Non-Fiction Books

Pray Like a Catholic: A Study Based on the Four Stages of Prayer According to St. Teresa of Avila

Catholic prayer has an image problem. In the modern quest for spirituality rather than religion, Eastern forms of prayer are promoted as rare and exotic while Catholic prayer is presented as dull and old-fashioned. Nothing could be further from the truth. When one understands the full breadth of Catholic prayer as taught by St. Teresa of Avila in her famous “Four Waters of Prayer” one realizes that authentic Catholic prayer is a supernatural adventure, a lifelong journey into the very heart of God. It includes everything from vocal and mental prayer to the mystical experiences of infused contemplation and transforming union. This book, which can be used for private or group study, explores how to deal with distractions and dryness in prayer, how to discern the voice of God and how to recognize the signs of advancing prayer. Pray Like a Catholic presents the Catholic contemplative traditional in all of its glory.

Like a Catholic Series

Live Like a Catholic: A Study of the Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila

Live Like a Catholic is a study based on the great mystical classic, The Interior Castle, written by St. Teresa of Avila, which details the soul’s journey through the seven mansions – or stages – of the spiritual life. Using easy-to-understand language, readers are introduced to the interior life through the teachings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, as well as spiritual masters such as Father J. P. deCaussade, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, and Father Thomas Dubay. Readers will learn about common pitfalls in the spiritual life such as attachment to sin and the dangers of self-reliance as well as ways to handle the devil’s ever-evolving tricks. In addition, they will learn which virtues are the most vital for spiritual growth, the importance of developing purity of heart and why we must become truly poor in spirit if we want to draw closer to God. This book is suitable for all ages and can be used by groups, on-line classes, and individuals. 

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Like a Catholic Series

Mindful Like a Catholic: A Catholic Approach to Mindful Living

The quest for a quick fix to the anxiety that plagues our culture is never-ending, and today’s modern mindfulness movement is just the latest fad aimed at providing that remedy. Unknown to most Catholics, however, is that we have had our own version of mindfulness for hundreds of years. It’s found in the combination of two age-old devotions known as the Practice of the Presence of God and the Sacrament of the Present Moment. This book explains these devotions and offers practical tips on how to combine them into a mindful way of life that not only provides the mental and emotional relief from stress that we all desire, but soothes the spirit as well. This is mindfulness par excellence! Suitable for individual or group study.

A self-paced 90-minute class based on this book and taught by the author is available here. https://livcatholic.org/mindful-like-a-catholic

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Like a Catholic Series

Fight Like a Catholic: Spiritual Warfare in the Catholic Tradition

In 1972, Pope Paul VI spoke boldly and precisely about the nature of evil. He urged Christians to realize that evil is not a concept, a symbol or a deficiency of some kind – it’s a person – and it’s vitally important to understand this in order to have a “correct Christian conception of the world, of life and salvation.” Relying on the power and protection of God, we must fearlessly strip away Satan’s clever artifices and expose the terrifying truth about him – who he is, what kind of power he has, and how he uses it to fool even the most devout souls. In an age of uncertainty, when evil disguises itself as “empowerment” and tempt us us through a variety of trendy new spiritual movements that promise access to secret knowledge or mastery over the forces of nature, Fight Like a Catholic shines the brilliant light of Church teaching on demonology and spiritual warfare. By arming the faithful with the knowledge they need to fight and win the battle against evil, this publication becomes far more than just a book – it’s a weapon!

A self-paced six-week class based on this book and taught by the author is available here. https://livcatholic.org/fight-like-a-catholic

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Live the Little Way: A Practical Guide to Living the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood

Live the Little Way explores the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux’s Little Way of Spiritual Childhood and offers practical tips on how to incorporate this spiritual path into contemporary life. This book examines the three main components of the Little Way – humility, confidence, and abandonment – and shows how the acquisition of these vital virtues can enable the Lord to do great things even with the simplest soul. Much more than just a treatise on Theresian spirituality, Live the Little Way is a journey into the very heart of the saint whose Little Way has guided millions to the heights of sanctity.

This book is available in Spanish.

A self-paced four-week course based on this book and taught by the author is available here. https://livcatholic.org/live-the-little-way

St. Therese of Lisieux

Day by Day in the Little Way: 365 Reflections on the Teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux

Day by Day in the Little Way is both a devotional and practical way to learn the teachings of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Each day begins with a quote from Therese, followed by a short teaching, a personal reflection, and a call-to-action, as well as a prayer asking for her help to understand and practice the teaching of the day. This format provides the reader with a miniature formation program in the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood because it includes instructions for both the head and the heart as well as a challenge to act which helps to form the will. When used with dedication and devotion, these brief daily exercises will help devotees acquire a deeper understanding of the meaning of spiritual childhood, but will also provide new insight into their own weaknesses. Each day is another “shower of roses” from the Little Flower of Lisieux as she gently teaches us how to make her Little Way our way!

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Fight Like a Catholic: Spiritual Warfare in the Catholic Tradition

In 1972, Pope Paul VI spoke boldly and precisely about the nature of evil. He urged Christians to realize that evil is not a concept, a symbol or a deficiency of some kind – it’s a person – and it’s vitally important to understand this in order to have a “correct Christian conception of the world, of life and salvation.” Relying on the power and protection of God, we must fearlessly strip away Satan’s clever artifices and expose the terrifying truth about him – who he is, what kind of power he has, and how he uses it to fool even the most devout souls. In an age of uncertainty, when evil disguises itself as “empowerment” and tempts us through a variety of trendy new spiritual movements that promise access to secret knowledge or mastery over the forces of nature, Fight Like a Catholic shines the brilliant light of Church teaching on demonology and spiritual warfare. By arming the faithful with the knowledge they need to fight and win the battle against evil, this publication becomes far more than just a book – it’s a weapon!

A self-paced six-week class based on this book and taught by the author is available here. https://livcatholic.org/fight-like-a-catholic

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Spiritual Warfare

The Learn to Discern Compendium: Is It Christian or New Age?

The Learn to Discern Compendium is a compilation of years of research about one of the most dangerous cultural and religious movements of our time – the New Age. Riding into our lives on the crest of relativism, what was once comprised of a few dozen practices has proliferated into hundreds of techniques and treatments based on a variety of belief systems that can easily trap the uninformed Christian. There is only one way to navigate through this “mine-field” – we must learn to discern what is New Age, and what is not. This is the purpose of the Learn to Discern Compendium which analyzes dozens of the most popular movements of the day, including alternative medicine, then carefully instructs the reader on how to recognize the telltale signature of the New Age in these practices. In addition, a useful Glossary contains information on hundreds of other practices, and the Discernment Tools will help you to put into practice what you’ll learn in this fact-packed compendium.

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