John Paul Thomas

Saint John of the Cross is considered by many as the greatest Spiritual Doctor of the Catholic Church. This high honor elevates his spiritual writings and adds much confidence to those relying upon his teaching. He is a true master of the interior life and has left us a treasure of spiritual wisdom in his four main works, "Ascent to Mount Carmel," "Dark Night of the Soul," "Spiritual Canticle" and "Living Flame of Love." These four books, combined together, make up one continuous exposition of mystical theology that peers into the journey each one of us is called to take toward the life of perfect union with God. In his teachings, Saint John Cross especially focuses on two forms of "purgations," or "dark nights," through which every soul must pass in order to achieve perfection in life. This book attempts to present the profound theology of Saint John of the Cross found in these four great works in a way that is understandable and accessible to most readers. The reader will find an overview and summary of the most essential lessons of the spiritual life as well as practical advice for growing in holiness. May Saint John, master of the spiritual life, pray for you on your journey toward the glory of Divine Union.

"I will spend my Heaven doing good on Earth " For more than a century, Saint Th r se of Lisieux, also known as "The Little Flower," has captivated countless minds and hearts. Her simple and pure heart burned with a deep love for our Lord, and that love overflowed into the lives of many. She daily inspired those who knew her, and she continues to inspire those who read her story. Her autobiography captures the beauty and profundity of her love in the most tender and affectionate way. Her story reveals how devoted she was to Jesus and how she longed to be with Him forever in Heaven, even from the earliest moments of her childhood. This book offers 99 short lessons, reflections and prayers from the life of Saint Th r se of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. The lessons are based upon Saint Th r se's own words as she shared her faith and her heart in the pages of the three manuscripts of her autobiography: "Story of a Soul." Each subsequent reflection attempts to capture one of her countless virtues so as to savor the "fragrance" of this precious little flower of God and to apply it to the reader's daily life. The prayer to conclude each lesson is not written only to be read, it is written to be prayed. You may find it helpful to pray that prayer slowly and meditatively at the end of each lesson and return to that prayer at the end of each day, especially to the prayers that are most pertinent to your life. The reader might wish to use this book as a daily reflection book, reading one lesson each day. Doing so will allow you to ponder one lesson from her saintly life at a time, so as to absorb the sweetness of her love and the depth of her life. However, you might find it just as beneficial to read several lessons at a time. This book is not intended to be a "onetime read." Rather, the lessons we learn from Saint Th r se's life are worth absorbing many times over. The reflection and prayer after each lesson make this book a helpful source of daily self-examination and prayer throughout life. You who are parents might also find the lessons of Saint Th r se of benefit in the formation of your children. Telling Little Th r se's stories will inspire and challenge your children as they grow and mature in their own lives of faith.

The goal of this book is to offer you an invitation to look more deeply at the path to holiness and to discover the way in which you can travel it in your own life. This invitation is not simply given to help you grasp the theology of holiness; rather, it is an invitation to live it. You are called to become holy. But what is "holiness" and how do you obtain it? The path to holiness centers on the virtues of humility and trust. By embracing those virtues you will begin to see God transform your life in such a way that you begin to live the very sacrificial love of Christ. Furthermore, living a life of sacrificial love requires you to become a beacon of mercy in this world. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is in many ways void of mercy. It is a world in which harshness and judgment are the norm. However, one of the primary reasons so many people lack mercy in our day and age is because they lack humility and trust. We also live in a world filled with suffering. But sadly, suffering is rarely understood as an opportunity to achieve the highest level of holiness. Suffering is rarely transformed into sacrificial living. Instead, it is often experienced only as a burden to be avoided.

What went through the mind and heart of our Blessed Mother as she stood faithfully by her Son in His last agony? As a loving mother, she would have pondered every moment of His precious life and every experience she had with Him. She would have pondered His conception, His birth, His presentation in the temple, His public ministry, His passion and death and so much more. Through this daily devotional you are invited to prayerfully ponder the mind and heart of our Blessed Mother as she endured the great suffering inflicted upon her own dear Son. Mother Mary faced the Cross of her Son with perfect faith, love and devotion. Her fidelity to her Son throughout His life was unwavering. As she stood before the Cross during those long three hours, that fidelity never ceased. The Scriptures do not reveal much about the interior ponderings of our Blessed Mother during those three hours, but the Scriptures do reveal to us many encounters between this Mother and Son. Since the Cross was the culmination of the life of both Mother and Son, it's beautiful to bring to this moment of the Cross all the many experiences that these two shared throughout their earthly lives. It's inspiring to unite all that they did and said to this moment, since all was a preparation for this moment. This book is helpful any time of year, especially if you find yourself facing a difficult cross in your own life. It is also perfect for Lent in that it offers 40 reflections as well as prayers that can be used throughout Lent and for Holy Week.

The Catholic Daily Reflections Series was written to help you enter more deeply into the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Liturgy on a daily basis. Through these reflections and prayers, you are invited to embrace the Word of God in a personal, engaging, challenging and transforming way. These reflections are also a great resource for priests and deacons for their daily homily preparations. This Volume offers daily reflections and prayers for Ordinary Time Weeks 18-34. Catholic Daily Reflections Series: Volume One: Advent and ChristmasVolume Two: Lent and EasterVolume Three: Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17Volume Four: Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

The Catholic Daily Reflections Series was written to help you enter more deeply into the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Liturgy on a daily basis. Through these reflections and prayers, you are invited to embrace the Word of God in a personal, engaging, challenging and transforming way. These reflections are also a great resource for priests and deacons for their daily homily preparations. This Volume offers daily reflections and prayers for Ordinary Time Weeks 1-17. Catholic Daily Reflections Series: Volume One: Advent and ChristmasVolume Two: Lent and EasterVolume Three: Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17Volume Four: Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

The Catholic Daily Reflections Series was written to help you enter more deeply into the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Liturgy on a daily basis. Through these reflections and prayers, you are invited to embrace the Word of God in a personal, engaging, challenging and transforming way. These reflections are also a great resource for priests and deacons for their daily homily preparations. This Volume offers daily reflections and prayers for Lent and Easter. Catholic Daily Reflections Series: Volume One: Advent and ChristmasVolume Two: Lent and EasterVolume Three: Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17Volume Four: Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

The "Catholic Daily Reflections Series" was written to help you enter more deeply into the Holy Scriptures and the Catholic Liturgy on a daily basis. Through these reflections and prayers you are invited to enter into the Word of God in a personal, engaging, challenging and transforming way. This Volume of the "Catholic Daily Reflection Series" offers daily reflections and prayers for the Advent and Christmas Seasons. All Volumes: Volume One: Advent and ChristmasVolume Two: Lent and EasterVolume Three: Ordinary Time: Weeks 1-17Volume Four: Ordinary Time: Weeks 18-34

Common to people of every time and place is a longing for the truth. We want to know We want to know the purpose of our life, why we are here on earth, where we came from, whether there is a God, who this God is, whether there is an afterlife, and so much more These most basic and fundamental questions are hopefully in the forefront of our minds. And if they are not, it's never too late to start This book offers some of the answers to these questions. It offers the answers found is our Creed. At first, the Creed can seem dry and unimpressive. It can even seem confusing and overly academic. But when properly understood, the Creed holds the answer to the questions we so deeply seek.Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur About this Series: The My Catholic Life series is a three volume series written as a complete summary of our glorious Catholic faith The goal of these books is to answer the difficult and deep questions of life in a clear and understandable way. We need to know who we are and what life is all about. And we need to know who God is and what He has spoke to us through the ages. Volume One, My Catholic Faith is a summary of the Apostles and Nicene Creed. This volume looks at everything from the creation of the world to God's eternal plan of salvation. Other topics include: Afterlife, saints, God, faith, and the Church. It is a summary of the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church # 1-1065. Volume Two, My Catholic Worship is a summary of the life of grace found in prayer and the Sacraments. So often the Sacraments can be seen as dry and empty rituals. But they are, in reality, the greatest treasures we have They are God's true presence among us It is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1066-1684 and #2558-2865. Volume Three, My Catholic Morals is a summary of the morality itself, knowing how we choose right from wrong, as well as a summary of all the moral teachings of our faith. It is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1691-2557. Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur

We are all called to be saints This is what we are made for and this is the only way to happiness. Life in Christ, a life lived according to the will of God, is the only way to live out our dignity and to experience the freedom we so long for. This book helps to shed light on the glorious calling we have received to become saints. A life of sin leads to death and despair, a life of grace and moral uprightness leads to happiness. This is a simple truth that we must all discover and live. Catholic morality is often seen in a negative way. We often think morality is about "what I can't do." It's true that Christ's teachings on the moral life limit us from engaging in actions contrary to His will and contrary to our dignity. But morality is so much more than just a list of restrictions. Morality is also about living in freedom It's about living in the freedom that our Triune God has in store for us Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur About this Series: The My Catholic Life series is a three volume series written as a complete summary of our glorious Catholic faith The goal of these books is to answer the difficult and deep questions of life in a clear and understandable way. We need to know who we are and what life is all about. And we need to know who God is and what He has spoke to us through the ages. Volume One, My Catholic Faith is a summary of the Apostles and Nicene Creed. This volume looks at everything from the creation of the world to God's eternal plan of salvation. Other topics include: Afterlife, saints, God, faith, and the Church. It is a summary of the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1-1065. Volume Two, My Catholic Worship is a summary of the life of grace found in prayer and the Sacraments. So often the Sacraments can be seen as dry and empty rituals. But they are, in reality, the greatest treasures we have They are God's true presence among us It is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1066-1684 and #2558-2865. Volume Three, My Catholic Morals is a summary of the morality itself, knowing how we choose right from wrong, as well as a summary of all the moral teachings of our faith. It is a summary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1691-2557. Nihil Obstat & Imprimatur