We may not think about it, but Advent is right around the corner, and with that season of preparation comes the beginning of a new liturgical year. What better time to set some goals in our spiritual lives, such as reading some of the most recent releases from the Catholic publishing world?
Covering a wide variety of subjects — anxiety, evangelization, hospitality, technology and more — this guide offers a vibrant selection of new titles for those wishing to deepen their faith in the coming months.
“Augustus Tolton: The Church Is the True Liberator”
Author: Joyce Duriga
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Price: $14.95
Summary: Part of a series of biographies from Liturgical Press, this edition tells the story of Father Augustus Tolton, the first identified black American ordained to the priesthood in the United States. Born into slavery, escaping to freedom with his mother, living under the threat of racism and violence, his journey to the priesthood was long and rough. This 106-page paperback follows his life from his birth in Brush Creek, Missouri, to his search for a seminary, his years in Rome, his disappointment at not being named as a missionary to Africa, and finally his years as a priest in Illinois. The book also addresses Father Tolton’s connection to St. Katherine Drexel and founding of a church for black Catholics, and his early death at age 43.
“Broken and Blessed: An Invitation to My Generation”Author: Father Josh Johnson
Publisher: Ascension Press
Price: $7.99
Summary: “Nones” are Americans, especially millennials, who don’t identify with any religion. In this 170-page paperback, Father Josh Johnson looks at the phenomenon through the lens of his own life, of his friends, and of the people to whom he now ministers. To relate to a generation at risk, Father Johnson draws on examples from popular culture, including his youthful crushes on Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, as well as Scripture stories, and from his experience with youth groups and young friends. You’ll find Padre Pio and Mother Teresa in these pages, stories of the apostles and their relationship with Christ, and examples of young people who “got woke” to the Good News. Each chapter also contains prayers and questions for reflection.
“Death by Minivan”
Author: Heather Anderson Renshaw
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Price: $16.95
Summary: This book offers a bit of mom-to-mom advice: Throw down the minivan keys, brush the cereal off the table, kick the toys to the corner, sit down with a cup of coffee (or glass of wine) and learn these helpful lessons for escaping the aggravations that can accompany the day-to-day experience of being a mom. Author Heather Anderson Renshaw, mother of five, knows all about the wild, crazy, and often hilarious experience of motherhood. So buckle up, because you’re on the road to a more joyful, more peaceful, more faithful motherhood. Along the way, the author offers tips for getting past the inevitable roadblocks, the “GPS” for finding your way (it’s Scripture), and roadside assistance courtesy of the saints.
“Called to Pray: Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools”
Author: Justin McClain
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
Price: $15.95
Summary: This collection of 200 short prayers is perfect for Catholic schools of any level. You’ll find prayers for feast days, special school occasions, holidays and holy days, and all the liturgical seasons. Unique to this 144-page paperback are the prayers for students by students, with prayers for taking tests, bullying, giving thanks, mental health and more. The author, an award-winning theology teacher and writer, includes all the traditional Catholic prayers, as well as a very handy thematic index and list of liturgical feasts. While written for Catholic schools, it’s also ideal for home use. It even includes an appendix about writing your own prayers.
“Calm in the Chaos”
Author: George William Rutler
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Price: $17.95
Summary: Father George Rutler, a parish priest in Manhattan, addresses causes of anxiety and reasons to hope in this series of essays. He also comments on confusion in the Church and the chaos in Western societies — phenomena that are not unprecedented but are playing out on a uniquely global scale. A theme underlying all of this is a lack of historical perspective and that our times are plagued by ignorance and failure to recall and understand the challenges of the past. George Weigel says the author is “an accomplished man of letters who writes as gracefully as he speaks.”
“Forty Anti-Catholic Lies: A Myth-Busting Record Straight”
Author: Gerard Verschuuren
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Price: $19.95
Summary: If you’ve ever found yourself at a loss for how to defend the Catholic faith against some of the most traditional misunderstandings — worship of statues and Mary, calling priests “Father,” the Crusades, a rejection of science and modernity, among others — or are not Catholic and want to know what the Church actually believes and teaches, this book is for you. Presenting the historical context of events and traditions, Gerard Verschuuren addresses the 40 most popular myths that distort the truth of Catholicism.
“Unworried: A Life Without Anxiety”
Author: Dr. Gregory Popcak
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Price: $16.95
Summary: God didn’t create us for anxiety, but you shouldn’t feel guilty about feeling stressed. In his newest book, Dr. Gregory Popcak addresses the mental epidemic of the 21st century from the perspectives of faith and research. Presented in an accessible style, each chapter gives concrete reasons why we experience anxiety, and how creating new habits of thinking, communicating and acting can help us through this struggle. Complete with charts, quizzes and other exercises to help you better understand yourself and what causes your anxiety, this book is a hands-on approach for anyone struggling to live stress-free.
“Rethink Happiness: Dare to Embrace God Joy”
Author: Paul George
Publishers: Ave Maria Press
Price: $14.95
Summary: Paul George is a life coach and a co-founder of Adore Ministries. In his first book, he brings his method of self-examination and method for truly living life in its fullness. He brings his gift of storytelling to “Rethink Happiness,” although these are not just stories. You’ll find yourself in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, meeting and helping a helpless elderly man named Marvin, who taught the author an important lesson in “divine filtration” — that we are all part of the family of God. You’ll be led on a journey of how “we are all starving” for meaning and will learn how to live “the abundant life.”
“Lessons from a Troubadour: A Lifetime of Parables, Prose, and Stories”
Author: John Michael Talbot
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
Price: $15.95
Summary: The beauty, truth and goodness of the Church radiate through the simple, poetic stories found in “Lessons from a Troubadour.” In his newest book, John Michael Talbot — Christian music legend and Catholic convert inspired by the tradition of St. Francis — presents a collection of meditations previously only shared while performing during concerts, retreats and other worship events. These stories and meditations are perfect for a morning reflection or to be read intermittently for spiritual encouragement throughout your day.
“Making Missionary Disciples: How to Live the Method Modeled by the Master”
Author: Curtis Martin
Publisher: Fellowship of Catholic University Students
Price: $14.95
Summary: Jesus didn’t just teach his disciples; he sent them to preach the Good News to all nations. Following the words of Pope Francis and Pope St. John Paul II, Curtis Martin, founder of Fellowship of Catholic University Students, shares how the FOCUS model creates a vibrant culture of faithfulness through three key habits: divine intimacy, authentic friendship and clarity, and conviction about spiritual multiplication. If you want missionary discipleship in your parish, apostolate, family or friendships, sit down with Martin for an afternoon.
“Detached: Put Your Phone in Its Place”
Author: T.J. Burdick
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Price: $16.95
Summary: If you’re looking for a book to help you manage your dependence on your smartphone and put it in its place for good, author T.J. Burdick has felt your pain and crafted a 21-day exercise to move you toward a healthier, even holier, relationship with your device. In this 144-page paperback, you’ll find short chapters for each of the 21 days, each containing a been-there, done-that, here’s-some-help reflection on the place of technology in our lives. It also offers concrete steps to take toward a new paradigm, and short reflections and prayers to ground you in grace. You’ll learn a little about yourself and about God’s plan for your life in the process.
“Off the Hook: God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World”
Author: Timothy P. O’Malley
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
Price: $15.95
Summary: The beauty and truth of the Church’s teaching on marriage and family provides the answers people seek in the current world of dating and relationships. Timothy P. O’Malley — a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame and author of the OSV column “Opening the Word” — offers young adults and those who form them insights into how God’s plan serves as an antidote to the wounds of hookup culture. “This book provides a treasure trove,” says Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky.
“Reclaim Regret”
Author: Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP
Publisher: Pauline Books and Media
Price: $14.95
Summary: This book seeks to help the reader discover the freedom God wants to offer, how he can create a new future out of any failure or disappointment. Sister Kathryn Hermes provides a journey through Scriptural prayer, stories, meditations and reflections, all leading to the healing love of Jesus and the experience that wounds can be the place where the light of God enters a person’s life. The author has spent the past 20 years helping people walk the path of spiritual growth and inner healing.
“The Art of Forming Young Disciples: Why Youth Ministries Aren’t Working and What to Do About It”
Author: Everett Fritz
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Price: $14.95
Summary: As the Church strives to better minister to young Catholics, Everett Fritz addresses why the current model of youth ministry doesn’t work and uses his own experience to propose a new method. Instead of trying to reach hundreds of teens, exhausting youth ministers and volunteers in the process, he suggests a model established first by Christ: small-group discipleship. If you are a youth minister, volunteer, parent or even teen involved in youth ministry, and desire youth to become lifelong disciples, this book is worth a read.
“Know Thyself: 100 Guided Meditations on Humility and Heart”
Author: Adapted from the writings of Rev. Father Cajetan Mary da Bergamo
Publisher: Tan Books
Price: $24.95
Summary: Jesus calls everyone to learn to be humble of heart. Humility is the key to all the virtues. It’s the necessary foundation. If we do not know ourselves — if we cannot see our flaws — how can we grow in virtue? Cajetan Mary da Bergamo was an Italian Capuchin and author of the 17th and 18th centuries. His work was originally published around 1905, and republished in 1978.
“The Catholic Church Saved My Marriage: Discovering Hidden Grace in the Sacrament of Matrimony”
Author: Dr. David Anders
Publisher: EWTN
Price: $17.95
Summary: Dr. David Anders was in trouble in his marriage. His wife had just told him, “I hate you,” and he realized he hated himself, too. Years spent in academia had alienated him from his wife and family. Money had become the most important thing. But that day was an awakening for the couple, and the former evangelical Protestants began a journey that has transformed their relationship and brought them together — as Catholics, and as a married couple. In this book, the author looks at the institution of marriage through thoroughly Catholic eyes, and, using his own love story, shows how embracing the truth of the Faith saved his marriage.
“The Courage to Be Happy: The Pope Speaks to the Youth of the World”
Author: Pope Francis; edited by Robert Ellsberg
Publisher: Orbis Books
Price: $20.00
Summary: In his introduction to this collection of Pope Francis’ words to youth around the world, Father Thomas Rosica, CSB, notes how the pope has made young people the center of his attention, culminating with the recent Synod of Bishops in Rome. Father Rosica also looks ahead to the upcoming 2019 World Youth Day in Panama, when “all eyes and ears will be on young people!” In this 192-page paperback, you’ll find Pope Francis’ addresses from his meetings with youth around the globe. Included are his speeches at previous World Youth Days in Brazil and Poland, as well as World Youth Day messages. The opening section, “Dear Young People,” includes greetings, general audiences, video conference transcripts and other remarks. The book concludes with the letter Pope Francis sent to young people last spring, during the preparation for the last Synod of Bishops.
“Make My Life Simple: Bringing Peace to Heart and Home”
Author: Rachel Balducci
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Price: $16.95
Summary: If your sanity is determined by the length of things on your “To Do” list or the height of the unwashed dishes in your sink, “Make My Life Simple” is calling your name. Mother of five boys (make her a saint already!) and one girl, Rachel Balducci has been there and knows the chaos that can ensue from a life of disorder. Not only does her book provide concrete suggestions and humorous advice on how to bring peace to your home, heart and soul, but it also urges readers to recognize the priorities in life. Give Balducci a chance, and you will be scrubbing counters with conviction and realizing sainthood is not impossible.
“Paul VI: Pilgrim Pope”
Author: Michael Collins
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Price: $14.95
Summary: Canonized by Pope Francis last month, Pope St. Paul VI led the Church for 15 years, during which he made a series of international journeys that were unprecedented for a pope. These travels brought him into direct contact with life around the world — in the Holy Land, the United States, Asia and elsewhere. At 140 pages, Michael Collins, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin, provides a concise biography of one of the most consequential popes of the 20th century. The book is part of Liturgical Press’s People of God series, which tells the stories of important Catholics.
“Building the Benedict Option: A Guide to Gathering Two or Three Together in His Name”
Author: Leah Libresco
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Price: $16.95
Summary: We know it: We’re made for community. But if you’re anything like Leah Libresco, you’ve encountered situations where building communities had its challenges, especially when prayer and evangelization are in the mix. In “Building the Benedict Option,” Libresco shares how faith-based communities are not reserved for the religious or for donut gatherings after Sunday Mass. Not only does she outline why it’s important to open your home and take initiative to foster these communities, but she includes helpful “cheat sheets” on how to plan simpler events and avoid stress. As the inside cover promises, “The reader will close this book with four or five ideas for events to try over the next few weeks, along with the tools to make them fruitful.”
“Forty Reasons I Am a Catholic”
Author: Peter Kreeft
Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
Price: $14.95
Summary: Peter Kreeft, convert, professor of philosophy and well-known Catholic apologist, has distilled his “faith in the Faith” to 40 reasons. The author admits upfront that he has many additional reasons more. But recognizing that his readers have limited attention spans and short memories, he offers a succinct, yet wide-ranging, argument for the truth of Catholicism, written for lukewarm Catholics, agnostics and even atheists. Each chapter lists a reason, from “Because of cathedrals” to “Because Jesus is really, truly, personally, literally present in every consecrated Host in the world,” followed by a very convincing proof drawn from Kreeft’s extensive knowledge, experience and faith, written simply and with great humor.
