Our Sunday Visitor

“Every day is joyful. Every day is a gift. Every day I can thank God from the bottom of my heart.” Kelly Mantoan wasn’t always able to say these words. As a mother of five children, two with profound disabilities, all her energy and attention was focused on her children’s diagnoses and round the clock care. Drained and struggling, Kelly wondered if she had what it took to be the kind of parent they needed. She craved support as a Catholic mother with special-needs children, but felt lost and...

Do you feel adrift, unsure of your future and purpose? You aren’t alone: The pressures and lack of connection in modern life leave many young adults struggling. It’s time to rediscover who you are and where you’re going! Using psychological research, engaging real-life examples, and discussing the truths of the Catholic Faith, author and therapist Julia Marie Hogan shows in A Work in Progress: Embracing the Life God Gave You how to reclaim your sense of direction and purpose in life. By...

Patron Saints for Every Member of Your Family, Your Profession, Every Ailment, Every Emergency, and Even Every AmusementWho would have guessed that there is a patron saint for astronauts, or zookeepers, or the internet? You know that you can pray to St. Blaise to help protect you from a sore throat, but which saint will protect you from a snakebite or from being struck by lightning? With hundreds of listings of patron saints, you'll find heavenly helpers for just about anything and...

The Catholic Family Book of PrayersDo you want to introduce your kids to the richness of the Christian prayer tradition? The best way to do that is to pray with them, and now there’s a beautiful collection of Catholic prayers and meditations designed just for that purpose: The Catholic Family Book of Prayers: A Treasury of Prayers and Meditations for Families to Pray Together. It’s packed with prayers, blessings, meditations, saintly wisdom, and artwork—all selected specifically for Catholic...

You may know the Catechism of the Catholic Church as an "organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals" (11). But did you know that the Catechism is also an invitation to friendship with God and neighbor - one that can change your life? Believe Celebrate Live Pray: A Weekly Walk with the Catechism is a unique way to grow in faith by meditating, over fifty-two weeks, on the four pillars of the Catechism. This highly accessible...

How will you -- how can you -- answer God's call to holiness? The path to holiness is traveled step by step. The way of holiness is lived grace by grace. Your journey to God is nothing more, and nothing less, than that series of steps. But how do you take that step each day? How do you live that grace each day? How, each day, do you answer God's call, God's personal invitation to holiness? What New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan recommends, urges, reminds, and teaches is radical in the...

Grow closer to Christ in the Eucharist with My Daily Visitor: Eucharist. This handy devotional with 40 reflection themes helps you to pray and reflect on the source and summit of our Catholic Faith. For each entry, Aleteia.org editor-in-chief Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, OP, offers a brief reflection on a particular quote from a saint and concludes with a prayer. Reflection themes include the Real Presence, the Virgin Mary, forgiveness of sin, sacrifice, breaking of the bread, the Lamb’s Supper,...

This book is one in a series of eight, promulgated by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, which are the official catechetical resources for the Jubilee Year of Mercy (December 8, 2015 - November 20, 2016). Pope Francis will be speaking on these themes in his weekly catechesis throughout the year. "At time we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father's action in our lives." -- Pope Francis88 pages,...

Every Day with Mary Reflections by the Affiliates of Mayslake Ministries Dr. Mary Amore Growing closer to the Blessed Virgin Mary can have a profound impact on your spiritual life. Your deeper and more personal relationship with the Blessed Mother can start today in Every Day with Mary. Throughout the year you’ll ponder the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the Mary’s life — peace, love, surrender, hope, gentleness, joy, serenity, self-control, generosity, gratitude, patience, faithfulness, and...

Father McBride extends to all an earnest invitation to know and love the Mass more deeply. The Catechism calls the Eucharist "the heart and summit of the Church's life" (1407). Certainly we are called to participate as fully and enthusiastically as possible. Along with the official texts of the Ordinary of the Mass are Father McBride's enlightening explanations. Also included are: The scriptural and historical background of the Last Supper.The tremendous significance of the Eucharist and what...

Ours is not a culture that publicly appreciates motherhood, and it is time for that to change. Feminism, while winning certain victories for women, has wrongly left motherhood behind. Many women today, including faithful Catholics, are ambivalent about motherhood or see it as something that will compromise their careers, lives, and happiness. In Motherhood: An Extraordinary Vocation, Dr. Kathryn Rombs invites women to enter this vocation or reengage with it, newly aware of its meaning, beauty,...

The Light of Christmas Morning by Susan Joy Bellavance; Illustrated by Kissane Engelhart The best and most important gift we receive at Christmas is the infant Jesus, the true light of the world who refreshes hearts, revives souls, and restores hope. The Light of Christmas Morning shares a heartwarming family tradition that honors the divine gift of the Savior — before the other gifts around the Christmas tree are opened. Filled with beautiful original artwork, this book celebrates family...

The Catholic Prayer Book for Children makes the perfect First Reconciliation or First Communion gift. This is the keepsake your child will keep.Beloved, traditional Catholic prayers.Original prayers that accurately reflect a youngster's daily concerns and experiences.A "how-to" for offering his or her own prayers.The basics of the Catholic Faith: the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes, sacraments, corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and more.An age-appropriate "examination of conscience," and an...

It's time to break the cycle. Not every family is the perfect model of Catholic family life. Some of us approach parenting still wounded by childhood experiences that were less than ideal. When we start our own families, at best we feel a bit unprepared, and at worst we feel paralyzed with fear that we will repeat our parents dysfunctional, abusive behaviors. In All Things New, Erin McCole Cupp draws on her own and others experiences to discuss how to develop a joyful family life when our own...

The Rosary's rich simplicity has provided solace and courage in rocky times for centuries. Now, as new generations of Catholics face war, economic uncertainty, and moral upheaval, the Rosary is needed as much as ever. As interest in this beautiful devotion continues to rise, this pamphlet can be used as an introduction to, or reinforcement of, the power of the Rosary. This attractive and concise guide will instruct and inspire Catholics in the gentle rhythms and fervent hope of the Rosary....

In Finding Christ in the Crisis: What the Pandemic Can Teach Us, Fr. Harrison Ayre and Michael Heinlein shed light on what God might be saying to us now, both in the Church and in the world. Through scriptural interpretation and examination of particular realities of the Faith, we can realize that, while we may at times be restricted in our access to the sacraments and even to pastoral leadership, the effects of this pandemic are by no means a defeat. ...

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13–14) If life is a portal to paradise, then how we get there should be everyone’s concern. Our Christian call is to know, love, and serve God in this world that we may be happy with him in heaven. In our day-to-day lives, this means finding and keeping to the...

God knows what’s on our minds and in our hearts, but we still need to verbalize our innermost thoughts, feelings, and intentions. That’s prayer. In this easy-to-read, down-to-earth introduction to conversation with God, you’ll discover, or rediscover, what you need to be able to “pray without ceasing.” In this brief booklet, author, mom, wife, and Secular Franciscan Barb Szyszkiewicz helps you strengthen your connection to God through prayer. You’ll learn: How to pray alone and establish an...

What do we really know about Saint Francis of Assisi? Much has been written about this medieval saint from Umbria in present-day central Italy. Yet the image we have of him does not always correspond to reality, as his fame is often linked to legends and texts that have no historical basis. Francis was an exceptional man, as his own contemporaries testified. Too often, though, this emphasis has obscured his humanity. Francis immersed himself with all his heart in daily life because he was...

288 pages, hardcover Story of a Soul conveys St. Thérèse of Liseux's “Little Way” of spiritual childhood - her “elevator” to Heaven. This is a way for all to grow in holiness through unfailing confidence and childlike delight in God's merciful love. St. Therese shows us how her “Little Way” of love and trust comes straight from Sacred Scripture. Includes an introduction written by Elizabeth Foss.

In Make Every Day Blessed, you will: discover the significance behind each of the liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time);examine the ways you currently celebrate each season, and reflect on the deeper meaning behind our collective celebrations;reflect on how you can live with greater intention throughout the liturgical year. The Catholic Church is full of rich tradition, enabling us to experience the world as God intended through the beauty of each liturgical...

Forming Intentional Disciples The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus by Sherry A. Weddell How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing.Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are...

To Ends of the Earth: Witness The world needs men to witness to God. You know this instinctively. But still, it may seem like it’s someone else’s job, that it’s too hard, or that you’re not holy or smart enough. None of that is true. As a Catholic man, you already have the evidence that can persuade your family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers, sometimes without even speaking a word. What is this evidence? Christ has touched your life, and you will never be the same. In To the Ends of...