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O God, Who in ineffable providence do deign to send Your holy angels for our defense, grant to Your suppliants both to be defended always by their protection and to rejoice in their eternal company. (Collect for the Feast of the Angels Guardian from the Roman Missal)Of the members of the Church Triumphant, none are perhaps more mysterious than the orders of the heavenly spirits, created before the foundation of the earth and destined for all time "to serve . . . those who shall inherit salvation" (Heb. 1:14). In truth, the angels, who are made to reflect very closely the glory of God, are destined to be the servants of the righteous of mankind in heaven! That is why Mary is Queen of the angels (and she can send them to our aid, if we ask her!). And yet, while we are on earth, some of the most powerful intercessors we have before God are the angels. Divided into nine choirs, they guard both the material world, directing the operations of nature, and individuals and societies, serving as protectors and helpers. Led by St. Michael, the Prince of the Heavenly Host, standing "before the altar holding a golden thurible . . . to offer up the prayers of all the holy ones on the golden altar, which is before the Throne of God" (Apoc. 3:8), the angels partake of the eternal banquet of the celestial liturgy. They act as our guardians, serve as messengers from God to us and from us to God, surround the altar during Mass on earth, and bear the graces of the Mass like incense back to the altar of God on high.In St. Michael and the Angels, discover all this and more about the holy angels, as well as St. Michael's special role as "Champion of the Church," "Defender of Christians," "Guardian of Purgatory," "Helper of the Sick and Dying," and the "Holy Standard-Bearer" who presents souls before the holy light of God. Find also numerous devotions to the angels, including litanies to our Guardian Angel, to St. Michael, St. Raphael, and St. Gabriel. A special treat is the prayer to our guardian angel asking him to go in our place to attend Mass when we cannot! In all, St. Michael and the Angels is a treasure trove of information and inspiration about the holy angels—our silent partners in the way of salvation.O captains and leaders of the armies of heaven, unworthy as we are, we beseech you without cease to surround us with your intercessions and cover us beneath the shelter of the glory of your ethereal wings. We bend our knee and cry out with perseverance: "Deliver us from danger, O Princes of the Powers on high!" (Troparion of the Byzantine Synaxis of the Heavenly Powers)

Saint Michael and the Angels

In Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence, St. Francis de Sales, beloved Doctor of the Church, speaks of how God wants only good for us, and why we should have great confidence in His merciful love.This treasure of spirituality beautifully explains God's love for the sinner, how great His joy is upon the return of just one lost sheep, and how God's mercy extends even towards the damned. St. Francis encourages us to conform ourselves to God's will, and teaches us to abandon ourselves to the Lord who so desires our hearts.Readers of Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence will experience firsthand why St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is known to history as the Gentle Saint. St. Francis was Bishop of Geneva and a tireless preacher, who yet made time to correspond with numerous souls who wrote him for his insight and guidance. His Consoling Thoughts are compiled from these letters as well as from his other spiritual works.

Consoling Thoughts on God and Providence

Fr. Edward Looney reads from Chapter 16 of Book 2. &nbsp;In this reading we return to Mary in the temple and get a glimpse into her spiritual life.

Year 3, Day 76: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 16, Paragraphs 660-666

Fr. Edward Looney finishes reading chapter 12 of book 2 and offers a reflection on temperance and its relationship to anger and pride.

Year 2, Day 68: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 12, Paragraphs 590-598

"How lovely is Thy Dwelling-Place, O Lord God of Hosts!" —Psalm 83 (84)To gaze upon and speak with Our Lady is one of the tenderest longings of the pious Christian soul. Our Lord could not have conceived of a greater human creature than His own Mother, and so it is one of the most sublime graces to be granted a vision of that Heavenly Garden, the True Eden and New Eve. It is no wonder, then, that those most blessed souls who have loved Christ most have merited to see her, who only leads us deeper into His love.Saints Who Saw Mary recounts the stories of 17 canonized saints who kept company with the Ark of the New Covenant, the Mother of God. Their stories are profound, enlightening, inspiring, and tantalizing. Learn of Our Lady's dealings with such luminaries of the sanctoral patrimony as:Gertrude the GreatFrancisBridgetCatherine of SienaTeresa of AvilaJohn of the CrossAnd more!It is no coincidence that Our Lady appeared to these who are among the greatest saints in the history of the Church. For anyone who does not love His Mother, who bore God, can merit to bear Christ and His glorious resurrection. Let these accounts move you not only to longing for the sight of the Mother of God and her Son, but, what is far more important, to a deeper love and longing to be united to Him through her who is most blessed.

Saints Who Saw Mary

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 24 of book 4 and then comments on the prophecies of Jesus going to Egypt, the destruction of false idols in Egypt, and how Christians created shrines in trees to counteract false gods.&nbsp;

Day 174: Volume 2, Book 4, Chapter 24, Paragraphs 641-652

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 4 of book 6 and then comments on the death of St. John the Baptist.

Year 2, Day 223: Volume 3, Book 6, Chapter 4, Paragraphs 361-367

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 20 of book 6 and then comments on the crowning of thorns and the trial before Pilate.

Year 2, Day 254: Volume 3, Book 6, Chapter 20, Paragraphs 633-642

In a series of fascinating interviews, a cradle Catholic (Robert P. George) and an adult convert (R. J. Snell) offer the stories of sixteen converts, each a public intellectual or leading voice in his or her respective field, and each making a significant contribution to the life of the Church.Mind, Heart, and Soul is a Surprised by Truth for a new generation. It will reinvigorate the faith of Catholics and answer questions or address hurdles those discerning entering the Church may have&hellip;by people who have had the same questions and the same road.While some of the converts are well-known, their stories are not. Here they speak for themselves, providing the reasons for belief that prompted these accomplished men and women to embrace the ancient faith.Included are interviews with a bishop, a leading theologian and priest, a member of the International Theological Commission, a former megachurch pastor, a prominent pro-life scholar, professors from Harvard and other universities, as well as journalists and writers, novelists and scholars. Each is interviewed by another leading scholar, many of whom are themselves converts and familiar with the hesitations, anxieties, discoveries, and hopes of those who discover the Faith.These conversion stories remind us that the Catholic Church retains her vitality, able to provide answers and reasons for hope to new generations of believers, always sustained by the Holy Spirit. It is all too easy to become discouraged in our day and age, but God never fails to call people to Himself, as evidenced by these remarkable stories.

Mind, Heart, and Soul

01 Opening Credits

02 Opening Prayer

03 Preface

04 Introduction

05 Part 1 - The Love of Christ

06 Chapter 1 - Who Is This Man_

07 Chapter 2 - Come and See

08 Chapter 3 - Present Among Us

09 Part Two - The Church

10 Chapter 4 - Human and Divine

11 Chapter 5 - The Saints

12 Chapter 6 - Our Lady of Compassion

13 Chapter 7 - The Sacraments

14 Part Three - The Sacred Triduum

15 Holy Thursday

16 Good Friday

17 Holy Saturday

18 The Easter Vigil

19 Prayer and Faith

20 Closing Credits

When we are alone, isolated, afraid, and grieving the loss of a loved one, Jesus tells us plainly, Behold, I am with you always! It is His presence and constant companionship that brings us comfort, consolation, and hope through all the seasons of our lives.I Am with You Always invites the ordinary Catholic to once again “behold Jesus.” In doing so, we will realize with joy and gratitude the wonderful connection between the ordinary teachings and practices of our Catholic faith and the strength we derive from them to weather the storms of life.The authors gently invite their readers to respond to Christ’s perennial call to “come and see” and to verify for yourself that:<ul><li>God truly is Love and His mercy endures forever;</li><li>Christ draws near in order to remain with us;</li><li>we truly encounter Christ in the sacraments and in the liturgy;</li><li>we live, even now, in the communion of His saints;</li><li>Our Lady of Compassion constantly intercedes for us; and</li><li>God hears our prayers and responds to our heartache and pain.</li></ul>This book was written as an act of friendship, as one heart speaking to another about the reality of God’s love for us. It is an act of companionship, a drawing near to a beloved friend in their time of need. It is a gift that reminds a broken heart that there is always hope in Jesus Christ. For He alone is the victory over death that we seek for ourselves and for our loved ones.

I Am With You Always

Fr. Edward reads chapter three of book 5 and then reflects on the visits to the temple and how Jesus is the New Temple, a reflection on an individual from the Old Testament, and the significance of Mary hearing the Father's voice.

Day 184: Volume 3, Book 5, Chapter 3, Paragraphs 26-34

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 16 of book 8 and then comments on the use of time and incorporating devotional prayer in our day. &nbsp;

Day 354: Volume 4, Book 8, Chapter 16, Paragraphs 688-695

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 14 of book 2 about abstractive and intellectual visions.

Year 3, Day 73: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 14, Paragraphs 631-636

Fr. Edward Looney begins reading chapter 14 of book 2 and then offers a reflection on the nature of mystical revelations.

Year 3, Day 71: Volume 1, Book 2, Chapter 14, Paragraphs 615-622

In Consoling Thoughts on Sickness and Death, St. Francis de Sales, the beloved Doctor of the Church, teaches how to grow closer to God through suffering well the most bitter trials.The bed of sickness is an altar of sacrifice, writes the saint in this treasure of spirituality. He explains what prayers are suitable for the sick, how to persevere in patience, and even how to overcome an excessive fear of death. Most importantly, St. Francis de Sales teaches about abandonment to God's will in both life and death, drawing from his memories of the deaths of his own mother and sister.Readers of Consoling Thoughts on Sickness and Death will experience firsthand why St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) is known to history as the Gentle Saint. St. Francis was Bishop of Geneva and a tireless preacher, who yet made time to correspond with numerous souls who wrote him for his insight and guidance. His Consoling Thoughts are compiled from these letters as well as from his other spiritual works.

Consoling Thoughts on Sickness and Death

Fr. Edward Looney reads from chapter 5 of book 5 and then comments on the devotion of the apostles to Our Lady, her prayers for the early Church, and the titles they used to honor her.

Year 2, Day 224: Volume 3, Book 6, Chapter 5, Paragraphs 368-374

Amid the shortness and uncertainty of life, Guidance to Heaven shows why we should live in anticipation of and preparation for death. Cardinal Bona advises us not to live in such a way that we are afraid to die because we are unprepared; but rather, realizing that death is our grand entrance into true life, we should make it our life's work to get ready. This spiritual text has been compared to the Imitation of Christ for its simplicity, clarity, and potency of doctrine, which befits the Cistercian formation of the author. And yet Cardinal Bona, a consummate liturgist and classicist, cannot fail to exude some of that scholarly erudition in his writing on the ascetical life. His Guidance to Heaven is short and powerful, coming from the heart of a man dedicated to the Lord in prayer and humility.Giovanni Cardinal Bona was born in 1609 in Mondovi, Piedmont, Italy, near the border with France. He became a Cistercian monk at the age of 15, exhibiting an extraordinary erudition in his studies, as well as exceptional humility and sanctity. His qualities led him to be called as a prior, then abbot, and finally superior general of the Cistercians in Rome. While there, he served humbly and fervently, declining even offers of the episcopate, and hoped to retire into a life of study: instead, he was made a consultor to the Holy Office. When he became a cardinal, his extreme simplicity shone forth: his lifestyle did not change at all, and all of his surplus wealth he donated to needy priests at the Missionary College in Rome.Let the words of this holy man reach you and bring you to an ever-greater zeal for pursuing the Lord in preparation for death.