Paraclete Press

By Frank JelenekThis resource has been declared Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur by William B. Smith, S. T. D., Censor Librorum and Dennis J. Sullivan, Vicar General, Archdiocese of New YorkMillions of books have been sold, teaching adults the practice of centering prayer. Finally, a guide for children!Centering prayer is a way of openingour whole being to God, beyond thoughts, words andemotions. It is simple and practical—a way of preparing heart and mind to receive the gift of intimate relationship with God. Jesus said, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6) Frank Jelenek shows young children just how to do that. The first guide to a contemplative prayer practice for children, Journey to the Heart both instructs and inspires. Many parents and teachers will learn fromthis colorful treasure of a book, as well! Until now, parents and teachers had no resource available to introduce children to the joys of communicating with God in this special, intimate way. This loving book makes it easy for children to share in the spiritual nourishment of centering prayer through age-appropriate illustrations and text that provides clear directions and encouragement in simple, fun language. Ideal for ages 3 — 10. SKU: 46475

By St. Augustine, St. Thomas a Kempis and St. Catherine of SienaThese thematic collections of spiritual teachings from the best Christian writers in history are sure to be popular with book study groups, Centering prayer gatherings, adult Christian formation, and for individual spiritual reading. SKU: 46491

Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church is an invitation to a life of joy. Phoebe Farag Mikhail explains what joy is and how to experience it through seven spiritual practices that cultivate our inner lives and connect us to our communities. These seven practices, which include giving thanks, hospitality, praise, and more, take us on a journey that leads to joy through the giving and receiving of sacrificial love. She describes her own experiences and struggles with joy and offers practical ways to implement these practices to increase joy in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us. Format: Paperback Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches Pages: 180. SKU: 57858

People from all faiths and none at all find in the Celtic tradition an expression of spirituality deeply connected to nature, and vibrantly alive — a spiritual rootedness we long for in the twenty-first century — at the same time simpler and more richly diverse. This book is a collection of some of the most beautiful prayers of the Celtic tradition that speak to us across the centuries. The early Celts lived in a time and place where nature was ever-present — in the seasonal harvest and disruptions of it, in the sometimes brutal climate, and in all the gifts from the earth. In their simple rural life, they were surrounded by the cycles of nature: the seasons, lunar months, tides, dawn and dusk. Even in ordinary tasks — gardening, metalworking, sheep herding, and farm chores — they felt God’s sacred presence all around in the natural world.

By Clare Simpson"God must love singing. SKU: 46470

By Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, illustrated by Joani Keller RothenbergFolklore has been used throughout history to teach and inspire- this new release in paperback will do just that. Inspired by a Jewish folktale, this charming original story begins: Once there was a town called Chelm where there was no luck. If something could go wrong, it did. The roofs of the houses always leaked. The sidewalks were cracked. The gardens grew only weeds. Nothing was ever right. But just wait and find hope with best-selling author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (nearly 500,000 copies of her books are in print). Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is the best-selling author of In God's Name, God's Paintbrush, Creation's First Light, and other books. She is a rabbi and director of the Religion, Spirituality and Arts Initiative at Butler University in Indianapolis. Joani Rothenberg is the illustrator of several children's books. She also lives in Indianapolis. SKU: 46478

By Peter GordayDiscover the wisdom of this controversial theologian whose counsel and meditations have found a wide audience for more than three centuries. Fran?ois F_nelon was a seventeenth-century French archbishop who rose to a position of influence in the court of Louis XIV. Amid the splendor and decadence of Versailles, F_nelon became a wise mentor to many members of the king's court as well as to the controversial Madame Guyon. Later exiled from Versailles for political reasons, F_nelon set out to improve the lot of peasants of his diocese and to deepen the spiritual life of all with whom he came in contact. Until his death, he corresponded with those at court who had become his spiritual "children." Twenty-first century Christians are rediscovering the wisdom of this spiritual thinker. Together with Pascal—who was an old man in Fenelon's youth—he showed how it was possible to have devotion and faith in the Age of Enlightenment. He battled heresies, faced charges of heresy himself, and wrote masterful books of insight into the spiritual life. "Peter Gorday's life of Fenelon is a gem. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Fenelon or Christian mysticism in general." _Dr. Chad Helms, Professor of Modern Foreign Languages, Presbyterian College, and editor of Fenelon:Selected Writings (Classics of Western Spirituality) "Gorday traces the complex situation in Fenelon's time and the varying perspectives of his interpreters. He declares him not cunning but tough as a thinker. In this book, we get not only a fascinating story but also a subtle guide to self-examination." -Dr. Eugene TeSelle, Emeritus, Vanderbilt Divinity School. SKU: 46501

By Jerusha Hull McCormackThis book is designed to help those in pain—and specifically those who are coping with how to grieve the death of a loved one—to imagine the path before them. There is no sure route on how to grieve. JerushaMcCormack provides instead a series of signposts by which we may find our own path to a new life. "We are all amateurs at grief," she writes, "it comes to us all; we must all go through it. To treat grief as a problem to be fixed, or (worse still) to medicalize it, is to rob us of the extraordinary privilege of encountering this experience on our terms: for each of us has our own way of grieving, and each of us has something special to learnfrom the process."For anyone coping with how to grieve, or dealing with loss. "Chances are, if you are reading this, your heart is broken. This book is designed to help those in pain—and specifically those who have lost someone through death—to imagine the path before them. It is a path of suffering. But it is also a path that may lead to unexpected discoveries—and to peace." —Jerusha HullMcCormack "This book is a personal, concrete exploration of ways to deal with the pain of loss. It is a book of lessons learned firsthand by the author in her own grieving, and so the book has an unusual immediacy and usefulness. I can imagine giving it to a friend as a first resource. While there are many books offering theories about grief, this one offers a phenomenology of sorrow, a charting of a wide range of experiences anyone might have in the aftermath of loss. It is an excellentbook addressed to the person grieving, not to the person thinking about grief." —Thomas Moore,author of Care of the Soul "McCormack writes straight from the heart in a simple language that is infused with a spirituality that is never preachy or pushy... Anyone who is grieving or anyone who knows a grieving person will find hope and support in this small book." —Publishers Weekly, starred review. SKU: 46518