All bodies are good bodies. Except fat bodies. At least that’s what our society tells us. According to the prevailing dogma, thin bodies are good; fat bodies are bad. In fact, any body that fails to measure up to society’s standards of perfection is bad. The perfect face has no blemishes, the perfect belly has no love handles, and the perfect skin has no wrinkles or stretch marks. According to this standard of flawlessness, a good body can have no illness, no disability, and no inadequacy. Our cultural understanding of good bodies makes most of us feel like hopeless failures. This is not what our loving God wants for us. In Lovely , size-dignity activist and self-proclaimed “fat girl” Amanda Martinez Beck talks openly about the purpose of bodies, what makes a body good, and the need to reframe the way we think and speak about our own bodies and the bodies of the people around us. Much more than a “self-image” read, Lovely will retrain you to think about your whole self – body and soul – in terms of mercy, kindness, and wonder rather than criticism, failure, and self-loathing. Don’t let the scale, the mirror, your interior critic, or the world around you keep you trapped in lies. All bodies are good bodies, including yours. Click here to register for the related webcast ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda Martinez Beck is an author and story consultant who lives with her husband, Zachary, and their four young children in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Learn more about her and her work at amandamartinezbeck.com.
Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., SATP-C
“Those who refuse to forgive become prisoners of the past.”– Pope Saint John Paul II Discovering a pornography addiction is traumatic – but knowing about it is necessary for true healing and recovery to begin. In Restoring Trust , licensed clinical therapist Peter C. Kleponis, Ph.D., SATP-C, co-founder of IntegrityRestored.com and creater of the Integrity Starts Here! recovery program, provides an authentically Catholic approach to understanding and recovering from pornography addiction – whether you, your spouse, or both are addicted. Drawing on real-life case studies, teachings of the Church, and Scripture, this book will show you how healing, recovery, and restoration are possible for each of you personally and for your marriage. Past mistakes and hurts, no matter how deep, do not have to rule your future. With the right tools, and relying on God’s grace, you can restore trust in your relationship and achieve lasting freedom.
Millions of women have felt the power of birth, and countless women long for it. But for too many, birth can seem like a purely clinical experience – something to get through as quickly as possible in order to get on with the joys of being a mother. In Made for This , author Mary Haseltine draws on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body to show that birth is an essential part of who God created women to be, body and soul. With real-life stories from many moms and practical tips – including preparing for birth, making informed choices, helping fathers embrace their role in the birth room, and encountering the work of labor – this book is an indispensable guide for navigating the physical and spiritual dimensions of pregnancy and birth. Expectant mothers will find the tools they need to approach birth as a gift, and to invite God into the experience. About the Author Mary Haseltine is a theology graduate and a certified birth doula and childbirth educator. With a passion for building a culture of life through the teachings of the Theology of the Body, she works to bring an awareness and practice of the teachings of the Church into the realm of childbirth, mothering, and pregnancy loss. She lives in Western New York with her husband and five sons. You can find more of her writing at www.betterthaneden.com.
A century old – eternally new. 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal. The message of Fatima reflects all the teachings of the Catholic faith. It’s a message so simple that children could understand it – yet one so rich that theologians are still mining its depths. In The Miracle and the Message: 100 Years of Fatima , author John C. Preiss describes in clear detail the Blessed Mother’s appearances to Lucia dos Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto (now the Church’s youngest canonized saints) and shares the background, sights, and sounds that draw you into the events as they unfolded over the course of the twentieth century. More than just a history lesson about the apparitions, The Miracle and the Message shows us how to claim the message in our own lives and fully embrace what Mary offers the Church and the World. Whether you know little about what happened in Fatima and want to learn more, or you already have a devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, you will love The Miracle and the Message . Includes eight pages of photos. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Preiss is President of the Fatima Family Apostolate International, a Public Association of the Faithful, founded in 1986 by the late Father Robert J. Fox. The mission of the Fatima Family Apostolate International is to promote the message of Fatima and the sanctification of family life.
Enfolded in Christ is a book about priesthood with a difference. Instead of focusing on ministry, it helps priests develop a healthy spiritual life to sustain them through the demands of their calling.
John-Francis Friendship draws on extensive experience in pastoral supervision and spiritual direction to help priests cultivate spiritual practices and habits that will nurture a priests's relationship with Christ, sustain holy living and foster personal well-being.