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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

<DIV>Following up her very popular book about the happiness of the contemplative life, A Right to be Merry, Mother Mary Francis tells the story of how a cloistered Poor Clare Community, wholly content to stay where it was, is called forth by God to go abroad and found five more contemplative communities. In her own charming way, she relates the story not only about the spiritual adventure of one contemplative nun, but also about the spread of the contemplative life from New Mexico to Holland. Throughout the book she weaves spiritual themes about the call each person receives from God to venture forth into new revelations of himself made fully possible only by his consent to go beyond the confinements of his own life plan into the broader acres of God's unfolding designs. </DIV>

Forth and Abroad: Still Merry, On Land and By Sea

<DIV>This is one of a two-volume collection of texts and documents issued by the International Theological Commission (ITC), a body of theologians that advises the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The texts and documents of the ITC address pressing theological issues, drawing upon theological experts from around the world who represent differing branches of theology yet who share a common commitment to authentically-Catholic theological reflection. Volume 2, 1986-2007, includes texts and documents exploring the following themes: faith and inculturation, the interpretation of dogma, eschatology, God the Redeemer, Christianity and world religions, the Church and the faults of the past, the diaconal ministry, human beings as the image of God, and the hope for the salvation of unbaptized infants. "The special contribution of the Commission is to gain a hearing for the common voice of theology amid all the diversities that exist. For notwithstanding the legitimate pluralism of theological cultures in the Church, the unity of theology must remain, and empower theologians to offer some common account of their subject. In these pages, therefore, one will not find the exciting theses of innovative individuals. If there is excitement here, it lies in the discovery that even in our contemporary situation it is possible to say something together despite all our differences and so to take part together in a further exploration of the one faith of the Church. All the texts which follow are the fruit of a long and often difficult dialogue. In that dialogue, not only have various disciplines, methods and ways of thought found a common path. Over and above that, the wider dialogue of theologians with the bishops, as well as between bishops and the Petrine office in the Church, has found a voice. It is precisely for this reason that the Theological Commission represents an authentic continuation of the great experience of the Council and a clarification of its true bearing." �Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger from the Preface to Volume One</DIV>

International Theological Commission: Texts and Documents 1987-2007

How can the historical critical method enhance our understanding of Scripture without detracting from it? Find out in this episode!

93: The Historical Critical Method

<DIV>Following up his first book, Paradoxes of Faith, containing wonderful, short reflections on themes of Christianity and the spiritual life, this second book presents more thought-provoking gems that once again illustrate the magnificent language, clarity, spiritual understanding and shrewd discernment of the great theologian and spiritual writer Henri de Lubac, S.J.These insights by Father de Lubac on a variety of subjects are rich and profound meditations, aphorisms and pieces of wisdom that express the freshness, incongruities and challenges of life. This is a book of inspiration by a master of the spiritual life that provides excellent material for prayer and meditation, as well as great homily ideas for the clergy.</DIV>

More Paradoxes

<DIV>Spiritual writer, theologian, and philosopher Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our moral and spiritual transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness. The book is divided into two main parts: the realities of God's goodness and of spiritual evil, and recognizing and overcoming diabolical tactics, which range from temptation and deception to the Deadly Sins.Father Spitzer shows readers how to experience God's peace even during times of suffering and persecution. He examines the basics of the spiritual life and Christian mysticism, including the contemplative dimension. He explains the purgative, illuminative, and unitive aspects of spirituality, as well as the Lord's consolation and the passive Dark Night of the Spirit.Father Spitzer provides the biblical and theological background of Jesus' victory over Satan. The author also explores the reality of the Devil, including extraordinary manifestations of diabolic activity such as possession. He recalls the true story of the famous possession case on which the novel and film The Exorcist were based.In the final sections of the book the author explains:<ul><li>how diabolical spiritual forces operate</li><li>how temptation works, and what to do to defeat it</li><li>the "deadly sins" and how to overcome them</li></ul></DIV>

Christ Versus. Satan in Our Daily Lives: The Cosmic Struggle Between Good and Evil

<a href='https://www.ignatius.com/Saints-P3499.aspx'>https://www.ignatius.com/Saints-P3499.aspx </a>
Let's talk about saints!
Jesus told us to be perfect, and the Second Vatican Council highlighted this command by speaking of the universal call to holiness for all Christians. How do we answer this call? One great way is to learn from and pray with the saints, the ordinary men and women who fought the good fight to be holy until the end of their lives, and won.
The saints have inspired Christians for more than two thousand years because they show us what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ despite countless challenges and obstacles. This unique book contains short biographies of several saints, along with prayers to each one, for every day of the year. It also provides definitions of Church terms and other helpful back - ground information.
The saints in this collection come from every period of Church history and all walks of life. They represent numerous countries, cultures, age groups, and vocations. They show us that holiness truly is a path open to anyone, and by their example and prayers they help us to follow it.

Interview with Dawn Beutner on her book, ”Saints”

<DIV>What are two sisters of uncertain fortunes to do when the death of their father exiles their family to live in the countryside of southwestern England? Why, fall in love, of course! Through her deft unraveling of the dramatically different romantic fates of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Jane Austen displays her singular mastery of the English language and her equally masterful invention of colorful and realistic characters. The authors appreciation of what it is to be human, grounded in her deeply convicted Christianity, illuminates the tale with special wisdom. In this, her first published novel, we see the sense and sensibility of Miss Austen herself, which combine to form the brilliance that shines forth in all of her worksa brilliance enlivened by her remarkable sense of humor and the affectionate kindness that could only be born of a gracious Christian spirit.</DIV>

Sense and Sensibility

<DIV>A Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar, and devout Catholic tells you everything you need to know about keeping your faith at a modern university. Drawing on her recent experience, Aurora Griffin shares forty practical tips relating to academics, community, prayer, and service that helped her stay Catholic in college.She reminds us that keeping the faith is a conscious decision, reinforced by commitment to daily practices. Aurora’s story illustrates that when you decide your faith matters to you, no one can take it away, even in the most secular environments and under strong peer pressure. Throughout the book, she shows how being Catholic in college did not prevent her from having a full “college experience,” but actually enabled her to make the most of her time at Harvard.Aurora encourages students who are about to begin this formative journey, or those now in college, that the most valuable parts of college life -- lasting friendships, intellectual growth, and cherished memories -- are experienced in a more meaningful way when lived in and through the Catholic faith.</DIV>

How I Stayed Catholic at Harvard: 40 Tips for Faithful College Students

<DIV>The title of this book is a short question. In its longer form, the question would be: "In the changed circumstances after the 2ndVatican Council-with its theme of aggiornamento or ಘupdating', especially in the areas of the Bible, the Liturgy, Ecumenism, and openness to the modern world-what does it really mean to be a Christian today?" Balthasar begins by acknowledging the confusion of many in the post-Conciliar period. He then describes the valuable contributions of the Council in those four areas. But he also describes their "shadows": what could go wrong and often did go wrong. Finally he points out the path to genuine renewal in the personal life of the Christian and in the Christian's service of the world.Among the key topics and issues Balthasar discusses that are important for the authentic renewal of the Christian life include: The Primacy of Contemplation, Who Is a ಘಘMature Christian''?, Love, The Form of the Christian Life, How Should a Christian Serve the World-and How Not?, Despite Everything, a Single Commitment , and Prayer, Hope, and the Profane. "We must therefore resolve to turn around and approach what seemed to be behind us as something before us. To have the question before us, ಘWho is a Christian?', together with our effort to answer it, is the right approach, for the answer will necessarily come to us from the source from which our Christian life itself is given, namely, God's living Word . . . We rightly find God in the sign of Word and Sacrament, but only in order to seek him ever more passionately where he is not and where we must bring him. Or, rather where he already dwells unseen, and where we must discover him." -Hans Urs von Balthasar</DIV>

Who Is a Christian?

<DIV>St. Philip Neri is one of the best-loved saints of all time. Known as the ಘApostle of Rome', he set in motion a great renewal of Christianity at the heart of the Church's capital city during the 1500's. St. Philip's foundation of the Oratory began by stimulating young laymen to conversion, prayer, and apostolic works, and through them gradually brought about a reform of the entire Church, at all levels of society. St. Philip inspired many through his words, his miracles and his spiritual gifts, which show many similarities with other great saints such as Padre Pio and St. John Vianney. This account of Philip's life, written by his disciple Antonio Gallonio soon after the saint's death, captures well his holy zeal for God's work in the face of a corrupt and decadent Rome; his great sense of humor, which he would often use to remind people of hidden spiritual realities; and the many extraordinary miracles and conversions wrought by St. Philip both during his lifetime and after his death. This is the first ever English translation of the affectionate biography, published originally in Latin in the Jubilee Year 1600. Unusually for the time, it was written in chronological order; it also bears the original footnotes by Gallonio, in which he refers to eyewitnesses and makes comparisons with the lives of canonized saints, intending thereby to assist in the promotion of Philip's cause for elevation to the altars. Additional notes and a comprehensive index make this a most interesting and useful book for devotees of St. Philip, as well as a very readable introduction to the saint for those who do not yet know him. </DIV>

The Life of St. Philip Neri

<DIV>In the twelve months before his sudden death, Hans Urs von Balthasar had been writing a series of reflections on the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed. These texts, which are undoubtedly among the last things he wrote, take on the character of a legacy, a spiritual testament. For they amount in their extraordinary compactness and depth to a little "summa" of his theology. What he had set out in detail in numerous books over five decades, he summarizes here in contemplative plainness and simplicity. All the characteristics that make von Balthasar's work so distinctive and valuable are to be found here: breadth of vision, loveliness of style, and an intuitive-contemporary passion that allows him to "pray intellectually and think 'cordially'." In his warm and extensive introduction to the book, Medard Kehl speaks of von Balthasar's "unclouded, almost childlike joy in the richness and beauty of the Mystery" of the threefold God, which "is evidenced in his interpretation of the creed." </DIV>

Credo: Meditations on the Apostles' Creed

<DIV>The Mass and the Saints is a work both of deep spirituality and profound insight into the glories of the Church's liturgy. It brings together passages from great spiritual writers throughout the ages, from all centuries in which the Mass has been offered. Every aspect and part of the Mass is covered, the quotations forming a continuous commentary on the central action of the Church's worship. Most of the authors are canonized saints of the Church, and many are doctors of the Church. Included are Church Fathers such as St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. Gregory the Great; great scholars of the Middle Ages such as St. Anselm, St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas; and more modern figures such as Prosper Gueranger and Pope John XXIII. The quotations have been selected and freshly translated by Fr. Thomas Crean. These writings will nourish understanding and appreciation of the Mass, and also aid prayer and contemplation. "[This book] reminds the reader of the huge supply of enriching aspects at every Mass that are often easy to miss." The Catholic Sun</DIV>

The Mass and the Saints

<DIV>Cardinal Christoph Schönborn's article on evolution and creation in The New York Times launched an international controversy. Critics charged him with biblical literalism and 'creationism'. In this book, Cardinal Schönborn responds to his critics by tackling the hard questions with a carefully reasoned "theology of creation". Can we still speak intelligently of the world as 'creation' and affirm the existence of the Creator, or is God a 'delusion'? How should an informed believer read Genesis? If God exists, why is there so much injustice and suffering? Are human beings a part of nature or elevated above it? What is man's destiny? Is everything a matter of chance or can we discern purpose in human existence? In his treatment of evolution, Cardinal Schönborn distinguishes the biological theory from 'evolutionism', the ideology that tries to reduce all of reality to mindless, meaningless processes. He argues that science and a rationally grounded faith are not at odds and that what many people represent as 'science' is really a set of philosophical positions that will not withstand critical scrutiny. Chance or Purpose? directly raises the philosophical and theological issues many scientists today overlook or ignore. The result is a vigorous, frank dialogue that acknowledges the respective insights of the philosopher, the theologian and the scientist, but which calls on them to listen and to learn from each another.</DIV>

Chance or Purpose?: Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith

<DIV>This is a valuable introduction to the Catechism by the general editor of the Catechism (Schonborn) and the head of the Bishops Commission for the implementation of the Catechism (Ratzinger). Providing helpful insights on how to read and study the Catechism, this book includes a prehistory of the Catechism, an overview of its structure and contents, the major themes and methods in it, a special introduction to the four parts of the Catechism, and specific advice on how to use the Catechism. Ratzinger and Schonborn illuminate the Catechism's teaching on faith, morals, prayer and sacraments, and how a Catholic lives those teachings in today's world.Learn more about Pope Benedict! Visit the </DIV>

Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

<DIV>The Holy Eucharist is the Church's most precious treasure, the source and summit of her worship and life. The Church is built upon and around the Eucharist.In this book, a renowned spiritual writer and Carmelite priest shows how receiving the Lord in the Eucharist has profound consequences, because the Eucharist is not only the great Sacrament that brings about oneness with Christ and with the faithful but also the foundational norm for Christian behavior. Any Christian who wonders how he should act, he writes, will find the answer in the Eucharist. He is called to become like Jesus&mdash;bread that is broken"for the life of the world" (Jn 6:51).According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, all the sacraments are directed toward the Eucharist as toward their final purpose. The author explains that the Church must therefore guard this precious gift. He correctly challenges the faithful to approach the Eucharist with great reverence and a clear conscience so as not to receive the Lord unworthily but to become his sacrificing and serving people.</DIV>

Bread That Is Broken

<DIV>"The point of departure for my creation was not primarily the destiny of the sixteen Carmelites of Compiègne but the figure of the young Blanche. . . . Born in the profound horror of a time darkened by the signs of destiny, this figure arose before me in some way as the embodiment of the mortal agony of an era going totally to its ruin." -Gertrud von le FortSet during the French Revolution, this classic novella is based on the true story of the Carmelite nuns of Compiègne, who offered their lives for the preservation of the Church in France. The story unfolds around the fictional character of Blanche de la Force, an excessively fearful aristocrat who enters the Carmelite convent in order to flee the dangers of the world. As the Reign of Terror begins, Blanche is no safer in the convent than in the streets of Paris, and some of the sisters begin to doubt her ability to endure persecution and possibly martyrdom. The fates of Blanche and the other Carmelites take several unexpected turns, leaving the reader with an inspiring witness not only of martyrdom but of God's power being glorified in human weakness. </DIV>

The Song at the Scaffold: A Novel

Anthropology

<DIV>This book offers a fun and challenging way to see how well you know Catholic teachings, practices, and history. Karl Keating, best-selling author and founder of Catholic Answers, presents a multiple-choice quiz with 100 questions about a wide variety of subjects connected with Catholicism.Each of the 100 intriguing questions gives five possible answers. Only one of the answers is completely correct. The book is laid out in an easy-to-read format with the question and five possible answers on one page, and the analysis of each of the five answers, noting the correct one, on the next page. The questions, and the possible answers, are written with thought, precision, and sometimes a little humor to make for engaging reading.The quiz does not pretend to be comprehensive, but the questions cover multiple areas-doctrines, morals, and customs, as well as historical events and personalities- and should provide your mind and soul with a good workout. This book will be useful for individual or group study.</DIV>

The Ultimate Catholic Quiz: 100 Questions Most Catholics Can't Answer

Dr. Peter Kreeft is a well-known Catholic figure who has helped many people convert to Catholicism and deepen their love and understanding of the faith. But few know that Dr. Kreeft himself is a convert to Catholicism. Raised Calvinist, Dr. Kreeft ended up becoming Catholic after attending Calvin College in Michigan, and in his new book “From Calvinist to Catholic,” Dr. Kreeft details his conversion story in his typical vivid and whimsical style.
Today, Andrew Petiprin, also a convert, is joined by Dr. Kreeft and the two discuss Dr. Kreeft’s youth, his process of conversion, and what drew him into full communion with the Catholic Church. They also discuss the relationship between Protestants and Catholics, and their hope that more Christians would enter more fully into the sacramental life of the Church.
This is a must-see episode, if you have read anything by Dr. Kreeft because it reveals a more personal side to one of the bright lights in the Church.
 
Get Your Copy of the “From Calvinist to Catholic”: <a href='https://ignatius.com/from-calvinist-to-catholic-fcch/'>https://ignatius.com/from-calvinist-to-catholic-fcch/</a>

Peter Kreeft: Converting from Calvinism to Catholicism

<DIV>Michael O'Brien presents a thrilling apocalyptic novel about the condition of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of time. It explores the state of the modern world, and the strengths and weaknesses of the contemporary religious scene, by taking his central character, Father Elijah Schäfer, a Carmelite priest, on a secret mission for the Vatican which embroils him in a series of crises and subterfuges affecting the ultimate destiny of the Church. Father Elijah is a convert from Judaism, a survivor of the Holocaust, a man once powerful in Israel. For twenty years he has been "buried in the dark night of Carmel" on the mountain of the prophet Elijah. The Pope and the Cardinal Secretary of State call him out of obscurity and give him a task of the highest sensitivity: to penetrate into the inner circles of a man whom they believe may be the Antichrist. Their purpose: to call the Man of Sin to repentance, and thus to postpone the great tribulation long enough to preach the Gospel to the whole world. In this richly textured tale, Father Elijah crosses Europe and the Middle East, moves through the echelons of world power, meets saints and sinners, presidents, judges, mystics, embattled Catholic journalists, faithful priests and a conspiracy of traitors within the very House of God. This is an apocalypse in the old literary sense, but one that was written in the light of Christian revelation. </DIV>

Father Elijah: An Apocalypse

<DIV>Learn more about Redeemed by Grace . At age eight, Ramona Treviño climbed to the top of a roof and begged God to let her know he was real. After receiving a sign, she made a pact with herself to follow him always. But family difficulties and growing pains made it hard for her to continue on that path. Pregnant at 16, she dropped out of high school and entered an abusive marriage, which ended in divorce. Wanting to make a difference and to help girls in similar tough situations, she accepted a job as the manager of a Planned Parenthood facility in Sherman, Texas. Over time, however, Ramona began to grapple with whether she was doing women more harm than good, setting her on a path to seek the truth, no matter where it might lead. Realizing she could no longer refer women for abortions or provide them with false assurances of risk-free sex, Ramona took a leap of faith and left the financial security of her job. Her ultimate conversion involved a full return to the Catholic faith of her childhood and a new role as a pro-life advocate and speaker. This compelling story tells of Ramonaಙs struggle to reconcile her identity as a daughter of God with a world that sends conflicting messages concerning the source of our dignity and happiness. It is the honest and heartfelt account of a woman who, with the help of grace, strove to overcome the wounds of her own past while becoming an agent of healing for others.</DIV>

Redeemed by Grace: A Catholic Woman's Journey to Planned Parenthood and Back

<DIV> Balthasar's unique volume on Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity presents a theological biography of each of these holy Carmelite sisters which gives profound insights into their spirituality, showing that their differences actually complement one another. Balthasar probes the depths of the contemplative mission of each of these young Carmelites who both died in their twenties, and gave powerful witness to the critical importance of contemplation as a means to holiness. Each woman is clearly shown as a daughter of her Carmelite heritage with her own emphasis: Thérèse's discovery of the "little way of love" and Elizabeth's focus on the indwelling of God in the soul.</DIV>

Two Sisters in the Spirit: Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity

<DIV>In 2019, Peter Kreeft published Socrates'' Children, a four-volume series on the hundred greatest philosophers of all time, spanning from ancient Greece to contemporary Germany. But he made a terrible mistake: he somehow left out women, and with this, he overlooked the greatest mind of them all.He forgot her&mdash;a mysterious housewife from a desert village&mdash;because he had forgotten what "philosophy" means. "Philosophy is not the cultivation of cleverness," Kreeft explains, "or the sophistications of scholarship, or the analysis of analysis, or the refutation of refutations, or the deconstruction of deconstructions." No, "philosophy is a romance, a love affair&mdash;the love of wisdom."This book is a one-of-a-kind study on Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. If Jesus Christ is wisdom incarnate, and if Mary loved Him more than anyone else ever did, then it holds that Mary is the greatest philosopher, the greatest wisdom-lover. With precision and humor, Kreeft not only unpacks the thought and spirit of Mary as we know her through Scripture and Church doctrine, but offers a heartfelt crash course in the basics of philosophy&mdash;methodology, epistemology, logic, metaphysics, cosmology, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and more&mdash;all through the lens of the Mother of God.Fans of Kreeft will find here another fine example of his characteristic freshness, creativity, depth, and readability. But above all, those who are curious about the mother of Jesus, whether they are new to Christian faith or simply hoping to discover it anew, will likely find themselves swept up in the tide of Mary''s wise love for God.</DIV>

The Greatest Philosopher Who Ever Lived

<DIV>This work is a winsome and beautifully written account of a modern spiritual journey. It tells the colorful and gripping story of one man's religious path from a fundamentalist Baptist childhood to an adolescence in emergent church spirituality. He moves on through hipster years as a house painter and a musician, then marries and enters a seminary in Wisconsin. After years of wearing a black cassock and preparing to be an Anglican priest, he boldly joins the Catholic Church.An Immovable Feast&#160;is a profound love story told with humor, wisdom, and bite. A fresh breeze blows through it as Tyler Blanski reminds us that the Catholic religion is not dead because it is not mortal. It is the festival of heaven on earth.</DIV>