Heilige

The eighteenth century is called an age of "Enlightenment", which is to say a skeptical, godless and libertine age where men turned from God to labor upon founding the city of man. God, however, had long prepared His apostle for this age, St. Alphonsus Liguori. St. Alphonsus turned his back on the law courts, worldly privilege, and put Christ at the center of his heart. Alphonsus aimed at bringing the love of the holy redeemer to all men, and set them afire with divine love. Yet, God prepared the saint for his mission through a woman, Blessed Mary Celeste Crostarosa, who gave the character and inspiration to the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer. Having entered as a Carmelite, she transferred to another community where God revealed to her the rule of the Most Holy Redeemer, which became the foundation of St. Alphonsus' institute. As the biography unfolds, the reader will not only discover the closeness between her and St. Alphonsus, St. Gerard and other early Redemptorists, but her deep contemplative and mystical life. Blessed Mary Celeste abounded in miracles, and in trials, living her life under the shadow of the cross. She suffered persecution and setbacks, but always, again and again, lowered her head in prayer. "The contemplative and mystic life of Sister Mary Celeste is a true drama. At each step the supernatural direction of Providence is manifest. God chose to use her as His chief instrument in revealing to St. Alphonsus his life's work-the foundation of the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer. -The American Ecclesiastical Review

Plucked from obscurity and handed a destiny - this was the life of John Walsh (1830-1898), an Irish immigrant to Toronto who became the true founder of the diocese of London, Ontario. As he repaired the damage done by his predecessor, Pierre-Adolphe Pinsoneault, Walsh used his persuasive powers and talent for teaching to ensure that the diocese would prosper. Biographer John Comiskey illustrates Walsh's struggle to build up his diocese while promoting Catholics for positions of influence in society. Walsh's life unfolded in nineteenth-century Ontario, a period filled with hopes for growth and prosperity, but also saddled with deeply rooted anti-Catholic sentiments. At the same time, English-speaking Catholics were establishing themselves within the Church in Canada as distinct from their French-speaking counterparts. Walsh encouraged new forms of cooperation, a type of ecumenism between Catholics and Protestants, and a growing respect for English Catholics as rightful leaders in society. Walsh also developed new approaches to collegiality among bishops and fostered collaborations between the clergy and laity, and became a beloved figure to both parishioners and the epoch's major figures - including Prime Minister John A. Macdonald. My Heart's Best Wishes for You makes a significant contribution to the history of the Church in the nineteenth century and the growing acceptance of Catholics in English Canada.

This book brings together accounts of martyrdoms from many periods of the church, many cultures and many confessions.After an extended introductory section on the nature of martyrdom, the diversity of its significance and yet the unity of the sacrificial witness which it represents, there are three main parts.The first deals with antiquity up to the edict of Milan in 313, which put an end to persecutions, and is concerned with figures like Polycarp, the martyrs of Lyons, Perpetua and Felicitas, Pionius, Cyprian and Crispina. The second covers the period from the fifteenth century to the end of the nineteenth and portrays events as disparate as missions in distant lands and struggles against the abuse of power, whether religious or secular. Here we move from Joan of Arc, Jan Hus and Thomas More through Damian the Blind in Japan and Paul Ni in Korea to the martyrs of Madagascar and Uganda. The third, the shortest but by no means the least harrowing, covers this century, with Archbishop Vladimir, Maximilien Kolbe, Marie Skobtsova, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Janani Luwum, Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, Oscar Romero and Jerzy Popieluszko.

2012 Reprint of 1958 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. St. Therese of Lisieux, "The Little Flower", was recently declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II, the third woman to receive this honor in 2000 years. She thus ranks with such intellectual and theological giants as St. Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. This elevation is all the more astonishing when we consider her background; born to a bourgeois family in provincial 19th century France, she entered a cloistered convent at the age of 15, and died in obscurity at age 24. The posthumous publication of her spiritual journals created a sensation in the Catholic world comparable to that produced in the postwar world by "The Diary of Ann Frank." Adopted as a universal "little sister" by the French soldiers of World War I, St. Therese's naive, charming, but profound words were carried next to many an infantryman's heart. Therese's story and the effect of her powerful personality and passionate devotion have lost none of their force. "At last I have found my calling," she declared. "My calling is love." The core of her spiritual message, the "little way" is the recognition that any act, no matter how trivial, is infinitely valuable if done out of love. Her influence on other great 20th century figures such as Theresa of Calcutta and Edith Stein is obvious. This is a unique book, to be read with pleasure, with joy, and with the assurance of great spiritual benefit. The homely and human details of Therese's short life lead to the path of enlightenment. In her memoirs, she describes spiritual life: she lived each day with an unshakable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." Therese lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.

Para el padre James Martin, SJ los Santos ¡son mucho más que estatuas de yeso, son amigos personales! En Mi vida con los Santos James Martin nos presenta una conmovedora experiencia respect a su relación con los Santos -desde María, la madre de Jesús, hasta San Francisco o la Madre Teresa- y la manera personal en la que ha side dirigido por los heroes de la Iglesia a lo largo de toda su vida. El padre James nos presenta vívidos y encantadores relatos de los Santos más populares, permitiéndonos ver no solo su santidad, sino su humanidad. A partir de esta experiencia descubrimos la llamada y posibilidad de vivir la santidad en nuestra propia humanidad. James Martin has led an entirely modern life: from a lukewarm Catholic childhood, to an education at the Wharton School of Business, to the executive fast track at General Electric, to ministry as a Jesuit priest, to a busy media career in Manhattan. But at every step he has been accompanied by some surprising friends--the saints of the Catholic Church. For many, these holy men and women remain just historical figures. For Martin, they are intimate companions. "They pray for me, offer me comfort, give me examples of discipleship, and help me along the way," he writes. The author is both engaging and specific about the help and companionship he has received. When his pride proves trouble­some, he seeks help from Thomas Merton, the monk and writer who struggled with egotism. In sickness he turns to Thérèse of Lisieux, who knew about the boredom and self-pity that come with illness. Joan of Arc shores up his flagging courage. Aloysius Gonzaga deepens his compassion. Pope John XXIII helps him to laugh and not take life too seriously. Martin's inspiring, witty, and always fascinating memoir encompasses saints from the whole of Christian history-- from St. Peter to Dorothy Day. His saintly friends include Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, Mother Teresa, and other beloved figures. They accompany the author on a lifelong pilgrimage that includes stops in a sunlit square of a French town, a quiet retreat house on a New England beach, the gritty housing projects of inner-city Chicago, the sprawling slums of Nairobi, and a gorgeous Baroque church in Rome. This rich, vibrant, stirring narrative shows how the saints can help all of us find our way in the world. <BR>