New Releases for January 2012

New Books

Turning To God In Tough Times: Prayers To Comfort the Heart & Sustain the Spirit

When we are going through tough times, we need to turn to the light of God’s love, but we often find it difficult to do so. This book will help readers move toward God and away from hopelessness & despair.

The Life of Jesus of Nazareth for Children

 Here is the complete life story of Jesus, written in an engaging way for children. The short chapters are filled with interesting details & are true to the biblical text. The book begins with Jesus’ birth & ends with his ascension into heaven.

The Wonders of the Mass

Quotes Saints, plus Our Lord Himself in revelations to various Saints. Filled with incomparable insights on the glories of the Mass.

Between Heaven & Mirth:Why Joy, Humor & Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life

Father Martin assures us that God wants us to experience joy, to cultivate a sense of holy humor, & to laugh at life’s absurdities-not to mention our own humanity. Fr Martin invites believers to rediscover the importance of humor & laughter in our daily lives & to embrace                                            an essential truth: faith leads to joy.

New CDs

 Someone To Watch Over Me

Singing sensation Susan Boyle presents her 3rd album with songs that are emotive & reflective in response to the outpouring of life stories from so many people who wrote letters to her from around the globe. The album comprises a diverse mix of songs that take you on a journey of self discovery, with a variation of tempos that stir the innermost emotions. From the beautiful & light to the dramatic, haunting & soul searching. Susan again injects her own inimitable style into new material & classics from some of the golden ages of music.

His Love Remains

At age 23, Collin Raye converted to Catholicism, searching & believing that "there had to be more" than what he experienced in other churches. Collin became an American country music superstar, selling more than 7 million records, while charting 15 #1 hits in the 1990's. His new release, His Love Remains, captures for the first time the source of his rock solid personal inner strength which carried him "through it all" during many trials of personal suffering, including the loss of his precious granddaughter Haley, who died from a rare neurological disease.

Everything Changes

The 1st new album by the Nashville songbird in several years is a winner. This is not "Marriage and Family 101" anymore! A bit further along on that journey, with more experiences of life, family, love & marriage, these songs reflect the changes that come with launching kids out into the world:  letting go, rolling with reality, learning not to take trouble personally & resting in the rhythm of perseverance. Authentic & organic, this original collection is an essential companion for those beginning to suspect that, in this grand adventure, everything changes.

Our Lady Mother of God 

This glorious anthology features Marian chants from the 2 great traditions of Christianity, the East & the West, from the finest chant monasteries in the world. These are chants born from prayer & contemplation. They praise God through Our Lady. The words are sacred, often taken from the Holy Scriptures, particularly the Psalms. Traditional chant embellishes the liturgy, but also shapes the soul of the one who performs it.  

Book Review- Women, Sex, and the Church

Women, Sex, and the Church

Edited by Erika Bachiochi

In the modern world, the Catholic Church is often labeled misogynistic and out of touch with society. Issues like pre-marital sex, abortion, and the priesthood cause division within the Church. The Church’s position on these topics is called sexist and archaic. But in reality, the Church’s teachings on sex, marriage, contraception, and the priesthood are entirely consistent with feminist ideology and have the best interest of women and children at their core.

In Women, Sex, and the Church, various experts have pooled their theological and catechetical wisdom to present thought-provoking essays on the Catholic Church’s most controversial teachings. The book is a collection of insights based on science, social research, and empirical data supporting the Church’s teachings and explicating those teachings in a logical and convincing way.

If you are looking to better understand Church teachings, looking for a source to help you explain them to others, or trying to reconcile your faith and love for the Catholic Church with the more difficult to understand doctrines, this book is an amazing and intelligent addition to your library. 

September New Releases

Saints on Call

Saints on Call will help mothers in every walk of life to pray & reflect on the opportunities for holiness found in daily life. Designed with the on-the-go mom in mind--& featuring over 50 reflections--this book is helpfully categorized by a mother's daily situations and struggles.

Jesus Invites Me to the Feast

Jesus Invites Me to the Feast is a colorful, engaging 1st Communion journal that will guide your child closer to God as they prepare. With essential faith development exercises, author Christine Skinner helps young followers along the path to their most important meal yet.

Precious Gifts: Biblical Reflections on the Eucharist

Precious Gifts weds solid biblical scholarship & thoughtful reflections to bring more depth to our experience of the Eucharist. We have to invest ourselves in all its elements: from listening to responding, from standing to kneeling, & more.

Through Another Lens: Reflections on the Gospels Year B

Through poetry you can enter a prayerful space, a space that renews & empowers. Through Another Lens analyzes & reflects on the Sunday Gospels through spiritual poetry.

The Living Church: Old Treasures, New Discoveries

Context shapes behavior & provokes questions. As men & women adapt to new times & ways, their faith, too, must adapt. Christopher M. Bellitto carefully explains how 7 key elements developed through the centuries & became part of the Catholic tradition.

 

Rediscover Advent

From the author of the best-selling book Rediscover Catholicism comes an inspiring new way to rediscover Advent.

Marriage 911

Greg & Julie thought divorce was the only way out of their lifeless, loveless marriage. A faithful priest guided them back to the truths of the church, & as they began to incorporate these truths into their lives, they were able to restore the love they once had. Marriage 911 chronicles their journey back from the brink of divorce to marital happiness.

Homegrown Faith: Nurturing Your Catholic Family

A series of insightful & often humorous weekly reflections on raising faithful Catholic families, Homegrown Faith draws on familiar situations—sibling rivalry, fender-benders, lost shoes before Mass—to reveal unexpected sacramental riches.

God’s on the Phone: Stories of Grace in Action

You'll be touched by the stories of: a booklover's decision to give away her library,

an agnostic who is innocently challenged by a little boy, two young women who share a common loss.

Friendship with Jesus

In this beautifully illustrated book, Amy Welborn introduces Pope Benedict's profound yet simple answers to various questions put to him by children in Rome who had recently made their First Holy Communion.

What to Do When Jesus is Hungry

The Catholic Church has traditionally called these 6 acts of kindness-along with a 7th, burying the dead -- the "Corporal Works of Mercy." In this down-to-earth yet inspiring guide, Fr Apostoli, C.F.R., explains the Corporal Works of Mercy & illustrates multiple ways we can do them in our modern everyday life.

A New Friendship: The Spirituality & Ministry of the Deacon

“What is a deacon?" "What does a deacon do?" These are questions pastors, parishioners, & deacons themselves often ask. Monsignor Buelt answers these questions through an engaging conversation with the Scriptures, the Eucharistic liturgy, & church teaching on the diaconate.

August New Releases

New Books

The Artist’s Rule

Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom

This twelve-week course draws on the insights and practices of Benedictine spirituality to explore the interplay between contemplation and creativity.

The Evangelization Equation

The Who, What, and How 

Fr Wehner explores the challenges & the opportunities in American culture for spreading the Gospel, while giving a full presentation of the cultural, historical, pastoral, & theological background of his topic.

The Compact Catholic Prayer Book

Catholics will use this handy treasury of prayers each day to pray the blessings of morning, noon, and evening and to recite the short, one-sentence "prayers on the run" for busy times.

Mary’s Life in the Spirit

In short meditations, Fr. Montague focuses on various aspects of Mary’s life & the Spirit’s involvement in each of them. He also reflects on her collaboration with the Spirit in building up the Church as well as her various apparitions.

The Emotions God Gave You

In this insightful and easy-to-read book, Catholic therapist Art Bennett and his wife Laraine explain how our emotions affect us and how our thoughts, attitudes, and behavior can affect our emotions.

The One Thing

In this deeply personal bestseller, Matthew Kelly reflects on the challenges of passing faith onto children. Written 10 months after the birth of his 1st child, he writes about his own faith, why religion has played such a powerful role throughout history, why so many people are leaving the Catholic Church & the hopes he has for his.

2012 Prayer of the Faithful

This large-print workbook contains sample prayers and suggestions, along with practical tips for writing and leading intercessions.

2012 Abide in My Word

Mass Readings at Your Fingertips

Messenger- Summer Reading Book Review

Many people have heard of Mattie Stepanek the "Heartsong Boy", been touched by his message of peace, or been inspired by his poetry. Few have heard the incredible story of his life, or seen behind the scenes to know the incredible struggles and joys this young man went through. Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs written by Mattie's mother, Jeni tells the amazing story of Mattie's life and work as a peacemaker.

Even though Mattie passed away just short of his 14th birthday, his impact on the world has been incredible. This book describes Mattie's hopeful and loving outlook on life, in spite of insurmountable obstacles. Jeni Stepanek writes with love and passion about her son's closeness to God and his overwhelming desire to take God's message of peace, love, and playfulness to all people. We read of Mattie's relationships with his family, his friends, and celebrities. What this one boy accomplished with so few material resources and so little time is astonishing and motivating. 

Full of sadness, hilarity, and inspiration Messenger will encourage and inspire you to share your Heartsong with the world.

July New Releases

New Books

Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints

These stories come alive with vivid storytelling & saintly challenges designed to inspire reflection & enflame your heart. Through prayers, images, & maps, catch a glimpse of a saint's world that carries lessons for our own & discover how you can set our world ablaze with love for the Lord!

Women, Sex, and the Church

The women who write in this volume challenge the common misconception that the Catholic Church's teachings are anti-women & anti-sex. Rather, these women believe that it is precisely the Church's controversial teachings on abortion, sex, marriage, & contraception that bespeak the Church's love of women-& reverence for sex.

Why Catholic Bibles are Bigger

Did the Catholic Church add books to the Bible in reaction to Protestantism or did Protestants remove 7 books from the Old Testament?  Much rides on the answer to this question, but there hasn’t been a book, written by Catholics, dedicated to this topic since 1897!  Now, YOU can learn the whole story behind the lost books of the Protestant Old Testament.

New CDs

Chants of Angels

Using the ancient melodies & texts of the early church, each chant depicts a new aspect or story of these heavenly guardians, guides & friends, from the most intimate plea to our own guardian angels, to the great announcement made to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel.

Worship and Bow Down

No one bridges the two musical worlds of Catholic liturgical music & Contemporary Christian music like John Michael Talbot. This new recording will bring the beauty of the Sacred Liturgy (the Catholic Mass) and its new translation to many ears and hearts.

Unplanned- Summer Reading Book Review

No topic is more notorious for flaring tempers and causing outrage than abortion. Sometimes it seems that people are so entrenched in their beliefs that trying to persuade those on the pro-choice side of the debate to rethink their position and choose life is a lost cause. Abby Johnson's book, Unplanned shows this isn't so.

Johnson was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic that performed abortions for eight years. A vehement advocate for the pro-choice camp, Abby Johnson seemed like the last person who would have a conversion and become a champion for Life. Unplanned chronicles her journey and her conversion story.

Filled with personality and enthusiasm, Unplanned not only tells Abby's story, but through seeing her conversion, the reader witnesses the power of prayer in the struggle to save lives from abortion, and gives insight into the quiet power of love and dedication.

Full of hope, honesty, forgiveness, and joy, Unplanned pulls no punches. It is a quick and fulfilling read, and one that educates and illuminates, without preaching or shouting on a soapbox.

The Living Mass- Summer Reading Book Review

The Living Mass:Changes to the Roman Missal and How We Worship is a must-have book for understanding the upcoming changes to the liturgy as the Roman Missal, Third Edition is implemented in Mass this fall. Easy to read, informative, and clear, The Living Mass is a fantastic reference to understanding just what changes have been made, and why. This is the perfect book for liturgists, or those looking for a better understanding of the history and future of the Mass.

The book begins with a brief, highly understandable history of the Mass, from the time of the apostles to the present. Never dull or dry, Fr. Lucatero gives even the novice a clear picture of the evolution of the Catholic sacred texts. 

The second half of the book places the current prayers in Mass next to the upcoming changes. The changes are in bold and each has a concise explanation for the reasons for revision. The reader can see at a glance all the changes to the Gloria, Creeds, and more.

In a mere 64 pages, Fr. Lucatero prepares the reader for the upcoming changes, and places them in the rich context of the historical Mass. This book is a great study guide for small groups, parish classes on the Roman Missal, Third Edition, or the curious church-goer.

June New Releases

New Books

The Gospel Way of Mary

The author takes us on a journey through Scripture of key events in the life of Mary. With keen & profound insight, he helps us see these familiar passages as a journey of trust & surrender not only for Mary but for us as well.

The Living Mass: Changes to the Roman Missal & How We Worship

By looking at the changes being made in the new translation of the Roman missal, this book will help the reader understand why our liturgy continues to be both a new tradition & a living tradition.

Life, Death, & Catholic Medical Choices

Revs. Black & O'Neil bring professional training in Catholic ethics into dialogue with questions that people in the pews must face. Using precise language, they help us understand the core values of respect for life & human dignity that are the heart of moral analysis & pastoral theological reflection.

Rezando En Colores (Praying in Color - Spanish Edition)

Praying in Color has forever changed the way thousands of people pray. Drawing is half the prayer; the other half is transporting the visual memories or actual physical images with you to pray throughout the day.

 New CDs

Resting in God’s Love

Instrumental Hymns of Meditation & Peace by Rupert Parker

You will relax & meditate to the sounds of the Electric Harp, Keyboards & Percussion.

Golden Rose: Lady of Knock

New DVDs

Changing Sides: How a Pro-life Presence Changed the Heart of a Planned Parenthood Director

This film tells the powerful true story of the conversion of a dedicated Planned Parenthood director to a leading Pro-life Activist. Abby Johnson was the director of the abortion facility that was the launching pad of the bold new pro-life effort - 40 Days for Life.

Heaven Is For Real- Summer Reading Book Review

Looking for a good read this summer? Reilly's will be reviewing a book a week, giving you the low-down on our new releases.

Our first selection has been receiving lots of national attention. Heaven is For Real is the story of a little boy, Colton Burpo, who changed his family's understanding of heaven after a near-tragedy. At the age of four, Colton nearly died from a burst appendix. Heaven is For Real tells of Colton's trip to heaven, and the messages and people he met there. 

Filled with scriptural accounts of heaven, as well as the emotional impact this little boy's experience had on his community, Heaven Is For Real is a feel-good, easy read. Pastor Todd Burpo's writing is light and home-spun, more like a conversation over lunch than a traditional novel. Without getting bogged down in theology, Burpo touches on the effect that his son's vision of heaven had on his ministry, without preaching to the reader. The family's awe and belief in what their son shared with them over the years following his illness is apparent on every page. Heaven is For Real is the Burpos' chance to share their excitement over their son's trip to heaven with the world. 

If you are looking for a short and sweet ray of sunshine, give Heaven is For Real a try.  

New Releases- May

The Commandments We Keep

With simplicity & clarity, The Commandments We Keep unpacks each of the 10 Commandments using a 3-pronged approach: discover how the it was understood in the Old Testament, understand how Christ fulfilled it in his life & teaching, & examine the personal & practical implications of each for life today

Principled Ministry

More than a “how-to” leadership guide, it offers real-life examples of principled ministers who are serving the Catholic Church & invites readers to incorporate these disciplines into their own leadership style.

Revelations of Divine Love

Julian Of Norwich’s work is dense, deeply intuitive, & theologically complex. This translation liber­ates Julian & her inspired insights from the linguistic jungle & pre­sents her work in a style & format which breaks through not only to her deepest meanings, but to the character of the gentle woman herself.

At Home with God: A Complete Liturgical Guide for the Christian Home

By translating ancient rhythms of our Faith into accessible, easy-to-use tools, At Home w/ God helps families rediscover the vibrancy of our Faith in everyday life.

A Willing Heart

 In the spirit of gospel teaching on time, talent, & treasure, bestselling author Alborghetti weaves together wisdom, humor, personal stories & a series of attainable goals in this vision of Christian action that is at once a beautiful meditation on spiritual growth & a guide to discovering practical ways to serve.

Praying the Psalms w/ the Holy Fathers

There’s no part of the Bible that speaks to the human heart more deeply than the Psalms. These reflections will inspire you to praise God with your whole heart.

The Gift of Blessed John Paul II

Cardinal Wuerl explores the spiritual & pastoral wealth of John Paul’s writings as found in his encyclicals & apostolic exhortations. The Cardinal unfolds these treasures for us, presenting not only Blessed John Paul’s teachings, but also suggesting how we can apply them in our lives as we face the challenges of being a disciple of Christ in the world today.

Praying with Blessed John Paul II

Readers will be inspired by his life & spirituality as they learn to pray as he did. Each of the fifteen meditations relates biographical details about the pope along with selections from his writings or speeches.

The Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God

This book is the powerful story of an amazing woman, Ruth Pakaluk, who converted to Catholicism at Harvard, married her college sweetheart & joyfully welcomed 7 children. She became a renowned pro-life leader & brilliant debater, who was struck with breast cancer & died at the young age of 41. 

Faith Of My Heart CD

Sacred Choral music of Frank Liszt