Catholic Fire

Scriptural Stations of the Cross: A Way of the Cross by Kathryn Mulderink, published by Lulu, 2008. Kathryn Mulderink , Catholic homeschooling mom of seven and Lay Carmelite, has done it again! The author of The Way of the Cross for Children and Walk New: A Way of the Cross for Teens has now also written a beautiful new collection of meditations and prayers for adults. Kathryn Mulderink’s Scriptural Stations of the Cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John II on Good Friday, 1991 and 1994. As an alternative to the traditional Stations of the Cross, these stations provide a way of meditating more deeply on the scriptural accounts of Christ’s Passion. Beginning with the Agony of Jesus in Gethsemane and omitting some of the traditional non-scriptural stations in favor of incidents mentioned in the gospels, these Stations of the Cross focus on the following events: · Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane · Jesus betrayed by Judas is arrested. · Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin. · Jes...

By Maureen Pratt Chronic pain can make us feel isolated and helpless, especially if its cause is an illness or physical condition for which there's no cure or effective medical treatment. At times of deepest despair, finding ways to nurture our spirits can help us not only cope with the pain, but also discover nuggets of grace, comfort, and productivity that can move us through and beyond the helplessness and hopelessness we feel. Here are ten spiritual tools that can help you get started toward peace in spite of and in the midst of pain. MORE Maureen Pratt is a Catholic speaker and author who focuses on spirituality, faith and wellness. Her most recent book is "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness" Her website is www.maureenpratt.com .

You can read my most recently published book review on Infinite Space, infinite God by Karina and Robert Fabian here . You don't have to be a Sci Fi fan to enjoy this one.

A Sequel to the Best Seller Fr. Elijah is Being Contemplated Q. Tell us about the story to give readers a sense of it. O'Brien: The 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. As events gather momentum, hell breaks loose, and the young and the innocent are caught in the path of great evils. Their only remaining strength is their religious faith and their families. Q. Is this primarily a historical novel, or perhaps a political one? O'Brien: No, it is neither, though of cour...

This week's carnival is hosted by Melissa and is up at A Third Way. It contains a variety of interesting stories. Here is just a sampling of a few of my favorite posts. Kim and her husband share the lighting of their first two candles , representing hope and love, in memory of their daughter lost to miscarriage last month. A very poignant, personal and hopeful sharing that, when you think about it, can also describe the Advent season itself. This is a beautiful post! One of my favorite book reviewers , Steven, at Books and More examines Conversation With God: Volume #1: Advent and Christmastide by Francis Fernandez Carvajal, an excellent devotion for the season and the beginning of a great series. Mark at Holy Vocations does a super job of explaining the Liturgy of the Hours. This is just a taste of what you'll find there. There are many more inspiring posts, so be sure to check them all out.

Shop here (to the right) on Aquinas and More . All Advent and Christmas Items are 15% Off! Stock up now before they are gone! Just click on the items to the right. Here are a few books I recommend: The Pied Piper of Atheism by Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel Read about the man and the philosophy behind the scandalous new "children's fantasy film" the Golden Compass in this new release from Ignatius Press. Introduction to the Devout Life - Unabridged by St. Francis de Sales The person intent upon gaining Heaven should first resort to a competent guide to reach that Goal of all goals. And no better guide exists than An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the Church. Easy to read, being laid out in short chapters, yet it is thorough, authoritative, reliable, kind and gentle--a mirror of its author. A book to be read again and again, and to make your guide for the rest of your life! Regina Doman is one of my favorite authors and I hig...

Godzdogz has a great Advent video here and a reflection for today here. Marcel at Aggie Catholics shares some great finds in Advent Stuff. Julie D. at Happy Catholic shares A Thought for Advent. Karen Edminston offers some great tips at Prayers Around the Advent Wreath. Esther at a Catholic Mom in Hawaii describes Books We Will Be Reading During Advent . Lots of great reading here! There are a lot more wonderful posts out there, but I'm running out of time here. Be sure to check out those at this weeks' Catholic Carnival , too.

People of the Book posts on three new books written by the Holy Father: The Blessing of Christmas (Ignatius Press), a beautifully-presented edition of seven Advent and Christmas meditations that Joseph Ratzinger wrote while he was Archbishop of Munich, The Apostles (OSV) collects 21 talks that Benedict XVI gave during his weekly general audiences in 2006 and 2007, with an accompanying guide (OSV) A Study Guide for the Apostles by Amy Welborn, and The Essential Pope Benedict XVI by John F. Thornton and Susan Varenne (Harper SanFrancisco), a collection of his most important writings and speeches. Karen at Some Have Hats discusses "A Mother's Plea: Journey Into the Light" written by Fr. Anthony Bus, CR. in her post "Something Sacred". The Curt Jester reviews "The Diary of a Country Priest: A Novel" by George Bernanos.

This is the name of Ralph McInerny's new autobiography and I can hardly wait to read it. I have been a fan of McInery's for many years and finally met him in September, 2002 at Franciscan University of Steubenville's Catholic Writers' Conference. Both my husband and I were very impressed with him, not only as a writer, but as a person. Here is an excerpt of Dr. Jeff Mirus' review of I Alone Have Escaped to Tell You : This is the title of the engaging memoir of Notre Dame philosopher Ralph McInerny, who is famous for just about everything, including his deep commitment to the Catholic Faith. The title comes from the book of Job, where various servants report a sequence of utter catastrophes to Job, each concluding with “I alone have escaped to tell you.” It is a fitting title for McInerny’s autobiography (subtitled “My Life and Pastimes”) because the author really is one of relatively few academics who have survived the intellectual upheavals of the past half-century...

Students and teachers: Enter the Saints for Our Times Essay Contest, sponsored by Pauline Books and Media and author Barry Michaels. Cash prizes and free books will be awarded to the winners, as well as to one school library. If you’re a teacher or homeschooling parent or student yourself, you may be interested. The contest is open to any student age 13 -17. Essays are due Nov 1. For contest details, go here. Image via Barry Michaels. Barry Michael's newest book Saints for Our Times: New Novenas and Prayers is now available here.

The book "Come Be My Light" presents Mother Teresa’s inspiration and “darkness” in the context of Catholic mysticism as explained by St John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. "Come Be My Light" reveals that Mother Teresa can be compared to other great mystics before her, such as St. Paul of the Cross and St. Jeanne de Chantal, who both struggled for more than 40 years with the apparent absence of God. St. Catherine of Siena, St.Vincent de Paul, St. John Vianney, and St. Therese of Lisieux also had similar experiences. Another aspect of Mother Teresa’s experience revealed in the book is her identification with and dedication to the poorest of the poor she served. She came to understand that the “darkness” was the “spiritual side of her work.” She was sharing in their sense of being “unloved, unwanted and uncared for,” which she described as the greatest poverty in the world of today”. The people neglected by our materialistic and self-centered society, include ou...

The Demonic Abortion Industry The following is an excerpt from my upcoming book on exorcism. One chapter of the book is entitled, “Pro-Life and Exorcism” and is devoted to reflecting on the evil of abortion from a spiritual perspective. As a caution for those who may not be accustomed to the language of spiritual warfare, I would mention that the view of abortion contained in the passage below is derived primarily from Jesus’ presentation of the devil as “a murderer from the beginning” (Jn 8:44) and from scriptural passages that identify other demons who collaborate with Satan in his attempt to destroy the very life of God’s children. Make sure to pray as you read this passage. ............................................................................................. In what sense is abortion demonic? The spiritual dimension of this grisly “business” is its systematizing of ritual blood sacrifice to the god of child murder, Moloch, who we know of from the severe condemnations of hi...

Do you like sales? Do you like books? Maureen Wittmann is having a big book sale. These aren't just any books; they're various books she's written. She's autographing them, too. You can check it out here . Via Margaret Mary Myers.

Do you know a deserving Mom (yourself included) or Grand mom, Godmother, or Stepmother who would enjoy a copy of the book Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers? Donna Marie at Embracing Motherhood is offering a free book for that deserving mom. Go here for details. Donna will be selecting a winner on July 18th. Via Esther and Donna Marie .

In a few months I will publish a book on exorcism and deliverance by which I hope to educate the Church Militant on the reality of spiritual evil and the truth of the Church’s power against it. On this weekend where our Church celebrates Pentecost, the great Feast of the Holy Spirit, I offer an excerpt from this upcoming book to highlight the influence of the Holy Spirit in defending our cause against the accusing spirit of the devil. If we are to fight for the salvation of souls, we must know our enemy and experience God’s love as the protective shield against all his evil. The following excerpt is taken from the chapter entitled, “The Devil, His Minions, and His Activities.” [More] Perhaps we should all chip in and purchase a copy for each of those 18 "Catholic" democrats who recently objected to the comments of Pope Benedict XVI about the fact that legislators favoring the legality of abortion should not receive Communion. These individuals claim to be Catholic, but don...

Check out our beloved Dawn Eden's latest interview on LifesiteNews here. John-Henry Weston asks her about her conversion to Catholicism. Great story! I loved it! Dawn Eden's book The Thrill of the Chaste is available from Amazon here . Thanks, Dawn.

Via Whispers in the Loggia : As you heard here yesterday, among other long-awaited documents, Benedict XVI is rolling out two new releases for the bookshelves this spring. The more-prominent one -- the first volume of Joseph Ratzinger's historical meditation on Jesus of Nazareth, will be released in English on Easter Tuesday, 10 April. But the other one, hitting the stores quicker after just having come to light in recent days, is "Il Mio Amato Predecessore" -- "My Beloved Predecessor," a tribute to and study of the late Pope John Paul II. It'll be published in Italy next week . [more]