In November 2011, Our Sunday Visitor published Discover Christ: Developing
a Personal Relationship with Jesus. Bert co-authored this book with his long-time friend Dave Nodar
Finding
Life’s Purpose. When asked about the meaning of their lives, most people seem surprised at the question. They
may stammer a bit and then give answers ranging from “I don’t know” to “I guess I just want to be
happy.” With a series of chapters based on carefully crafted questions, Discover Christ leads readers to confront
the crucial question of life’s meaning and leads them to embrace the answer they find in the New Testament. Testimonies
throughout the book add authenticity and interest to the teaching. Readers will discover their purpose in the person of Jesus,
who will reveal to them the Father who created them to enjoy the fullness of life. They will see how he will heal them of
things that make them miserable; connect them in a loving relationship with him and millions of others; and show them how
to live a joyous and productive life.
A Catholic Book on Meeting Jesus. Catholics who are trying to implement the
New Evangelization and introduce others to Jesus need a book that they can give them. At present they will not find a book
written from a Catholic perspective that in a popular and comprehensive way instructs people about entering into a personal
relationship with Christ. Discover Christ fills this gap in resources for Catholic evangelization.
Discover Christ is a book of evangelization. It contributes to adjusting what Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana describes
as a centuries’ long overemphasis on catechesis at the expense of evangelization. Cardinal Turkson, president
of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, says “I think that our traditional way of making people Catholic [i.e.,
catechetics] needs to be reconsidered. The declaration that Jesus is Lord is meant to be an expression of a person's commitment....
[W]e need a radical conversion that will make the presence of God real and personal for each one of us.”
Discover Christ will help Catholics experience and advance a primary goal of the New Evangelization, which Pope Benedict
XVI has made a theme of his ministry: “Dear brothers and sisters, this is true for every Christian: faith is first and
foremost a personal, intimate encounter with Jesus, it is having an experience of his closeness, his friendship and his love.
It is in this way that we learn to know him ever better, to love him and to follow him more and more. May this happen to each
one of us!” (General Audience, October 21, 2009).
About Dave Nodar - Dave Nodar is the founder and Director
of ChristLife, headquartered on the grounds of the Shrine of Saint Anthony of Padua (Endicott City, Maryland). He has primary
responsibility for the development of ChristLife’s teaching courses and seminars, and has been a speaker at conferences
in dioceses, parishes, and other Christian organizations in the USA and abroad.
In September 2010 Brazos Press published Adventures
in Daily Prayer. In this book I share in detail my practice and understanding of daily prayer. I offer my experiences as a
series of mirrors in which you can reflect on your own prayer life. I tell of the ways the Lord has worked in me to trigger
your memories of the ways he has worked in you. Each chapter explains an element that characterizes my prayer times, such
practices as praying in God’s presence, listening to God, and interceding for others. In order to help you connect with
my message and explore its value for you. I have provided Think, Pray, and Act questions at the end of each chapter. You may
also use these questions—especially those labeled “Think”—for group discussions. Even before we may be aware of it, the Lord engages us in an adventure
of prayer. Moment by moment he beckons us, creating opportunities for us to communicate with him. All prayer rises up in us
as God’s gift. He is coming to us more than we are going to him. The classic Baltimore Catechism popularized the definition
of prayer as “raising the mind and heart to God.” Jesuit spiritual writer Thomas H. Green says that this description
goes too far because it makes it seem as though we are initiators of the communication. Alternatively, he suggests that we
characterize prayer as an “opening the mind and heart to God” because the idea of opening emphasizes responsiveness
and receptivity. Whether we are beginners, experienced pray-ers, or in-betweeners, we are always the receivers of God’s
gift of prayer. I hope this book will help you respond more fully to God’s invitation to pray and grow even closer to
him.
VOICES
OF THE SAINTS NOW AVAILABLE IN AN UPDATED AND REVISED EDITION FROM LOYOLA PRESS
Loyola Press has published a revised
and updated edition of Voices of the Saints. The 2000 edition presented the saints in alphabetical order. The new 2009 edition
is arranged in historical order, which gives you the benefit of taking a journey through church history with the saints.
Voices of the Saints involves you with 365 saints as spiritual companions on your daily journey. Each two-page selection
provides a long quote by or about the saint that gives a sense of his or her voice. This feature reveals the saint's ideals
and spirituality.
For far too long Catholics have regarded saints as extraordinary people, almost as though they
were made of some superhuman substance. For this reason many feel that they could never become a saint because they are weak
and sinful. I wanted to write a book that would change their mind. I hope to convince you that holiness is possible for all.
So I take the saints down from their pedestals. In Voices of the Saints I show that saints are ordinary people by describing
their faults as well as their strengths. I hope you will take away the conviction that you can become a saint if you choose
to and if you respond to God's grace.
You can read Voices of the Saints in a variety of ways. Saints are arranged
from Mary in the first century to Teresa of Calcutta in the twentieth century, allowing you to read the book in chronological
order. The book is numbered from 1 to 365, so you can read one selection a day through a year and easily keep track. You can
also read the book topically by choosing from the chart of ninety-six themes and going to the saints that are listed for each
topic. By using the Calendar of Saints, you can read the book through the year from January to December. Or if you just want
to find a saint that interests you, you can consult the Index.
May these stories encourage you to decide to be
a saint-after all that's why God made you.
(Previously published
as The Heart of a Saint)
God
offers every human being the gift of himself, promising to come and make his home in the hearts of all who love and obey him.
Saints respond to this gift by giving their hearts wholeheartedly to God. In Saints
at Heart best-selling Catholic author Bert Ghezzi portrays ten heroes of the faith whose lives demonstrate how
we can grow closer to God as we give our hearts to him. From Therese of Lisieux and Francis of Assisi to Dorothy Day and Pope
John Paul II, the author paints a portrait of men and women taking on the heart of God in prayer, service, justice, and love
of neighbor. Each chapter ends with suggestions for reflection, prayer, and action for growing in the particular spiritual
quality exhibited by each saint. Ghezzi's engaging style as he tells these stories is both refreshing and inspirational.
(Previously published as Sacred
Passages)
Available
in paperback or Kindle editionIn
Living the Sacraments: Grace into Action, Bert explores
four eye-opening truths that expand our perspectives on the ways God uses the sacraments to touch and strengthen us for everyday
Christian living. The
sacraments are the normal way that Christians come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That's the way Jesus
meant it to be. That's the way this book tells it so well. --Scott
Hahn, author of The Lamb's Supper
It takes a gifted writer to explore
the sacraments in a way that does justice to their depth, but also makes their meaning come alive for the average believer.
Living the Sacraments is an excellent reflection
on the heart of Catholic life by an author at the top of his form. --Most
Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbisop of Philadelphia
Breakfast with Benedict: Daily
Readings by Pope Benedict XVI
Selected and edited by Bert Ghezzi
This little book creates an opportunity for you to start your day with
Pope Benedict XVI. Imagine that you have been invited to breakfast with the pope. As you sip your first cup of coffee, he
will talk to you about an important and interesting topic. Today he may reflect with you on the Face of God, one of his favorite
themes. Tomorrow he may share about his personal experience of going to Confession. And the next day he may express his concern
that we care for the environment. The wide range of his interests and depth of his understanding will fascinate you. His savvy
grasp of what’s going on in the world will cause you to shake your head in agreement. Some mornings what he says will
make you think. On other days he may provoke to change something in your life. And on most days
So take this book
with you to your table and enjoy your breakfast with Benedict, our Holy Father.
Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
and Bert Ghezzi Everyday Encounters with GodWhat Our Experience Teaches About the Divine In Everyday Encounters with God, Benedict Groeschel, CFR and Bert Ghezzi
alert readers to the many-faceted ways you can learn about God by observing your ordinary experiences. In thirty short chapters
that range over a diversity of subjects, they show readers how we can meet God in our daily circumstances and realize what
he is like. For example, the witness of the heavens, our births, and bodies tell of God’s extravagant providence, generosity,
and his preoccupation with beauty. We see his image in our parents, his creativity in artists and laborers, his justice in
people committed to set things right. We find truths about him everywhere—in novels, random kindnesses, architecture,
recovered addicts, and acts of forgiveness. The book contains five sections, each with six short chapters. Each chapter concludes
with a question for personal reflection. Each section concludes with questions for group discussions.
About the Co-Author : Benedict Groeschel, CFR. is the founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. He is
a well-known teacher, conference speaker, and retreat master. Fr. Benedict is the author of many books, including most recently,
Praying with the Creed. His weekly TV program, “Fr. Benedict Groeschel Live,” airs every
Sunday evening on EWTN.
The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer 120 pages Presents six dynamic perspectives that enable readers
to experience more fully the graces and blessings that come from making the sign of the cross. Signing yourself with faith
and reverence opens you to God, activates baptismal graces, affirms your decision to follow Christ, accepts suffering on God's
terms, protects you from the devil, and helps you replace faults with virtues.
Mystics and Miracles: True Stories of Lives Touched by God. 189 pages Inspiring introduction to lives of 24 saints who
shared our struggles and weaknesses and who also experienced miracles because of their obedient relationship to God. Ideal
reading for all ages.
Now Out of Print, Available Only as Used Books
The New Jerusalem Bible: Saints Devotional Edition Presents 200 reflections by saints on Bible texts to enhance your
prayer and spiritual reading. Includes a mini-course in the saints' own words teaching how to read, study, pray, and apply
Scripture; 100 themes for guided reading; brief biographies of 90 saints; dictionary of patron saints; and a calendar of the
saints.
Being Catholic Today: Your Personal Guide 166 pages This book is a primer on putting the Catholic
faith into practice. An introduction to what Catholics do for young Catholics and converts and a refresher course for others.
Includes questions for reflection and discussion, as well as action ideas.
Keeping Your Kids Catholic 228 pages A practical guide about handing on the faith to children written by experienced parents, teachers, and
pastors. Suitable for personal or group use. Helps parents prioritize, select, and implement action ideas.
Guiltless Catholic Parenting from A to Y* 270 pages A handbook that helps parents fulfill their vocation to raise kids Catholic without guilt or fear of
failure. A companion to Keeping Your Kids Catholic. Designed both for personal or group use.
50 Ways to Tap the Power of the Sacraments 196 pages How individuals and families can meet Jesus in the sacraments and apply his graces to daily life. 50
practical, personal short reads. Questions for reflection and discussion and many application ideas.
