental Catechism of the Catholic Church, presents profound reflections on the meaning of death, judgment and eternal life, and the Church's teachings on this eschatological dimension of our faith. Lamenting the absence today of sermons and writings on this important subject, Schoenborn meets that need by delving deeply into the Church's rich tradition of thought on life beyond death.Today, language about man's pilgrim path, about his homeland in heaven, of earthly tribulation and hope for life beyond death, has become largely a foreign language in the Christian churches. It is only seldom that a sermon dares to look out on the vista of eternal life. It seems that fear of being accused of dispensing a consolation in a life after death and of fleeing from the world has become to a large extent a self-censorship.Bishop Schoeborn says that this "eschatological amnesia" is one reason why many people no longer turn to the Church when they want information about the last things. In this book, Schoenborn shows that Jesus Christ is the focal point of the Christian vision of life on earth and life after death. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who discloses to us what "existence in transition" means.</DIV>

From Death to Life: The Christian Journey

"In my flesh," St. Paul says, "I complete what is lacking in Christ's" . . . joy?

46: Can We Help Jesus to Rejoice? (Colossians Up Close, pt. 9)

Galatians 5 tells us to walk—together, like soldiers.

52: You Have to March to Be Christian

The Dynamics of the Liturgy is a constructive critique of the post&ndash;Vatican II liturgical reform through the lens of Joseph Ratzinger&#39;s liturgical and sacramental theology&mdash;written by a former student of the great pope emeritus. For Ratzinger, liturgy is the oxygen of the sacraments, and his sacramental theology, still largely unknown, is the key to understanding his theology of liturgy.This work highlights the specifically ritual dimension of liturgy, and the significance this has for Pope Benedict XVI&#39;s proposed &quot;reform of the reform&quot;. Father Vincent Twomey warns that the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Roman Rite&mdash;which Pope Benedict XVI had promoted to enrich liturgical practice&mdash;are dangerously drifting apart rather than, as the pope emeritus intended, complementing each other as part of an authentic renewal of the liturgy.

The Dynamics of the Liturgy: Joseph Ratzinger's Theology of Liturgy

This year, a high-school girl made a glorious prom dress out of DUCT TAPE. Impossible? That's what we're called to do with the ugly, gray material of our lives. That is holiness.

27: How to Make Tough Things Beautiful

<DIV>Recent popes have challenged all Catholics to ; participate in the New Evangelization. But most Catholics feel ill-equipped to take up the challenge. Terry Barber, founder of St. Joseph Communications, has written a practical guide that takes much of the pain and uncertainty out of sharing one's faith. Based on Barber's decades of personal experience as an effective evangelist and masterful communicator, and drawing on the perceptions, examples, and lessons of other great evangelists and apologists, How to Share Your Faith with Anyone informs, entertains, and inspires would-be, as well as, seasoned evangelists and teachers.Barber uses clear examples and insightful stories to explain such topics as:<ul><li>What evangelization is</li><li>Why Catholics often don't evangelize</li><li>Preparing to be an evangelist</li><li>The eight laws of effectively sharing the faith with anyone</li><li>Jesus the perfect Evangelizer</li><li>The heart of evangelization</li><li>How to share your personal testimony</li></ul>Barber explains how to bring people to Christ and to his Church without compromise or conflict. This is a superb, easy-to-follow playbook for the New Evangelization.</DIV>

How to Share Your Faith with Anyone: A Practical Manual of Catholic Evangelization

<DIV>Michael Behe, William Dembski, Stephen MeyerAs progress in science continues to reveal unimagined complexities, three scientists revisit the difficult and compelling question of the origin of our universe. As mathematician, biochemist, and philosopher of science, they explore the possibility of developing a reliable method for detecting an intelligent cause and evidence for design at the origin of life. In the process, they present a strong case for opening and pursuing a fruitful exchange between science and theology.Mathematician William Dembski, author of The Design Inference, first argues that new developments in the information sciences make intelligent design objectively and scientifically detectable-he identifies the signs of design. Next, philosopher of science, Stephen Meyer, and biochemist Michael Behe, author of Darwin's Black Box, argue that these signs are now clearly evident in both the architecture of the universe and the features of living systems. Other essays by the authors defend the scientific status of the theory of intelligent design and show how that theory supports traditional religious belief without necessarily "proving" the existence of God. In a concluding essay, Michael Behe responds to critics of his best selling book, Darwin's Black Box, thus bringing readers up-to-date on the status of the contemporary design argument in biology. </DIV>

Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe

Most of us have forgotten how to praise and, therefore, how to be happy. Let's change that right now. How? The Psalms.

20: PRAISE 101—What the Psalms teach us about happiness

1. The Meeting

2. Is “Mere Christianity” a Mere Mirage?

3. Debating the Differences꞉ The Agenda

4. Graham’s Faith and Lewis’ Critique

<DIV>In this engaging fictional conversation, Peter Kreeft gives credible voices to C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Billy Graham as they discuss one of the most contentious questions in the history of Christianity: Is Jesus symbolically or substantially present in the Eucharist?These widely respected modern Christian witnesses represent three important Western theological traditions. Graham, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who traversed the world and the airwaves to spread the good news of salvation, represents evangelical Protestantism. Lewis, an Oxford professor, a prolific Christian apologist, and the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was a member of the Church of England. Also an Oxford don, Tolkien was a friend of Lewis, the author of The Lord of the Rings, and a Roman Catholic.While Lewis and Tolkien likely discussed the Eucharist during their long friendship, the conversation in this book never took place&mdash;but it could have, says Kreeft, who faithfully presents the views of these three impressive men.</DIV>