Our Lady Undoer Of Knots

Winner of a 2016 Association of Catholic Publishers 2016 Excellence in Publishing Award: Inspirational Books (Second Place). Our Lady, Undoer of Knots: A Living Novena is a unique guided meditation from veteran Catholic journalist Marge Fenelon, who has created a new devotional practice from this classic novena that is a favorite of Pope Francis. Since the seventeenth century, Catholics facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles have turned to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots through a special novena--nine days of prayer for divine intervention. Catholic columnist Marge Fenelon resurrects this ancient tradition, also known as the Unfailing Novena, by reflecting on nine sacred sites associated with Pope Francis's 2014 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Reflecting on such holy places as Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, and the Temple Mount, Fenelon helps readers explore the "knots" or impossible situations in their own lives in order to find peace.

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (second place, pilgrimages-Catholic travel). In My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena, award-winning author Marge Steinhage Fenelon brings you along on a pilgrimage to nine Marian shrines across the United States. Each day of this spiritual journey helps you encounter God and a deeper relationship with the Blessed Mother. “My Queen, My Mother, I give myself entirely to you.” The opening line to the Little Consecration sets the framework of this unique, nine-day pilgrimage, which culminates in a consecration to Mary. This living novena is similar in style and structure to the pilgrimage Fenelon developed in the bestselling and award-winning Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. The key difference, however, is that the first living novena was framed by Pope Francis’s visit to the Holy Land. For My Queen, My Mother, Fenelon chose sacred destinations that reflect the Catholic heritage of the United States. The nine Marian sites Fenelon visits are: Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, St. Augustine, Florida; National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Mary’s Mission and Museum, Stevensville, Montana; Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, Starkenburg, Missouri; Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, Ohio; The National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, Champion, Wisconsin; Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, Auriesville, New York; House of Mary Shrine, Yankton, South Dakota; and Our Lady of Peace Shrine, Santa Clara, California. Even if you can’t make a physical pilgrimage as Fenelon did, you can still make a spiritual one through her extended guided meditation. Each day you’ll learn about a different shrine to Mary: its history, charism, and graces. Fenelon will also guide you to visit a new “place” in your heart, to understand more about yourself and how to open your heart more fully to Mary. You are not tied to a pilgrimage of nine consecutive days: You can complete the spiritual journey in nine weeks or even nine months. There are reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

There have been thousands of books written about prayer and millions of sermons preached about it, yet people continue to wonder: Why doesn’t God answer me when I cry out to him? In light of all the problems we face in life, we want to know why God is often so “silent” when we pray to him. Anthony DeStefano, author of the bestselling A Travel Guide to Heaven, knew there had to be an answer to this mystery, so he set out on a quest to find prayers that God says yes to all the time. The result is an extraordinary new book that has the ability to dramatically change the lives of readers of all faiths. Each short, powerful prayer in Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To addresses a particular problem people commonly face in life—from accepting the existence of God to trying to make ends meet; from getting through terrible suffering to coping with everyday stress; from overcoming fear to finding your God-given destiny. Presented with a certainty and vigor that are sure to pique the interest of even those who are not spiritually inclined, these prayers will help readers find solutions to life’s most difficult situations and provide meaningful and inspiring answers to the vexing questions we have about the purpose of our time on earth. In a world awash with superficial self-help books and deceptive gimmicks, Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To is the real thing. Using hundreds of scriptural references to support his claims, DeStefano writes in a simple, straightforward, and uplifting manner that makes the most profound theological matters understandable to all. In the words of the author, “This is a spiritual treasure chest that is available to everyone….This book is about prayers that work—really, truly work.”

Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: Sacraments. (Second Place). In the first book to directly integrate the Twelve Steps with the practice of Catholicism, Scott Weeman, founder and director of Catholic in Recovery, pairs his personal story with compassionate straight talk to show Catholics how to bridge the commonly felt gap between the Higher Power of twelve-step programs and the merciful God that he rediscovered in the heart of the sacraments. Weeman entered sobriety from alcohol and drugs on October 10, 2011, and he's made it his full-time ministry to help others who struggle with various types of addiction to find spiritual wholeness through Catholic in Recovery, an organization he founded and directs. In The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments, Weeman candidly tackles the struggle he and other addicts have with getting to know intimately the unnamed Higher Power of recovery. He shares stories of his compulsion to find a personal relationship with God and how his tentative steps back to the Catholic Church opened new doors of healing and brought him surprising joy as he came to know Christ in the sacraments. Catholics in recovery and those moving toward it, as well as the people who love them will recognize Weeman's story and his spiritual struggle to personally encounter God. He tells us how: Baptism helps you admit powerlessness over an unmanageable problem, face your desperate need for God, and choose to believe in and submit to God’s mercy. Reconciliation affirms and strengthens the hard work of examining your life, admitting wrongs, and making amends. The Eucharist provides ongoing sustenance and draws you to the healing power of Christ. The graces of Confirmation strengthen each person to keep moving forward and to share the good news of recovery and new life in Christ. Weeman's words are boldly challenging and brimming with compassion and through them you will discover inspiration, hope, sage advice, and refreshingly practical help.

From his first appearance on a Vatican balcony Pope Francis proved himself a Pope of Surprises. With a series of potent gestures, history's first Jesuit pope declared a mission to restore authenticity and integrity to a Catholic Church bedevilled by sex abuse and secrecy, intrigue and in-fighting, ambition and arrogance. He declared it should be 'a poor Church, for the poor'. But there is a hidden past to this modest man with the winning smile. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was previously a bitterly divisive figure. His decade as leader of Argentina's Jesuits left the religious order deeply split. And his behaviour during Argentina's Dirty War, when military death squads snatched innocent people from the streets, raised serious questions – on which this book casts new light. Yet something dramatic then happened to Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He underwent an extraordinary transformation. After a time of exile he re-emerged having turned from a conservative authoritarian into a humble friend of the poor – and became Bishop of the Slums, making enemies among Argentina's political classes in the process. For Pope Francis – Untying the Knots, Paul Vallely travelled to Argentina and Rome to meet Bergoglio's intimates over the last four decades. His book charts a remarkable journey. It reveals what changed the man who was to become Pope Francis – from a reactionary into the revolutionary who is unnerving Rome's clerical careerists with the extent of his behind-the-scenes changes. In this perceptive portrait Paul Vallely offers both new evidence and penetrating insights into the kind of pope Francis could become.

I read your book from cover to cover. Your words completely captivated me and have convinced me on the importance of fasting. I knew already the benefits of fasting, but I wasn’t aware of all its attributes, that you explain so well. Reading this book one discovers fasting. As we know, Our Lady in Medjugorje continuously insists on the importance of fasting, but we avoid putting into practice something when it means we have to make a sacrifice. We struggle to convince ourselves to actually fast. The arguments you present, and the examples that you give in this book, show very clearly the reason why Our Lady insists so persistently on something so precious for the soul and the body, for the apostate on earth and for the souls in Purgatory. I thank you for emphasising such an important topic, very often mentioned in Sacred Scripture, so precious for the living and for the intercession of the dead. The final part of your work, with the words from the saints, will convince even the most reluctant. This book will be nothing less than a true discovery of fasting to whoever reads it. Don Gabriele Amorth

Unquestionably, this book is 100% factual! It offers an ordinary person's (the author's) perspective on the love and mercy of God, which is based on her actual and extraordinary personal experiences. At the same time, this book highlights the power of scripture, as well as the importance of prayer and faith. The author exposes her life to the world in order to help others discover the simplicity of listening to the Lord in various ways, whether through written words, people, or life experiences.