Little Lessons From The Saints

2019 Best Book Awards, Finalist: Religion—Christianity Far too many Catholics think of the saints as old, cold, and irrelevant to everyday life. Catechist and spiritual director Bob Burnham, however, experiences the saints as something quite different: beautiful examples of people who, though flawed like us, opened themselves to God’s grace and can teach us to do the same. In Little Lessons from the Saints, Burnham skips the typical biographies of saints and offers instead brief but powerful spiritual lessons from 52 different saints, each followed by a short meditation. Chapters are grouped under five main themes: Surrender, Freedom, Pilgrimage, Hospitality, and Loving Knowledge. Burnham succeeds in offering simple ways to apply each saint’s particular charism to our own lives. Inspiring and practical, Little Lessons from the Saints helps us realize that we, too, are called to be saints.

Little Lessons from the Mystics is catechist and spiritual director Bob Burnham's follow-up to Little Lessons from the Saints. In his new book, Burnham provides brief stories from mystics’ lives to help us make connections, learn lessons, and begin our own mystical practices. Organized by the main mysteries of our faith: the Incarnation, the Paschal Mystery, the People of God, and the Most Holy Trinity, this book offers an inviting perspective on mystics and mysticism that is refreshing, new, and helpful.

“What is happiness and how can I find it?” may be one of the most frequently asked questions there is. Perhaps that’s because it is so hard to experience lasting happiness. In The Saints’ Guide to Happiness, Robert Ellsberg suggests that some of the best people to show us are holy men and women throughout history—from St. Augustine to Flannery O’Connor, Thomas Merton to St. Theresa of Avila and Mother Theresa. These people weren’t saints because of the way they died or their visions or wondrous deeds. They were saints because of their extraordinary capacity for goodness and love, which—in the end—makes us happy.

The call to lead and the call to holiness are profoundly intertwined. But in our world today, what does it even mean to be a leader? What does it even mean to be holy? Using the timeless and transcendent wisdom of the saints and the latest findings in business and social science, this book takes an insightful examination of the leadership principles demonstrated in the lives of the saints and their applicability to our modern everyday lives. Faced with challenges where their faith and even their lives hung in the balance, the saints responses exemplify what are authentic, effective, and inspirational models of leadership that we can use to guide us to our eternal destination. Echoing the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, Come along, Ill show you how. Let us call on Francis, Dominic, Ignatius, Francis Xavier, Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Maximilian Kolbe, Padre Pio, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and countless others who have gone before us to be our companions and guides, illuminating the path for us as we step up to lead and move forward to journey towards Christ.

“Everything starts with one person . . . I don’t care if you’re 5 or 105, God from all eternity chose you to be where you are, at this time in history, to change the world.” “If you are following God, He never shows you the end. It’s always a walk of faith.” “Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.” —Mother Angelica Are you unsure of your purpose in life? Stuck in the past and worried about the future? Hamstrung by fear, failure, or trials? Mother is here to help. For more than twenty-five years, Mother Angelica has dispensed spiritual wisdom and practical advice to millions around the globe through her lively broadcasts on EWTN. Now she shares with you her personal life lessons and hilarious counsel as never before. Raymond Arroyo, author of the bestselling biography of Mother Angelica, has assembled an inspiring collection of her powerful insights, comic musings, and no-nonsense guidance for everyday living. Culled from never-before-seen interviews, private conversations, and recorded lessons not heard in over thirty years, to which Arroyo had exclusive access, these selections capture Mother Angelica’s spunky spirit and profound wisdom at their zenith. In Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, the beloved nun is your personal mentor. Together you’ll discover: How to find God’s Will in your life How to pursue inspirations fearlessly How to make sense of pain and suffering How to spiritually overcome personal faults and trials Created in cooperation with Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, this devotional treasury is accompanied by original prayers from Mother Angelica’s private collection. Within are the meditations, personal beliefs, and pithy life lessons that transformed a disabled child of divorce into Mother Angelica, founder and CEO of the world’s largest religious media empire. Packed with real-world hope, this little book is sure to transform your life in a big way. A portion of the proceeds of this book goes to support the work of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

“I will spend my Heaven doing good on Earth!” For more than a century, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as “The Little Flower,” has captivated countless minds and hearts. Her simple and pure heart burned with a deep love for our Lord, and that love overflowed into the lives of many. She daily inspired those who knew her, and she continues to inspire those who read her story. Her autobiography captures the beauty and profundity of her love in the most tender and affectionate way. Her story reveals how devoted she was to Jesus and how she longed to be with Him forever in Heaven, even from the earliest moments of her childhood. This book offers 99 short lessons, reflections and prayers from the life of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. The lessons are based upon Saint Thérèse’s own words as she shared her faith and her heart in the pages of the three manuscripts of her autobiography: "Story of a Soul." Each subsequent reflection attempts to capture one of her countless virtues so as to savor the “fragrance” of this precious little flower of God and to apply it to the reader's daily life. The prayer to conclude each lesson is not written only to be read, it is written to be prayed. You may find it helpful to pray that prayer slowly and meditatively at the end of each lesson and return to that prayer at the end of each day, especially to the prayers that are most pertinent to your life. The reader might wish to use this book as a daily reflection book, reading one lesson each day. Doing so will allow you to ponder one lesson from her saintly life at a time, so as to absorb the sweetness of her love and the depth of her life. However, you might find it just as beneficial to read several lessons at a time. This book is not intended to be a “onetime read.” Rather, the lessons we learn from Saint Thérèse’s life are worth absorbing many times over. The reflection and prayer after each lesson make this book a helpful source of daily self-examination and prayer throughout life. You who are parents might also find the lessons of St. Thérèse of benefit in the formation of your children. Telling Little Thérèse’s stories will inspire and challenge your children as they grow and mature in their own lives of faith.

One of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the Year Winner of the Christopher Award Winner of the Catholic Press Association Book Award WITTY, WRYLY HONEST, AND ALWAYS ORIGINAL, My Life with the Saints is James Martin’s story of how his life has been shaped by some surprising friends—the saints of the Catholic Church. In his modern classic memoir, Martin introduces us to saints throughout history—from St. Peter to Dorothy Day, St. Francis of Assisi to Mother Teresa—and chronicles his lifelong friendships with them. Filled with fascinating tales, Martin’s funny, vibrant, and stirring book invites readers to discover how saints guide us throughout our earthly journeys and how they help each of us find holiness in our own lives. Featuring a new chapter from Martin, this tenth-anniversary edition of the best-selling memoir updates readers about his life over the past ten years. In that time, he has been a New York Times best-selling author, official chaplain of The Colbert Report, and a welcome presence in the media whenever there’s a breaking Catholic news story. But he has always remained recognizably himself. John L. Allen, Jr., the acclaimed Catholic journalist, contributes a foreword that shows how Martin has become one of the wisest and most insightful voices of this era. “An outstanding and often hilarious memoir.” —Publishers Weekly“One of the best spiritual memoirs in years.” —Robert Ellsberg“Remarkably engaging.” —U.S. Catholic“Martin’s final word is as Jungian as it is Catholic: God does not want us to be Mother Teresa or Dorothy Day. God wants us to be most fully ourselves.” —The Washington Post Book World