Showing results by publisher "Paraclete Press" in Christian Living

These days, it’s hard to say the word “chastity” without a cringe. But in this book, beloved teacher Fr. Ronald Rolheiser boldly champions the notion of chastity in its fullest meaning: respect, patience, reverence, and a God-given gift of propriety in every area of life—not just in the area of sex.

Franciscan Lectio is for Christians who long to see the world more beautifully and deeply and become more attentive and present. An ancient tradition dating back to the third century, lectio divina has long served as an avenue of contemplative prayer, but the practice has often been systematized, intellectualized, or only practiced by monastics. Few authors have attempted to universalize lectio using contemporary language or approach it from a Franciscan perspective.

In Franciscan Lectio, Fr. Dan Riley comes alongside us in our own encounters with lectio and inspires our spiritual imagination through story, art, poetry, nature, Franciscan mysticism, and Scripture—helping us to see that all of life is unitive and sacred.

Laurie Brock, Episcopal priest, messy Christian, and horse lover, shares the experiences of love, grief, humility, joy, and deep wisdom that she discovers day to day with horses. From barely-there trails in the Grand Tetons to muddy fields in the Kentucky Bluegrass, God is revealed in the simple ways of these magnificent creatures. For anyone feeling doubtful, distracted, or anxious in these challenging times, Laurie brings us back to center, reminding us to breathe, get back on the saddle, and move beyond the familiar into the freedom of something new.

This is what happens when a writer, preacher, and lover of words encounters some of creation’s wisest theologians: horses. First, she argues with them. They are, after all, horses. What could they possibly know about life and God that theologians haven’t already written? But slowly, she engages their language and listens to their holy wisdom, attending to how they express their being, actions, and relationships. She allows horses to draw her out of the faith of intellect and into a deeper faith of emotion, body, and soul.

These days, it's hard to say the word “chastity” without a cringe. But in this book, beloved teacher Fr. Ronald Rolheiser boldly champions the notion of chastity in its fullest meaning: respect, patience, reverence, and a God-given gift of propriety in every area of life—not just in the area of sex.

God is conceived of as holy, pure, sexless, and as morally above the raw desires that so powerfully beset us. Sex, on the other hand, is conceived of as earthy and unholy, something we must snatch, and not without guilt, from the gods. Christianity has struggled mightily with sex; so too have most other religions. And yet when we look at sexual desire and ask where it comes from, there can be only one answer. It comes from God.

What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart - a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God’s. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries. Certain vocations offer the same kind of opportunity for contemplation, and provide a desert for reflection.

Biographies will only take you so far. It's impossible to truly understand Francis of Assisi without hearing his own words. A scholar and lover of Francis, Sweeney has added six writings to his best-selling compilation, additional texts that we're most certain came from Francis himself. Now, short writings such as The Form of Life He Wished for Clare, The Sermon to the Birds, and The Source of True Joy combine with Francis's rules, letters, messages, songs, praises, canticles, and final spiritual testament in a most ideal introduction to the saint.

Open a window each day of Advent onto the natural world. The author reads 25 descriptions of wild animals of the northern hemisphere ingeniously adapting when darkness and cold descend. All of them reveal the ancient wisdom of Advent: The dark is not an end but a door, the way a new beginning comes. These short, daily reflections paint vivid, poetic images of familiar animals.

Anticipate, celebrate, and marvel at Jesus' birth with Three Wise Women, a richly researched and faith-building new devotional by Dandi Daley Mackall. You are invited to spend the 40 days of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany in the company of Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist, and Anna the prophetess at the temple in Jerusalem.

Originally written for monks, the principles in the Rule of St. Benedict may be applied by anyone — and in today’s hectic, changing world, following its principles offers a rich spiritual connection to the stability and wisdom of monastic life. This essential guide explains how people who live and work in “the world” are still invited to balance work with prayer, cultivate interdependence with others, practice hospitality, and otherwise practice their spirituality like monks.

What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart—a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God's. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries. Certain vocations offer the same kind of opportunity for contemplation, and provide a desert for reflection.

How much time is enough to be with God? While it could be the 40 days, or years, used so often in the Bible, it’s also possible that simply stealing a few minutes, from the busyness of each day, is enough time to be in Kairos, “God time”. The same is true for the space needed to find God. Whether it be in a deserted place or one filled with activity, whatever space we can carve out to find God - or to make enough room to be found - is enough space.

Discussion around the bestseller The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher has led many people to want to know more about Benedictine principles. Originally written for monks, the principles in the Rule of St. Benedict may be applied by anyone—and in today's hectic, changing world, following its principles offers a rich spiritual connection to the stability and wisdom of monastic life.

Our oldest Christian traditions invite us to listen as well as speak when we pray, yet often God's voice seems barely audible. A bestseller since its original release a quarter century ago, Echoes of Eternity is an authentic record of one man's quiet listening to God and recording of what he heard. These brief meditations were gathered from his faithful daily devotional practice. They have the power to fuel your own quiet moments alone with the Almighty.

40 Days with the Holy Spirit will inspire you to encounter God in fresh and surprising ways. You’ll develop stronger spiritual muscles as you breathe, read, reflect, and pray—all with an eye to cultivating a relationship with the least familiar member of the Trinity.

Whether your spiritual life is in shambles or your faith is robust, whether you attend church or not, are angry at God or resting in God's embrace, you will discover in this book a path to authentic faith sifted through intense joy and disheartening loss, through breathtaking experiences and the nearly hidden reality of the Spirit tucked away in everyday life. In Holy Spirit, I Pray, you'll meet the Holy Spirit as you never have before—in prayers of uncanny candor and surprising beauty. Each raw, honest prayer is accompanied by the Scripture texts that inspired it.

Biographies will only take you so far. It's impossible to truly understand Francis of Assisi without reading or hearing his own words. A scholar and lover of Francis, Sweeney has added six writings to his bestselling compilation, additional texts that we're most certain came from Francis himself.

Pangolins and polar bears, olms, lemurs, and leopards. We share this beautiful blue-green globe with creatures magnificent, delicate, intricate - and now vanishing at a faster rate than at any other time in Earth’s history. Spend Lent with 25 of these wild ones. Vivid descriptions of their lives will fill listeners with wonder - and grief at what they suffer on a planet shaped by human choices. Their stories thaw our stiff hearts and wake us to greater compassion - which is what Lent, meaning “springtime”, has always been for.