Memoirs Saints

Considered by many to be the first autobiography/memoir ever written, Confessions is a retrospective view of a life challenged by uncertainty, doubt, human frailty, and earthly desires. Augustine discovers and cherishes a deeply personal relationship with his God, all while describing the day-to-day dealings of his life in the fading, corrupt days of the Roman Empire.

While St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved saints in history, the relevancy of St. Francis for our times in light of the election of Pope Francis has yet to be explored. This book is written with the intention of filling that gap. While it is biographical in nature, it also freely explores themes that relate to St. Francis but are not a part of his life.

Francesco Forgione might be a name lost to history, but over the course of his life, he became one of Catholicism's most well known figures during the 20th century as Padre Pio. It was a remarkable path for a man who was legendarily afflicted by a series of illnesses and most famously bore the stigmata, very noticeably bearing what appeared to be the crucifixion wounds Jesus's hands suffered. Padre Pio was also known for his eccentricities, including unique forms of deep meditation and experiencing visions.

Do you feel like you can't explain many events that happen in your daily life? Karen feels this way too. In Angels, Saints, and Spirits, Karen takes you through real-life experiences that seem to be precipitated by spiritual events. As you listen to her stories, you, too, will be able to identify times in your life when the unexplained has no apparent rhyme or reason. It just happens. That is the time to look beyond yourself and into the world of a greater power.

Joan of Arc: The Story of the Defender and Patron Saint of France is more than just a history book—it's a journey of discovery. It is a bridge that connects us to the past, allowing us to walk through history, understanding the socio-political dynamics of Joan's time, and how they reverberate even today. It's a mirror that reflects our present, making us ponder upon the role of women, faith, and nationalism in society.

Are you curious how a clinically depressed teacher, who coached wrestling, transformed a group of forgotten teenagers into champions? After being discharged from a psychiatric care unit, on anti-depressants, and with no job prospects, a lost man from the Pacific Northwest, reluctantly moved to Southern California.

St. Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was born into a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal and later became a priest. He was noted by his contemporaries for his skillful preaching, knowledge of scripture, and unfailing love and devotion to the sick and the poor. He was one of the fastest canonized saints in church history and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946. There are many legends about this saint. This timeless, medieval classic is sure to delight listeners and enliven their faith.

Although many have heard his name and, perhaps a few fleeting quotations of his timeless, inspirational philosophy, few have had the opportunity to fully understand the amazing life and times of this impressive spiritual giant from the great, mysterious Indian subcontinent. Swamiji was the very first Indian teacher of the Hindu faith to base his preaching mission in the United States and Europe. Vivekananda was then, and is now, a beacon of light to millions and his touching, inspirational, well thought out books have gently educated and inspired people ever since.

Teresa of Ávila was more than a nun cloistered in 16th-century Spain. She was a mystic, a visionary, a passionate reformer, and a woman who revolutionized our understanding of prayer. This captivating biography delves into the life and profound teachings of this inspiring saint.

It is difficult in this day and age to imagine Christianity without the beneficent presence of the Blessed Virgin.

Next to Christ, of all those who grace the pages of the New Testament, Mary is perhaps the one who touches us the most.

Saint Dominic Savio was born of very poor but holy peasant stock, one of ten children. His parents were from Castelnuovo D’Asti, ten miles outside Turin. When things got desperate they were forced to leave, to find work in a small village outside of Chieri called Riva. There on April 2, 1842, a boy child was born to Charles and Brigid Savio, whom they baptized Dominic. When Dominic was two years old, the family moved once again, to a village near their home town of Castelnuovo d’Asti, Murialdo.

In Breaking van Gogh, James Grundvig investigates the history and authenticity of van Gogh's iconic Wheat Field with Cypresses. Relying on a vast array of techniques from the study of the painter's biography and personal correspondence to the examination of the painting's style and technical characteristics, Grundvig proves that the "most expensive purchase" housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is a fake.

In this groundbreaking new biography of Justinian, Peter Sarris gives us an intimate insight into both the Emperor and the man. We meet a man who from the humblest beginnings, rose to become ruler of much of the known world achieving an almost god-like status. An emperor who infused even the most mundane tasks with spiritual and religious significance. A gifted administrator obsessed with detail. A middle aged lover who fell for a dancing girl and changed the law so he could marry her, ruling with Empress Theodora by his side for over twenty years.

"Es fängt mit mir an, und es hört mit mir auf." Karl Lagerfeld stilisierte sich selbst zum lebenden Logo und zu einem Mythos der Modewelt. F.A.Z.-Redakteur Alfons Kaiser, der Lagerfeld seit langem kannte, stellt in dieser Biographie anhand vieler bislang unbekannter Quellen den charismatischen Modeschöpfer vor. Und er erklärt die vielen Rollen seines Lebens: den jugendlichen Außenseiter im norddeutschen Flachland, das weltgewandte Genie in Paris, den unermüdlichen Zeichner, begeisterten Fotografen, leidenschaftlichen Büchersammler und den preußisch disziplinierten Workaholic.

An NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints and a widely read and followed commentator on social media, Watson has taken the Internet by storm with his remarkable insights about some of the most sensitive and charged topics of our day. Now, in Under Our Skin, Watson draws from his own life, his family legacy, and his role as a father to sensitively and honestly examine both sides of the race debate and appeal to the power and possibility of faith as a step toward healing.

In 1384, a poor and illiterate peasant woman named Ermine moved to the city of Reims with her elderly husband. Her era was troubled by war, plague, and schism within the Catholic Church, and Ermine could easily have slipped unobserved through the cracks of history. After the loss of her husband, however, things took a remarkable but frightening turn. For the last 10 months of her life, Ermine was tormented by nightly visions of angels and demons.

Saint Patrick was, by his own admission, a controversial figure. Convicted in a trial by his elders in Britain and hounded by rumors that he settled in Ireland for financial gain, the man who was to become Ireland’s patron saint battled against great odds before succeeding as a missionary. Saint Patrick Retold draws on recent research to offer a fresh assessment of Patrick’s travails and achievements. This is the first biography in nearly 50 years to explore Patrick’s career against the background of historical events in late antique Britain and Ireland.

Since Mike was a child, his life was full of questions and confusion. Where was his dad? Why did he have two moms? Where was God in all of it? Throughout the fun, sad, frustrating, and uplifting experiences that weave together the story of Mike's life from his earliest childhood through marriage and having children of his own, he discovers his faith and learns that understanding begins with love.

As “Mormon royalty” within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Martha Beck was raised in a home frequented by the Church’s high elders—known as the apostles—and her existence was framed by their strict code of conduct. Wearing her sacred garments, she married in a secret temple ceremony—but only after two Mormon leaders ascertained that her “past contained no flirtation with serious sins, such as committing murder or drinking coffee.” She went to church faithfully with the other brothers and sisters of her ward.

Los conflictos de Agustín de Hipona con el sexo y con una madre dominante, seguidos de una crisis espiritual que le llevó a convertirse al cristianismo –contadas con detalle en sus Confesiones, le condujeron por último a hacer su contribución más importante a la filosofía: la fusión de las doctrinas del cristianismo y del neoplatonismo. Así, no solo proporcionó al cristianismo un fuerte soporte intelectual, sino que lo enlazó con la tradición griega de la filosofía.