Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic


Book Description

As human beings we are constantly engaging and disengaging in everything we do. We engage and disengage at work, in marriage, as parents, in our quest for health and well-being, in personal finances, environmentally, politically, and, of course, we engage or disengage spiritually. If you walk into any Catholic church next Sunday and look around, you will discover that some people are highly engaged, others are massively disengaged, and the majority are somewhere in between. Why? What is the difference between highly engaged Catholics and disengaged Catholics? Answering this question is essential to the future of the Catholic Church. If we truly want to engage Catholics and reinvigorate parish life, we must first discover what drives engagement among Catholics. Matthew Kelly explores this question in his groundbreaking new book, and the simplicity of what he discovers will amaze you. Four things make the difference between highly engaged Catholics and disengaged Catholics: the four signs of a Dynamic Catholic. Whether you are ready to let God take your spiritual life to the next level or want to help reinvigorate your parish, The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic promises to take you on a journey that will help you live out the genius of Catholicism in your everyday life.




Forming Intentional Disciples


Book Description

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 ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.




Rediscover Jesus


Book Description

How well do you know Jesus? I think about this often, and I always come to the same realization. I don't know Jesus anywhere near as well as I would like to know him. The desire is there, but life gets in the way. There are times when I seem to be making great progress, and other times when I wonder if I know him at all. But I always arrive back at the same inspiring and haunting idea: If there is one person that we should each get to know in a deeply personal way, it is Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth, the itinerant preacher, the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God, the new Adam, the Messiah, the Alpha and the Omega, the Chosen One, the Light of the World, the God-Man who wants good things for us more than we want them for ourselves, the healer of our souls. The best time to rediscover Jesus is right now. You are holding this book in your hand at this very moment for a reason. I don't know what God has in store for you, but I am excited for you.




Rediscover Catholicism


Book Description

At a Time When Many Catholics are Disillusioned, Questioning Their Faith, and Filled with Doubts About the Relevance of Catholicism in the Modern World, the Voice of One Man Cries Out to the World's Largest Faith Community With a Clarity That is Rare and Inspiring. Rediscover Catholicism, takes us on an adventure of life-changing proportions. Beginning with our common yearning for happiness, Kelly reveals the essence of authentic Catholic spirituality while addressing some of the most important questions we face today both as individuals and as a Church. Are you happy? Are you living an authentic life? Do you really think you will find happiness where you are looking? How would you like your life to change? What is God's dream for your life? Why have so many people rejected Catholicism? What does it mean to walk with God in the modern world? Do the saints have anything to offer you? Is Jesus still relevant? Can the ancient traditions of Catholicism help us deal with the modern challenges of our lives? In each generation a leader comes forth who is able to bring Christianity to life in a way that revitalizes individuals, communities, and the universal Church. Once you experience his bold, brilliant, practical, and inspiring style, you will soon understand why so many people consider Matthew Kelly to be one of the great spiritual voices of our times. Book jacket.




Evangelical Catholicism


Book Description

The Catholic Church is on the threshold of a bold new era in its two-thousand year history. As the curtain comes down on the Church defined by the 16th-century Counter-Reformation, the curtain is rising on the Evangelical Catholicism of the third millennium: a way of being Catholic that comes from over a century of Catholic reform; a mission-centered renewal honed by the Second Vatican Council and given compelling expression by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. The Gospel-centered Evangelical Catholicism of the future will send all the people of the Church into mission territory every day -- a territory increasingly defined in the West by spiritual boredom and aggressive secularism. Confronting both these cultural challenges and the shadows cast by recent Catholic history, Evangelical Catholicism unapologetically proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the truth of the world. It also molds disciples who witness to faith, hope, and love by the quality of their lives and the nobility of their aspirations. Thus the Catholicism of the 21st century and beyond will be a culture-forming counterculture, offering all men and women of good will a deeply humane alternative to the soul-stifling self-absorption of postmodernity. Drawing on thirty years of experience throughout the Catholic world, from its humblest parishes to its highest levels of authority, George Weigel proposes a deepening of faith-based and mission-driven Catholic reform that touches every facet of Catholic life -- from the episcopate and the papacy to the priesthood and the consecrated life; from the renewal of the lay vocation in the world to the redefinition of the Church's engagement with public life; from the liturgy to the Church's intellectual life. Lay Catholics and clergy alike should welcome the challenge of this unique moment in the Church's history, Weigel urges. Mediocrity is not an option, and all Catholics, no matter what their station in life, are called to live the evangelical vocation into which they were baptized: without compromise, but with the joy, courage, and confidence that comes from living this side of the Resurrection.




I Heard God Laugh: A Practical Guide to Life's Essential Daily Habit


Book Description

Is Your Life Working? Most of us are trying to put together the jigsaw puzzle we call life without a very important piece. Over time this becomes incredibly frustrating. In this extraordinary book, Matthew Kelly powerfully demonstrates that we cannot live the life we have imagined, or experience the joy we yearn for, unless we learn to tend the soul. From there, with his classic style of practical wisdom, he teaches us how to remedy this problem. When our bodies are hungry, our stomachs growl. When our souls are hungry, we become irritable, restless, confused, overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, discontent, and tend to focus on the things that matter least and neglect the things that matter most.




Why I Love Being Catholic


Book Description




The Catholic Prayer Book


Book Description

In an era when you have less time yet a greater need than ever before for personal prayer, this treasured collection serves as a much-needed resource. Filled with a wide range of prayers from the rich tradition of the church, this collection is a reservoir of Catholic worship from ancient times to the present day.




The Joy of the Gospel


Book Description

The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage




Rediscover Advent


Book Description

Take time this Advent to rediscover what it means to be Catholic with "Rediscover Advent," the new book from internationally known speaker and author Matthew Kelly. Each day you will find a brief citation from one of the lectionary readings for the day, a reflection on some aspect of Catholic faith and practice taken from Kellys bestselling book "Rediscover Catholicism," one or two questions for meditation, and a brief prayer. These timely and inspirational words will help renew your enthusiasm for being Catholic, while encouraging you to delve more deeply into the spirituality of the Advent season. Designed for individual reading or for group study, Rediscover Advent is the perfect companion as you prepare for the coming of Christ, both this year and for years to come.