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Books Recommended by the SPC Adult Education Department

Back to Virtue by Peter Kreeft,
ISBN: 0898704227; Publisher: Ignatius Press

Peter Kreeft explores the Beatitudes as an antidote to the seven deadly sins, especially how they apply in today’s world.

Deep Conversion Deep Prayer by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M.
ISBN: 1586171178; Publisher: Ignatius Press

Fr. Dubay, a respected retreat leader helps all those interested in spirituality develop a deeper prayer life and union with God.

God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
ISBN-10: 0898709628; Publisher: Ignatius Press (June 2003)

From Amazon.com: The Second Vatican Council says, "We ought to try to discover a new reverence for the Eucharistic mystery. Something is happening that is greater than anything we can do. The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is the font from which all her power flows."

He Leadeth Me by Walter J. Ciszek and Daniel Flaherty
ISBN: 0898705460; Publisher: Ignatius Press

He Leadeth Me is the deeply moving personal story of one man's spiritual odyssey and the unflagging faith which enabled him to survive the horrendous ordeal that wrenched his body and spirit to near collapse. This book has been recommended by Fr. Paul Burke.

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI
ISBN: 0385523416; Publisher: Ignatius Press

“This book is… my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —Benedict XVI In this bold, momentous work, the Pope—in his first book written as Benedict XVI—seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and incites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.

Let Me Go to the Father's House: John Paul II's Strength in Weakness by by Stanislaw Dziwisz, et al
ISBN-10: 0819845221; Publisher: Pauline Book and Media, 2006

From Amazon.com: In this volume, the pope’s trusted secretary speaks of suffering in John Paul’s life, and close collaborator Czeslaw Drazek, SJ, reflects on how this life experience served to confirm and authenticate the pope’s signature teaching on suffering and on the dignity of every person. A fascinating book for reliving the last days of the great John Paul II: a story of courage, gratitude, and love.

Life of Christ by Fulton J. Sheen
ISBN: 0385132204; Publisher: Doubleday Publishing

From the Publisher: Filled with compassion and brilliant scholarship, Fulton Sheen's recounting of the Birth, Life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ is as dramatic and moving as the subject Himself.

New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
ISBN: 081120099X; Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

This is a terrific book to read while in Eucharistic Adoration.

Testimony of Hope by Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan
ISBN: 0819874078; Publisher: Pauline Books & Media

Every year, Pope John Paul II would choose someone to preach a course of spiritual exercises for himself and the Roman Curia at the Vatican. In the Jubilee Year 2000,he asked Vietnamese Archbishop Nguyen van Thuan. Testimony of Hope is the complete text of those Spiritual Exercises.