Click to purchase from Ave Maria Press. The power of everyday interactions, says Fr. James Sullivan, is much greater than we suspect. We have the power to offer profound healing, comfort, and affirmation, or to create deep wounds. And all of this depends on one crucial skill: listening. In the pages of The Good Listener, readers will come to see the far-reaching effects that their listening has on others, and will be grateful for the practical guidelines to becoming an attentive, caring listener. On the other hand, they will also gain invaluable insights into the effects that the listening skills of others have upon them. Those who understand and apply the insights of this book will offer others two unique gifts: the gift of their own caring presence and the gift of enabling the other's greater self-awareness. Parents and spouses, as well as those in ministry and in counseling roles, will find that The Good Listener is an invaluable guide to improving their listening skills.

Click to purchase from Tan Books. In this age of relentless activity it is easy for Christians, particularly those involved in good works, to fall into the pattern of the activist. But mere activity and material results are not sufficient for a successful apostolate. In his classic work The Soul of the Apostolate, Dom Chautard demonstrates that the very foundation of all apostolic work must be the Interior Life. The apostle of Christ will grow to become an instrument and true channel of God’s graces to the world only through prayer, meditation and the cultivation of the Interior Life. When one is involved in works of spiritual or corporal charity, his work can only be truly efficacious when he anchors his Interior Life in Christ. Without Christ we can do nothing.

Click to purchase from Penguin Random House Publishers. In this book, Henri Nouwen combines creative case studies of ministry with stories from diverse cultures and religious traditions in preparing a new model for ministry. Weaving keen cultural analysis with his psychological and religious insights, Nouwen has come up with a balanced and creative theology of service that begins with the realization of fundamental woundedness in human nature. Emphasizing that which is in humanity common to both minister and believer, this woundedness can serve as a source of strength and healing when counseling others. Nouwen proceeds to develop his approach to ministry with an analysis of sufferings—a suffering world, a suffering generation, a suffering person, and a suffering minister. It is his contention that ministers are called to recognize the sufferings of their time in their own hearts and make that recognition the starting point of their service. For Nouwen, ministers must be willing to go beyond their professional role and leave themselves open as fellow human beings with the same wounds and suffering—in the image of Christ. In other words, we heal from our own wounds.

Click to purchase from Fr. Timothy Gallagher's webiste. In The Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, a talented teacher, retreat leader, and scholar, helps us understand the Rules and how their insights are essential for our spiritual growth today. By integrating the Rules and the experience of contemporary people, Gallagher shows the precision, clarity, and insight of Ignatius's Rules, as well as the relevance of his thought for spiritual life today. When we learn to read Ignatius correctly, we discover in his remarkable words our own struggles, joys, and triumphs. This book is for all who desire greater awareness of God's action in their daily spiritual lives, and is essential reading for retreat directors, spiritual directors, priests, and counselors.

Click to purchase from Tan Books. As Bishop of Geneva in the first quarter of the seventeenth century, Francis de Sales saw to the spiritual needs of everyone from the poorest peasants to court ladies. The desire to be closer to God that he found in people from all levels of society led him to compile these instructions on how to live in Christ. Francis’s compassionate Introduction leads the reader through practical ways of attaining a devout life without renouncing the world and offers prayers and meditations to strengthen devotion in the face of temptation and hardship.

Click to purchase from Franciscan University Bookstore. Apostolic Letter of the St. John Paul II to the Bishops, to the Priests, to the Religious Families and to the Church on the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering

Click to purchase from Amazon. This new book expands the scope of the previous Religious Education and the Law: A Handbook for Parish Catechetical Leaders, to include parish and youth ministers as well as religious educators. Topics either not discussed or only mentioned in the earlier text include boundaries, harassment, hazing and bullying, the Internet, email, health and medication issues, violence, special needs and others.

Click to purchase from Regnery Publishing. What do you do when an entire civilization is crumbling around you? You do everything. This is a book about how to get started. The Left’s culture war threatens America’s foundation and its very civilization, warns Esolen in his brand new book, Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture. They will tell you that babies in the womb are fetuses, that gender is a social construct, and that the backbone of society is government not the community. In Out of the Ashes, Esolen outlines his surprisingly simple plan to take back American culture— start at home. Esolen urges us to demand a return to values in our homes, our schools, our churches, and our communities, and to reject political correctness.

Click to purchase from Loyola Press. The Effective Catechetical Leader series, developed in conjunction with the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership and written by some of the top catechetical leaders in the country, is the only series to encompass all the various aspects of catechetical leadership. This series provides the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. From best practices to new approaches for proclaiming God’s word in a rapidly changing world, this groundbreaking series will empower catechetical leaders to excel at everything from administrative duties to effectively catechizing people of all ages within our diverse Church.

Click to purchase from the St. Paul Center. You can't keep the faith unless you give it away. That's a fact. To be a Christian is to be an evangelizer. When the Catholic Church calls us to a "New Evangelization," that's simply a reminder to us of what has always been true. The good news is: you can do it - you can evangelize - and Scott Hahn shows you how. In this this very practical "mission manual" Dr. Hahn equips you with 1) a guide to understanding what the New Evangelization is, and who it's really for, 2) a roadmap that leads you to where it all happens (hint: it's closer than you think), and 3) a simple, beautiful message to share - in words and actions. You don't need esoteric knowledge. You don't need to master a new set of skills. Evangelization, for Catholics, is simply friendship raised up to the highest level. Enter a deeper friendship with Christ, and you'll want to share his companionship more and more with a wider circle of friends.