BRAILLE: Please note any of our braille titles can be sent to you electronically in .BRF (braille ready file). This saves paper, time, and keeps our embossers cool!
- A Shorter Summa: The Most Essential Philosophical Passages of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica by Peter Kreeft (B1966, 2 volumes): A shortened version of Kreeft's much larger Summa of the Summa, which in turn was a shortened version of the Summa Theologica. The reason for the double shortening is pretty obvious: the original runs some 4000 pages! (The Summa of the Summa was just over 500.) The Summa is certainly the greatest, most ambitious, most rational book of theology ever written. In it, there is also much philosophy, which is selected, excerpted, arranged, introduced, and explained in footnotes here by Kreeft, a popular Thomist teacher and writer. St. Thomas Aquinas is universally recognized as one of the greatest philosophers who ever lived. His writings combine the two fundamental ideals of philosophical writing: clarity and profundity. He is a master of metaphysics and technical terminology, yet so full of both theoretical and practical wisdom. He is the master of common sense. The Summa Theologica is timeless, but particularly important today because of his synthesis of faith and reason, revelation and philosophy, and the Biblical and the classical Greco-Roman heritages. This little book is designed for beginners, either for classroom use or individually. It contains the most famous and influential passages of St. Thomas' philosophy with copious aids to understanding them.
- Prayer for Beginners by Peter Kreeft (B1964, 2 volumes): Peter Kreeft brings his unique insights to this most important area of our spiritual lives. He claims he himself is still a beginner in prayer, and this book is for all those, like him, who feel that they are not good at praying but desire to become much better at it. Thus, Kreeft offers simple, but profound advice and practical steps for developing a prayer life based on the time-tested wisdom of the saints and great spiritual writers, especially the principles found in Brother Lawrence's classic, The Practice of the Presence of God. In short, straight-forward and unsentimental chapters, Kreeft covers all the key areas for understanding and developing that intimate form of communication with our Creator that we call prayer. He covers such areas as the necessity of prayer, various motives and methods, steps, patience, suffering, sin, faith, and grace.
- Women Deacons: Past, Present, Future by Phyllis Zagano, Gary Macy, and others (B1967, 2 volumes): The tremendous growth of the permanent order of deacons in the church carries with it lingering questions about women deacons. The evident need for more women in ministry demands careful exploration and evaluation of the historical roots, contemporary ecclesial realities, and creative future possibilities for including women in the diaconate. In these three original essays, Professors Macy, Ditewig, and Zagano evaluate the question of women deacons from the historical, contemporary, and future perspectives in conversation with one another and with the whole church. The result is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the nature and exercise of the diaconate in the contemporary Catholic Church.
- Revelation by Catherine Cory and Little Rock Scripture Study (B1968, 2 volumes): The book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse, has fascinated believers for centuries. Colorful imagery, rich symbolism, layers of meaning, and brilliant allusions to the Old Testament convey the book’s perennial truth: God will triumph over evil, and God’s faithful ones will share in that victory. Break open this ancient text with Little Rock Scripture Study’s Revelation and discover its ongoing relevance for us today. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included.
- Everything's Coming Up Rosie: 10 Things My Feisty Italian American Mom Taught Me about Living a Godly Life by Teresa Tomeo (B1969, 2 volumes): Tomeo’s memories provide rollicking humor and Catholic wisdom from the quintessential Italian mother. She also provides spiritual resources for self-reflection from the Catechism, Scripture, and the saints to help you grow in grace-filled living. Best of all, you will see the miracles of God’s love in Tomeo’s family and the maternal intercession of Our Lady in their lives. In the words of Rosie, “Rememba, the Blessed Mutha is watching you!”
- The Crown of the Virgin: An Ancient Meditation on Mary's Beauty, Virtue and Sanctity by St. Ildephonsus of Toledo (B1970, 2 volumes): A perfect companion for guiding daily devotion to the Mother of Mercy and the Queen of Heaven, each chapter reveals a new and scintillating glimpse into the glories of Mary, sure to inspire the heart of the reader with ever more ardent devotion to the Mother of God, the vessel of all graces and the paradigm and perfection of every virtue. As a guide to meditation and a catalyst for prayer, the Crown of the Virgin is an illuminating mirror of the beauty and splendor of the one who is herself the refulgent and immaculate image of her Divine Son.
- Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat by Jeanne Perego (B1971, 1 volume): Chico the cat vividly describes the life of his "best friend," Pope Benedict XVI, recounting events in the life of Joseph Ratzinger, from the Nazi era in Germany when the Pope was a teenager all the way up to his election as Pontiff on April 19, 2005.
- Max and Benedict: A Bird's Eye View of the Pope's Daily Life by Jeanne Perego (B1972, 1 volume):
This lovely illustrated book for children (of all ages!) is a sequel to Joseph and Chico, the international best-seller that told the story of the life of Pope Benedict XVI from his youth through his election as the Pope. With the same award-winning author and illustrator, this lavishly illustrated book is aimed at children but in a way that even adults will enjoy. It takes up the story of Benedict’s XVIs new life as the Pope.
- God Is a Man of War: The Problem of Violence in the Old Testament by Stephen de Young (B1973, 3 volumes): Infanticide. Holy war. Divine wrath. Violence in the Old Testament has long been a stumbling block for Christians and skeptics alike. Yet, conventional efforts to understand this violence - whether by downplaying it as allegory or a relic of primitive cultures, or by dismissing the authority of Scripture altogether - tend to raise more questions than they answer. God Is a Man of War offers a fresh interpretation of Old Testament accounts of violence, by exploring them through the twofold lens of Orthodox tradition and historical context. Father Stephen De Young examines what these difficult passages reveal about the nature of Christ and His creation, bearing witness to a world filled not only with pain and suffering - often of human making - but also with the love of God.
AUDIO: Compatible with the Talking Book Machines provided for free by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled of the Library of Congress:
Stay tuned! We hope to have great new additions added to our audio library later this month. Here are some other recent additions:
- Guía de Bolsillo para Rezar el Rosario por Matt Fradd (DBX1298): La Guía de bolsillo para rezar el Rosario, pone en tus manos la oración más querida y poderosa de las familias católicas. Combinando la Sagrada Escritura con la tradición y escritos de los santos, el autor, Matt Fradd crea una guía profunda y fácil de seguir Indispensable para quien quiera transformar su vida rezando el Rosario, accesible para quien lo recita a diario y para quien nunca lo ha rezado. Gracias a su práctico tamaño de bolsillo se puede llevar a la Adoración Eucarística, al trabajo o a cualquier lugar. Escucha un clip aquí.
- A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy by Dr. Edward Sri (DBX1210): As Catholics, the Catholic Mass is the center of our Faith. We celebrate it every day. We know all the responses. We know all the gestures. But do we know what it all means? Dr. Edward Sri takes us on a unique tour of the liturgy. Based on the revised translation of the Mass, this book explores the biblical roots of the words and gestures we experience in the liturgy and explains their profound significance. This intriguing look at the Catholic Mass is sure to renew your faith and deepen your devotion to the Eucharist. Also available in braille and BRF. To hear a preview of this audiobook please click here.
- Growing Old Gratefully by William Byron, SJ (DBX1222): As we reflect on our life, we develop a personal spirituality that sustains us as we grow older. Far from shutting down our life and waiting for death, Growing Old Gratefully provides hope and presents a roadmap for navigating the challenges and adversities that are yet to confront us in the elder years. As Christians, it affirms that death is not what we are moving toward, it's what we are coming from. To hear a preview of this audiobook please click here.
- Silent Lamp: The Thomas Merton Story by William H. Shannon (DBX0105): Shannon shares his intimate knowledge and unique insights in this biography of the monk whose own autobiography became a bestseller much to his chagrin. Silent Lamp is the name given to Merton two years before he died by the Chinese philosopher John Wu - and a perfect metaphor for the healing light that still spreads from his life and work to people everywhere. Silent Lamp is a reflective biography: it illuminates Merton's inner life and thoroughly chronicles his outer journey, telling the story in terms of the significant events and experiences that shaped his spiritual path. It sheds light on the principal themes that Merton developed as a writer and teacher, from the renewal of monastic life to the poetry of Latin America, from the demands of interracial justice to the teachings of the Sufi masters. This book attempts to look at the inner journey which alone gives meaning to the exterior one. To listen to a clip of the audiobook please click here.
- Down Gospel Byways: 18 Stories of People Who Met Jesus by Mary Terese Donze (DBX0559): Factual stories and fictional vignettes about Biblical characters that you may or may not be familiar with, but who were touched and changed after meeting Jesus. Also available in braille and BRF. To listen to a clip of the audiobook please click here.
- If I'm a Christian, Why Be a Catholic: The Biblical Roots of Catholic Faith by James Hanson (DBX1219): There are many similarities and differences between the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations. This title shows the Biblical relatedness of Catholic faith and practice and explains what sets Catholicism apart from other Christian Churches: authoritative teaching. To hear a clip of this audiobook please click here.
