FIFTY MEDITATIONS ON THE PASSION

by Archbishop Alban Goodier, S.J.

Archbishop Goodier published these 50 Meditations in 1925. In his author’s preface he wrote “These notes were written a long time ago in Lent, 1909. At the time a certain religious, now dead, used often to speak with me about prayer, and about the labor she had experienced in prayer. I used to notice how easily she would fly along a line of contemplation if the tiniest suggestion were made to her, and several times I ventured to make such suggestions in the shape of points for meditation. The points here collected were written for this purpose. They were written for two only; but others who have seen them have found them useful and have asked that they may be printed. If they are a help to any in prayer, I can only be grateful to our Lord.”

The publishers at Loreto hope that the modern reader will find in this little volume as much useful material for initiating meditation as did the original readers.

ISBN 1-930278-81-0

Saint John Eudes
One of the most prolific ascetical writers of the seventeenth century, Saint John Eudes was an inexhaustible reservoir of holy wisdom and devotional fervor. Loreto Publications considers it a foremost priority to help make the spiritual doctrine of this great apostle of devotion to the Sacred and Admirable Hearts of Jesus and Mary more widely known. Perhaps no book of his better exemplifies that profoundly incarnational doctrine than The Admirable Heart of Mary. Eudes reveals to his disciples this most pure and maternal of all hearts both in its corporal and spiritual pulsations, while demonstrating with a dozen unforgettable natural and scriptural analogies, how this human heart was so inexhaustibly divinized by the one Divine Heart of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Admirable Heart of Mary was given to us from the Cross by Jesus Christ. Truly this heart was the first-fruit of His Passion, given to all of Mary’s children, that it might be honored, cherished, invoked and, ultimately, with that of her Son, reproduced in them. This is the essence of the spirituality of Saint John Eudes.

Fr. Nicholas Gihr

It is a common and well grounded lament that in teaching the Word of God that the doctrine concerning the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity is to a large extent sadly neglected. Other spiritual writers are of the same opinion. These considerations justify every effort to further the devotion to the Holy Spirit among the clergy and the laity by a thoroughgoing explanation of the exceedingly meritorious Pentecost Sequence.

She has inspired the greatest artists, poets and composers for two-thousand years. Armies have fought under her banner, while entire cities and nations have placed themselves under her patronage and protection. Every day, she is called upon by countless men, women and children to help them in their necessities: "Hail Mary, Full of Grace." She is the Mother of Jesus Christ . . . The Mother of God.

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is, perhaps, the most instantly recognizable manifestation of the Roman Catholic Faith. Those outside the Church are hard-pressed to explain it, and they too often view Marian devotion as either a "distraction" from the adoration due to Jesus Christ, or as something "acceptable," but only to a severely limited extent. In reality, the Church's Marian heritage is an integral part of the ancient Faith, and there can be no proper understanding of the Person of Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, without a proper appreciation of, and respect for, the Catholic Church's Marian teachings.

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," wrote St. John the Evangelist of the Son of Mary, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Incarnation, as an event to hope for if one were living before Christ, and as an event to be thankful for, (for those who live after), is the proper object of the virtue of faith. And the more we know of Mary — of her person, her place in the history of salvation, and her role in the Church founded by her Divine Son — the greater will be our knowledge of Jesus, and the closer will we be our assimilation to Him.

 Drawing from the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible, the writings of saints, fathers, doctors and popes, the decrees of Church Councils, and the insights of theologians, The Beauty of Thy House offers the reader an "introduction" to the Mother of God which takes nothing for granted. This verbal portrait starts "from scratch"; and, as each chapter progresses, more and more is revealed of this unique woman — Mary — as, along the way, all the Catholic doctrines concerning her fall into place.

Over the centuries, innumerable works have been written on the Blessed Virgin Mary. These writings range from the poetic to the theological, from the language of the artist to that of the philosopher. The greatest minds of the Catholic Church have always considered Mary to be an object most worthy of scrutiny and — a study that never fails to reward. This cornucopia of knowledge and contemplation was produced primarily from the overflowing love of her devotees', out of their love for an individual, for a flesh and blood woman, for the Mother of God.

Why is this so? Why such an outpouring of love and esteem for the Mother of the Redeemer? The answer to this query makes for a most edifying journey into the history of God's relationship to Man.

Br. Francis Maluf, M.I.C.M..

This is a book of seventy-two concise meditations each on a different subject. Whether it is an event, as the Day; or a virtue, as Gratitude; or a ravaging infidelity, as Islam; or a person, as Our Lady; our author zeroes in on the topic and, with an amazing depth of understanding, simplifies it in relation to time and eternity. The salient theme throughout Brother Maluf’s daily reflections is that every challenge one experiences in this wayfaring state has the capacity to elevate our human frailty to supernatural heights if we engage it with the magnanimous attitude of confident sons of God.

Blessed Dom Columba Marmion - Hardcover - 460 pages

Beatified by Pope John Paul, Abbot Columba Marmion wanted this book , written in the 1920s, to increase "the esteem of the religious vocation sometimes misunderstood by our age; to help some chosen ones to realize in themselves the call of grace, or to triumph over the obstacles that natural affections or the spirit of the world oppose to its call."

Saint Robert Bellarmine

BACK IN PRINT !

Only in Paperback - but now only $39.00!

After being called to the Cardinalate by Pope Clement VIII, Robert Bellarmine, one of only two Jesuit Doctors of the Church, found need for a reprieve from what were often tiresome temporal duties. Therefore, to exhaust his intellectual and devotional energies in writing, he prepared for posterity his very own commentary on each of the Psalms. Most of the Psalms of David, he said, read like a compendium of the whole of the Old Testament, a summation in poetic capsule. Others (Ps. 2, 21, 44 & 60) speak so clearly of Christ that they seem rather to belong to the Gospels. Yet, it is not the royal prophet, rather, it is the Holy Ghost, the true Author, Who desires to pluck this ten-stringed instrument of beauty called the Psaltery and bring our hearts to tears or jubilation as we sing praise to the Most High. This is a huge book of nearly four hundred pages, a spiritual goldmine.

The Glorious Mysteries.
This is the third volume in this much acclaimed pictorial series on the Mysteries of the Rosary. Traces the Glorious Mysteries from the Resurrection of Christ to the Coronation of His Blessed Mother in 94 outstanding reproductions of sacred art together with the Scriptural texts which inspired them. As in the presentations in the first two volumes, the prophecies of the Old Testament are matched to their fulfillment in the New Testament. These are the mysteries that inspire the virtue of hope in the personal resurrection of each individual soul and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Much needed meditations for our times. Published with Bishop's approbation. 104 pp. PB

Save $6.00—Get the entire set of 3 books including Touch of Grace (Joyful) and Portrait of the Passion (Sorrowful) Mysteries for only $21.95

Not only does Father Müller explain what the rosary is, but what the rosary should be. After reading this devoted author, we assure you, you will never again say the rosary mechanically, or wear the scapular apathetically.

Father Charles Arminjon - PB 336 pages - 5.5"x 8.5"

Mystery book on ‘End Times’ reappears

"Reading this book was one of the
greatest graces of my life!"
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux

It’s one of those books that come out of nowhere — almost literally — just when the world needs it most.

Is it all correct — what it reveals about the future, both for the world and the soul? From the vantage point of earth, who can say? It is written by a human.

But a great saint — Thérèse of Lisieux — was so taken by this book that it spurred her entry into the convent. “Reading this book was one of the greatest graces of my life,” she says in her autobiography. “The impression I received from it is too sweet to express. All the great truths of religion and the mysteries of eternity plunged into my soul a happiness not of this earth.”

Completed in 1881 by an aged French priest, this remarkable book surfaced long enough to draw Thérèse into the convent and then, for more than a century, plunged back into obscurity.

Now we offer you the very first English translation of this hope-filled, chilling work.

In it, Fr. Arminjon gets right to the point: “The end of the world, Christ says, will come when the human race, sunk in the depths of indifference, is far from thinking about punishment and justice. It will be as in the days of Noah, when men lived without a care, built luxurious homes, and mocked Noah as he built his ark.”

“Civilization will be at its zenith, markets overflowing with money, and stocks will never have been higher. Mankind, wallowing in unprecedented material prosperity, will have ceased to hope for heaven. Crudely attached to pleasures, man will say ‘My soul, you have goods to last for many years. Eat, drink and be merry.’ ”

Doesn’t that sound eerily like America just a year or so ago?

Fr. Arminjon insists that we “steer clear of every perilous opinion and make no assertion that is not justified by Tradition and the doctrine of the Fathers.” Yet it’s precisely his sober reliance on Scripture and Tradition that makes this book so convincing . . . and so chilling!

But Fr. Arminjon doesn’t merely sketch the darkness ahead; he also shows how Jesus will fill that darkness with light; and he details the rich bounty Christ has in store for all who stay faithful.

That’s what caught Thérèse up in such fervent love of God, nourished her impatience for Heaven, and confirmed her decision to choose a life wholly consecrated to Divine Love.

The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life: let it show you how to read the signs of the times and prepare you to bear yourself as a Christian (as it did Thérèse) . . . no matter what the future holds!

 

Saint Francis deSales - PB 160 pages -- 5.5" x 8.25"

How to know God's will: Find God's plan for your life and savor the peaceful certainty that you are on the path He has personally chosen for you

If your life seems to make no sense, or if you don’t know which path to take, St. Francis de Sales will console and inform you. In this warm little book, he explains to you what God’s will is and how He reveals it — yes, even to you, and even in the seemingly random events of your life.

No matter what you’re going through now (or may have gone through), you’ll see why you should love and trust in God’s will — and long for its fulfillment. Best of all, you’ll learn a sure method for discovering God’s will in any situation — today!

As you begin to discern God’s loving hand even in seemingly chaotic events, St. Francis de Sales will lead your mind and your heart to the still waters of God’s gentle consolation.

From St. Francis de Sales you’ll learn:

This small book, which had been out of print for 70 years, is filled with many unusual and traditional prayers and devotions including the Precious Blood Novena and Chaplet plus many other novenas. Also includes the Stations of the Cross, Prayers for holy Mass, many litanies and other special prayers. A real gem!. 208 pages, size: 3" x 4-3/4" PB.

Father John Nicholas Grou, S.J.

Translated by the Benedictines of Teignmouth

This timely monograph, composed by Jesuit Father Nicholas Grou, contains precious gems of holy wisdom. They are the fruit of a pastor of souls well acquainted with the latter-day stratagems of an experienced adversary determined to get the focus of persecuted and battle-weary Catholics off the straight and narrow course leading to Boromirpersonal sanctity.

The Gift of Self to God, which is the heart of the composition, is an extremely provoking and healing meditation dealing with the necessity and salutary advantage of giving our all to God. It is a perfect compliment to the spirit of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary.

Not as well known as he should be, the work of this great doctor of the interior life is reprinted here, together with two of his other essays, all of which confirm the virtue of filial trust in God.

 

If you have trouble acting with the consistent kindness Our Lord expects, your relationships with God and those you love may be suffering. That's why this books is such a Godsend! Fr. Lawrence Lovasik brings you simple directions for how to overcome unkind habits that can creep, undetected, into your behavior. If you want to make progress in the spiritual life, don't miss these insights, they'll give you years of solid help to grow in charity and truly transform your corner of the world!

It was only eight years after our Sorrowful Mother appeared to the shepherd children in the south of France, that Bishop Ullathorne took up his pen to defend the authenticity of the visitation. With Rome's permission, the author writes as a contemporary chronicler of the events, conducting interviews with the seers and with ecclesiastics who were involved.

Fr. F. J. Remler, CM - PB 180 pages - 5" x 7"

Learn how to resist temptation now — before it’s too late!

You’ve no doubt taken steps to ensure your safety — and your family’s — from various kinds of worldly calamities. But if you haven’t made sure you’re properly on guard against temptations, you’re setting yourself up for a spiritual disaster of immense proportions. No matter how devoted to Christ you are, temptations are going to come to you. That’s why How to Resist Temptation is essential reading for every serious Catholic.

The author, Fr. Francis J. Remler, C.M., helps you prepare yourself so that, when temptations begin to assail your soul, you’ll be ready. Learn from Father’s experience Fr. Remler gives you the benefit of his expertise as a confessor and shepherd of souls, as he shows you how to identify and guard against common misunderstandings of what temptation really is and what it is not — misunderstandings that can paralyze your spiritual growth. He details ways you can recognize the elements of temptation — and be on guard against often-unrecognized causes of individual temptations. He reveals how you can keep the memories of your past sins from troubling and tempting you now, and clarifies why God allows temptation to exist in the first place. He even explores the role of the demonic in day-to-day temptations — with firm faith in God’s power.

A marvelously encouraging and optimistic book, How to Resist Temptation even contains useful directions on how you can — believe it or not — actually benefit from temptation, and how you can learn from others’ examples as you fight against temptation. So the next time the siren song of temptation starts to sound in your ears, don’t try to tough out the struggle alone — call on God’s ever-plentiful grace, and go to battle against sin armed with the wisdom of How to Resist Temptation!

 

Composed by an Archbishop, this praiseworthy tribute to our Savior’s holy Mother was actually written the very same year that Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. Beginning where all great works on Our Lady should, with her exalted office and dignity, the author educates the reader that he or she might see the congruity, even the necessity, of Mary’s divine prerogative in the eternal plan of redemption, and also see the Immaculata as the fulfillment of the highest possible degree of excellence God could establish in a creature, perfecting through her the crowning glory in the gradation of all being outside of God. Archbishop Ullathorne is not original, but masterful, in his explanation of Mary’s royal relationship with the angels as well as men, for she it was who gave the Incarnate God the flesh and blood by means of which all the elect achieved their salvation. A true gift of charity for a Protestant friend in search of truth!

John Haffert - 265 pages - 5" x 8"- PB

Originally printed in 1940. Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat. From the Preface by Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen: "Mr. Haffert has in a masterly way laid bare the solid foundations upon which this [Brown Scapular] devotion reposes. His case is so strikingly presented that to challenge this devotion is to challenge to some extent, the tradition and authority of the Church." The Scapular Promise of Our Lady is: "Whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire." Pope Pius IX said, "this extraordinary gift of the Scapular brings its great usefulness not only to the Carmelite Family of Mary but also to all the rest of the faithful who wish, affiliated to that Family, to follow Mary with a very special devotion." The book contains 15 chapters, including, The Origin of the Promise, Meaning of the Promise, Historicity of the Promise, How the Promise is Kept, Scapular Prayer and Communication of Benefits, and much more. This is the most complete book on the subject we have seen. It gives many examples of the powerful protection one gets from the Scapular and that protection is in great need today.

Saint Benedict, father of western monasticism, is rather more known for his life and Rule than for a medal cast in his honor. The history of the image and the exorcism engraved on the medal, as well as the power of that Cross which the holy patriarch bears in his right hand, can be traced back to the eleventh century. Before he became Pope Saint Leo IX, one Bruno of Toul was cured of a mortal sickness after Saint Benedict appeared to him in the very guise we see depicted today on this sacramental. The Sisters of Charity under Saint Vincent de Paul also wore the blessed medal on their rosary. Abbot Gueranger, spiritual son of Saint Benedict, wrote this book to promote this very powerful devotion.

The principal author of this book, Father Aladel, was a member of the Congregation of the Mission founded by Saint Vincent de Paul. More importantly, he was the spiritual director and confessor of Saint Catherine Laboure. The Miraculous Medal was designed by the Mother of God and communicated by her to Sister Catherine with the instruction that this devotion be spread throughout the Church. The inscription: O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee, anticipated the definition of the Immaculate Conception by nearly a quarter of a century. This book relates not only the heavenly visitations given to this humble saint, as well as her adventures and crosses endured for Our Lady’s cause, but also it gives the ensuing history of the medal itself with many accounts of miracles which accompanied its pious reception.

Contemplating the Holy Face on the shroud of Turin, one sees a deep wound on the forehead of our Savior where one of the many thorns of His cruel crown punctured that very spot above His eyes where His members in the Church are marked who enter rightly into the penitential season of Lent. From the many figures of that spiny diadem in the Old Testament to the reality of the instrument of torture beaten into the head of the Son of God amidst insults and spittle, this terrible book, unforgettable in its endearing pathos, will surely help us to understand something of the true ugliness of sin and the awesome price the Just One had to pay in conquering it.

William Biersach

This small hardcover book of 122 pages is a little gem of meditations from the saints and the author himself on Our Lady.

In the late fifteenth century, Satan reigned in all his unmitigated cruelty in the very heart of what was to be the Americas. Only thirty some years later, the Queen of Heaven crushed his head, taking away his bloody government, and establishing in perpetuity the merciful reign of her very maternal and Immaculate Heart. Garnering his information from the best authentic sources, contemporary as well as modern, Warren H. Carroll weaves his tapestry of the true birth of Mexico in dramatic style.

Having been in his early youth a cabin boy on the high seas, William Ullathorne was no stranger to the humble life of hard work when, in 1823, he entered the Benedictine order in England at the age of seventeen. He also spent many years as a missionary in Australia before being made Bishop of Birmingham in 1850. An experienced shepherd, with a forged soul chiseled from virile labor in the Master’s vineyard, Ullathorne used his talents well in both the spoken and written word. This handbook was extracted from two of the bishop’s larger compositions, the Groundwork of Christian Virtues and Christian Patience. Pastoral in content, Patience and Humility issues from the paternal heart of a shepherd with one desire: to for Jesus Christ in the life of his flock. what makes this handbook so precious is more than its prudent applicability, which is wonderfully transforming, but its conformability. Humility, indeed every virtue, must be grounded in HIm Who is “meek and humble of Heart.” It was God the Son Who first humbled Himself by “emptying Himself and becoming “obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.” Two virtues so sublime because they are divine.

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are presented in this awe-inspiring pictorial on the Passion and Death of Our Lord which will touch you to the depths of your heart, increase your awareness of the malice of sin, and intensify your love for Christ our Redeemer. Every conceivable suffering of Jesus is vividly portrayed in 80 magnificent pictures. Each page is a meditation of its own and is accompanied by both the New Testament narrative and its corresponding prophecy in the Old Testament which are taken from the Douay-Rheims Bible. From the garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha, everything from the denial of Peter to the very position of the nails is brought to the readers attention. "Jesus is loved by few, because few consider the pains He suffered for us; but he who frequently considers them cannot live without loving Jesus," says St. Alphonsus Liguori in the introduction. Published with Bishop's Approbation. 104 pp. PB.

Save $6.00—Get the entire set of 3 books including Crown of Glory (Glorious) and Portrait of the Passion (Sorrowful) Mysteries for only $21.95