Showing results by narrator "Kevin OBrien" in All Categories

Join Father Paul Pearson of the Oratory as he guides you on a spiritual journey through one of the great classics of Christian literature, Dante’s Purgatorio. Purgatory is the least understood of the three possible “destinations” when we die (though unlike Heaven or Hell it is not an eternal one) and is mysterious to many Christians and even to many Catholics today. As he did in his first volume in the Spiritual Direction from Dante trilogy, Avoiding the Inferno, Father Pearson adroitly draws out the great spiritual insights hidden in The Divine Comedy.

For more than half a century, the question of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) has been widely dismissed in our culture. That wasn’t always the case. Some of the best minds of the last 25 centuries in Western civilization have grappled with this mystery. In Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith, best-selling author Paul Thigpen begins with a fascinating historical survey of the public conversation about ETI, tracing the thought of prominent Catholics and others. This is a thorough guide to navigating the conversation from a faithful Catholic perspective.

Island of the World is the story of a child born in 1933 into the turbulent world of the Balkans and tracing his life into the third millennium. The central character is Josip Lasta, the son of an impoverished school teacher in a remote village high in the mountains of the Bosnian interior. As the novel begins, World War II is underway and the entire region of Yugoslavia is torn by conflicting factions: German and Italian occupying armies, and the rebel forces that resist them the fascist Ustashe, Serb nationalist Chetniks, and Communist Partisans.

This TAN Books edition of Stories About Purgatory and What They Reveal, by An Ursiline of Sligo, features the complete original text, along with a supplemental section entitled What Will Hell Be Like?. We’ve also included unique hand-selected classic artwork for the listener’s enjoyment, exclusive to this edition of Stories About Purgatory and What They Reveal. This audiobook was written to impress upon its listeners many truths about Purgatory - first, that it exists; second, that the souls detained there suffer long and excruciating pains.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori, the Prince of Moral Theologians, was one of the greatest preachers in Church history. A religious founder, consummate theologian, and holy man of God, St. Alphonsus never failed to utter a stirring word that drew out a lively penitence and redoubled dedication to the work of God from his audience. Here, in The Holy Eucharist, is his extensive work on the Sacrifice that brings about Salvation. As a devoted preacher and teacher, Liguori sought to bring others to devotion and sanctity in the most Blessed Sacrament.

St. Malachy of Armagh lived in an age of turmoil, yet his life radiated holiness, reform, and unwavering devotion. Composed by his cherished friend, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, this compelling biography chronicles Malachy's extraordinary journey from his humble beginnings in Ireland to his apostolic labors, miracles, and untimely death at Clairvaux.

A beautiful little book "all about the Holy Ghost," including prayers to Him. Shows He really and truly dwells in every soul that is in the state of grace. He aids all Christians without exception, if only we will ask His help. Enlightening and encouraging!

This powerful true account shares the heroic witness of over 2,400 Catholic priests imprisoned at Dachau, where more than a third died for their faith. Through Fr. John Lenz’s firsthand stories, see how these priests endured brutal suffering, ministered in secret, and proved that even in darkness, grace triumphs. Their courage and sacrifice reveal what it means to cling to Christ and find hope amid unimaginable evil.

Lectio Divina with the Spiritual Masters offers a transformative way to engage with Sacred Scripture through the guidance of the Saints and masters who have gone before us. Rooted in the ancient practice of Lectio Divina—a contemplative and prayerful reading of God’s Word—this approach combines enriching commentary from holy men and women with structured meditations and prompts.

Saint John the Baptist: Priest, Prophet, and Martyr shows how, through Divine Providence, one man was uniquely destined to pave the way for the coming of Christ. In a world steeped in darkness, St. John emerged as a beacon of light, challenging the Pharisees and Sadducees and pointing those around him to “make straight the way of the Lord.

A very optimistic audiobook showing how an "ordinary" Catholic can become a great saint without ever doing anything "extraordinary"—just by using the many opportunities for holiness that to most people lie hidden in each day. Written with an assurance of success that is totally convincing and infectious, these are many easy but infallible means of reaching great sanctity.

In Communism and the Conscience of the West, Sheen explains the problems with society stemming from socialism and communism, which continue to infect universities and political discourse today. This timeless book exposes communism’s defects, its attitude toward the family, the decline of historical liberalism, and the rise of the antireligious spirit that pervades our world.

This classic novel by the brilliant G. K. Chesterton tells the rollicking tale of Innocent Smith, a man who may be crazy - or possibly the most sane man of all. Arriving at a dreary London boarding house accompanied by a windstorm, Smith is an exuberant, eccentric, and sweet-natured man. Smith has a positive effect on the house - he creates his own court, brings a few couples together, and falls in love with a paid companion next door. All seems to be well with the world.

Joy: we look for it, long for it, and spend our lives chasing it. Yet do we really know what it is? Is it a feeling, a state of mind, or a reward for success? Do we know where to find it? The more we seek it, the more it eludes us. Yet joy is real. “Joy”, writes philosopher Peter Kreeft, “is a mystery. It is bigger than we are.” Joy’s secret, however, is that it cannot be reached or found but only given. True joy is God Himself, who, giving Himself, takes us outside ourselves, across valleys of loss and mountains of triumph.

Pope Benedict XVI's second encyclical, Saved in Hope, ("Spe Salvi" in Latin) takes its title from St. Paul, who wrote, "In hope we have been saved." In this audiobook, the Holy Father continues a line of thought he began with his first encyclical, God Is Love. Love and Hope are closely related in the spiritual life. Love of God involves hope or trust in God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man."

The modern crisis stems from a great divorce—a divorce between those who have the truth and those who do not. In Philosophies at War, Sheen addresses the American people on the themes of government and politics not only as a bishop but also as a conscious citizen. He writes of war and revolution, the need of an absolute (God), and the roots of democracy, patriotism, and peace. He shows that the culture war is not merely political and economic but also theological.

In wise and consoling letters written to a mother sorrowing over the death of her child, Fr. François René Blot, S.J., here summons the Church’s greatest saints who testify with one voice that death’s wound, though grievous, separates us but for a short while from those who die before us. Acknowledging that profound sorrow at the death of loved ones is appropriate (after all, even Jesus wept for the death of his friend Lazarus), Fr. Blot nonetheless gives us reason to be joyful even in the midst of our sorrow.

Father Christopher Hart, a young New York priest and classic film buff, is unwittingly drafted by the mob to hear the confession of a man slated for execution. This was not one of the duties he expected when he became a first-time pastor.

In this riveting biography, author Bret Thoman accomplishes what few biographers have. He pierces the inner life of Francis, revealing his deepest passions, his unquenchable love for poverty, and his unshakable grip on the core of the Gospel. The life of Francis, so often festooned with spectacle and miracle, is in reality the story of a soul yearning for God in every moment and glimpsing his presence in all creation.

Selected and accompanied by commentary from best-selling author and literature professor Joseph Pearce, this exciting collection of verse contains classic poems that every child should know to begin a poetic ascent towards God.